What a blog is: features, operation and benefits
It is a virtual space that, despite technical and technological evolutions, continues to occupy a fixed place in history and, above all, in our digital lives and daily actions. Even in different and mutated forms, in fact, there are (still) hundreds of millions of blogs on the Internet today: according to some estimates, there are almost 500 million blogs hosted on various platforms, such as Tumblr, Squarespace and WordPress, and in fact even the article we are reading right now is hosted within a blog. So let’s delve into what a blog is today, to understand how to take advantage of this extremely powerful and versatile communication tool, both personally and professionally.
What a blog is
Today, a blog is basically a regularly updated site with posts of various types, which can serve a personal purpose or meet a business need.
According to the prestigious Merriam-Webster U.S. dictionary, the term “blog” has two main definitions, which somewhat highlight the two different souls:
- A website that contains personal reflections, commentary and often hyperlinks, videos and photographs provided by the author.
- A regular column that appears as part of an online publication, and which typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal comments by one or more authors.
The first meaning refers to the blog as a personal platform, where the individual is the center of attention. Here, the blog is seen as a digital diary, a place where the author can express his or her thoughts, share experiences and opinions, dialoguing with readers through comments. An example would be a traveler’s blog documenting his travels with text, photos and videos, while also providing useful tips and information to his readers, or a cooking blog where the author shares his recipes.
The second definition focuses on the blog as a feature of a larger online publication, such as a newspaper or digital magazine. In this context, a blog is a specific section that covers particular topics through a series of posts, often written by different authors. This type of blog is generally more structured and can be used to delve into specific topics, such as technology, fashion, or politics. An example would be a technology blog within a news site, where industry experts share analysis, reviews and commentary on the latest devices and technology trends, or indeed our blog on SEO!
What blog means
The term “blog” comes from the contraction of “weblog” and means a log (log) published on the web. The word was coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger, an ante litteram blogger from Robot Wisdom, who intended to describe his process of having access to the web (logging) while surfing the Internet, while the final abbreviation of blog was in 1999 by programmer Peter Merholz.
In its early stages, a blog was a personal web log or diary where someone-and potentially anyone-could share information or opinions on a variety of topics; information was classically posted in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent post was displayed first.
From simple personal notes, over time blogs evolved into full-fledged editorial channels, often as carefully curated as a newspaper, regularly updated with new and useful content. The democratization of Internet access has allowed anyone to start a blog, sparking a revolution that has redefined journalism, marketing, and corporate communications.
It is no coincidence that the term blog has fully entered our everyday language, to the point that the verb to blogging or blogging was also born to identify both the activity of running this site and the activity of publishing content online.
What are the main characteristics of a blog
A blog is distinguished by its dynamic structure, with regularly published posts appearing in reverse chronological order, placing the most recent at the top of the page.
This constant focus is the heartbeat of a blog, what keeps it alive and interesting in the eyes of readers and search engines. The ability for readers to leave comments created an open and constructive dialogue, turning the blog into an interactive community. Customization, then, is another pillar of blogging: each blog has its own style, its own voice, its own design, which makes it unique even in the face of so many alternatives.
Going back to the definition, then, we can say that a blog is a website that presents content, usually in the form of articles or posts, in reverse chronological order (from the most recently published to the oldest).
The topics covered are wide-ranging, from personal life to news, from entertainment to education, and can be written by individuals or groups of authors.
It is thus an online communication tool for sharing information, experiences, opinions and knowledge through articles called “posts,” which are published on a more or less regular and cadenced basis. While blogs were initially used primarily as personal digital diaries, over time they have evolved into powerful tools for businesses, e-commerce, professionals and brands.
Blog posts, the basic unit of the project
The heart of the project, especially in the origins, is the blog post, which is, so to speak, the basic unit of content within a blog.
By this term we identify each individual article or entry published, the content of which can range from a personal reflection to an in-depth analysis of a specific topic.
Blog posts can vary in length, style, and format depending on the author’s intent and the audience’s expectations. Typically they are organized in reverse chronological order on the blog, with the most recent appearing first, and are distinguished by a few key features.
