All the replies I got so far (both on HN and /r/freelance) seem to be negative.
Do you have an idea what makes a difference in your case? Is it your niche? Maybe, as you said, the fact that you establish yourself as an authority in your field through your blog?
Whenever I talk to a new prospect (potential client), I ask them how they found my site and what caught their attention. The answer to the first question is usually my blog or an HN comment (just like this one!). The answer to the second question varies from "your site tells a good story" to something specific such as my ability to push code.