Damien at the Speed of Life – DATSOL

In addition to posting my blog stats each week with tips, I also offer paid services in blog building, coaching, and freelance writing. To hire me visit my freelancing site. Let me explain how I review blogs. First, the acronym:

C: circulation (or Google backlinks)
A: analytics (# of visitors last month)
N: net Amount of dollars made on all blogs combined.

Now the review formula: I have put it in the form of a 3 question quiz.

1. The number of your Google backlinks is between: (tip: to get this number, type link:http://url into a Google search)

A. zero or unknown
B. 1 – 100
C. 101 – 200
D. 201 – 300
E. 301 – 400
F. 401 or higher

2. Your visitor count last month was between:

A. zero – 500
B. 500 – 15,000
C. 15,001 – 25,000
D. 25,001 – 35,000
E. 35,001 – 45,000
F. 45,001 or higher

3. The amount of money you made blogging on all your blogs combined:

A. zero – 100 dollars
B. 100 – 200 dollars
C. 201 – 300 dollars
D. 301 – 400 dollars
E. 401 – 500 dollars
F. 501 dollars or higher

Where A=0, B=1, C=2 and so on up to F=5 respectively, add up the total value of the three letters in your answers: ie; B,C,D would equal 1+2+3=6 Then divide by the total possible(15) to get your can percentage: 6/15= 40%

Then assign your percentage a CAN Blog rating based on this scale:

0 – 16%=CAN0
17 – 33%=CAN1
34 – 50%=CAN2
51 – 67%=CAN3
68 – 84%=CAN4
85 – 100%=CAN5

The example score of 40% is between 34 -50% so it earns a

After I show your CAN “grades,” I give you a few minor yet valuable notes on what I liked and what you might work on to improve your CAN rating.

Thanks for previewing my rating system. I recommend setting your own goals for your blog. These parameters work for me but certainly they are not universal. Since I started using them I have seen stats as skinny as as if it took a double dose of Solo Slim turn much fatter. If interested you can follow my own blogs’ CAN BLOG RATING progress.

The reviewer learns from the reviewee

Reviewing peer blogs can be an excellent way to see bogging from “outside the box.”

I’ve been reviewing blogs let me tell ya!

I started a thread over at Blog Catalog offering anyone a blog review as long as it came to me prior to January 9th, 2009. I have a little time off work and I thought it would be fun to meet some new bloggers and maybe help some people out if possible. The response so far has been positive.

Ever bite off more than you can chew?

Just kidding.  Kinda.  I’ve managed to do 12 reviews in 3 hours and my neck hurts LOL. I’ve tried to be positive and comment on the PROS more than the cons. Some people have asked me to really criticize though so in some cases that is what I’ve done. Even though I am behind, I am committed to reviewing everyone who asks prior to the 9th. It is a blast and I am learning while I review.  I thought I would summarize a few things here on my personal blog that seemed common issues to me anyway:

Here’s the common roadblocks I see …

• Too many ads on new blogs is annoying – My advice? Wait until your traffic warrants payment. Generally 15,000 visitors or more per month.

• Intentional Branding is crucial – The name is the thing. Really think before you put up a name or a tagline. It is your currency and it is all you ever have in blogging. Many seem haphazard.

• Many blogs have way too broad of a scope – How many malls does a town need? Be a STORE not a mall. I am reading so many blogs that have taglines like “a little of this a little of that and everything else.” It is YOUR job to tell us who you are and why YOU are worth reading.

I hope my words are helpful and not pissing people off over there. I aim to do right by my contribution to people’s art. If you’d like a review of your blog, I still have plenty of spare time before the 9th. Go ahead and submit it over at Blog Catalog and I’ll do my worst for ya!

Thanks to the Blog Catalog folks I’ve reviewed for giving me the privilege of reviewing your work.  If the 9th has passed and you’d like a review, ask me.  If I have the time I’d be happy to.

• Digg

  • Awesome Water Figures Photo Set
  • 5 Modern Abandoned Cities
  • 100 Websites With Outstanding Artistic Design [PICS]

• Technorati

  • Court Investigated Jodie Sweetin for Substance Abuse
  • SERB robot with Wii Nunchuck control
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• Delicious

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• Reddit

  • Wow. The RIAA Just Gave Up–No more lawsuits!
  • An archeologist joked saying “whoever traveled back in time, had lost his watch.” – 100-year-old Swiss Ring-watch found in 400-year-old tomb
  • Is it me, or is this book cover slightly sinister?

