Warning: Geek post alert. A nationally syndicated, front-page Seattle Times article called our blog “the great hope of the ‘citizen journalism’ movement.” While this was flattering, our takeaway was singular and clear — the name of this blog sucks. A few friends from the neighborhood have told us as much. After reading the article, they had no idea what the name of the blog was. We stumble into the lead of an article re-printed in little papers across the USA only to have people who might be interested wonder exactly what blog it is the reporter is writing about. Here’s the lead as it appeared in the flyover states:
Internet lures citizen journalists
In this online news trend, the man on the street is the reporter.
By Kim Peterson
of The Seattle Times
SEATTLE – The Capitol Hill Seattle blog says it offers tales from the “fancy pants” part of the Seattle neighborhood, and since the beginning of the year has given its 100 regular readers local news, big and small: Tully’s has begun offering free wireless Internet. A school bus ran over the Vios Cafe sign. In the hot summer weather, a list of neighborhood swimming pools.
See the problem? “The Capitol Seattle blog” — which Capitol Seattle blog? Yeah, that one. Sigh. If only we had a goofy name. Honestly, though we get readers from around the world, our real focus is on the Seattle readers who, unfortunately, didn’t get a memorable name stuck in front of their faces. And, yes, West Seattle Blog, we realize we’re bitching about the free publicity again. But, heck, we could have been famous, a contender. Instead of a bum!
But there is more to be concerned with than having a catchy name for newspaper articles. Lots of searches involving “capitol hill seattle” point people at our blog thanks in no small part to the fact that we have a clear, keyword-packed blog title. We’re engineered for search, baby! Hopefully most of those people get useful information when they arrive.
What would be best is a memorable kicker name that includes Capitol Hill but ain’t so darn generic. Something like Capitol Hill Seattle Sassafras only shorter and more related to what we’re actually writing about. Whatever we come up with, it’s going to be a mouthful.
–j
maybe use “capitol hill seattle” as a subtitle of some kind. with something like “15th and up: the capitol hill seattle blog” you’d still get the search benefits along with the snazzy new name. spanning_time wouldn’t be anywhere without it’s great branding (the marketers just don’t stop calling!)
How about “Fool on the Hill”? There’s a song to go along with that. Although judging by the whole thing about Star Wars cereal, you may not be old enough to be familiar with it. My personal favorite Puget Sound-area placeblog title is Exit133.com, some guy in Tacoma. Although I’m planning on sticking with the simple, to-the-point name … not just because it comes up in search results, but also because it’s easy for people to remember. “Oh, I read it on the West Seattle blog.”
That’s not all that sucks here.
Your *anonymous* blog is rad though!