Just a quick post.... there are two pieces of tech I’ve been using on my blogs (both are free).
Lijit adds a great search engine to your site. You can create your own search network including multiple blogs, facebook, youtube, linkedin, flickr, and more. This is really useful.
Widgetbox lets you turn your RSS feed into a blog widget that can be posted to numerous social sites. Very clean and will help extend your reach.
Be sure to try both out....