Canards Can Be Good For Blogs, But Don’t Belong IN Them!

Be careful when using the English word “canard”, because it has several very different meanings.  As a professional ghost blogger who makes her living using words, I find the word “canard” relates to business blogging in at least two ways.

One dictionary definition of “canard” is a false or unfounded story, especially a fabricated report. The connection? Online searchers have arrived at your blog because they needed information about something you sell, some service you perform, or perhaps they are seeking general advice in your field of expertise.  It’s up to you to make sure your blog provides the fairest and most accurate information possible.  To the extent readers find they can trust your blog as a good resource, they will return, and, in many cases, take the next step by clicking through to your website.  Fabricated reports (canards) betray that trust and end up hurting your business. Trust me, you don’t want those canards in your blog!

A second definition of the word “canard”, though, is more positive, and this is the kind you do want for your blog.  A canard is a small airfoil in front of the wing that can increase an aircraft’s performance.  The parallel between this kind of canard and blogging are links.  As I explained in Ties That Tell The Truth In Blogging, you use links to show your sources for information you’re presenting (just as I linked earlier in this very blog post to the Merriam Webster dictionary website). 

Not only is it a best blogging practice to properly attribute material to its proper creators, linking allows readers of your blog to learn more on their own if they’re so inclined.  You can also link to other bloggers about your topic, inviting them to link back to you.  All these “digital blips” are rewarded by search engines in their online ranking systems.
Just as canards enhance the performance of aircraft, “good” canards enhance your blog’s “bang”!