For example, they have a distinctive title, which catches the eye and provides insight into the content. It is the element that stands out in search results and social media feeds, so it is carefully crafted to be both eye-catching and relevant to the topics covered in the post. In addition, it can be optimized with SEO best practices to improve the online visibility of the content.
Within the post, the content unfolds into a narrative or discussion that can be enhanced by multimedia elements: images, videos, and external links are not just embellishments, but integral parts that work in synergy with the text to create an engaging experience and provide richer context.
The publication date that accompanies each post serves as a time stamp that helps readers determine the freshness and relevance of the content.
The author’s identity, often highlighted at the top or end of the post, provides a face and voice behind the words. This personal element can be a powerful factor in trust and authenticity, especially when readers are looking for experts and trusted opinions.
The organizational structure of posts through categories and tags (such as classic WordPress tags) serves a dual function: on the one hand it serves to make management effective by organizing content within the blog, and on the other hand they provide a service to the reader who is trying to navigate through related topics or to delve deeper into specific topics. These navigational tools are especially crucial when the amount of content becomes vast and varied.
The comments section is where the monologue of the post is transformed into dialogue, where readers can leave their own imprint, asking questions, expressing opinions or initiating discussions. This interaction is often the place where a community is built around the blog.
What is the blogosphere
Today, WordPress has also become synonymous with the word “blog,” and having a self-hosted WordPress site is the easiest way to go for those who want to start such a project.Until a few years ago, there were several choices and, even, there was talk of the blogosphere.
The collective term blogosphere describes all the blogs and their authors on the Internet, forming a virtual community or social network. This concept is based on the idea that there is a global community of people who express themselves and connect through blogs, sharing ideas, information and opinions.
The blogosphere was characterized by an extremely decentralized and democratic structure: anyone had the opportunity to start a blog and contribute to the global dialogue. Blogs could vary greatly in theme, style, and purpose, covering topics ranging from politics to fashion, technology to cooking, and everything in between.
Within the blogosphere, bloggers often interacted with each other through comments, reciprocal links, guest posting, and collaborations, in an interconnectedness that helped build relationships among bloggers and also served in SEO terms, as backlinks were used to determine a blog’s relevance and authority to search engines.
The blogosphere became a place for public debate, where news and information was discussed and analyzed, often leading to new perspectives or insights not found in traditional media. In addition, the blogosphere has had a significant impact on the dissemination of information and trends, influencing public opinion and sometimes even business and political decisions, as in the case of the MoVimento 5 Stelle in Italy, which was born on the back of Beppe Grillo’s blog.
With the rise of social media, the blogosphere has evolved and integrated with these new platforms, extending the reach and influence of bloggers. Many bloggers now use social media to promote their posts and interact with their audience, creating a synergy between their blog and their accounts on various social networks.
Despite these changes, however, the blogosphere is not completely extinct, but has undergone a metamorphosis that reflects the new ways in which we consume information and interact online. In an era dominated by social media, the nature of the blogosphere has had to adapt to remain relevant and influential.
The professionalization of blogging has also led to an increased focus on quality and monetization: successful bloggers have turned their passion into a career, taking advantage of various forms of income such as advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling products or services. This has made the field more competitive, with bloggers and companies fighting for visibility and attention in a crowded market. In addition, SEO has become a crucial component of modern blogging. A blog’s ability to stand out in search results can make the difference between being read or ignored; consequently, bloggers must now have a thorough understanding of SEO and content marketing strategies to be successful.
What they are used for: different uses and formats
Blogs are flexible tools that can take many forms and serve different purposes, whether personal, business, or educational. Each format has its own audience and its own way of engaging and informing.
The choice of type depends on the author’s goals and the preferences of the target audience. Regardless of type or format, an effective blog requires relevant and quality content to attract and retain a loyal audience.
There are personal blogs, where authors share life experiences, reflections, opinions, and interests. These sites can vary widely in content, ranging from everyday life topics to discussions on specific topics such as travel, cooking, art or technology-the common element is the author’s personal perspective, offering a unique and personal point of view. These blogs can help build a community of readers with similar interests and often become a means for the author to establish an online presence and influence in their field of interest.
