Yes, this is going to sound an awful like like sour grapes, and yes, “please add a glass of whine to that sir” — but I can’t get over how much traffic Neil Patel is getting over at PronetAdvertising.com for his most recent article on “making your blog popular through content”.

For those uninitiated, Neil’s blog covers blogging topics, and mostly does posts through a tutorial-type fashion. He does some great work from time to time. I especially like his posts on web analytics. As an introduction, I’m not sure you’ll find a better series of posts on the topic. They’re easy to read, thorough, and covers a wide breadth of topics.
But his latest post doesn’t really match his previous best and I’ve got to call him out on this one:

Its mediocre.

How? Well, there’s nothing on that list that hasn’t been trumpeted a bajillion times before — since, “making your blog popular through content” also goes by another moniker known as “linkbaiting” (Hmmmm … I wonder if this would qualify as an “attack post”?). Yes, if you’re so inclined, search “linkbaiting” and see if what kind of information pops up here (I like this one, this one is also pretty good, but this one is also pretty good as well).

And in spite of its mediocrity, this particular post has inexplicably blown up (a good thing). Its getting coverage on Digg, Techmeme, and goodness knows what else.

Although it lacks freshness, thoroughness, pizzazz, and really ads nothing new to the topic of linkbaiting.

So, why is it so popular?

In fact, it begs the question — how does mediocre content rise to popularity?

Well, I think there are two elements to this equation:

1. A receptive audience. Yes, the opinion of mediocrity is just that — an opinion. Although I find the article stale and derivative, there are worlds of readers who have not. In fact, I think it speaks to how large the blogosphere is growing that you will still find people in shock and awe over such a concept (linkbaiting), and therefore, find Mr. Patel’s post an excellent launch point for that that (although if that was his intention, perhaps he could have added a few resources).

In fact, as the blogosphere continues to grow at a prodigious rate, and as blogs as a way of communicating gain more traction in the offline world, we can probably still look forward to these kinds of posts for years to come as people discover and rediscover these soon to be “classic” methods for traffic and community generation.

2. An accelerant. Even if there are tons of people who are interested (and don’t even know they’re interested), you need a method for spreading the word. And there are many, many ways to do this that could be the subject of tutorials and how-tos to come. Digg. Stumbleupon. Reddit. Techmeme. A kind mention by A-list bloggers.

Once one or more of these sources get wind of what you’re doing — and it picks up traction — your post can literally go supernova in its popularity. Yes, its the ideavirus in action. And it is precisely because of element numero uno that it does pick up traction. Just because me, in my jaded cynical pajama pants find something pedestrian and repetitive doesn’t mean that someone else won’t.

And of course, once something takes off, one feeds off the other. As more people hear about it, new and different audiences find relevance in it — something relevant in it to them, at any rate, and then opinion makers in those different spheres of the internet might get wind of it, and it grows yet again.

Neil, I don’t know if you’re reading this – but you’re capable of a lot better than your most recent post. Sure, mediocrity is relative and I’ve fired off my share of hummmmmdingingly bad ones as well — but I’d love to see you rise to your best every time — insightful, thorough, and peppered with your usual commentary and panache.