Mumsnet bloggers network forum

[KatGoldLIN]

well exactly, BM, not to mention it's ALL about engagement on the www, innit. no borders...

poor Jem, we are making a list... she hates lists.

Would she be happier with a cloud? Or what about those jumbly word things?

There is the start of a list on the FB group. Rosie T Riveter started it.

[Aitch]

oh no, you would all have to APPLY.
hahahahaha. <files paperwork on knees>

[KatGoldLIN]

oh no, you would all have to APPLY.
hahahahaha. <files paperwork on knees>

Will it be a test? What kind of questions will be asked? Is there an interview? Are you bribable?

[Aitch]

eminently so, yes.

next question?

[Jem]

I'm on one of them (maybe I'm on the netmums one, don't know)...what I do know is that most of us who have linked into these blogger networks have seen very little blog traffic from it (if that's what you are looking for), but MN and NM have all done very well out of it.

Funny you mention that, as I'm fairly sure I said something similar to aitch when she mentioned she'd been added over there. Big bloody con :P (but I do stalk the mumsnet blogger forum occasionally, just because I like to have a nose)

Anyway. I'll add this BLW bloggers list thing to my epic list of stuff aitch keeps nagging me about. Jeeez.

[Aitch]

so how have they done well out of it, you reckon? because people go to MN and Netmums?

[Aitch]

re the epic list... do you actually have a list? can i see it?

[Jem]

so how have they done well out of it, you reckon? because people go to MN and Netmums?

Aside from the obvious raising awareness of mumsnet/netmums (which you could argue they don't necessarily need) the biggest reason for running a network like that is for the search engine benefits.

One of the BIG factors Google uses to weigh up the importance of a website (and thus where to rank it in the results) is the amount of links that point to that site. So, if I link to babyledweaning.com from my blog I'm effectively telling Google "I like this site, it's important, rank it higher". All the thousands of numpties - cough.. willing volunteers - who added a link back on their blog pages to MNs blog network using the little linky badge thingamajig are basically telling Google "this site is important, rank it higher". You're giving MNs a shitload of free advertising AND improving their 'SEO' without them having to do a bloody thing. A search engine optimisation guru's wet dream.

Anyway, there IS a way to add a link without telling Google "rank this site higher", and that's to tweak the HTML and add what's called a nofollow attribute. If you add rel="nofollow" to the mark-up of a link you're basically telling Google not to follow it, so not to rank it. (Which I did when I added the blogger network button to this site, because I'm a skanky ho.)

The HTML code mumsnet gives out for its badges looks a bit like this:

Code: Select all

<a href="http://www.mumsnet.com/bloggers-network"><img src="http://www.mumsnet.com/images/bloggers_network/MN-blognetwork-104-final.png" width="206" height="104" alt="mumsnet" /></a>

To add the nofollow attribute, this would need to be changed to:

Code: Select all

<a href="http://www.mumsnet.com/bloggers-network" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.mumsnet.com/images/bloggers_network/MN-blognetwork-104-final.png" width="206" height="104" alt="mumsnet" /></a>

As far as I'm aware there is nothing in their T&Cs about doing this and they don't ask people not to tweak the HTML. They're relying on the ignorance of most bloggers (who generally don't know HTML etc).

[Jem]

re the epic list... do you actually have a list? can i see it?

it's metaphorical of course. (we probably should write one down though, so I get the satisfaction of ticking stuff off.)

[Aitch]

i am wildly ignorant, hurrah! and tbh i don't mind MN being all-powerful, i think they're on the side of good.

let's get ourselves some of that, though, so that we remain high in google rankings. i'm adding it to a list...

[KatGoldLIN]

Aside from Jem's awesome explanation of SEO wetdreams*, there was also big Controversy when some bloggers got *invited* to one of the networks and others *gasp* did not. Apparently i generated a huge amount of traffic and discussion. I was told by a rather reliable source that the organisers of both were thrilled with it all.

[Aitch]

really? on MN? i was rather under the impression that they'd let any old trollop in. (sorry Kate)

[KateGladTidings]

What?! I'm not special? I thought it was some kind of sacred birthright...

[Aitch]

i'm so sorry. <head down>