In my last blog, I talked about The Importance of Using Keywords in Blogs. I'm going to back up a little bit, though, and start from the beginning.

The blogging bug has caught a good majority of the Internet - you can now find people who regularly blog on every range of topics imaginable. For many, though, it's still a new concept and can be rather confusing. I'll try to cover the basics of blogging, what it is, how it works, and why blogging can be beneficial to you.

What is a blog, anyway?

The term "blog" actually comes from the word "web log". It's different than a normal website in that it's constantly updated (or should be) and generally listed in chronological order with the most entry being first, bringing in new information rather than the traditional concept of a website where information is "static" and remains the same. Anyone can write a blog and it can be on any number of topics, and there is no "right way" to blog. You can write a blog as you would a personal journal, about specific topics, a wide range of topics, stories, or whatever comes to mind. People use blogs for business, personal use, marketing, and more.

What's this about RSS?

RSS may be confusing at first, I know it took me a while to truly understand it. Blogs use RSS feeds, which is a way of syndicating content. These feeds can be picked up by RSS readers or aggregators, such as My Yahoo and Bloglines. Instead of having to go to the specific blog to read the recent entries, you can simply use a RSS reader to subscribe to all your favorite blogs.

Having an RSS feed on a website is also a great way to be crawled by search engines quicker - that is, getting listed in the search engines, such as Google. Plus, you can ping various ping servers to let them know your blog has been updated, providing even more exposure to your website or blog.

Aren't you forgetting Atom feeds?

Yes, Atom feeds are another type of feed, similar to RSS. Blogger.com actually exclusively uses Atom feeds to the annoyance of many people. While most news aggregators can read both RSS and Atom feeds, having both is ideal.

Pinging, what's that?

The term "pinging" when applied to blogs just means that you're telling a ping server or blog search engine that your blog has been updated, such as Technorati, Weblogs.com, Blogshares, Blo.gs, etc. These websites allow people to search through blogs to find topics they are interested in reading about, and by pinging these services, your blog will be listed with them.

Blogging is cool!

Yes, blogging is cool. It allows anyone the chance to be heard, to express their thoughts, whatever they may be, with little to no technical knowledge. The great thing about blogs is the feedback you get, as well, by people leaving comments, and the ability to actually get yourself out there unlike a static website. Lately, I've been hearing some disgruntled professional bloggers who aren't too happy that anyone and everyone is able to start a blog nowadays, but I personally think it's great. It's a free for all, anyone can do it. Knowing how it works, though, is a step in the right direction.