The evolution of blogging has been in a constant state of flux from day one. Since the earliest days of the Web, the natural human inclination to communicate, share and form groups has expressed itself using whatever tools that happen to be available. Beginning with BBS and Usenet and continuing into the 90s with Personal Journals and cult sites like The Best Page in the Universe, the primitive blogging 
ecosystem was a wild and woolly place.
We’ve come a long way since those relatively unpolished times, and through the evolution of blogging our sites are now viewed as legitimate forums for commerce, information sharing and serious discourse online.
According to a 2006 article in The Economist the evolution of blogging began as early as 1997:
“The word “blog” appears to date back to 1997, when one of the few practitioners at the time, Jorn Barger, called his site a “weblog”. In 1999, another user, Peter Merholz, playfully broke the word into “we blog”, and somehow the new term—blog—stuck as both a verb and a noun.”
Niche Blogger Revolution
Many consider the key turning point in the blog explosion of the 21st century to be the rise of niche blogs such as Mashable and TechCrunch, which attracted mainstream readership in droves. Hundreds of millions of people around the world turn to such blogs for entertainment, advice and more every day. News blogs like the Drudge Report and the Huffington Post now directly challenge the monopoly once held by corporate media. They’re actually even more popular with many web users looking for a fresh slant on current events.
How Algorithms Have Changed the Evolution of Blogging
Considering how lucrative blogging can be to those with a large audience, it wasn’t surprising that bloggers would attempt to “game the system” using any means necessary. For the better part of the past decade, it was quite simple for bloggers to use Long Tail Keywords to laser-target their content and dominate a niche. Unfortunately, this approach didn’t always lead to high-quality content. Google’s Penguin and Panda updates changed the focus of SEO to link authority and overall quality, making it easier for good bloggers who engage with their community to rank highly and attract traffic. As Google and the other search engines continue to tweak their ranking algorithms, SEO becomes less of an exact science and more of a guessing game and the evolution of blogging presses on.
Monetization, Marketing, Cookies & More
Once the Pandora’s Box of commercial blogging was opened, all bets were officially off. The typical monetization strategy of the mid-level to high-end blogs these days includes affiliate sales, AdSense and a mishmash of alternate revenue sources. However, that paradigm is threatened by the constantly changing legal environment surrounding the Internet. The recent EU cookie legislation, for instance, had many worried about the future of blog-based marketing. Such restrictions and government meddling in the world of blogging are legion, and they continue to threaten amateur and professional bloggers alike.
The Social Media Factor
Although social media has been around in one form or another since Day One of the Internet, it’s only recently made its impact felt on the larger web. Thanks to the inclusion of social media widgets on nearly every web page, the popularity of CommentLuv and constant Facebook sharing, building a reasonably popular blog is as possible as it ever has been – as long as you get through the difficult bit at the start. Increasingly, platforms like Triberr, Social Buzz Club and JustRetweet are being used to improve blog outreach and increase connections. More than anything else, social media has made blogging more of a conversational two-way street than just an “indie” version of mainstream media online.
Where the Future Evolution of Blogging Might Take Us
The convergence of our real and digital lives will eventually cause blogging to morph into a kind of uninterrupted virtual reality. The written word will continue to have value for the foreseeable future, all things being equal. Still, it’s not hard to imagine a future where “blogging” ditches UTF-8 and trades up to holograms. Stay tuned, because the only constant of blogging and the web is constant change. Whatever happens, this constant state of flux spurred by the rapid advancement of online technology is sure to make for an interesting future for bloggers everywhere.
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: anoopjacob
October 21, 2012 at 9:03 AM
Hi Matt,
Informative post. I guess the SEO algorithms are changing in a rapid manner compared to the evolution of blogging. But in Google’s perspective, that’s the best thing they can do. Otherwise, malpratices like selling links and other things would have wide spread. And coming to social media, I can’t imagine how I will get traffic without them. If there was no twitter and facebook, I simply don’t know how I will notify the world that “I have written something on my blog and please so red it”.. LOL
Jakes recently posted..Top 5 reasons on why you should be Guest Blogging
Twitter: SonPageOne
October 30, 2012 at 12:14 AM
I think all of SEO algorithms are focusing on content to bring the best information to the searchers. So that blogging is the best way to communicate with potential customer!
Nos N recently posted..The IM Elites Review
Twitter: akhilabraham03
October 21, 2012 at 12:07 PM
That’s really an awesome article. The content that you are given through this post is excellent. According to my point of view you can be more friendly with the readers.That will make more involvement from readers side.The topic that you come across is very good one and rare one…
Any way thanks for an awesome post..
