Adding meta-tags to your blog

This article describes meta-tags: why and how to add them to your blog.  

It applies to any type of meta-tag except the description-tag:  Blogger introduced special editing tools for them in late March 2012, so they are covered separately.

What is a meta-tag, and why would you use one

A meta-tag is a piece of HTML code that is found inside a webpage, and contains information about the page.

Putting files into Blogger's root directory

This article explains the issues, and options, for putting a file into the "root directory" of your Blogger blog.

Turnips (Brassica rapa) 
from Wikimedia commons 
Originally posted to Flickr 
by thebittenword.com.   
Licensed under the terms of 
the cc-by-2.0.

If you are using certain non-Google products to enhance your Blog, they will sometimes tell you to put a file into your root-directory.   They may even tell you to use an FTP  tool to do this.

Sometimes this happens when a product also gives you code to install into your blog , This approach is used when the code is written for websites in general rather than specifically to work with Blogger: putting useful files into a place relative to the root directory makes it a lot easier to move a website from a test-address to the live one, so is a common approach outside of Blogger.

Or maybe the other tool has been designed to verify that you do own the website in this way, rather than asking you to change the website code itself.

How to add a file to your blog's root directory:

The short answer for Blogger users is "sorry, you cannot do this".

 The long answer is still no:  "there is no way to do this, but see the rest of this article for an explanation of why, and some suggested work-arounds."

Test HTML rich-text post snippets before publishing them

Rich snippets. Area tool so as to Google uses to break website-managers a little control greater than how their sites appear in search-results (while enhancing the quality of search results, of course).

Google Affiliate Network

If you are already an AdSense publisher, then today's announcment about Google Affiliate Network: Introducing Google Affiliate Ads for Blogger may be of interest.

Google Affiliate Network (GAN) is a different type of advertising programme:  instead of getting paid per click, you get paid per purchase (or whatever other key action the advertiser decides).

Removing the attribution gadget from mobile template blogs

This article is about removing the "Powered by Blogger" statement from the bottom of blogs that have a mobile template.

Blogger and attribution gadgets. 

Previously I've described the attribution doohickey so as to Blogger has added to blogs with designer templates, and various ways of removing it.

Finding the gadget ID for a widget in your blog

This article shows you how to find the "identifier" for a gadget in your blog.  This isn't useful in itself, but is a set in various other template customizations, including putting a gadget on a single page only.

Sometimes you need to find the code-name for a gadget that you have added to your blog, so you can edit your template and control how and where that gadget is displayed.

Google Drive will eventually replace Docs

If you service Google Docs as a file-hosting option, afterward the up to date declaration of Google Drive probably has you wondering how Docs will be affected: There's a marketing declaration on the Docs Blog, but it has a diverse lack of assigning on how it will produce.

Adding gadgets to your mobile-template makes your blog better for smartphone visitors

This article shows how to add gadgets to the mobile version of your blogger template.

Gadgets and mobile templates 

Previously I've described how to add a doohickey to your blog.

Designing blogs for mobile devices - liquid design and image-width-maximization

Today I read a very attractive article from the Webmaster Central blog almost the challenges of manipulative websites in support of mobile procedure, and a model called liquid design.

For bloggers who allow enabled a mobile stencil in support of their blog, the overall position design is handled by Blogger: You can add gadgets to your mobile stencil by a long shot an adequate amount of, and if they're in the sidebar afterward Blogger decides anywhere to be evidence for them as a substitute.

Becoming a Google Trusted Photographer

Previously I described Google's Trusted Photographer's program, which possibly will be a kind commercial opportunity in support of serious photo-bloggers.

Act so as to instantaneously, Google where promotion business-owners the notion of using a TP to take photos of your commercial and upload them to Places/Maps. But they were pretty vague almost how to befall a TP.

Crop and re-size photos stored in PIcasa, without HTML

Some very attractive info from David of Blogger Xpertise almost scheming the show of photos from Picasa by manipulating the URL.  

Using Image Search to research picture ownership

If someone shared a cool photo with you on Facebook or Pinterst, you might care for to send a letter to a blog position almost it.