Corporate blogs, on the other hand, are used by businesses as part of their digital marketing strategy. These sites become tools for sharing industry insights and product updates, and aim to provide content that demonstrates the company’s expertise and authority in its field, educating customers about the products or services it offers and sharing company updates. The content of a corporate blog is usually more structured and professional than that of a personal blog and is often used to improve search engine rankings and attract qualified traffic to the company’s website.
Another form is that of niche blogs, focused on specific topics from culinary to technology. These sites can be run by individuals or groups and tend to have a highly targeted audience. For example, a blog devoted to gardening might share practical tips, tool reviews, and growing techniques, making it a valuable resource for gardening enthusiasts.
And although the traditional blog is typically text-based, with the advent of new technologies and platforms, formats have evolved and revolutionized the way we do blogging with different multimedia content. Today we are familiar with vlogs, or video blogs, which use platforms such as YouTube to share content in video format, which are particularly effective for hands-on demonstrations or creating a more personal connection with an audience. Podcasts, which focus on audio content, have become popular because of their convenience and the ability to listen to information while doing other activities.
What is the difference between a website and a blog
It is perhaps appropriate to open a small digression on the difference – not just lexical – that exists between a blog and a site.
Basically, blog can be an entire Web site, and often is, especially when it is used for personal use, such as a travel or recipe blog. More often, however, by the word blog we refer to a section of a corporate Web site, and in particular to the most dynamic and most frequently updated part through the publication (more or less regularly) of new content, the posts.
In addition, a blog is a medium that allows for more interaction with an audience by allowing readers to comment on individual posts or even by analyzing how many readers share posts on social media. In this sense, it allows you to set up a two-way conversation, or at least one that is more open and interactive than the rest of the website.
The main benefits of blogging
Starting a blog can be a strategic move for both individuals and businesses.
For an individual, blogging is a way to get known, to establish authority in a particular field, and to build a network of contacts.
Blogging has long been the preferred tool for personal branding: by publishing quality content, authors could demonstrate their expertise and gain the trust of their audience. Indeed, blog posts were the way to show one’s unique point of view, tell stories that resonate with the audience, and can build a solid reputation over time.
The most famous bloggers – simply, a person who creates the content that appears on a blog – started out just that way: originally they were information providers, then became celebrities in their own right. Especially in the United States, Perez Hilton , Pat Flynn and Kylie Jenner built their careers through their blogs, which led them to television appearances and promotional contracts, among many other opportunities.
For businesses, blogging was and is a vehicle for increasing online visibility, attracting traffic to the website and converting visitors into customers. In fact, a well-run blog can become an inexhaustible source of leads and business opportunities.
What are the benefits of a blog for businesses, e-commerce, professionals and brands
Although with the rise of social media and the phenomenon of influencers, personal blogging seems to have declined somewhat, this tool still retains its relevance and centrality in the strategies of brands, companies, and in general of all those who aim to have something other than a simple showcase site.
Indeed, starting a blog has numerous attractions and positive aspects, but it must be understood that the level of potential success depends on the basic motivations (and goals), the chosen theme, the skills and the way we approach the production and publication of posts.
In any case, in principle we can say that creating a blog and keeping it active and dynamic offers a variety of advantages, whether it is the project of a company, an e-commerce, a professional or a brand.
Just to give a self-referential example, our blog hosts content on various topics that relate to SEOZoom’s core business, and thus SEO, digital marketing and updates from the Google world, as well as delving into the use of the suite’s tools, and the type of readers who read these articles are similar to those who make up SEOZoom’s user base, sharing their interests and, probably, needs and curiosities.
To summarize, we can say that possible positive effects include:
- Reputation management. A blog allows you to show authority and expertise in a given area, helping to establish credibility and build trust with readers and customers.
- Generation of qualified traffic. Creating quality content through a blog can attract visitors to the site, increasing the visibility and reach of the business; more importantly, it could make it easier to convert these visitors into leads or, by diverting them to ecommerce product pages, into buyers.
- Improved SEO. Regular posting of relevant and original content on a blog can help improve the website’s search engine rankings, making it more visible to people interested in the products or services provided.
