However, if you’ve got a company blog, product support blog, or other topically-focused or single-issue blog, there’s always the question — how far off the main topic can you diverge before you start annoying readers?

A recent example I’m specifically thinking of is TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington ranting against handshakes, for reasons of public health and/or squeamishness.

Now, going to events and meeting entrepreneurs and such is part of TechCrunch’s raison d’etre. So complaining about poor event logistics, or even railing against paper business cards is par for the course. However, when you start pushing your personal agenda and get preachy about sanitary practices, you’ve lost me.

(Even a general interest blog can venture into this territory, like when someone beats a joke or theme to death, a la Boing Boing’s extended riffage on the “Long Horse.”)

Why Go Off-Topic in the First Place?
Now, off-topic posts are an integral part of most blogs’ editorial mixes. They help fill the gaps if there’s nothing immediately blogworthy to write about. Off-topic posts make it easier for bloggers to inject a little personality into the blog, which can otherwise be a challenge if you’re doing, say, a straight, “just the facts” product support blog. And after all, off-topic posts helps humanize the bloggers, and the organization they represent — which is one of the reasons you’re blogging in the first place, right?

The key, then is to know your audience’s tolerance for off-topicness. And there’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all ratio that you can apply: The line is going to vary for each blog, what you’re trying to do, how good your bloggers are able to communicate, and what your audience wants.

This means you should listen to your audience, checking both your active feedback (comments, e-mails) and passive metrics (pageviews, links, tweets, blog mentions etc.). Also, read your own blog (duh) and keep track of what you write about — you need to be able to keep a clear overview of the direction and tone of your blog’s content, so you can know if you’re ever approaching the edge.

Things You Shouldn’t Do
The don’ts when it comes to off-topic posts are a little easier:

* Abuse the bully pulpit: Especially for corporate and product blogs, you’ve got a built-in audience of customers and users. They’re self-selected, but not captive, so don’t take liberties with their attention, because the second you take them for granted, you’ll start losing them.

* Get more serious in your off-topic posts than your on-topic posts: Off-topic posts (I mean really off-topic posts, outside of even the realm of “day in the life of Company X” stuff) should be quick hits, not long, drawn out pieces. If you’re putting more effort into any of your off-topic posts than your on-topic posts, something is probably very wrong.

* Be too full of one’s “self-”: This is a blanket item for anything that’s too self-serving, self-indulgent, or self-important — basically, anywhere that you’re inflicting your personal beliefs on others. Personal blogs are nothing but “self.” Corporate and single-issue blogs are the antithesis of this — they’re not for you, they’re for “them.”

There’s a happy medium between dry, featureless corporate blog devoid of personality and self-indulgent personal playground, and it’s a wide and roomy one. Be respectful of your audience and their attention, and you should be able to keep them entertained while still keeping sight of your blog’s goals.

Ever have a run-in with an overly self-indulgent off-topic post on a corporate blog? Have you ever crossed the line yourself? Leave a comment below.

“I was wondering how likely is it for a site to become the #1 search result on the search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN)? What are the most important factors for determining the likelihood of your site being #1? Is this something I should worry about now before launching the site or is it something I can do later? If a site ranks as #1, is it hard to maintain that after you have achieved it?”

Let’s address the last two questions:

1.) Is this something I should worry about now before launching the site or is it something I can do later?

2.) If a site ranks as #1, is it hard to maintain that after you have achieved it?”

Search engine optimization (SEO) is something that should be worried about all the time. Before the site is launched there are a number of things that can be done. I would recommend using the services that Network Solutions offers.

They will ensure that the structure of your site is such that it is maximizing the opportunities for the spyders to crawl it. (The spyders are gathering information for the search engines). I don’t have a lot of experience in building websites, so I rely on others to do it for me.

The next question is if a site ranks #1 is it hard to maintain it?

That is a very relative question. Things will always be changing but that makes them constants. Here are things that come to mind:

1. Content – you need to continually be creating new content. My site has slipped from where it used to rank & I need to get back to addressing that. The good thing is that I’m aware of it.

2. Search Engine Algorithms are continuously changing – so what worked one year ago may not work now. This is why its’ good to work with experts like those at Network Solutions who are keeping up with those trends.

