Just Riding Along

The power of search revisited

Some of you might remember a previous post I made about the power of blogs in search engines.  My opinion is that search strength alone is reason enough for businesses to take blogs seriously.

To illustrate this I thought I'd point out  a recent search that led someone to my blog.

As you can see in the screenshot, when this person typed in "sram road components" into the MSN search engine, one of my posts from just last week was returned in the #1 slot.  Right above none other than SRAM.com.

And guess what?...I haven't done any special search engine marketing or paid a dime for advertising of any kind. 

Lucky for SRAM, I'm just a harmless industry geek and not a disgruntled customer with an axe to grind.

 

Voodoo starts a blog

[update:  check out Voodoo's response to this post]

Just got a tip that Voodoo is blogging.  Good to see them enter the fray but I can't resist a few comments.

First, I really don't think it's a good move for a corporate blog by a known supplier to have a link to DrunkCyclist.com.  I'm a Big Jonny fan just like everyone else and I've actually gotten to know him better recently through a series of emails.  His site is full of good info and interesting links.  That being said, I just don't think it's a good idea to link directly to a site that is full of pornography.  Call me a prude, but doesn't seem to make good business sense. 

[Jonny, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from.  Feel free to call me out if necessary].

And second, I really hope they plan on including some outbound links.  Outbound links are absolutely key to the whole blogging idea.  They give your visitors more information, they help you connect with other bloggers and sites (because they'll see the referrals from your site in their visitor stats), and most importantly, Google really likes them (detailed explanation here) and will index your blog much higher.

Welcome Voodoo bloggers, look forward to riffing off your beats.

bike Magazine time warp

Perusing the July issue of bike Magazine and I came across an article titled, "Pro Riders Race Into Cyberspace."  Initially I was excited, thinking I would find out about some pros that have started blogging.  But to my surprise the article mentioned just regular old websites. 

Haven't websites been around for years now?  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with them; they're a great way to present brands and information.  It's just that blogs are much better for connecting with fans and I think they can do much more for the ROI of sponsors than traditional websites...that is, unless all sponsors want is a place to read a bio and look at pretty pictures of their athletes.

This quote could have been uttered 5 years ago:

"...if they (the fans) can't make it to the races, then they can e-mail us on our websites and talk to us...if you think about that and you consider the value you're supposed to offer your sponsor, then being on the web and reaching out to the public with your own site makes 100% sense."

What would really make sense is if more pro riders actually started blogging.  And I don't mean occassional "diary entries".  I mean frequent updates, open comments, outbound links...you know, actually participating in the conversation, instead of handing out electronic brochures.

To see a good example check out  Giant-sponsored rider Jeff Kerkove's blog.  He is creating amazing value for his sponsors by frequently updating his blog, providing photos and reports of events, and giving reviews/plugs of his sponsor's products.

The online habits and expectations of cycling fans have matured and changed and it's time riders and the industry change with them.  E-mail addresses posted on websites and anonymous contact forms are no longer enough.

Specialized invests in web analysis

Specialized Bicycles has hired Portland-based WebTrends to help them gain a better understanding of their site's visitors.  Here's a quote from the press release:

"The top goals for the Specialized web site are to improve its customer's brand experience and deliver those customers to Specialized Dealers, and the company is intelligently utilizing web analytics to further those initiatives."

Those are certainly fine goals, but I think Specialized should consider coming up with a blogging strategy.  People want to become involved with brands and make them their own.  They are not just passive receivers of information, waiting to be analyzed and "converted."  A properly executed blog would give Specialized more ROI than any amount of tweaking to their website and it would give them an opportunity to engage their customers in a constructive dialogue.  Isn't that the kind of experience customers deserve?

 

New Google map tool great for bikes

Just came across a new mapping tool based on Google Maps.  It's perfect for cyclists because you can create any route and find out precise mileage and then switch over to satellite view just for fun.  Then, once you've finished recording your route, you can get a permalink to the map so you can share it with friends.

Here's an example of a ride from my house to a fountain I like to take my daughter to in downtown Portland.

If I owned a bike shop I would record all the best local rides and put the links on my website or blog. 

[via Cleverchimp]

Cannondale blogs

Cannondale has launched two corporate blogs;  The Brad Blog and the Cannondale Race Blog.  They're both powered by a content management/corporate blogging platform from iUpload.

The Brad Blog has been around for several months and I'm excited to have finally stumbled across it.  "Brad" is doing some great things and it's an excellent example of how a corporate blog can help build community and establish brand credibility.  The blog has a cool photo upload utility and an "Ask Brad" section, which is just a post followed by comments and responses.  It even has a bit of opinion and ranting going on which is great to see on a corporate blog from such a major player in the bike biz.

The Cannondale Race Blog is just getting off the ground and so far is just reporting on the Tour de France.  But I noticed this nifty post that lets visitors view the live biometric data of their sponsored rider,  Salvatore Commesso.

They've also set up RSS feeds for posts, photos, and for each individual category.

These two blogs are a great start, but now that Cannondale is officially a publisher, why not keep it going and start a blog for each niche they operate in?  I think they could do well with blogs for their cyclocross, touring, and tandem lines.

Blogging Interbike

Just received my first, "I'll see you at Interbike" in an email.  I know it's hard to believe, but people are already starting to talk about The Big Show.

I've been to the show as an exhibitor rep several times, but this year I decided to send in my application for a "Working Media" badge and see what happens.  According to their requirements it looks like it should be no problem...but I'm still curious what their response will be.  I think it's interesting that the requirements didn't even mention the word "blog".  As far as I know, they've never granted a media pass to a blogger. 

I submitted the application (PDF) to the PR firm handling the show last week.   I'll let you know when/if the badge shows up.

New Interbike site

    Blue Collar MTB, part of the fledgling "Crooked Cog Network" of blogs, has this not so friendly review of Interbike's re-designed website.

I couldn't agree more.  I just wish VNU would put some time and money into making Bicycleretailer.com more of a resource for the industry.