The position will be a batch more attractive if you can truly include the image. But you're not allowed to deposit copyright material on top of your blog lacking authorization - and how act you know if the picture so as to be shared with your is copyrighted or not, and who owns it.

Google' s guide to HTML and CSS styles

Google allows release their own form show in support of HTML and CSS code.

It will be attractive to comprehend how much of it they apply in hope changes to Blogger templates

But in support of Bloggers who act a batch of modifications to their own stencil, nearby might be a little effective tip. I especially like the single almost putting CSS rules in alphabetical order in support of maintainability.

Putting scripts behind Google Docs

I'd in no way really accepted wisdom almost whether nearby was a scripting language with Google Docs spreadsheets (the same way so as to there's VB scripting with Excel).   But really it makes good judgment in support of nearby to be Javascript nearby.  (I allow nix notion if it's a new-is highlighted, or has been nearby all along.)

How to enable a mobile template in Blogger

Blogger and Mobile - do you need to care?

Automatically, when someone runs on the smartphone, tablet and other mobile phone to think about your blog, they start to see the "full site" the same as they will if they were using a PC. All pages and posts aren't established to are very effective on their own small screen, nevertheless they have accessibility to all the features and gadgets you've installed.

Result-sorting and better filter queries in Google Custom Search Engines

Google's have added result-sorting little queries for filtering-by-attribute options to their Custom Engines Like Google (ref: Adding a custom internet search engine to your blog).

They are most recent for people who utilize a CSE over their very own blog/site, rather than over other sites that they can don't control the markup.

Spam links can be invisibly embedded in comments

The pseudonymous John of Gordon's Tech reports that spammers have discovered a means to put links into comments so they don't appear to be links when we're doing moderation.

Now he mentions it, I've been seeing plenty of comments lately which might be something similar to

 "Nice info, thanks for sharing. Facebook developers"

Six simple subscription buttons for Blogger

This article shows how to make a very simple row of subscription buttons, using image files that you host yourself.

In the sidebar or header of my blogs, there is a very simple set of subscription buttons.  Visitors can use them to sign up to follow me (ie my blog's account) on Facebook, Twitter, RSS, LinkedIn, PInterest, etc.

Docs research panel beats Zemanta gadget

Google Docs currently has a investigate plane unfilled while you're pro se.   Basically this is a quick way to access google-search results.

To add it:

•     Select a word
•     Right-click the word
•     Choose Research from the tools menu.

Or solely excellent the word and secure the key-combo ( Ctrl+Alt+R on Windows or Cmd+Alt+R on Mac) if you think mice are evil time-wasters.

how to use your blog VS your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, G+

Your blog vs your email, facebook, twitter, photo albums  

Recently, I used Blogger to turn into a new-fangled website in support of a similarity choir. It replaced an elder website so as to was expensive to amend.

When we talked almost could you repeat that? The choir desirable, single challenge was so as to a little frequent accepted wisdom so as to "put it on the website" or "put in on Facebook" was the answer to each put out so as to involved communicating with members: It took a batch to explain so as to Facebook and the website are not truly spaces anywhere existing members look habitually. (Some members are elder, and don't even allow cellphones so as to receive SMS/text-messages, much with a reduction of computers and broadband connections).

Translations - and better translations

The translations widget at the moment offers you - and your readers - a way to turn into better translations.    Added details at this point.   Key mechanism to remember:  If your readers offer suggestions, you allow to approve them.    So if you're the sort of blog who encourages this, turn into certain you keep on top of the approvals.

Content Experiements in Analytics

Content Experiments is a new feature in Google Analytics.

It claims to

helps you optimize for goals you have already defined in your Google Analytics account, and can help you decide which page designs, layouts and content are most effective.

How to put a gadget into a post in Blogger

This article describes how to put a gadget into a blog post / page - or at least how to make it look like you have done so.

Gadgets and Blog-posts

Previously, I've explaiend how to add a gadget to your blog. In that post, I said that the only place where you could put a gadget was one of the areas defined by your template - basically the header, footer or sidebar.

Wordle tag clouds - a logo maker for hard-to-illustrate blogs?

One of my blogs is about some very abstract concepts, which are ever-so-slight difficult to illustrate in a way that's meaningful to the very wide range of readers.

