[Note from the Proprietor: In case you're wondering what it's all about, well, we're smack in the middle of BLOGAPALOOZA! Hey, you're welcome to join in the fun if you like! All ya gotta do is click that cute little link and read all about it!]

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Guest post by Derrick Sorles who writes over at Business Blogging Tips

We are based in Chicago and all of our lives we have been entrepreneurs, marketers and big internet users. About 3-4 years ago, we noticed a shift in the Internet. The explosion of Web 2.0 and Social Media. We decided it was worth exploring. We started dabbling with blogs and various Social Media groups and started having these “Ah-Ha!” moments! We discovered if we did certain things, we could get in top Google searches. If we belonged to certain groups, we could get free PR for what were doing. Our phone started ringing. People were finding our sites. Within time, we had a dozen sites and started consulting for others on how to build their web presence by using blogs and other tools that are widely available.

Business Blogging Tips is where we share free tips and things we discover

Some of our significant posts in 2008 included:

In January we talked about optimizing your blog and blog posts for maximum search engine lift: OPTIMIZE YOUR BLOG – For Readers and Search Engines

February was lots of great posts and discoveries…but the one with the most feedback was on developing traffic: Blog and Traffic Tips

March brought the discovery of Friend Feed: Friend Feed….The Next Hot Web 2.0 Thing?

April was about common mistakes bloggers make: Common Mistakes Bloggers Make

May there were lots of good finds! But a popular post was on using content to attract readers, customers and clients: Content is an Attraction Strategy for SEO and SEM

June discussed the number one mistake people make – choosing a bad domain: Domain Advice – Selection and Keywords are Crucial to Findability

July has some neat posts and discoveries…..one tool we looked at was the Cuil search engine: CUIL vs. GOOGLE ? Who Has The Bigger, Better Search Engine?

August was a quiet month – but every post was a neat tool!  The best find was an article about 7 great free e-books about Social Media: 7 Top Free e-books About Social Media and Web 2.0

In September we again examined the importance of a great domain name: Are There Any Good Domains Left? The Importance of Keyword Search and Findability

In October we looked at the real possibility of the Internet no longer being free by the year 2012: 2012 – ISP’s Confirm The Internet As We Know It Could Come To An End

November named 50 top Social Media worth exploring: FINDABILITY – 50 Social Media Sites That Every Business Needs to Know

December talked about Ping.FM – an updating tool for Social Networking Sites: PING.fm – Feed Service for Social Networks

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[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

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