Recently, after posting a long series of helpful links and excerpts on my blog, a commenter asked:
This is nice, but can’t I Google for these myself?
If the answer is yes, then why do bloggers spend so much of their time putting together such lists?
If the answer is no, then what’s wrong with their perception of the list?
Where’s the Value in Your List of Links
Why do you put these lists together?
What’s the answer? Is it because these are sites you found interesting and want to share with your readers?
Is it because the list consolidates scattered information resources into a single place holder?
Is it because the list of links connects the dots between bits of information that need collating?
Or just because you think it will bring in traffic?
Really explore why you are putting a specific list of links together. After all, anyone could go searching for the same information on Google or other search engines themselves. Why should they bother with your list?
Because your list is a unique collection.
That’s the key to creating value in lists of links. The collection of links is unique. If it isn’t, then why bother. Find a way of making the list of links find value in their uniqueness.
Uniqueness is a wide open description. The list of links can be unique because “you” brought them together in one place, with your unique perspective on the subject matter. Or they can be unique because no one has put together this particular combination in this fashion before.
Or they are unique because they have a common theme, a thread that connects all of them together, gathering information spread across the web into one place, making life easier for those searching for information on this subject.
If your list is no better than what others can find on Google, don’t bother. Make your link lists count. Make them matter. Make them have value. Make them unique, so we all benefit from your hard work.
