Why No Blogroll?

I’m not sure how long ago this began, but I’ve come to realize that many a blogger on 20SB (roughly half by a glimpse of the “What Was Your Last Post About” thread) doesn’t have a blogroll / must read / link list / favs list / fill in the blank list of their favorite blogs linked up on the sidebar (or anywhere else) on their blogs.

I’m certainly not saying that everyone needs to, or should follow a model on what goes into the nuts and bolts of a blog set up or sidebar, but I can’t help but wonder why people don’t have blogrolls on their sidebar, bottom, or as a page set up solely for said purpose of linking to enjoyable blogs.

I certainly found many a great blog to read by way of clicking the links on people’s blogrolls, and I have certainly had many a visitor find me via a blogroll. I’ve even had much larger and more trafficked blogs, newspapers, and television networks find and link to me thanks to a blogroll. So I know and have seen the great and wonderful things that a blogroll can do for a blog.

Essentially, IMHO, blogrolls are great for everyone since they are free advertising for blogs that one enjoys – and people tend to link back when linked to, yes, it’s a two way street. Plus, not everyone writes a blog, and nobody knows what you follow via RSS, so blogrolls are great ways for those who are merely readers to find more good blogs to read.

While some people don’t have blogrolls, they do have links set up to show off how many followers, tags, categories, pages, blog comments, twitter responses, twitter comments and popular posts. All of these things are good (but they can be cluttering), and can help drive traffic to other portions of a blog once a person magically finds said blog, but none of them help drive traffic to a blog.

I believe that it’s safe to assume that people want their blogs to be read by as many people as possible, right?

So, why don’t you have a blogroll?

Tags: Blogging, Blogroll, Blogs, Question

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Permalink Reply by Gina on November 8, 2010 at 12:32pm

I honestly don't get this either. I don't have a "blogroll" per se, I have a links page as a stand alone instead. My sidebar is full of tags and archives and following widgets, so I don't want another long list of stuff on there. Plus, I love the effort people put into their buttons, so I use buttons for the links whenever possible.

But you're right. There are many times that I read a blog and think, "Man, if I like this blog, I'll probably like the stuff they like."

I can understand why people don't necessarily want it on the front page/ sidebar, but put it somewhere! It's all about sharing the love, right?

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Permalink Reply by Alexandra Tsaritsa (call me Tsa) on November 8, 2010 at 6:48pm

I think they're exclusive. That's why I don't have one.

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Permalink Reply by Gina on November 8, 2010 at 8:20pm

Sure, I think that's kind of the point. I cannot read every single blog on the planet, and neither can anybody else, so let me direct you to some I enjoy.

I'll tell you, it's a pleasant surprise to be blog hopping and find my link in somebody else's blogroll, or see my button on the page of a blog I just stumbled on. It makes me happy inside :) So, I spread that kind of love around.

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Permalink Reply by Alexandra Tsaritsa (call me Tsa) on November 11, 2010 at 9:16pm

I know that. But being excluded isn't a nice feeling.

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Permalink Reply by Ella Unread on November 8, 2010 at 12:33pm

Well, I do have a blogroll but I have my doubts that those who don't have one is because they don't want to admit they like other blogs, hahaha...just kidding...
Maybe they are afraid their followers will follow the blogs they suggest (which does happen and it's nothing to be mad at, after all, we're recommending)...
I am trying to think of a good reasong why anybody wouldn't have a blogroll and I just can't....great topic! (you're definitely arousing some thought in here)

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Permalink Reply by Tyler Sutherland on November 8, 2010 at 12:43pm

To me, linking other sites on your blog is almost like an endorsement. However, it's not really treated that way. People trade links to increase their traffic and therefore are less discriminating. They have all these links, but do they really like them? Do they really read them?

If people are linking me, I want it to be because they feel that strongly about my writing. Not as a means of promoting their blog on mine...if they want to do that they can just leave a comment. I don't expect links, but if people do it, well, I thank them for the compliment. And if I enjoy reading their blog, I may find reason to reference it in a post somewhere...a quote or something.

Also, they look bad.

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Permalink Reply by Erin McCarthy on November 8, 2010 at 1:02pm

Well Tyler, since I follow/read your blog I can't help but be curious about what you read. Sure it would promote other people's blogs and some folks link for personal gains over actual love of the word but as I am trust your writing I am willing to take your reading endorsements on good faith.
Make sense?