• Mr. Wong

  • Free HTML Form Builder – Create Forms, Surveys and Invitations
  • Home :: Bransparent
  • The Sanctity of Social Media? | Altitude Branding

I ran across these excellent links on my safari this week. If you enjoy them I hope you’ll bookmark them through social media such as:
Delicious

The Star Wars Culture | Abduzeedo – graphic design | design inspiration | design tutorials
I grew up with Star Wars. I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of it. I ran across this page and was totally blown away. It shows that we definitely live in a Star Wars culture.

25 Beautiful Macro Photography Shots | Monday Inspiration | Smashing Magazine
Incredible use of the lens called “macro.” I love these sorts of collections and this is one of the best I’ve run across.

It’s Google Page Rank Update Time
Christy writes a great post about Google’s PageRank System and how we as bloggers ought to focus on other things that are more important.

A 60 Second Guide to Engaging Your Readers | Confident Writing
Joanna writes another excellent “reference post” for writing more captivating blog posts.

Yearbook Yourself and look hot!
WebGrrrl has a great review of a site where you can put your face in all sorts of retro yearbook templates. Funny!

Lets Get Ready To Rumble
Derek writes about Dave Letterman’s latest bout with John McCain in the press.

Wordpress Theme Directories – Free Wordpress Themes | Make Money Online – Work From Home Tips
Find a theme

PaRaMeter – free Google PageRank software. Monitors Google page rank.
Check multiple pages of your site for PageRank with one click.

Community Poll
Blue Fir Blog has a great thought-provoking poll gooing on. If you were wealthy, what type of servant would be the most crucial?

I’ve always been fascinated by visionaries.  These are people who have the same raw materials as everyone else and do amazing innovative things with it.  I’ve written extensively on Walt Disney, Ray Kroc, Rod Serling, and many many more innovators.  Watching the amazing Randy Pausch Last Lecture, I learned that the engineers at Disneyland are called “imagineers.”  He is an incredible resource by the way.  Though no longer with us.  I look for the “Imagineers” of life and I bask in their brilliance.  My hope is that some will rub off on me!

Recently I git a friend request from a blogger over at and ever since we became friends, I can label him an “Imagineer” of blogging.  There is much he doesn’t know yet simply because (in case you haven’t learned yet) there is no book on this stuff.  I argue there never will be because once there is, the information is obsolete.  My friend Justin over at dragonblogger.com is hungry to innovate.  He’s one to watch and one to network with.  I see his blog making a lot of money one day.  But, as you know, money isn’t the best motivator for good content.  That is what is king, and Justin seems to know that very well.  Justin is testimony to what an openness to learning can get you, his blog already receives (after a month) over 100 visitors a day!  He is also proof that social networks like can create lasting online friendships that are mutually beneficial.

I’ve always been drawn to innovation.  I remember first seeing Star Wars in 1977 at 8 years old and swallowing my gum.  Even then, innovation blew me away.  I strive to be an innovator at work and online … it makes life so much more interestng don’t you think?

The title is a complete lie.  I swear I wish I could give something that huge back to her though.  Today she gave me 1500 Entrecard credits and wrote a post entirely about me.  My my my, this is a very cool person in my book. The main url of her awesome blog is here.   I read her blog and you should too.  You should also add her to your Fuelmyblog favorites.  Her blog is funny, and real, and online diary based … those are my favorites.  Remember how you can make friends and influence bloggers by a link here and there and of course gifting Entrecard credits never hurts!  Thank you Angelika … like I said in my Entrecard message to you, this is such a breath of fresh air!

1. Reserve an opp. quickly (once I wrote a lengthy only to find it was expired).
2. Write to your word count in notepad.
3. Add your links carefully after creating your content,
4. Add rel=”nofollow” to links or nofollow the whole permalink through the WP SEO Master Plugin (preserves PageRank).
5. RE-READ and PROOF-READ.
6. Run spellcheck
7. Find a picture that is Creative Commons, make sure to link to original author source.
8. Read it to your spouse to get advice.
9. Check opp. guidelines once more.
10. Post and get paid.

These are just 10 tips, I have lots to say on and making money. You can be making money there too with your blog. If you haven’t joined yet, please use the button in my sidebar here as I get a referral fee when you post your first paid post. You get $20. Why not go for it? Oh, and if you get stuck, just contact me!