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Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:02 pm
by Paradox
Hey guys!

I'm sure many of you have already noticed (via my signature) that I have recently decided to start writing a blog about the puzzles that I own and come along on my 'travels' around the puzzling world. Sure I don't have too many just yet...but I'm working on it. :?

Really I just wanted to ask if people wouldn't mind paying my blog a visit and letting me know what you think of it thus far, either by posting back in this thread or dropping me an email. Afterall it is going to be people like you and me who it is aimed at, so I would really appreciate any ideas or constructive criticisms that you may have.

Here's the link: http://puzzle-obsessed.blogspot.com/

Thank you! :)

Oli

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:42 pm
by AFKAN
Very nice blog Oli 8-)

Quite enjoyed the read, and I can't say I'm usually one for blogs :D

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:51 pm
by Paradox
AFKAN wrote:Very nice blog Oli 8-)

Quite enjoyed the read, and I can't say I'm usually one for blogs :D
Thank you! Keep checking it out as I'm updating it pretty frequently at the moment.

Hopefully if people are okay with it then I will add a few photos and things from the upcoming Midlands Puzzle Party (MPP) in February. And maybe review some other people's puzzles if they let me.

I'll also say a thank you to Alimorris as well for lending me several of the puzzles that I have already written about. :D

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:55 pm
by allardwza
...I've been following it more or less daily (no presusre Oli!) since noticing it appear in your sig - nice blog mate... ;)

I follow a couple of them and really like the idea of getting other folks' thoughts on new puzzles.

allard

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:10 pm
by Paradox
allardwza wrote:...I've been following it more or less daily (no presusre Oli!) since noticing it appear in your sig - nice blog mate... ;)

I follow a couple of them and really like the idea of getting other folks' thoughts on new puzzles.

allard
Thank you Allard! No pressure at all! :shock:

I follow a few blogs and other sites myself, and even now (but especially when I first started collecting) I've found other people's opinions on puzzles to be far more interesting and accurate than just reading the shop sales descriptions. So hopefully my blog might help people get a decent idea of things they're thinking of getting, and an opinion to compare against when it's a puzzle they already have.

At the moment I'm spending a bit of time trying to get my blog noticed so that people can actually find it, but that's proving to be quite difficult. The best way for it to get known is word of mouth, so I'm kind of hoping that if people do like it they will tell their friends and they will tell their friends etc etc.

It's all fun really. :D

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:31 pm
by adamwest
Olive have you done this yet?
http://www.google.com/support/webmaster ... swer=34397
It a good way to pick up hits quickly.

Adam

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:36 pm
by Paradox
adamwest wrote:Olive have you done this yet?
http://www.google.com/support/webmaster ... swer=34397
It a good way to pick up hits quickly.

Adam
Hey Adam, thanks for that!

I just went to check and it turns out that my blog is already included on Google's Index. But my ranking is still quite low, so I reckon that I still need lots more visits before it is found easily via searching.

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:42 pm
by adamwest
I have heard of some sites stacking key words in the site header to get a stronger hit count I don't know if it works but you can Google around a see.

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:59 pm
by Paradox
adamwest wrote:I have heard of some sites stacking key words in the site header to get a stronger hit count I don't know if it works but you can Google around a see.
Hmm...I probably could do something to that effect, but I'm hoping that between word of mouth and the few people who have kindly linked to my blog it will get more popular over time.

Well....that's what I'm hoping for anyway. :?

Re: Oli's Puzzle Blog

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 5:29 pm
by Paprika Killer
Ooh, that's a very nice blog, and especially nice to read abotu some of the cast puzzles I don't (yet of course) own.

(on the google thing, I heard google distributes the "weight" of your keyword evenly, so if you only use 1 keyword it gets 100% weight/importance, if you use 2 each gets 50% etc., in order to prevent people just putting in "lots" of keyword)