Fun article. It’s interesting that blogging has been around long enough to have a real history! Just like any form of media, the art of blogging will have to evolve with the changes in technology. I, for one, am glad about the crackdown on keyword-stuffing and look forward to seeing what the future holds!
i think next wave of blogging will come from people within inside. with so much of social media and other things going on, one day they will come to break down.
Hemendra Kumar Saini recently posted..How To Post A Comment On A Blog – Art of Commenting
Great article. Blogging has come a long way and i’m interested to see how it evolves in the future.
Twitter: studyworldtweet
October 21, 2012 at 11:51 PM
The ever increasing completion in the blogging space, is spilling both good and bad thinks.
Hope its only going to get more furious as it evolves by the day.
Twitter: comptalks
October 22, 2012 at 12:03 AM
There was a time when people used to be serious bloggers while even using blogspot and wordpress and there where some famous bloggers who started that way only,but now everyone starts with his/her own domain
Bishwajeet recently posted..5 Little Known WordPress Hacks That You Must Learn
Twitter: bivori
October 22, 2012 at 12:04 AM
Oww! Would love to learn a bit more about ‘the recent EU cookie legislation’ and how it is going to affect blogging.
Sorry for ignorance, but I don’t have idea about it.
Suresh Khanal recently posted..7 Fool-Proof Guest Posting Tips You’ve Probably Taken for Granted
Twitter: wpthemesave
October 22, 2012 at 12:17 AM
Blogging has transformed itself and changed the way people think too. I have changed a lot since I started blogging. There’s a lot of works to do, but I am always happy with the result brought by blogging
Robert recently posted..33+ Creative WordPress Themes That Will Blow Your Mind Away
Twitter: devesh
October 22, 2012 at 12:55 AM
Well said, Matt. Blogging has transformed a lot and sites like Triberr, SocialBuzzClub are becoming essential tools for Blogging.
Great post.
Devesh recently posted..How to Remove the Website Field From the Comment Form
Every blogger should be aware of the source from where blogging originated and the entire evolution proceedure. You have shared all the information one blogger must know irrespective of his period of experience in this field. Thanks for sharing this informative post.
Twitter: webmaisterpro
October 22, 2012 at 1:00 AM
Matt, all those points are really good. I don’t think that blogging is the same anymore. Actually there are so many blogging platforms nowadays and I think the trend is to create a blog that is going beyond blogging in any possible direction. I think that benefits that WordPress blogs used to have are long gone, that’s why many bloggers reported drop in traffic after first few Panda and Penguin updates. I think not only search engines demand this evolution, but also readers want deeper interaction.
Carl recently posted..Kaloyan Banev created new blog post How to Double Organic Traffic? in Internet Marketing & SEO
Twitter: techupdatesorg
October 22, 2012 at 2:12 AM
Nice Article Pal ! According to me a Blogger needs to be familiar with readers .Its a revolution time for Blogging because many youths are seeking for career in blogging .
Narender recently posted..Top High Paying Websites for Guest Authors
Hello Matt Beswick
Excellent article. I can see how people relate more to bloggers than to celebrities. After all, many bloggers are struggling to make ends meet – and are far more representative then a celebrity, paid millions to endorse a product! I may love watching the red carpet at the Oscars, but I don’t relate to the people on the tv at all – they really don’t live in the same world as I do.
hira recently posted..Secrets To Longer And Sexier Legs Instantly
hi Matt – totally agreed. I think this is what you and i have talked in the past about and now i think the time is right. i am pretty sure one of the smart ones will figure out an answer to this and we will all benefit.
zoya recently posted..Tena Durrani 2012 Bridal Wear Collection for Women
The next generation of blogging systems needs to account for the fact that information — and most importantly, conversations — flow via email, Twitter, instant messages and other formats. In order to do that, the innards of blogging systems need to be rethought.
great tips. beginners always have no idea of what they could do to their new blog and day by day no updates added into it. what you really help is tell us beginners how to find resource to update our website. really awesome, thank you
rida recently posted..Lahori Red Chicken Karahi Recipe
Dear Matt,
Informative article and great tips about blogging. I guess the SEO algorithms are changing in a rapid manner compared to the evolution of blogging.
Thanks for sharing
Twitter: FerbHinlor
October 22, 2012 at 6:57 AM
Blogging is going viral and a lot of people is going to blog nowadays. But it’s great to blog now though. Back in a day, tools are less to service the community and have to work really hard. Like I heard from other folk said that to check other people twitter pages, you have to go around and BOOKMARK them to see if there are any updates ): – that’s so hard compare to now
many great tools are available to use for free and given us so many great features.
