Blogs: Don't forget to Ping-O-Matic

When you update your blog, don't forget to ping it!



What in the world is pinging?



Pinging is one of those many wonderful internet words. It refers to letting the various blog aggregators know that you have updated. Pinging merely means letting everyone know you've added new content to your blog.



For example, the blog news site Technorati keeps track of blog entries as news sources. The site also measures the number of inbound and outbound links from each blog. To stay up to date with the changes, Technorati relies on regular pinging.



Another site that depends on reporting blog updates is Daypop. Along with news items from conventional sites, Daypop depends on bloggers reporting their updates.



Where do you ping your blog?



Many blog hosts (but not all) offer automatic pinging as a feature of their service. If it's not provided as part of the package, however, you'll have to report your updates manually.



One site that accepts manual blog pings is Weblogs.com. Simply enter your blog's title and URL into the spaces provided. The site will remember your information for your return visits. Bookmark the site, and return every time you add a new entry to your blog.



Another pinging site is Blo.gs. Simply add in your site's name, URL, and RSS feed if you have one, and press ping. As an added feature, Blo.gs lets you add some prewritten code to your site, to ping it automatically, if you choose.



For an all inclusive pinging site, go to the newly revamped Ping-O-matic (formerly Blog Service Pinger. With the assistance of Matt Mullenwag, Dougal Campbell continues to improve his one stop pinging tool for bloggers, as a service to the blogging community.



As part of his committment to aiding the efforts of bloggers everywhere, Dougal has just unveiled his latest pinging site.



As always, I appreciate Dougal's and Matt's efforts.



Along with pinging to Blo.gs and Weblogs.com, the Ping-O-matic automatically pings Technorati, and a number of others. There are close to a dozen in all. More additions and improvements are expected in the near future as well.



To use the Ping-O-matic, simply fill in the blanks with your blog's title and URL, click on the sites you want to ping, and there you are.



One stop pinging!



I use the Ping-O-matic, on a daily basis, to ping all of my blogs.



You should too.



Since you post on your blog on a regular basis, you'll want others to know you've done it too.



Pinging your blog, every time you update, is the way to do it!