If you haven’t tried it out yet, then give Google’s Blog Search a try.
Type in keywords that relate to a topic you’re interested in, and you can see what’s being talked about in blogs on the subject. If you’re looking for others in your blogging niche, then type in keywords that describe your blog. You can also try the search terms that are used most often by people finding your blog (check your stats for these).
You’ll see a list of blogs that are talking about the same things you are. This can be good for you in several ways.
- You can get an idea of how popular your topic is. You might think that finding few entries is a good thing, but it really isn’t. If few people are talking about it, then it may not have enough interest to support a blog.
- You can quickly review others’ opinions. Remember to discuss these in your own posts with links back to the authors.
- You can find a fresh approach to a popular topic. Maybe you have some personal experience or an interesting take on the topic.
If a post (or posts) inspires you to write a blog entry, then remember to link back to that blog! It’s better for your readers, and the blog author will appreciate the traffic. Often, this is a good first step to building friendships with other bloggers.