3. Flux in your niche – people will always be coming or going

4. How much time you put in – and I’m referring to blogging & the content

5. Search Engines prefer older established domains – so that will increase your SEO over time.

6. Your community – linking & backlinking is totally in your control. It’s another thing that takes time, but getting involved in your extended community is well worth it in terms of SEO rankings.

Further reading:

Five frequent & frustrating SEO fallacies

Courting Bloggers

Sparking the Conversation:

As we close, what tips do you have for maintaining your site’s SEO rank? We want to hear from you.

This is the first part in a series on how you can put your business on the web & attract customers interested in your products & services. It’s an overview of the steps to take & I’ll cover a topic each day.

It’s like building a house & that’s the analogy that I’ll use. I’ll also include the many resources & products that Network Solutions offers to make it straightforward & customized to your needs.

1. Find a location for your house & an address – purchase a domain name

The best part about having a business online is that it’s relatively inexpensive to get started. It’s much more inexpensive to have a business online than in a physical location! I’ll take the guesswork out of choosing a domain name. Once you’ve decided on a domain name, Network Solutions makes purchasing it easy.

2. The foundation – hosting package

Every house needs solid footings to support the infrastructure. Network Solutions offers a number of options so that you’re able to start your online website off to a good start.

3. Building it – planning architecture & choosing the design

As with a house there are many ways to build a website. Network Solutions has options for every level. If you’d like to do it yourself you can no matter whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned programmer. And if you’re just too busy then Network Solutions has talented people that will do it for you!

4. Furnishing it –

content is very important

An empty house is of no interest to those that live there or are visitors. So it’s important to create information that’s of value & is relevant to your visitors. And if you keep adding more then it will give people a reason to keep returning to see what’s new.

5. Helping customers locate your house – SEO, keywords, & metatags

Once you get your house built it’s not of much value if people can’t find it. There are some straightforward things that can be done to help those searching find your site. Search engine optimization (generally abbreviated as SEO) sounds complicated but Network Solutions offers services to assist you with it. Keywords & metatags are also helpful to providing a more direct path to your site.

6. Doing business - ecommerce, paypal

It’s as easy as using a spare room for an office. Network Solutions has a number of options for setting up your site to allow people to purchase your products. They also have an in-depth article on selling online.

7. Inviting people to your house – marketing & networking

Once your website it set up & ready for business the last step is to get the word out. There are two parts to this. Network Solutions offers some great options for helping with marketing. And I’ll also give some tips on finding & networking with potential customers.

As you can see it’s relatively easy to get started. Start thinking about how you want people to find you online because that’s our first step!

Before you make your web site live you should fill it with content to make the site inviting and your purpose apparent. Every visitor is a potential customer. As you work on this ask friends to review your content.

Variety of formats

Content can be in a variety of formats. In addition to text articles, you can add images, videos & podcasts (audio recordings) and even polls. Adding white papers or e-books for customers to download provides value to those visiting. It serves as a sample of your work.

Images, videos & podcasts make your content more interesting. Don’t be afraid to explore them. As you find what works for your niche you’ll get comfortable with what is most effective for connecting with your customers.

Make it easy to share

When you create materials for your site consider where they can be put so that they can easily be shared. For example videos can be hosted on YouTube, images on Flickr, etc. When these materials are found they can ‘grow legs’ & be used on other sites which further promotes your products or resources. YouTube offers 13 ways to share videos.

Add fresh content on a regular basis

When you create a web site consider adding a blog. This is the easiest way to add new content. If you post an article 3 times a week or so it will greatly improve your SEO as well as provide your customers a reason to return frequently to your web site. Make sure that you make it easy for your readers to sign up by email or RSS. This will ensure that they’re aware as you add new information.

Make it interactive

Your customers will want to participate. Everyone is getting involved in social networks & they expect that on web sites too. If you have a blog make sure that comments are enabled. Offering your customers the opportunity to vote for articles that they find helpful & leave comments on them. If you have frequently asked questions provide a list of the most frequently read ones. If you have a product consider creating product forums for your customers to share ideas. If you’d prefer to use an outside service take a look at GetSatisfaction.com. It’s free. Your customers can ask questions, report problems & share ideas.

Content is more than just providing information. If you want to create an effective business online it will take more than just a static web site. People online now expect to have an experience & interact with potential purchases. Be creative & utilize the many methods of providing interesting, interactive content for your customers.