Hello All:

Perhaps someone could give me a bit a basic advice on this question I have with Blog SEO Like BLOG URL to get best SEO & Some extra questions re similar I have too.

I am a complete techno dummie, and have been slowly reading up and learning internet marketing this past few months, and while by learning is very basic, (compared to what you guys know), I am very happy with myself, as this is rocket science to me! LOL! So go easy on me, if I ask too dumb a question. A man has to start somewhere!

I suppose I will tell you what my end goal is about with this Blog idea, and maybe that will help with the SEO answers to the questions...

I spit this straight out, ( I ll understand if you damn my soul for this! ).
I work in Recruitment (own 7 years now small recruitment gig... these days its me solo, through choice, with assistant, and offshore help across the globe, I Elance it when I need extra help, in fact I work offshore a bit myself). To explain my USP(unique selling proposition), it might help with SEO or blog idea. I charge a very low fee (I cut costs with new business model which I pass on to companies I work for), so if a company hires an IT guy off us, its 50-70% lower in cost that the going rate most agency charge, the 2nd thing I do, is I 95% of the time just work Technical Support, Helpdesk, Field Service Engineer, Systems Admin, Network Engineer jobs. (not out to take over the world, happy to give a good fair deal, help lads find jobs, be honest to all, and we all win). Got 10 years experience working the sector I do, and I am low key, goal here while I cannot help everyone, I try to be 100% straight, honest, with everyone, in a sector, where recruitment people can be underhanded for money, if I am not honest, I do not want the business, that way I know I can look at myself in the mirror, which is most important to me).

Anyway there is more background than you need, as to what I want to do with this Blog, I think this will help and show you what I have in mind.

I work Ireland now as I always did (however starting some work into UK, and also into Aus perhaps next year..why not...world is global village).

So Blog is going to be focused on Ireland, and I want it to be a place where, as someone who has 10 years experience in finding IT jobs for people, and IT candidates for companies, I can help & give out information to both candidates & companies, and where in time, I can build up the trust of the reader, and they feel they can ask any question, about (IT Jobs, recruitment in general in Ireland), and will get an open honest answer, tips on how to find a job yourself with us guys, how companies can find their own staff for free or low cost with recruitment agencies (why not give out the information! my view is "there is enough in it for everyone"), and a if you like sort of an "advice center" on line, from someone who knows the "inside track" and U come ask me for help, even though your potential job or candidate is not through me. So I think with this in time, there should be plenty of interesting things to read on there for job seekers & companies hiring, that can be of use, and as I said its IT focused, my own niche in the Network/PC Support area exclusive.
What do I get out of all this,... will I want to be able to post up a new IT job when once come in and tell everyone the full run down on it, so people can post a question and get a answer (before sending in CV), & blogs with relevant content, can get good traffic (and I save on paying job board advertising a bit), and also I companies will know, if they cannot find someone, I can help and hopefully seem to be trusting, and I they will know someone who is honest, with many years experience, can help find good IT Engineers, at a very large cost saving. (and maybe send me an odd job spec). So thats my end on what I hope to get out of all of this. And I think for us all, company, candidate, & client its win win. (certainly open to suggestion to make this more win win, as I know many people see recruiters with a certain disfavor...to put in mildly!).

OK some specific questions...

1. I am for the start going to use, Blogger, as I did some experiments with my self defense krav maga blog, just to learn how to use blogger, and it is easy for me to use, and understand. That means, I will post daily. If it is too technical, I will not use it. I tried on another website I have which sells an ebook, someone put a worldpress.org blog for me, and I just hate the back office, too difficult for me.

2. I am not going to for now, link the blog to my brochure web site, which still looks ok, even though I have it 6 years. (should be upgraded, but that can wait 7 or 8 months). So this is going to be a separate blog on blogger.

3. URL for best SEO for blog question...
this is one that is confusing me... what is the best way to do a URL for a blog. for example if it better to go (and this is just a made up example )
hotitcomputerjobsireland.blogspot.com OR...
hot-IT-computer-jobs-ireland.blogspot.com

Does running it all into one big line or breaking the words up with a - make a difference, if so, what is the one to go with?

4. what about the word Ireland in the URL... myself personally most of the companies I work with and candidates over 90% is in Dublin. Should I substitute Ireland for Dublin? any thoughts on that example?

