Blogging originated in early 2006, as a type of blogging known as microblogging – basically, a way for online users to create quick and relatively inexpensive “blogs,” or internet blogs, using only their computer’s browser. The earliest blogs were not particularly noteworthy, but they were quickly identified as a new style of online public relations, or PR, marketing, and advertising strategy, as they allowed anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to express their opinions about almost anything imaginable. In short, blogging was (and still is, in many cases) a great way for regular people with a lot of technical knowledge to get their thoughts out into the world.
Today, blogs can be used as a vehicle for making money online. They are an invaluable resource for those who want to promote products, services, and events through blogging. In fact, some blog creators even offer paid reviews of certain goods, many of which are targeted directly at those who wish to review them (there are even blog clubs and discussion forums). Blogs are also commonly used to track online traffic, as well as to promote various causes and events. Thus, blogs can be a great tool for increasing awareness about certain issues, while also serving as a vehicle through which various businesses and organizations can promote their own causes and events.
Still, not all blogging involves the simple promotion of business interests. Some bloggers use their blogs to discuss current events, or to become personal by venting their opinions in popular forums. Blogs can also be used to track the popularity of certain search terms, as Google has developed an instrument called the Google Analytics to track the popularity of all keywords throughout the Internet. By tracking the popularity of a particular blog post, or, indeed, the search engine rankings for that blog, one can determine if there is a need to further increase exposure by creating a blog of their own, or improving on the already established one.