Be Hot On The Net
It's no secret that a continually updated website with new content being added regularly comes off super hot to your readers and does extra well when it comes time to rank up at the Google search engine. Don't you wish your boyfriend website was hot like Justin who I've pictured here to your left ?
One of the long standing methods to regularly expand a site's content is through the use of a blog.
While there are numerous platforms to choose from for managing a blog, few can compare with the immense flexibility offered with WordPress, and at a cost of free, the price can't be beat either.
Google likes fresh new content, and setting up a blog on your site, assuming it is updated often with interesting and hot content, can be one of the best things you can do to help out your search rankings. The beauty behind WordPress is that there is a wide array of totally free plug-ins you can easily install that will make your blog totally search engine friendly.
The following are some basic guidelines and essential plug-ins you should consider when you install your WordPress blog.
Template Design
The first configuration you need to do is work on customizing the design template to match your existing site. I suggest finding a template that matches as closely as possible to the look you are going for then work on tweaking its graphics, colors, and other particulars till you achieve the desired appearance.
Most of your changes will occur in the header.php, footer.php, index.php, and page.php files in the theme editor, however, the theme you install will dictate which files actually need to be updated. You will also need to make some adjustments to your CSS file. These changes all involve working with code and graphics, and are most likely left to a professional.
Once you have your design set up, the rest of the customization is considerably less technical. The following subjects I'm laying out for you below are suggestions that most people can do themselves and you probably will not need an expert to help you here.
If you are looking for a template and can't seem to find the one that excites you then let me know I've got tons of state-of-the-art templates I can share with you. Many are free and I have some very professional multi-functional ones for sale. I also take on some commissioned projects from time to time to develop custom designs as well. You can always contact me by clicking here.
Permalinks
The next thing you need to do is customize your URL's. You do not want the default post URLs ("pageid=#") as they are simply not search friendly and you want your default names to have some meaning to them. While you can customize your URL's with various plug-ins, you may not always think to do this, so be sure to have a default you can live with.
Under the settings tab in your dashboard, clíck on permalinks. Here I suggest choosing one of the settings that includes the post name. Including the month and year is totally optional as it will have little to no impact on your search rankings, but you definitely do want to include the post name.
WWW or no WWW
With WordPress, there is no need to worry about the www vs no www redirects. It is handled for you, but you do need to select which variation you want, and it's very simple to do.
Under "General Settings" you will see two fields; one for "WordPress address" and the other, "Blog address". Ensure that both these fields include the "www" (or not), whichever you prefer, and that's it. (I always recommend using the "www" version of your URL as most people linking into your site will use it, and this will help keep a consistency among your site.
Required Plug-ins
There is an almost endless supply of free plug-ins out there that you can add to your site ranging from photo galleries and spam protection, to social media integrators for Twitter, Facebook, Digg, and others. While many of these others will benefit your blog and search rankings, the XML Sitemap, and SEO plug-ins are truly essential.
SEO Plug-in
When setting up your new installation, the first plug-in you need to install is one that will allow for totally customized title, meta description tags, and page URL's. There are a number of tools that do this ranging from the widely popular "
All in One SEO Pack" to a relative newcomer "
HeadSpace2". While I personally have yet to try HeadSpace2, it is high on my líst, as it has been recommended by many industry professionals as the best WordPress SEO plug-in. For any new blog installation I highly recommend this plug-in be installed right away.
XML Sitemap Plug-in
To the best of my knowledge, HeadSpace2 does not have an XML sitemap option, and as such I highly recommend "Google XML Sitemaps" . This plug-in will automatically generate XML sitemaps for you on the fly and submit it to Google every time you add, delete, or update a page or post. This helps ensure that Google has the latest information at all times. It's a very simple plug-in to install and configure and once setup, you can forget about it and it will do the job for you.
A well optimized site loaded with relevant content can do very well in Google if setup correctly. The power of WordPress can make this process incredibly easy so all you have to worry about is writing those great articles and selling your customers. The plug-ins and functionality of WordPress are endless and when installed correctly can make the optimization of your blog considerably easier, increasing your chances for top rankings.
Feel Free To Start A Discussion or Ask A Question In Our Comment Thread Below.
Matt Mullenweg announced the availability of WordPress 2.8 for download, today and it is named Baker. Though there may not be any major visual differences between WordPress 2.8 and 2.7, the latest release is much faster, and a lot different in how it does styling and scripting.
One major improvement in WordPress 2.8 is the ease with which you can install a WordPress theme from the themes directory. All it takes is just one click from your wordpress dashboard.
For those who would like to do those quick short edits to themes and plugins via the WordPress editor, there is now a new CodePress editor which gives syntax highlighting, making your life a lot easier! There is also this contextual documentation for the wordpress functions in the file you’re editing, linked right below the editor.
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With probably one of the biggest technology events of this year, if not the biggest, the Apple iPhone is all set to become the next wave of mobile internet devices. While the Apple iPhone does an amazing job of displaying web pages the way they were designed to be seen, often visitors want quicker access to website content.