How to put a working Twitter message into your blog

This article shows how you can embed a fully-featured message from Twitter, right inside your blog, which lets visitors re-tweet, favour it - and follow you in Twitter.

Showing Twitter messages: copied text vs full-featured tweets

If you're reading Twitter, and see a tweet that you want to blog about, it's easy to copy-and-paste the content into a blog post or a gadget.  This brings the text and the links (and photos etc) that are part of it - like this:

More info in Google Trends Hot Searches lists

Bloggers who want to write about what's ultra-current in the USA might like the changes to Hot Searches list in Google Trends:

• The list of searches is more visual,
• Related rising search terms are grouped
• You can see more information about those searches

Knowing about better pictures Google Maps & Earth

If you blog about geographic locations, or add Google custom maps to your blog, then it can be very helpful to know when the satellite photos for a certain area are updated. Among other things, this is a reminder to check your map for any details that have changed.

Google Advertisers Network - now has UK advertisers

Google Affiliate Network (one of the alternatives to AdSense LINK, which lets you deal with specific, relevant, advertisers) has signed up 30+ UK based advertisers.  Ref:   http://googleaffiliatenetwork-blog.blogspot.ie/2012/06/announcing-new-uk-advertisers.html

Custom Search Engine ad block background color changes

Google's Custom Search Engine styles have been changed so the ad-blocks at the top/right of the search results have a different background colour. Ref:  http://googlecustomsearch.blogspot.ie/2012/06/ads-background-colors-in-custom-search.html

Where to get the HTML code for popular gadgets in Blogger

This article explains where to find alternative code for many of the gadgets provided by Blogger - and why you might want to do this, and how to back up your HTML gadgets.

Gadgets in Blogger

Blogger makes it  easy to add a gadget to your blog: you pick the one you want from a list, enter the details on the gadet-options screen, click ok and save. Voila, a gadget doing "just what you want" appears where you put it.

Google Video being retired - impact for Blogger?

If you upload a video through the icon in Blogger's Post Editor, it is stored in Google Videos - and AFAIK the only way to access it is via Blogger.

Stop AdSense showing you the ads you hate the most

A year ago, I planned a trip to New Zealand. I Googled "NZ camper vans" and similar things a few times, found a company and had a great trip (thanks, Jucy Vans)

For about three months after I got back, Google remembered that I'd looked for this and kept showing me ads from other van-hire companies. Not only were they irrelevant (since I wasn't looking for a hire-van anymore), they really reminded me that I in the office on the other side of the world in wintertime, instead of on the beach in the sun at home. This didn't exactly generate warm-fuzzy feelings towards the advertiser (NZ Van Hire, I hate you with a passion .. and you didn't even do anything!)

How to set the URL for Blogger posts

This article shows how to use the Permalink options to control the URL used for a post in your blog.

URLs and Blog Posts

When you first publish a post in blogger, an URL (called a permalink in blogger) is automatically generated for that post. It looks like:

How to remove the numbers in blogger post URL's

This article looks at the numbers that are in web-page addresses created by Blogger, what they mean and how you can influence them.

When you first publish a post, Blogger assigns a permanent web-address (aka an URL or a permalink) to the post.  I've previously explained how you can control the words used in this hyperlink.

Have all your posts been added to Google search results yet?

How can you tell if Google has indexed your blog - or if it's indexed all your posts.

The quick way is to search for site:YOUR-BLOG-NAME and see how many results are returned.   If it's roughly the same as your number of published posts, then you're about right.   But what if it's not?

For example, if I google

Blogger and Analytics adjusted-bounce-rate

I've had attractive discussions with frequent almost whether the bounce-rate in Google Analytics is valuable: Single of my sites has in rank almost area motor vehicle routes and neighbourhoods, and many visitors simply need to look by the side of single summon (the single suggested by Google search) to progress the in rank they need.  I've long held so as to these frequent counted as a "bounce" (ie look by the side of a summon and leave), while contacts sure me so as to Google is smarter than so as to and wouldn't count visits so as to keep up in support of a undeniable distance end to end of instant as bounces.

Hiding the space where the navBar used to be

This article shows how to remove the space that is left when Blogger's top-of-screen navigation bar display is turned off.

