In the past I’ve always been a proponent of websites over blogs. I liked the fact that once you put a web page up, it was done. You might tweak it now and again because you see something you want to change, but pretty much it’s a done deal.

Blogging on the other hand, is a much more interactive sport. Successful blogs not only require new content on a fairly regular basis, it also requires moderation. In other words, you’ve got to prevent spam by moderating all comments from readers.

A while ago I wrote an article Blogs vs Websites, and I believe back then I was more in favor of websites. However, I think the tide is changing. I’m beginning to lean towards favoring blogs. Who knows the tide may change back the other way, but for now I’m beginning to appreciate the ability to post information that does not require much behind the scenes coding.

Additionally, blogs are usually up to date and fresh, where website information can become stale.

Darren Rowse’s post is inspirational not only from a blog vs website point of view, it is inspirational because he tells of his journey from making $1 per day blogging to earning enough money to blog on a full-time basis and support his family. It’s a must read for anyone who is serous about blogging and making money from blogging.

Here are a few practical tips on how to make money with a blog:

1. Find a host for your blog. There are several blog-hosting sites on the internet such as WordPress.com and Blogger.com. It’s best to search around and check out a few to see which one you feel most comfortable with. Folks with more internet experience may go with a different host than a newbie. Find one that suits your experience level.
2. Come up with a topic for your blog. If you want to make money from your blog, I recommend that you choose a topic that interests you and other folks. A blog that no one is interested in but you is called a diary or a journal and shouldn’t be put on the internet. The money is in the visitors, so blog about something that will make people want to read your entries.
3. Write about what you know or what you want to know. By blogging about what you know (or want to know), it will be easier for you to come up with interesting and engaging blog entries. If you like what you’re writing about your blog won’t feel like a chore. If it feels like a chore, stop blogging. If your writing is forced and unnatural, your readers will pick up on it and stop coming by. In order to make money with your blog you’ve got to attract readers, not scare them away.
4. Monetize your blog. If you don’t have one already, sign up for a Google AdSense account. Once you’ve done that, place your Google ads on your blog to earn money. In addition to Google, sign up for an in line text link ad company like Kontera. Although the payout isn’t as high as AdSense, its still a source for earning money. Google AdSense and Kontera have compatible technologies so you don’t have to worry about violating the terms of service for each company.In addition to placing ads, you can promote an affiliate’s product or you can sign up with one of the paid to post companies. Paid to post companies will actually pay you to create a blog entry about a particular product or service. Companies like Pay Per Post and Smorty, to name a few, offer payment to approved blogs.

Now that you’ve got all of the ingredients to make money with your blog, the last remaining thing you need to do is get traffic to your blog. That’s done in a number of ways.

You need to be familiar with search engine optimization (SEO). Yes even blogs need to be optimized for search engines. When you are posting entries to your blog, make sure you select a few keywords and sprinkle them throughout the entries a few times. Using the right keywords makes it easier for users to find your site when using search engines.

Remember, you want your blog entries to be user friendly so don’t overuse the keywords or else your entries will appear to be spam and that could hurt your search engine rankings.

Now that you’ve got these practical tips, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start making money with your blog.