While learning about blogging and exploring my writing style, a simple online search I did a decade ago led me to various blog posts about how to write for the algorithm—providing me with tips on what topics result in traffic as if traffic is the only goal.
When I was still new to the space, optimizing my content for visibility (aka writing for the algorithm) seemed logical, especially given its promise that just writing the right keywords could help you increase your reach.
But as I browsed through the topics the blog posts mentioned, I didn’t find myself resonating with anything. I felt that writing about those topics just because the algorithm says so feels manufactured and does not align with why I wanted to start a blog in the first place.
People say blogging is dead, but writing about the things we care about sure isn’t. And instead of trying to scream within social media platforms hoping that my voice gets through the noise, I chose to write about the things I care about here in my small corner of the web—to reach out to people like you who decided to be here and not because the algorithm says so.
I like what I learned from Seth Godin about the long tail and the smallest viable audience, which inspires me to continue even through the slog. And receiving feedback from the people I seek to reach, either face-to-face or through online exchanges, reminds me why I want to be here.
I know the algorithm can now curate content for you through various social media platforms, but isn’t it nice to have autonomy about what you want to consume? I keep reminding myself that I write for the people I care about, not for the algorithm.
If you’ve been here for quite some time, reading through my thoughts about life, work, and the future, thank you so much for staying. And if you haven’t yet, you can always subscribe to get a regular ping whenever I post something new.
jessa 