Thank you – Ferb
Ferb recently posted..8 Easy Ways to Network on Twitter
Twitter: akhilendra1
October 22, 2012 at 7:05 AM
Blogging is here to stay, one way or another, and as you stated, recent changes in seo have made bloggers to rethink their strategy, Adaptation is key. And i am sure, as we grow with it, we will adapt to it. It is important to understand the purpose of blogging, one just can’t set up a blog and expect to make money out of it. And this concept has diluted blogging in last few years. These changes are good changes and will help bloggers in the long run.
thanks for sharing such a informative post.
akhilendra recently posted..How To Make Money From Facebook?
Hi,
It’s excellent post for blog beginners.Blogging is going viral and a lot of people is going to blog nowadays.This is very helpful post
Thanks for sharing
Molly Matt recently posted..Crystal Noir For Women By Versace – Rs. 3,500.00
Twitter: HealthTipWealth
October 22, 2012 at 8:53 AM
This was a pretty detailed post about the evolution of blogging. I really enjoyed it. Thanks. I personally believe hat the future of blogging would continue to get more and more social with more tools to reach your desired audience.
Steven Jude recently posted..Income Proceeds From Affiliate Marketing and Google Adsense + Resource For Information On Genetic Or Rare Diseases
Twitter: makemoneyinlife
October 22, 2012 at 12:17 PM
wow, I’m impressed Matt, this is… like reading a mind of a blogger
I think that blogging will change the way we live and work, it’s changing us already but in the future it’s going to be faster and we will have millions of people going to work for their blogging communities.
It will truly turn into virtual reality where biggest player is written word and where blog represents an Industry like Oil is today.
thanks for sharing
JamesW recently posted..How to Make Money With eBooks
Twitter: lisapatb
October 22, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Matt, I think blogging began in the caveman days with writing on the walls of the caves
But I love how you went through how blogging has changed recently. It’s amazing how much it has evolved in such a short time period. It sure will be interesting to see how it will evolve more in even a shorter time period.
Lisa recently posted..My Pet Peeve On Using Share Buttons On Your Blog
Twitter: RyanHanley_Com
October 22, 2012 at 5:22 PM
The latest Google Updates have refocused the emphasis of blogging on producing quality content. That should be the first and primary goal of every blogger looking for traffic and revenue…
Quality content or bust!!
Thanks
Ryan H.
Ryan Hanley recently posted..8 Methods to Turn Email Subscribers into Renewable Traffic
Twitter: awesomesciences
October 22, 2012 at 7:16 PM
this was very helpful, I remember the days when I made my first blog on blogger. I was so lost, but you learn as you go. But one thing I decided is not to learn how panda and other Google algorithms work just because they keep changing
Chakib recently posted..The Fibonacci Sequence
Twitter: HappyHealthyetc
October 22, 2012 at 11:47 PM
It is interesting that just a few years ago nobody knew anything about blogging and now blogging became an essential part of our everyday life: various interests, research, feedbacks etc. – all come from blogs. I can not even imagine my life without blogging any more. You are right about one thing in your article: blogging is a constant change and we need to accept that fact. That means never stop learning and improving.
Elena recently posted..Incredibly Funny Church Jokes
It is a very informative post. Thank you very much for sharing these insights. By the way, I often ask myself the same question as you do – where the future evolutions and revolutions in blogging might take us.
Julia Reed recently posted..College Halloween Costumes: Unique Ideas for Cheap Outfits
Twitter: gabekillian
October 23, 2012 at 4:33 AM
The face of blogging has definitely changed quite a bit over the years. Blogging is still blogging but has expanded its reach and the means in which we interact. The game is still the same, but the rules have changed, became more complex and has evolved for the better, atleast in my humble opinion. I do wonder what the blogging world will look like in the years to come, I am sure it will be exciting!
Gabriel Killian recently posted..Green Smoke Discount Promo Coupon Code 2012 and 2013
Twitter: thetopaffiliate
October 23, 2012 at 5:24 AM
Now i feel like there are no static HTML sites anymore, all sites are blogs and because there are millions of new posts daily the content become stuffing very fast, so how could any new blogger start attracting new audience
arabian affiliate recently posted..Make money online with Google
Twitter: HadleyHodgson
October 23, 2012 at 6:15 AM
In the early days blogs were treated almost like a daily diary and started off pretty much all about the blogger. Now if you want to be successful, in addition to simply writing about something your passionate about you have to spend a bit of money, put the time in and seriously get involved with your readers.
Sites like Pinterest demonstrate how big it’s now all become.
Twitter: internetdreamof
October 23, 2012 at 6:21 AM
Blogging has come along way and just jumped aboard about 9 or 10 months ago.
It is going to continue to have a great influence on the internet going forward.
Twitter: geek_says
October 23, 2012 at 7:27 AM
The search engine algorithms have totally changed the way of we are all up to the blogging business. Now it becomes a race and challenge with Google to beat its algorithm and be on the first page to challenge its paid searches.
