What I Love About SearchWarp – Traffic, Friends, Reward, Inspiration, Fun, A Place To Give & Receive

I love it here on SearchWarp.  I’ve just posted an article about the power of the experience of love, what it’s done for my self esteem and entitlement in a real way, how it’s changed my life.  I was primarily talking about what I got from my therapist who has been so much more to me than just somebody who’s pretty good at his job.  But my experience here on SearchWarp has been the same.  I came here originally because I’d started a blog and I’d heard that a good way to promote it was to write articles on article directories.

I thought that’s what SearchWarp was.  So I posted something, as I did on other directory sites, and expected nothing in return.  I certainly didn’t think anybody would say hi, I loved what you wrote!   I got a personal welcome from Bruce Horst, and great comments from three other people.  It was incredible.  Writing into a vacuum is the hardest and worst thing in the world.  Writing and getting a warm response is the best and easiest.  I think my life changed the day I posted my first article here.  Imagine my thrill when I got 24 comments, all of them with lots of stars and found I had a fan club.  First in my life!

Of course I replied to the comments.  And sometimes got replies to what I said!  Articles became a kind of chat room.  But it wasn’t just that people took the trouble to offer the strokes, it was that SearchWarp felt like a kind of village that I’d stepped into and been welcomed with open arms.  When people open their hearts to you, it’s easy to open your heart back, and that’s what I did.  All my life it’s been hard for me to form friendships, but something was different here, and it was, again, the easiest thing in the world.

A lot of good things have happened for me here.  I’ve made friends, found a second home, grown much more confident in my ability to connect through writing, and more competent because I’ve written over 160 articles that I’ve put an effort into.  I’ve learned how to respect other people’s opinions even when I don’t agree with them, because that’s the culture here.  No dumping.  I’ve always felt that that culture comes from the hearts and souls of Bruce and Jean Horst, it’s who they are.  They've got integrity.

I’ve also broadened my understanding from all the reading I’ve done.  There’s some real quality work here, and an immense range, it’s quite incredible.  And let me tell you, you don’t find it on other article directories.  Well that’s because SearchWarp isn’t an article directory, is it?  It’s a community, and in my opinion it’s snapping at the heels of Facebook and blog sites like Wordpress and Blogspot.  Not in traffic yet, but that will come because of the fundamental quality and what it provides.

I think blogging in particular is turning a corner.  It was very satisfying in the beginning for many of us to just write and have a place we could be read.  But Wordpress and Blogspot don’t promote your blogs, they never say thanks, they don’t even know or care who you are.  And the traffic is pathetic.  I’ve had a blog for two years, where I’ve posted close to 500 posts, and I’ve never been acknowledged once by Wordpress.  My blog hasn’t even made it to their front page.

Plus I’ve only had 12,000 page views.  SearchWarp, on the other hand, has brought me 126,000 page views in one year for only 160 articles.  And I get acknowledged, appreciated, rewarded, all the time.  I recently posted an article about my dilemma – should I stop with Wordpress and just focus on SearchWarp?  I’m not ready to make a decision yet, and I think it’s just a kind of habit-loyalty thing, like when you have an old car and you buy a new one.  It’s exciting to get the new car, but you feel sad at letting the old one go.

But I did at least decide I would write exclusive articles for SearchWarp instead of just posting my blogs here.  Then this morning I wrote what was going to be a blog.  I liked what I’d written, it was important to me.  I logged into my blog.  2 people read my last post.  And 4 people the day before.  I thought all that effort for this return?  To hell with it, I posted what I’d written on SearchWarp, where I’m welcomed and rewarded before I even get read.

Bruce and Jean have had to make a lot of changes with Google’s last stunt, but I think what we have now is better.  We can all have our own homepage with our name, we can be part of a team and three different groups, we can chat to each other through the front page or just let everybody know where we’re at that day.  We can ask questions and get answers.

We can come home when we hurt and we’ll be held and loved.  When we’re happy we can laugh and celebrate together.  When we’re angry or scared we can tell it like it is and be understood.  We can get what we need and we can be part of giving it to others.  Plus we can become ever  better, more professional and focused writers, honing our skills in a community of people who are doing the same.

Cyberspace can be so unreal and cold, but somehow Bruce and Jean have created this amazing community that feels like a brick and mortar one.  I’m so glad I found my way here.  Thanks to both of you for building it in the first place, and for not giving up in the face of challenges.  SearchWarp is a very special place, and it has a truly special place in my heart.