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Posts Tagged ‘blogging tips’

Blogging: Pages and Links!

March 5th, 2009 Ricardo V No comments
    Pages

  • Pages, in Wordpress, are static linked sites which are attached to your homepage/blog. Unlike posts, which update on the first page/archives, pages can be set to permanently remain in one static spot. Usually pages are used to keep extremely important/relevant content visible for your reader to see. Pages are useful to highlight key themes/topics on your blog. An example of a page is the default “About Me” page.

  • 1. About Me Page
      • The about me page can be any representation of you as a person, you as a blogger, your company, and/or your theme. It really all depends on the level of privacy and anonymity you wish to keep. The about me page is a representation of your commitment and goals. Also its important to note that when creating an about me page try to make something which is worth viewing/reading.

        About ME
  • 2. Contact Page
      • A contact page is basically a page where you can have an email form attached to your email. Allowing your readers to get in contact with you for technical, advertising, guest blogging, or any other reason is essential to any blog. One simple way to create a contact page is with a plugin.

        An example of a plugin which provides a contact form is WP-SpamFree.
    Links-Blogroll

  • The blogroll on your site is the default category for your links. “Blogroll” is the name of the category and can be deleted/modified to your liking. Links are beneficial for the following reasons:
      Advertisments
      Link Exchanges
      Guest Blogging
      Search Engine Optimization

    Many times links can be used to forward your readers to other blogs, sites, or forums. It’s important to use your link space wisely as to not clutter the blog/sidebar of its much needed space.

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Blogging: Authors, Guest Authors, and Co-Authors!

March 4th, 2009 Ricardo V 3 comments
    The Author User Level

  • An author is a specific user level with the privilege to post a topic on the blog. Wordpress allows you to have more than one author which helps to serve many purposes. Some of the different types of authors are guest authors, admin/owner authors, and coauthors. A guest author is invited to post on a topic in exchange for a link back. An admin/owner author is self explanatory. A coauthor is slightly higher than a guest author in the sense they can post more often with more privileges. Having these 3 types of authors on your blog can be very helpful. Their main purpose when posting is to keep your blog updated with quality content while they also can appeal to your readers.

  • 1. Guest Authors
      • There is no set in stone definition, but here is my take on it: Guest Authors are authors who are knowledgeable on a specific topic and want to share that topic, on your blog, with your readers. Many times guest authors benefit with this informal relationship because it allows them to link their post back to their site/blog. The owner/main author of the blog also benefits though by providing new quality content to their reader base.

        An example: Nurture Your Wealth currently has one guest author: GunGrade.com

      If you would like to be a guest author on this blog, please contact me using the contact form found here.

  • 2. CoAuthors
      • Although this may not be a relevant category to some, I felt it was worthy of being touched upon. CoAuthors, in my opinion, are authors with certain privileges. They are of slightly higher status than guest authors. They are main authors on the blog and have posted countless articles on relevant topics within the blogs theme. In my eyes, they are allowed to post on your blog at their leisure on a useful topic. A coauthors role is to share knowledge whenever and however they choose. My suggestion to anyone with a blog is to choose their coauthors carefully as to not sully the image of your blog with something inappropriate.

        An example: Nurture Your Wealth currently has one coauthor: Sara
      She will be our leading health specialist, posting weekly health related information articles.
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Blogging: Comments & Spam!

March 3rd, 2009 Ricardo V No comments
    Comments & Spam

  • As your site/blog becomes more popular people will want to share it with others. As this happens people will also want to leave you a few comments. Comments generally are very harmless. They can contain questions, tips, and feedback from your readers. The issue occurs when you have people, or bots, coming to your site for the sole purpose of spamming their links via comments.
      When your site gets indexed by google their is a good chance their spam links will be picked up as well. This may or may not create a negative relationship with your site and google, or link your site to the other spam site. The main thing to remember about spam comments is that they are annoying and distracting to the readers, as well as to the blogger.

  • 1. Spam Blockers
      • Spam in the sense of comment spam, I personally use the built in Akismet and I also installed WP-Spam Free. They both seem to be doing a fine job. WP-Spam Free actually comes with a built in contact form. You can see an example by click in Contact on my site.
      Akismet comes preloaded with Wordpress and can be activated in your plugin folder. Akismet requires you to register with Wordpress.com and get an API key so it can effectively track and block the spam.
      WP-Spam Free is a free plugin which can be found here: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-spamfree/
      WP-Spam Free comes equipped with many features. The most useful being the Comment Spam Prevention of course, but it also comes with an Email Contact Form which, although basic, can definitely get the job done.
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Blogging: Widgets and Plugins!

March 2nd, 2009 Ricardo V No comments
    Widgets and Plugins

  • As you search for widgets and plugins keep in mind what you want them to do for you. A few key widgets and plugins to have on your wordpress blog are based around the next 3 topics: Advertisements, Media, and Social Networks. Downloading and installing plugins can be done automatically with Wordpress by going to your plugins tab and searching. Plugins can be downloaded for other blog platforms from other sites by searching Google.

  • 1. Advertisements
      • One of the most popular advertisment widgets is by far OIO Publisher. OIO Publisher allows you to directly sell your ad space, at the price you want and when you want.
      Also I recommend Bidvertiser – Promote your Website or Blog with BidVertiser. Get $20 in FREE clicks.

    2. Pictures, Videos, and Audio

      Pictures – I use – Flickr, which can be built into wordpress with a plugin. Check out my gallery here!
      Video/Audio – I would suggest a youtube account since you will be able to find the most support integrating youtube with wordpress, typepad, or blogger.
  • 3. Social Networks – Register, Follow Me, and I’ll Follow Back!
      • A. Twitter
      B. Digg
      C. Blogger
      D. MyBlogLog
      E. Blog Catalog
      F. Add to Technorati Favorites
      G. StumbleUpon
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