It's All About Blog Trust

I have an idea I'm certain would vastly improve the blogosphere, enhance a blogger's ability to find a larger audience and enable blog readers to find worthwhile blogs. And it has everything to do with trust.

Blog Trust

One of the most popular features on many blogs is the "links to other blogs" section. And for good reason, it is a great way for bloggers to list out blogs they find interesting. These kinds of links are what the web is all about, after all.

As an example, here's a screenshot of Guy Kawasaki's "Blog Scratching" section:



He's got tons of links, but the one I'm interested in is the link to Bill Joos' blog.

So, what's the problem? Well, it's not so much of a problem as a greatly missed opportunity. Let me explain.

Because Guy Kawasaki links to Bill Joos' blog, we can assume that
Guy "trusts" the information that Bill Joos dishes out on his blog. If I start out on Guy Kawasaki's blog, and I have a great deal of respect for the information that Guy gives out (which I do) then I can feel pretty good about going over to Bill Joos' blog.

But what happens if I come across Bill Joos' blog? I have no idea that Guy recommended Bill. And that's exactly where Blog Trust comes in.

The Blog Trust Proposal

I'm proposing that in addition to a "Blog Roll" bloggers put in a "Recommended By" section which links to bloggers who recommend the blog you're currently reading. If you think about it, it's a great way for you to provide links back to bloggers who "trust" you and it helps bloggers get to know who you are.

If Bill Joos' had that section up there and listed Guy Kawasaki as someone who trusted him - I'd be able to "trust" his blog much more.

Wait, There's Something Wrong With This!

Yeah, I know. You're thinking, "some sleazy blogger can just slap a link to Guy Kawasaki and say hey, he recommends me!" You're absolutely right.

What would solve this problem is a central service which would allow people to recommend a blog. If you are the blog owner, you can display the list of bloggers who recommend you right there, front and center on your blog. Hmm....you know, the more I think about it, the more it sounds like a FINE startup idea. Don't you?*


*If you do think this is a good startup idea and run with it, you BETTER link back to this post AND recommend my blog on your brand new service! And that's if you beat me to the punch - cause I'm working on it already. ;)