I won’t name any blogs, but I have seen this on several blogs. Every once in a while, either as a regular feature or just a once-in-a-while thing, they post what might be described as “sexy pictures”. Nothing explicit, nothing that would be illegal anywhere, but not exactly family-friendly either.
I am not a prude and personally I’m not offended by the imagery. I’m definitely not about to tell any other blogger what they should or should not do on their blog. That said, I do want to share with you three reasons as to why I think posting “sexy stuff” on your blog may not a good idea -
Offending your visitors
I want to get this one out of the way. Maybe you couldn’t care less and that would be ok, but just keep in mind that you may be alienating some people. Even if your post or imagery are relatively benign, they may trigger some unwelcome responses, not to mention adult-oriented spam.
Consider also that some people may be browsing from their work place where standards may be stricter, or from home where younger family members may be about with the parent not expecting anything out of the ordinary when browsing for blogging advice.
Google Ads
If you run Google Adsense ads on your blog, you could be in trouble if you run them alongside anything that may be considered “adult stuff”. It can be a thin line between legitimate “sexy” and forbidden “adult”, so why risk your account? The same could apply to other advertisers – current or future ones.
Google Search Filters
Perhaps most importantly, saucy images and the accompanying comments could trigger Google’s search filters. That would mean searchers who have their settings to either moderate or strict search filters won’t be seeing your pages in the search results. Why get your site flagged like that? Is it really worth it?
I don’t see anything wrong with sexy pictures on some of the blogs I read, but I am an adult. I can see where it could harm your site if you are going for a “family” feel, but then you probably wouldn’t put the images on your site…
.-= Keith´s last blog post ..Drooling On PageRank =-.
Twitter: sonlinebiz
says:
I get your point TOTALLY though I’m yet to come across a make money online or tech blog with sexy imagery
!
.-= Udegbunam Chukwudi´s last blog post ..Making Money Online With Snap Dollars =-.
Twitter: AlisonMSmith
says:
I’m totally with you. I’m an adult and I particular enjoy getting “nekkid” in particular circumstances — but I can see no good that has come from our need to publicly strip or ogle others who do so.
Thanks for having the guts to speak up about it.
.-= Alison Moore Smith´s last blog post ..Start a New Blog in 1 Week =-.
Yup, I got nothing against “nekkidness” or even adult sites and blogs. I just think that webmasters who opt for the non-adult markets and look towards monetizing their blogs there should keep these points in mind.
I always think it’s funny when I go through my reader and see this topic come up, I could probably do about a 30 minute rant about my feelings on the sibject.
Personally, readers that enjoy reading my blog will enjoy the journey I take them on through my life in pictures, regardless if I have been to the Playboy Mansion Pajama party or whatever else. It’s part of my life and my blog is an expression of my life, I don’t write for Google AdWords, I don’t even have ads on my site, I also don’t write for Google and rankings….
When I started my blog and wrote my first post I had zero readers and a Google Pr0, I still wrote and wrote and posted the same crap I post now. I have seen Google Pr as high as Pr4 and I average over 200,000 page views a month.
My readers can either enjoy the journey and the chance to be part of it or they can choose to read a blog that doesn’t post pictures of “nekkid” anything, and as for Google it can do whatever it wants, because that’s exactly what I will continue to do. PR0 or Pr8.
.-= Extreme John´s last blog post ..A Day in the Life of.. Episode 4 [video] =-.
I think that’s a perfectly legitimate approach. As long as you don’t care about –
Ad revenue.
Pagerank.
Search engine traffic.
Then by all means, go ahead and mix adult stuff in if you like. Your blog – your life – your rules.
My post is for bloggers who do care about pagerank, SERP’s and blog monetization.
BTW, I had no idea the topic keeps coming up
I guess I am not that original, huh?
I’d have to say it depends on who you are targeting, (or trying to repel.) Certain people are going to follow a site that offers eye candy over a site that provides the same info but without the visual appeal, regardless of the topic. They’ll be killing 2 birds with one stone. Others will do the opposite.
As far as the ad revenue, with the adult entertainment industry being as big as it is I’m sure there are plenty of monetizing options for the adult content blogger or webmaster which could also be utilized by those walking the line.
My site wouldn’t benefit from using MA-rated photos, I would most definitely lose some potential prospects, but I can see how others could use it to their advantage. Again, it’s all about who you want as an audience. Different strokes for different folks.
.-= Aaron´s last blog post ..Freaky Friday: Site-Enhancement Oil- Too much of a Terrible thing =-.
Making money in adult is a whole different game. IMO, if you’re going for that and going to place affiliate links to explicitly adult sites, you are taking your site in a totally different direction. Very doable, obviously. I just don’t think the mix is a good strategy.
Hi Anne
What’s the old saying “I’m not shocked, but I am offended”.
That probably applies to most of us. Not many of us are easilly shocked and why risk offending people?
I blog on Public Speaking and when giving a speech it can be tempting to go for an easy laugh with risque material.
I always advise people not to do it… once you’ve lost your credibility, it’s gone forever.
Same thing aplies when writing a blog post.
So “if in doubt… leave it out!”
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog post ..Practice, practice, practice… =-.
Yup, I agree. You are risking your reputation as a professional at least to some of the people. To me, that’s not worth it.
hi Anne,
I don’t know if I completely understand what you mean by “(Semi) Nekkid People” pictures. Can you post a list of these blogs so I can go do some “research”?
As to me, I am total against having semi-nekkid pictures on my blog, just like I am against trade show booth babes.
But your points are well taken… what you want out of your blog dictates what you should put on it.
Thanks for stopping by. I like your blog, and will do some further reading. Your layout is nice and clean, and easy to read. ~ Steve
.-= Steve´s last blog post ..Trade Show Outboarding =-.
Thank you for your kind words about my blog and for your comments, Steve!
Actually, your post about booth babes was a great example of where using sexy pictures is actually relevant. It was nice, funny, and IMO done in good taste to make a point. And of course, there was a treat for the ladies too
Hmm that’s interessting but actually i have a hard time determining it… wonder what others have to say..