Hamza Sheikh recently posted..How To Recover From Google Penguin Using Google Disavow Link Tool
Good stuff! Blogging has been greatly affected by Google’s algorithm updates (Panda, Penguin) – and these changes have had a profound affect on how blogging has evolved (or has been forced to evolve).
Javi recently posted..Adding Images and Videos on Your Blog – A List of Best Practices to Follow
Hi Matt,
A Well illustrated post on the evolution of blogging. You have also described the effect of Algorithms and the role of Social Media in making blogs popular throughout the world.
Excellent post Indeed.
Regards
Ramit
Ramit recently posted..How to Research a Stock?
Twitter: bloggingmatters
October 23, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Matt,
Interesting! Its really nice to read your point of view. I am blogger and I just try to preach to my loved ones about blogging. I believe, when you are into something and you expect some changes around in future, then you keep yourself alert and away from being totally vanished. So, algorithms will continue to change. Bloggers will be bloggers. We will continue to work hard and make quality content. Right??
Nice Article.
Cheers
Hassaan Khan recently posted..5 Habits of a blogger to make his Blog Successful!
You made me remember my first site, html site with front page, and every month i needed to change the design and go through all the pages one by one. just to change the header or the title.. Wordpress blogging is the ultimate solution for every kind of websites.
nancy recently posted..Affiliate marketing training – Affilorama review
Twitter: lifenleisure
October 28, 2012 at 2:13 PM
What a great and informative post, Matt!
Blogging has definitely come a long way, from being a spin of the online diary to now a viable source of information and a lucrative source of business. It’s opened more opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs as a way to market their business, their skills and expertise. Things will probably change in the coming years, especially with all these updates being done by Google and other search engines. Nevertheless, blogging is here to stay.
Adeline Yuboco recently posted..5 Reasons to Book Your 2013 Holiday Now
Twitter: SonPageOne
October 30, 2012 at 12:15 AM
I agree with you. And today is the evolution of Guest blogging, too
(and blog comment – ofcourse)
Nos N recently posted..The IM Elites Review – The IM Elites Update
Twitter: jonnalarajkumar
October 30, 2012 at 10:09 AM
HI,
All the above mentioned points are true and the evolution of google is mainly changing due to change of google algo updates.
thanks for the informative article.
Rajkumar Jonnala recently posted..Top 5 Instagram Mac Apps
Twitter: NoypiGeeks
November 5, 2012 at 8:02 AM
Wow, cool info Matt. This is really awesome. I never had an idea on the evolution of blogging and I’m glad you took some time to share these facts with us. Great work!
Twitter: makemyblogmoney
November 5, 2012 at 12:30 PM
There are lots of factors involved with blogging. So many that I have basically thrown everything out the window and held on to a few key concepts.
1-I write great content, keeping the reader in mind at all times
2-I stay on social media sites and try to make connections with others.
These have helped me to stay connected and boost my blog to another level.
Wade Harman recently posted..Twitter Tools For Boosting Traffic
Twitter: siddarthathota
November 10, 2012 at 5:07 PM
Well, the only question that comes into mind is what is going to be the future of blogging as I hope it’s almost at the saturation point and makes we wonder which direction it is going to take.
Thanks a lot for knowledgeable post
Siddartha Thota recently posted..10 Best Rooted Android Apps to be installed on your Device
Twitter: howardsafedrive
November 12, 2012 at 5:58 AM
blogging is not impossible area, you have to just read the whole topics, if you have to potential for any one topic writing then this area will be easier for you.
Hi..
Very useful post. I want to add my point of view. Blogging has evolved, becoming more than just a source of straight information or opinion, but of rich context. But that’s not enough. Blogs need to evolve further, to become open, more social — to reflect more accurately our dynamic, real-times lives.
Twitter: abdulmanan101
November 18, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Hi Matt!
Informative post. I guess that the SEO algorithms are changing in a rapid manner compared to the evolution of blogging. But in Google’s perspective, that’s the best thing they can do. Otherwise, malpratices like selling links and other things would have wide spread.
And coming to social media, I can’t imagine how I will get traffic without them. If there was no twitter and facebook, I simply don’t know how I will notify the world that I have written something on my blog and please so red it.
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Twitter: musicianmakers7
March 23, 2013 at 5:47 PM
Because of Google’s new updates, bloggers are forced to write unique quality articles and that’s a good thing because before the updates, there were spam blogs everywhere.
Leslie Edwards recently posted..The Basics On How To Make Electronic Music: Drum Loops
Twitter: mchhimwal
April 24, 2013 at 6:52 AM
Hello Matt
It is important for we blogger to know the history of blogging.Thanks for sharing wonderful history of origin of blogging.It is very interesting . Truly I didn’t know it before.Thanks again.
Mahendra Chhimwal recently posted..Ways to reduce cell phone bill :easy and effective
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