The best blogs for journalists about search engine optimization by Rachelle Money, 29 September 2009

Here’s a quick look at ten of the best blogs for journalists about search engine optimization and writing online.

Online Journalism Blog

The Online Journalism blog has thousands of pages and is brimming with content for journalists who want to engage in the big debates circling the digital media industry. The authors are a group of contributors giving the blog a lovely mixture of writing style and opinion.

It’s a little sparse on specific SEO tips but if you want to know about how to write for the web, social media tools like Twitter, or how new web applications will affect online journalism, then this blog is for you. Check out the video clip they posted on writing tips for the web.

Text matters on the Web from Martin Ricard on Vimeo.

Poynter Online E-Media TidBits

It’s difficult to know where to start with the list of things I like about Poynter’s blog. Much like the Online Journalism blog, this is written by an intelligent group of media commentators.

This blog is different from others because they'll often start the big debates in online journalism as well as merely contributing to them.

Hot topics like pay walls for online news content, discussions on whether journalists can trust Google, why news organizations need Facebook, and how to follow breaking news on Twitter have all appeared on this blog. Poynter Online is a wonderful resource hub for journalists who want to be inspired and educated. Poynter is a must-have to add to your ‘Favorites’.

SEO For Journalists

Written by Ben McClanahan, an online content strategist, this blog gives a very basic outline of why journalists need to learn about search engine optimization (SEO). SEO for Journalists is for the clueless rather than the novice, and with some great links to white papers on SEO this is one of the best starting points for journalists.

If you want to know the principles of writing a good headline for the web, or how to write copy that will be found on sites like Google News, then SEO for Journalists is the blog for you. I also really like the strong Twitter presence this blog has.

Patrick Beeson

On the face of it this blog looks like a list of internal office memos. The layout isn’t great but don’t judge it by its cover, it’s the content that matters. Patrick has been blogging since 2006 and although a little light on the SEO front, it’s got a nice selection of practical tips for journalists heading into the digital world.

I especially liked Patrick's post on how reporters should respond to comments online. Patrick is also a web developer so there are a few posts on Django, an open source web app used in many newsrooms.

Editor’s Journalism Blog

Not strictly an SEO or indeed an online journalism blog, Journalism.co.uk is a major website many UK based journalists know and visit for the jobs and articles which appear on the site and are Twittered via twitter.com/journalismnews.

This is very much a blog written for and by journalists. The content is specifically on the challenges facing the media industry - whether it’s redundancies, the struggling freelancer, or the developments that are taking place inside major news organizations. I also really like the ‘Tip of the day’ which usually focuses on online activities such as ‘how to create an online cuttings book,’ ‘get your blogs listed on Google’ and ‘blogs for job seekers.’

Nieman Journalism Lab

A project based at Harvard University, the Neiman Journalism Lab is the daddy of all online journalism blogs, focusing on how quality journalism thrives and survives in the internet age. As it’s US-based the content reflects the geographical setting, with a generous helping of posts on how local US newspapers are dealing with the new challenges online journalism brings, including how they are using video and social media sites to increase their traffic flow. There are also some lovely debates throughout this blog on whether journalists should feel threatened by citizen journalism and bloggers.

Mindy McAdams

Mindy McAdams has been at the forefront of online journalism since 2005. She teaches at the University of Florida and shares her expertise in her blog and gives her thoughts on how traditional media is changing. As she is a teacher, her arguments and explanations are always very well structured and easy to follow.

Mindy is also a lot more tech savvy than most blogging in this area, which makes her posts all the more interesting. And with nearly 2,400 followers on Twitter you know she’s a well respected and listened-to commentator in this area.

New Media Bytes

Written by Shawn Smith, a web promotion and internet professional, he offers up little bite-sized chunks of news on what’s happening in the new media world. Although he doesn’t publish posts every week, when he does write he isn’t shy about expressing his opinions.

Shawn tells journalists in no uncertain terms to "Get off your ass" if they want to make money from their journalism skills. He’s doing just what we like bloggers to do – provoke thought and reaction. Shawn also provides a number of posts on what journalists can do when they have been laid off, and some tips on how to improve your writing skills to make yourself attractive to online publishers.

Ryan Sholin

Ryan is an online editor and journalist and knows a fair amount about web design and development, which makes his blog a mixed bag of content. This ‘mixed bag’ sometimes feels unfocused but that shouldn’t put anyone off. If you are interested in online publishing tools he’s your man, but there are also a number of interesting posts on the changing face of newspapers.

Ryan's ‘Greatest Hits’ section is one of the best areas of the site because it directs you straight to those posts which received the most attention. His Top 10s on "white lies you hear about the future of newspapers" and "10 obvious things about the future you newspapers you need to get through your head" are especially good.

Mastering Multimedia

Colin Mulvany is a multimedia producer based in Washington, DC. It’s a very different blog from the others mentioned because the posts focus on the importance of video content. Visual elements such as video, photographs and interactive graphics are all important in online journalism, and journalists everywhere need to appreciate theiemir significance.

As a former stills photographer, Colin like many had to adapt his skills to suit the changing media landscape, and he is now a multi-media producer. This puts him in an ideal position to tell others about how to make that transition. Colin gives some great advice on how to use videos to increase traffic, and I love how he shares his expertise on how to create and edit videos for news websites.