Dear BlogBurst blogger,
We wanted to update you on upcoming changes we are making to the BlogBurst Leaderboard compensation model. Based on your feedback, we will be changing the measurement used for placement on the Leaderboard headline impressions only, effective July 19, 2008 .
When we originally rolled out the Leaderboard in 2006, it was based solely on headline impressions. In 2007 we experimented with a Leaderboard algorithm that used both headline impressions and click-through rates. Based on the questions we received, many of you found this calculation confusing and preferred the previous method of measurement. So, we’re changing it back to better reflect what our members have told us is the preferable system.
We hope you’ll find monitoring your progress both on the Leaderboard and your reports easier to understand as a result of this change. Your performance from July 1 until July 19, 2008 will be measured using the old system and will be blended into your overall results for Q3 so that you don’t lose out on any placements during that time period.
Thanks for helping us make BlogBurst the best it can be for Publishers, Bloggers, and Internet users. As always, we’d appreciate any additional feedback or suggestions you might have to make BlogBurst a more fulfilling and valuable service.
For more detailed information on the Q3 Leaderboard formula change, please visit our FAQ at blogburst.com.
Perhaps you could write a post that uses your back-end metrics to tell us how to get ON the Leaderboard (other than writing about health/weight loss, business/finance or celebrities.)
Surely there are some commonalities across topics, or is it more the “luck of the draw” with regard to which media outlets pick up what blog feeds?
Understood, regarding the changes to the leaderboard ranking.
Are there other changes pending on the BlogBurst network, now that Pluck has been acquired by Demand Media earlier in the year?
I was anticipating some announcement regarding synergies with DM’s other companies.
Cheers, DHD
Digital Lifescapes
With the leaderboard changes in place, this is a great time to revisit a post from our archives on increasing your placement opportunities:
http://www.burstblog.com/2008/02/01/give-me-more-placement-that-is
This does sound interesting, but I guess will take a bit of time to figure out & see where it’s going Importantly too, as Shiela said, will the ‘luck of the draw’ be significant? Am off to look at the link Daysha mentioned above.
This makes sense since our goal in joining BlogBurst was to get our blog out there and hopefully have new readers. We can still check to see how many people have been interested enough to view the post and click to our blog. This system seems like a win-win for everyone.
The comments about blogs being placed by the luck of the draw - some days this seems like the case but I have found after you get some placements and if you write new posts very often, like 5 days a week your odds of being placed increase. Even with a site like BlogBurst blogging is still a gamble. I didn’t start with BlogBurst to make money from placements. I didn’t even understand how to make money for several months. My goal was to get my blog out there, that’s still my goal. If I thought about using this system to make money I’m sure I would crash and burn because my focus would not be on the content of my blog.
Thanks Daysha and the BlogBurst team.
Robin
Sounds like a successful algorithm for blogs with wider audiences and established publisher relationships. No need for click-throughs from interested readers, just get picked up consistently by automated systems on diet/fitness or finance/business sites. Smaller niches with good content and CTR will have trouble making a dent.
One suggestion - display the actual number of headline impressions for on the leaderboard - at least for the top 10-20.
Maybe to add to what Kristen suggested is to include our blog’s overall rank in Blog Burst. It would be easier to know how much growth you have had since joining and maybe even see how much close you are to that elusive Top 100 leaderboard.
I wish there was a way to see why posts show up at the bottom of the Posts & Publishers page.
under
“Top 10 Publishers During Last 7 Days for Marginalized Action Dinosaur”
It says I have a whopping one peek here but, I have no Idea what the story is? Just who has it. Hmmmm,
Ziff Davis Enterprise
Also I would like to know my clickthrough rate and how it compares to others. Well only if it’s good.