- Engagement with visitors. A blog can help establish a direct relationship with readers, promoting the sharing of ideas, feedback and the creation of a community around the brand or business. To cultivate an online community and interact with an audience.
- Content Marketing. A blog can be used as a tool to promote products and services, such as through reviews or tutorials, or to share company-related news.
And so, we can say that starting a blog could have useful reflections on a “personal” level, because it allows you to share your passions, opinions, and interests with a wider audience and community, but most importantly, on a professional level: well-written posts can rank on Google, helping to establish your authority in a specific field, increase your online visibility and attract new clients or professional opportunities, and can serve to demonstrate to Google itself the famous EEAT characteristics, which identify the quality of content.
In addition, creating and managing a blog can help develop useful skills in writing, marketing, SEO, and social media management, and this special site can become a source of income through advertising, affiliations, sales of products or services, and collaborations with other companies.
How blogs make money: promotion and monetization
But there is also an aspect that may prompt people to start a blog: the possibility of earning money through promoted content or, more generally, the authority and recognition gained.
This process, which is called monetization, is the ultimate goal for many bloggers, and there are several ways to turn a blog into a source of income: display advertising, such as Google AdSense, which allows you to earn money based on users’ clicks on ads; affiliate marketing, which offers a commission on the sale of products or services promoted through the blog; and direct sales of your own products or services, such as e-books, online courses, or consulting. In addition, sponsored content can be an effective way to monetize, as long as you maintain transparency with readers and choose sponsorships that are in line with the blog’s values and content.
In general, monetizing a blog means turning website traffic into money and potentially starting an online business. There several strategies that can be adopted to generate revenue and some of the most common forms of monetizing a blog are:
- Display advertising. This is one of the most direct forms of monetization. It consists of placing advertisements on the blog, which can be run through ad networks such as Google AdSense. Bloggers earn based on the number of impressions (views) or clicks on the ads.
- Affiliate Marketing. Bloggers can earn commissions by promoting third-party products or services. When a reader purchases a product or service through an affiliate link on the blog, the author receives a percentage of the sale. Platforms such as Amazon Associates are popular with affiliates.
- Sale of Products or Services. If a blogger has developed a product or offers a service, the blog can be an excellent sales channel. This can include e-books, online courses, merchandise, consulting, and more.
- Sponsored Content. Bloggers can be paid to write posts that promote a brand, product, or service. It is important to maintain transparency with readers by clearly indicating when a post is sponsored.
- Subscriptions and Memberships. Some blogs offer premium content or exclusive benefits to readers who pay a subscription fee or become members. This can include access to exclusive content, webinars, newsletters, and more.
- Donations and Crowdfunding. Platforms such as Patreon allow readers to financially support their favorite bloggers through recurring donations. In return, donors can receive exclusive rewards or recognition.
- Events and Workshops. Organizing events, seminars or workshops for a fee is another form of monetization. These can be related to the topics covered on the blog and can be a way to explore topics of interest with the audience.
- Freelance Consulting and Services. A blog can be a showcase for the expertise of the author, who may offer consulting or freelance services in his or her field of specialization.
The history and evolution of blogs
The history of blogs can be traced back to the mid-1990s, when people began creating online diaries to share their personal experiences and opinions.
According to reconstructions, the inventor of this form of communication was Justin Hall, who in 1994 created the first blog at Links.net, which essentially contained a review of HTML examples found from various online links. Four years later (with the term weblog already coined, as mentioned) Open Diary was launched, which introduced a community approach to blogging, allowing members to comment on each other’s work; in 1999 the word blog became popular and, in the same year, Blogger platform was launched, offering people opportunities to publish online (and later acquired by Google), followed by other platforms such as LiveJournal and Xanga – in Italy, however, it was Splinder that since 2001 intercepted the growing interest in blogging, reaching 400 thousand blogs in 2008.
An important moment in this timeline is 2005: in that year, blogger Garrett Graff with his Fishbowl DC obtained press credentials for the first time to gain access to the White House and the Huffington Post was founded, which scholars say helped diminish “the line between news and blogs”; this site began as a “political forum” or “group blog,” gradually becoming an aggregator of high-profile content (and later renamed HuffPost).