5. Even though I only work Techincal Network PC Support type jobs (MCSEs roll on up please!!), I think this might be "too niched" or "too narrow" a field for a blog, or would I be better sticking to IT jobs in general in Ireland in order to get better people coming to what is a very competitive area. (personally, and I do not mean to sound ungrateful, this is outside my niche anyway, but if a company asks me to find a C# .NET developer, I turn the job down, last really good developer I spoke to told me he had 30 job specs already, so too much demand for me, so I do not want to attract impossible things I cannot help with and pee people off on that front...as a argument for being more narrow). Any ideas?

6. Since I hope I will give out useful info, while I still want as my main audience Irish based, I wonder should I ignore the rest of the world (CVs from Asia with no work permit, and not in Ireland, I cannot help right now), or will people pick up on it anyway, if I just do for Ireland as I mention?

7. Any other ideas? I am open to all? I would put adscense on there for sure, and I would on rare occasion mention a good book a read relevant to what we do, and post (as a amazon affiliate & would mention this too). If it made an extra bit of revenue all the better. I do realize, most blogs make **** all.

So this rather long post, I figure my explaining all, I making my ideas clear, it will help with some feedback. Apologies to Mod if this is in wrong section.
I wanted to start with simple question, could not get it across correctly, then decided to be totally open.

Looking forward to your kind help, and he great to hear some feedback.

Warmest Regards

G

Hi G, I run a jobs site/blog, but sadly I don't have time to reply fully to your (long) post right now.

For SEO ideas, I would steer away from blogger or free blogs, rather go for a hosted option and integrate it in your site.

Personally I don't think that a blog is a great place for long and interactive conversations, rather I would go for a forum setup.

more later (maybe)
paul

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Thanks Paul for info, yes if you got time let us more info.

Reason, I am for the start anyway, I know I can upgrade to hosted/integrated later, is I tried this already and paid someone to set up for me re a defunct online side biz I had, and guy over complicated the thing on me, so total pain in butt to use, and perhaps deliberate he left it, so anything I need to change, I nearly had to hire him in to do for me. So I got pee 'd off as too techie (for now) for me.

Plus I want to keep cost down, keep it simple, it might not work even, so who knows, and I own web site I have, does not reflect the niched years if experience , low fee value offer I do, so I want to leave them seperate for now until I up grade web site or perhaps "re brand "(hate that word!) myself & re name Rec biz I have to reflect the new idea I work.

No chance of a PM of your site, so I can get a wee look? :-)

Thanks for info so far.

Cheers

Gerry

Woudn't that be the eir jobs in his signature ?

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This is debateable, I think. Blogging is still new to many people, notably the over-fifties who are often scared of what they think is a frivolous and somewhat anarchic activity. I started a photo blog, which I thought would link nicely with my hobby of recording garden visits. Then, about two years ago I hit a wall of incomprehension in using all the widgets and fiddly geeky programs and settings that are second nature to a true nerd but which left me calling for help from experts. This led to starting an analytical Blogger's Blog where I record anything new I find and how I get on with it. It's also a useful space for moaning, if necessary, though this is best kept to a minimum. One blogger gave an insight along the way. Whenever she wrote a more "personal" piece it got much more feedback than informative or artistic posts. Photos get a lot of comments, if they are good. I would not advise wearing one's sleeve on the Internet, or posting about very personal details in one's life, but that reflects my personality rather than current blog trends. Many bloggers are very successful because they write from the heart. I prefer a more superficial and humourous blog style. If you have a moment, any reactions you may have to my blogs would be welcome, as I often re-adjust my views when I read fresh comments. Blogging is like an enormous pavement artists colony, in many ways. Great fun... Have you a link to your blogs, please? I can't seem to find them. Also, if you join Irishblogs.ie, which is a blog aggregator, it should improve your SEO, as does Blogcatalog: Photographe à Dublin Blog - Information, Comments, Reviews // BlogCatalog

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Install the latest version of wordpress on your server. Quite easy to do it and these lads here even have an automated script that takes care of things for you.
Once it's installed, download the plugin for generating sitemaps and most importantly, talk about interesting stuff.

Publish and RSS feed for your blog (Wordpress can do this for you) and add yourself to del.icio.us and digg.com. Also, sign up for twitter!