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come back to check on the status of a comment exchange, even if you haven't posted any new content. This situation is especially lucrative if you are trying to make money via services like Google AdSense.

Commenting should be available on every post and, if your site gets enough traffic, consider branching out to a forum. The key to any successful blogging endeavor is not to write articles and sit back in awe of the fact that your words have been dispatched into the arcane realm of cyberspace. The key concept is community building.

Links

Remember, a blog is not a Helium article or a newspaper story. One of the primary strengths of the blogging concept is the ability to link to other web sites from within your post. This creates a flow of information and readership across a vast spectrum of the internet. It also ensures that everyone is on the same page. For example, if you write a post about Al Gore and his work in the climate issue, provide links relevant to his history of participation in that debate, the views of those who oppose his proposals and the general science behind the global warming phenomenon.

Try not to lean too far to one side when offering links. Linking to several different points of view shows that you have done some research and have a breadth of knowledge about the topic. Legitimacy is important here and cross-referencing helps. For example, I try to post as many links to Conservapedia articles as I do to Wikipedia articles. They are considered right- and left-wing web sites, respectively, and often offer very different takes on the same subject.

The attempt to mitigate your own bias is not the only reason to include many links. Link to other bloggers who have discussed similar issues. Many of us look at our statistics and check out who sent us the most traffic. We tend to take care of our own. If I see that whateveryourblogiscalled.com sent me 100 hits this week, I'll be sure to link to you and mention your blog whenever your content is relevant to my current post.

Blogrolls, or lists of links to other blogs, also encourage community-building, in that users can click around between blogs that include each other on a blogroll, offering an easy way to get to know new bloggers on the list and keep up on your old favorites.

Ad Placement

Some people want to make money on their blogs and, unless your successful enough that people will buy apparel labeled with your logo, you're going to have to sell ad space. And if you're not at the point yet where

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