If there’s any one site I use more than others (with the exception of Gmail), it’s Technorati. This site is a fantastic window into the psyche of the more digitally inclined. Here, in another in my series of hack postings, are 10 ways I get more mileage from T’rati.
1) Subscribe to Tag Feeds
Need something to blog about? Cat got your tongue? Don’t worry, Mama Technorati can take care of you. Simply find some Technorati tags you care about, subscribe to their RSS feeds and stick them in a Firefox menu. You’ll be full of ideas in no time. Every Technorati tag has its own feed.
2) Use Technorati to Search Individual Blogs
Are there certain blogs you visit more than others because they are great connectors or simply because they propagate great ideas? I know I do. The great thing is you can use Technorati to search individual blogs. Click on the search tab and then enter the blog URL you want to search. For example, here’s what a search for Microsoft on Robert Scoble’s blog would generate.
3) It’s All in the Watchlist
Technorati lets you set up as many watchlists as you would like. These are basically persistent searches. Simply register on the site, construct your search and then click on the “Add to Watchlist” button. Each Watchlist also generates an RSS feed.
4) Integrate Technorati Into Your Browser
You can dramatically speed up your Technorati-ing (is that a word?) by adding downloading some Firefox search plug-ins. For example, Firefox users should click here to add Technorati to your Firefox search box. Or click here to add way to search Technorati tags.
Don’t stop with just search plug-ins. Be sure to add a few Technorati bookmarklets.
5) Put Technorati in Your OS
If you love Technorati so much that you can’t stand not getting closer to it, the good news is that you can. Mac OS X users can download this Technorati Dashboard widget. Windows lovers, you achieve the same by downloading Konfabulator and then picking up this widget. Or, try this Goowy widget.
6) Ping Technorati
Everytime you update your blog, tell Uncle Technorati that you want to
show him something. He’ll spider your blog right away. You can do this here or by using a pinging service (definition) like Pingoat. I use ecto, a cros-plaform blogging tool, to ping Technorati every time I post and integrate Technorati tags.
7) Take Technorati to Go
Believe it or not, I spend a fair amount of time away from my ‘puter. That doesn’t stop me from taking T’rati with me. I use their mobile service on my Treo. It works on any browser-capable phone. Just bookmark m.technorati.com on your celly, Nelly.
8) Put Technorati Backlinks Right Into Your Blog
OK, this one’s geeky. It’s even beyond my TypePad skills. However, some folks put Technorati backlinks into every blog post they write. Here’s some instructions on how to do this pretty much for every platform.
9) Put Technorati Into Your RSS Aggregator
Who here lives in the Kingdom of Greg? In other words, who here uses NetNewsWire or FeedDemon. I do, on occasion. Good news. You can stick some nice Technorati tools right into your reader. For example, Niall Kennedy has a way to check Technorati backlinks with NetNewswire. Not to be outdone, Nick Bradbury has done the same with FeedDemon. If you’re a Sage fan, the basic RSS reader template has backlinks built in.
10) Conduct a Real-time Focus Group
I am interested in what people are pointing to and discussing. It’s a good window into the minds’ eye of the consumer. There’s no better way to do this, perhaps than to see what people are saying when they link to corproate Web sites. For example, a search for links to Dell.com, generates this search. Be sure to sort by authority as well as by date. Journalists, this trick works equally well for you. It can help you track companies and products. PR pros, this is a must if you are working on any brand that is discussed.
Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.
He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.
