Blogging for eBay

My article on Profiting From eBay Images With A Blog contains additional information about using blogs to promote eBay auctions and generate affiliate commissions.

A few weeks ago, eBay announced they would be adding a blog feature to their site so users could share information about their auctions and give eBay better search engine rankings.

Should you set up a blog on eBay?

The simple answer is NO.

Back in January, I interviewed Gary Hendrickson about shopping in Antique Malls. After the recording, Gary and I talked for a while about using blogs to promote eBay auctions.

I have a blogs on Lionel Toy Trains and Vintage Tin Toys, that contain short articles about toys and then links to eBay auctions.

Both of our blogs get a lot of traffic from search engines mostly from people looking for items. Based on this search engine traffic, Gary and I thought it would be a good idea to create blogs just to promote our auctions, but neither of us have time.

Since then I have been looking for eBay sellers who use blogs to promote their auctions. I asked my readers to send me links to their blogs, Scott Prock asked all his members to send him links to their blogs, and I spent a few hours searching blog directories to find people promoting their auctions in blogs.

I found nothing.

This is hard for me to believe. As popular and easy as blogs are, I couldn't find a single person productively using a blog to promote eBay auctions. Very disappointing.

This is especially disappointing when you consider a blog is a great way to get some revenue from affiliate programs and Google's AdSense program.

So here's a few suggestions to get you started Blogging for eBay

I said earlier that eBay's new onsite blogs would not be helpful to you. Based on reading the announcement and the way eBay has structured their new guides feature, all the benefit of the blogs hosted on eBay will go to eBay.

You won't be able to link to outside sites which means you can't promote products outside eBay. That means no sales for you personally, and no affiliate income.

The search engines will index the blogs and eBay will get the traffic.

Want an example?

On February fifth, I wrote a short post on my blog about some toy wooden boats. Since then I've had hundreds of people come from the search engines to see these boats. Some of these people went on to buy my ebooks, and subscribe to this newsletter.

If the post was on eBay, I would have nothing to show for the three minutes it took me to write the post.

Why should you do the work of writing and posting so eBay can get the real benefits?

Here's another problem with the eBay hosted blogs. Because they will be mostly devoid of interesting information, people will learn to ignore them when looking through the search engine results. After a while, no one will even follow the links.

This screening of garbage filled sites is already true of the larger free blogging sites like Blogger. It will happen with eBay too. I am already ignoring the guides hosted on eBay. Anything with a URL of reviews.ebay.com is ignored.

A quick side note about eBay guides - I just did a search on Google for a topic where I know a guide exists. I know someone who specializes in a specific collectible who has spent years trying to get good results on Google.

The eBay guide he wrote - which doesn't have a link to his website on it, but does have a tiny link to his auctions, is now above his website on Google.

Enough about the guides, lets get back to blogs. Based on what I just said, you are better off setting up a blog on your own domain rather than using eBay or one of the free services.

Another reason for hosting your own blog is many of the free sites are now deleting blogs that don't get new posts. How you'd like to go on vacation and come back to find your blog gone?

If you bought a domain to host your own eBay images, check your control panel for Fantastico. With one click you can install WordPress. Wordpress has great support forums, and the program is really easy to use. (While you at the WordPress site look for an plug in called Press It. Press It will make posting about your auctions much easier.)

Many of the articles and free reports here on IWantCollectibles were originally sent to readers of my Antiques and eBay Newsletter. Not all articles make it onto the website, and readers also get notices of free reports and special offers.

• Finding Products To Sell On eBay
  How to find products to sell on eBay is the most common question I get from my readers. This page has links to all the articles and reports I've written about finding eBay products.
• How To Be An Antique Dealer
  The best way to start an antiques or collectibles business. Part 1 of a five part series on being an antiques dealer.
• Understanding eBay Changes 2011
  This page covers eBay changes and has links to all articles on IWantCollectibles about working within the changes. Sign up for my free newsletter for articles covering new changes as they are announced.
• Tips for Starting an eBay Consignment Business
  Selling on consignment is the perfect way to start on eBay. This article is an introduction to consignment selling, and explains what you'll need to be successful. First in a series on eBay Consignment.
• Shopping For eBay Products At Garage Sales
  Thirteen tips for garage sale shopping. Part one of a two part series on garage and yard sales.
• Finding New Products for eBay
  If you want to sell new products you need to concentrate on items others are not selling. You need to find sources other sellers are unaware of. That is not hard to do. Here's a list of articles to get you started on the right path.
• eBay Auction Category, Title And Keyword Advice
  A series of articles about getting your items found on eBay. Covers category selection, eBay keyword rules, and researching keywords. Finally you'll learn how to write an informative, keyword rich title.