Looks like yet another meme is quickly making its way around the SEM blogosphere. Yesterday I was tagged by Li Evans of Search Marketing Gurus and was asked to share 5 reasons of why I blog. As I've mentioned before, I'm not at all fond of these kinds of things, mostly because of the "chain letter" feeling that they carry with them. However, this particular one has caught my attention. I've been following the paths created by this meme and have thus far been intrigued by what draws people to blog... especially in this particular industry.

So what draws me to Blog? Well, I can certainly attest to more than five reasons of why I feel the need to write about search engine marketing and Yahoo! Store Development, but in the interest of this meme, I'll just limit it to following:

1) To be recognized. I'd be lying (or kidding myself) if I didn't say recognition. Writing "how-to" posts and fresh commentary on the latest SEM happenings has put me in a position where I'm noticed, and noticed often. It's a great feeling to have people within the industry reading and linking to my stuff and it's especially nice to be recognized when attending conferences and such.

2) To pay it forward. I'm a big supporter of the find and share program that surrounds our industry. As a kid, my mother taught me the benefits of sharing... and many of those same principles still apply today. I've learned tons from the many SEM bloggers that go out of their way to contribute, and I certainly feel the need to return the favor. With the use of my Blog, I'm able to share industry changes, such as algorithm updates or new techniques and strategies, with those who need it most.

3) To rank organically. It's no secret that a Blog, when used correctly, can be a great tool for building quality backlinks, as well as managing unique and relevant content. As most already know, attaining fresh content and quality backlinks is often times the key to attaining high search engine rankings.

4) To learn. Believe it or not, I probably get more out of writing a blog post, in terms of learning and fully understanding a topic or theory, than most of my readers do. As a blogger, I'm subject to a great deal of research and analysis. I'm responsible for ensuring the accuracy of my facts, sources, and statements... which in turn forces me to really know my stuff. It's quite common for me to start a blog post with knowing only the basic facts on a given topic, and end it with a complete understanding as well as well-formulated opinion on it.

5) To write. Simply put... I enjoy writing. I've been a writer and story-teller since grade-school, and very much enjoy putting my thoughts into writing. It's actually quite relaxing in a lot of ways.

And that's that! Now... who to tag? I tag: Michael Roebuck, Joe Balestrino, Lisa Barone, Joe Williams, and... Paul Boisvert. Tag... you're all it!