Tip ... I see you have your website in your blog but not over by your picture where your email and phone area, add your site there by editing your profile. Also, do a google search for your area. When you see active rain click on it and then find yourself and click on that. That will help move you up in the google search. Also by placing a link on your site to Active Rain you can several times a day make a circle with the links.  Link through Active rain to your site back to active rain. Before you know it when you search "sherman oaks real estate" you will be there on the list when someone does a google search. Register your site with google and register yourself with google and that will help as well. I have found after opening a new webpage I can index in a few days once I have registered with google. You can also do a google blog. If you need help let me know I can try to explain it better.

Hello Patrick,

Thanks for the tip on the links.  I had yet to notice that I could add additional links to useful pages over there.  I had thought I only got the one link within my profile on Active Rain.  I've since added to my links on the right hand side under my photo.

I've added a link to my Active Rain profile and my Trulia Voices profile on my websites contact page.  This seemed to be the most appropriate place to add both links.

My site already does well within Google due to a few years of marketing services from my hosting provider.  I've recently overhauled my site though so my rankings have slipped some but I am chalking it up to the new layout and new pages that Google has to identify still. I'm sure I'll bounce back up to my usual top five positions soon enough.

Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Ron Viola
( 818 ) 501-8334

I've been kind of wondering the same thing. I was thinking about checking out typepad. What did you like about wordpress compared to typepad? BTW I think the comment above are some great tips!

Hello Christopher,

I actually don't know much about the different types of blogging platforms.  I did however just perform a Google search to see what might be the most favored platform and picked three links that might be somewhat useful.

http://www.scribefire.com/2007/12/30/poll-whats-your-blogging-platform/

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/12/03/what-blogging-platform-do-you-use-poll-results/

http://www.idiotsguidetoblogging.com/2008/03/poll-what-is-yo.html (Might need to vote before results are given.)

I guess my criteria for choosing a blog platform might be:

1. Easy to use
1. I don't have a lot of time to learn a complex blogging platform.
2. Transferable
1. Active Rain isn't exactly transferable should I choose to take all my blog posts and efforts elsewhere.
3. Customizable
1. While I may not have the time to do this right now, I may want the ability down the road to customize and add to my blog.
4. Easily and quickly picked up by search engines.

Wordpress can either be cheaply hosted on a private hosting company by downloading their software and having it installed or you can set up a blog on their network which would give you the same results that Active Rain gives you in that you are really promoting Wordpress.com and not exactly something like blog.yoursite.com.

Wordpress also has thousands of templates to choose from and different add-ons to help customize the look and feel of your website.

Thoughts?

Sincerely,

Ron Viola
( 818 ) 501-8334

Welcome to Activerain Ron,

If there is anything that I can do to assist you please don't hesitate to call me.

My number is 678-386-1896 and you may email me at nakiabrooks@kw.com

Nakia Brooks, ABR
Keller Williams - Lanier Partners

http://www.nakiabrooks.com/