What is Newsblogging?
What results should we expect from our newsblog?
Do newsblogs have an effect on SEO?
Who writes the posts?
What components make up a newsblog post?
Can we use the names of our organization’s staff or executives as post authors?
What companies have you produced newsblogs for?
Is Newsblogging the same as ghost blogging?
Can I be involved in my company’s newsblog?
How often do you publish newsblog posts?
When are newsblog posts published?
Does anyone edit the posts before they are published?
Newsblogging is an effective and transparent approach to professional blogging developed by SixEstate co-founder Steve O’Keefe. We actually consider it privately-sponsored journalism. We assign a seasoned journalist to blog transparently on behalf of your organization. The goal of your newsblog is to connect you with news stories, current events, research findings and other topics related to your products, services, industry or cause — weaving your organization into the online discussion and establishing thought leadership around relevant topics. Newsblogging also enhances SEO and can achieve first-page results for your most important keywords.
What results should we expect from our newsblog?
- The creation of a leading online news platform around your topic, industry or cause.
- Improved search engine ranking for your most important target keywords.
- Your newsblog will hit Google Alerts consistently for your target keywords.
- Good PR: audiences appreciate your organization’s approach to content — providing meaningful information as opposed to self-promotion or corporate messaging.
Do newsblogs have an effect on SEO?
Since good content is the best form of SEO, newsblogs are one of the most effective tools for enhancing your site’s position in search. We develop a keyword strategy prior to launching your newsblog, and we reassess the strategy and make adjustments over the course of your newsblog. By publishing excellent, keyword-rich content every work day, your newsblog will rank well in search for those keywords. In addition to being found in search, your newsblog will also appear in Google Alerts consistently for those keywords.
We assign each organization with its own newsblogger, a seasoned journalist who has experience covering related topics or beats. He or she is responsible for researching and writing a newsblog post every work day. We also assign an editor for each blog who works in tandem with the writer, editing and optimizing every post before it is published.
What components make up a newsblog post?
Every post is made up of original, keyword-rich content that relates to your topic and is geared toward your target audience. For consistency, our newsbloggers use AP style (with a few minor tweaks), and every post contains these essential ingredients:
- A quotation from at least one respected news source.
- A citation and link to any news sources used in the post.
- A piece of copyright-permissable artwork in each post.
- A credit for the artwork with a link to the source.
- Search-optimized text, headlines, tags, categories and hyperlinks.
Can we use the names of our organization’s staff or executives as post authors?
NO. Your staff may add their own posts to the newsblog, if they choose, but they don’t have to. Our journalists may only blog under their own names and are prohibited by contract from blogging under the name of anyone at your organization. Newsblogging isn’t ghost blogging; it’s journalism, and therefore it is based on the fundamental journalistic principles of transparency and full disclosure. Every newsblog post includes a byline with the actual author’s name, without exception. Ghost blogging is likely to backfire and cause PR problems as it did for Wal-Mart and Edelman in 2006. Since then, ghost blogging has been frowned upon across the blogging community.
What companies have you produced newsblogs for?
The first newsblog was created for Kaiser Permanente in 2007 on the topic of health care reform. Since then, our staff has worked with:
- John Wiley & Sons on an array of newsblogs
- Law Offices of Daniel R. Rosen, PC
- Pediatrician and author Dr. Robert Pretlow
- Spiritual teacher and author Sandra Ingerman
- The National Association of Broadcasters
- The Radio Advertising Bureau
- The HD Digital Radio Alliance
- FiledBy
- and more
Is Newsblogging the same as ghost blogging?
Newsblogging is not ghost blogging. All newsblog posts are written by a seasoned journalist who is assigned to the project, working in conjunction with an editor and optimizer. By contract, the journalist must use his or her real name in the byline of every post. Only the actual author of a post will be given credit in the byline.
Can I be involved in my company’s newsblog?
Absolutely. We encourage involvement from our clients, but it isn’t required. Feel free to send your newsblogger what we call “blogbait” — links to articles and other news sources that you would like him or her to cover on your newsblog. It’s an easy way to direct the content to suit your needs. You are also invited to comment on the newsblog and respond to comments from other readers. We will inform you of any comments that would benefit from a direct response from you.
In addition to our posts, you and your staff are free to add your own posts to the newsblog at anytime — whether personal, promotional or newsy.
How often do you publish newsblog posts?
An original post is published every work day for the duration of your contract. If a post is missed due to illness or another unavoidable circumstance, that post will be made up and published at a later date, usually a weekend, holiday or after the contract expires.
When are newsblog posts published?
Posts are typically published every work day at 6 am ET. We are happy to accommodate a different publishing time to fit your needs, but we insist on publishing a new post every work day. One, two, or three posts a week is great for an amateur blog; but you will never achieve the same level of visibility or top search positions for target keywords without posting every work day.
Does anyone edit the posts before they are published?
Yes. To ensure that only high-quality and professional content is released, each newsblog is assigned a separate editor who is responsible for correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage and style, as well as checking citations, links, artwork and copyright permissions. The editor also adds tags and categories, and rewrites headlines and body copy — if necessary — to optimize the text. He or she then schedules each post for release the following work day morning. We call this system of checks and balances “blogging with a net.”