Social media have also tapped into these trends: for example, (the late) Twitter in 2006 ushered in the era of microblogging, or the sharing of stories, news and other content in the smallest possible format, and so too did the launch of Tumblr in the following year push even more experiential blogging. Moving fast forward, in 2009 the White House opens its own blog, in 2012 Medium and LinkedIn‘s influencer blogging platform are founded, and in 2016 WordPress launches the .blog domain to take advantage of the rapid rise of this multimedia form, although in reality the phenomenon has stalled (at least from the perspective of the original and personal blogs) due to the increasing use of social platforms for sharing stories, experiences, and personal narratives.
Statistics and facts about blogging
In conclusion, here are some statistics and curious facts regarding these platforms.
For example, the company Impact estimated in 2016 that 77% of internet users read blogs regularly, demonstrating the extensive reach of this communication tool. Also very interesting is the impact of blogs with fresh and relevant content to improve SEO rankings and increase traffic: according to DemandMetric, companies that update their blogs regularly have 434% more pages indexed and 97% more links indexed by search engines than those that do not. HubSpot surveys, on the other hand, indicate that companies that publish more than 16 posts per month get 3.5 times more traffic than those that publish between 0 and 4 posts per month.
Other “hot” numbers include those revealed by Tech Client, for whom websites with a blog are 434% more likely to be ranked high on Google; BlogHer reports that 61% of consumers have made at least one purchase based on a recommendation in a blog post; and for nymarketing.com, 94% of people share blog posts because they believe they can be helpful to others.
Looking at the profitable aspects at the business level, it is still Demand Metric that explains that content marketing, including blogging, costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times more leads; for the Content Marketing Institute, 81 percent of B2B companies use blogs as part of their content marketing strategies; 56 percent of marketers who use blogs believe it is a successful strategy; and in 10 percent say they see increases in ROI.
Returning instead to the golden age of blogging and blogging, we can turn the spotlight on at least 10 success stories that started simply from an online journal, both nationally and globally:
- Huffington Post. As mentioned earlier, this celebrated news and opinion site was originally founded as a blog by Arianna Huffington in 2005, becoming one of the world’s largest news sites and being acquired by AOL in 2011 for $315 million.
- Mashable. Pete Cashmore founded Mashable in 2005 as a technology blog, and today it is one of the most influential sites on technology, digital culture and entertainment.
- TechCrunch. Started in 2005 as a blog about tech startups founded by Michael Arrington, it has become a benchmark for the tech industry and was acquired by AOL in 2010.
- Perez Hilton. Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., known as Perez Hilton, created a celebrity gossip blog in 2004 and achieved enormous popularity, becoming an influential figure in the entertainment industry.
- Gary Vaynerchuk: This entrepreneur and motivational speaker, known to all as Gary Vee, gained notoriety initially through his Wine Library TV video blog, in which he offered wine advice through direct and casual reviews.
- Tim Ferriss. Author and lifestyle experimenter Tim Ferriss gained enormous popularity through his blog, where he examined personal experiences and shared life lessons. Ferriss is also the author of the bestselling The 4-Hour Workweek.
- Sartorialist. Scott Schuman, known as The Sartorialist, started his blog in 2005 to share photographs of impeccably dressed people, capturing street fashion around the world. Over time, his blog became extremely popular and influential in the fashion industry, and Schuman was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in fashion.
- The Blonde Salad. Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni founded The Blonde Salad in 2009 as a fashion and lifestyle blog. Since then, her blog has become an established fashion brand and herself a world-renowned influencer.
- GialloZafferano. Started in 2008 as Sonia Peronaci’s cooking blog, GialloZafferano has become one of Italy’s most popular recipe portals, with a vast archive of recipes and videos.
- Beppe Grillo. Italian actor, comedian, and political activist Beppe Grillo launched his personal blog in 2005, becoming one of the most widely read and influential Italian-language blogs. Using his blog as a platform, Grillo helped found the 5 Star Movement, a political party that has become a major political force in Italy.