 

Removing the navBar is single of the long-standing tweaks so as to blogger users allow been making endlessly since blueprint templates were introduced.

5 Reasons why SEO is irrelevant for your blog

This article explains could you repeat that? Search engine optimization (SEO)) is and why it is on occasion not pertinent in support of  bloggers, ie why many of us be supposed to ignore all the "essentials SEO in support of your blog" advice and focus on letters good-quality creative posts.

It plus has a unpretentious guideline in support of deciding if a noteworthy sample of SEO-advice is pertinent in support of your blog.

What is "SEO" anyway?

Very simply, SEO is a bunch of things so as to you can act so as to turn into it more likely so as to your position will be from top to toe in the results-list and afterward clicked-on whilst someone searches in support of "topics like yours" on Google, Bing-etc.

Custom Search Engine improvements

Google allow announced version 2 of the "custom search element" - this is the "thing" so as to lets you deposit a custom-search tool in your blog (and one other website).

Important skin texture are:

•     Search UI is rendered based on the settings stored on the Google CSE servers ... One configuration changes you turn into in the CSE control panel ...[are shown]  on your net pages the after that instant they reload. ...
•     All element code is loaded asynchronously in support of cut-rate summon load time.
•     Client-side customization allows you to overwrite international CSE settings on a per-page basis ...

Faster load instant is very meet - I've been noticing so as to custom search gadgets take a long instant to load, qualified to other things on my blogs.

Chitika now supporting all countries

Chitika is single of the advertising programmes so as to is an alternative to Google AdSense.

Initially, their ads were simply publicized to website-visitors who were in the USA and Canada.   That register extended a while in the past.   Now they say so as to they're existing in all countries.

Get ideas for your social media policy by reading other people's

Recently I posted a stencil in support of selection to product not worth it and authenticate how you service your blog v Facebook, Twitter, email, and the like.

This is primarily in support of bloggers who look bearing in mind blogs-sites in support of companies, similarity groups, and the like - basically one organisation.  It came almost as I on track using Blogger to act the website in support of a choir so as to I sing in, and I desirable to think almost all the issues publicized.

Blogger and valid HTML code

This article explains the issues faced by Blogger users who try to see if the HTML in their blog is valid - and why this doesn't matter in most cases.

What is "valid" HTML

If you read SEO advice or webmaster guidelines or web-best-practises, you be supposed to be told to turn into certain so as to the HTML in your website is bona fide.

Tools for applying copyright protection to your blog

This article is about the steps you can take to apply copyright protection to your blog.

Overview:

Previously, I've described how copyright applies to blogs in very general terms.

Google Blogger / Apps access to country-specific domains

Today, Google Apps announced so as to we can at the moment possession a wider range of international and country-specific domains through them - previously they simply open a more imperfect calibrate of the international domains. And at the moment they're cheaper, too: Domains registration is $8/year as a substitute if $10.

To act this, they've amalgamated with a new-to-them domain registrar http://www.Domaindiscount24.Com - as a substitute of eNom and GoDaddy, who they used beforehand

If you purchase a domain via Google Apps, and DomainDiscount24.Com is the registrar, afterward

    It comes pre-set up to product with Google's tools (mail, apps, sites, etc)
    You need to service DomainDiscount24.Com's administration tools if you care for to turn into one changes to the domain set-up
    You carry on to service Google Apps domain management tools to handle the Google Services so as to are existing to users in the domain (eg enabling/disabling Blogger)

Mousetrap or gourmet cheeseboard

This article is uncorrupted self-indulgence and doesn't tell you how to act no matter which in Blogger or one other tool.

But maybe it's a fine sunlight hours to ask whether your blog is a testing mouse-trap, a grotty greasy-spoon, or a delicious epicurean cheeseboard.

Confluent: very cool Blogger-users

 

Pinterest Twitter friend notification email messages

A while in the past, Pinterest distant the need to application an challenge to sign up:  You can at the moment set out to www.Pinterest.Com and register without delay.

It at the moment looks like nearby are three options in support of signing up:

What bloggers need to know almost Responsive Web Design

This article is about responsive web design, and what it means for Blogger users.

Some of the information is relevant for people who use other platforms (especially Wordpress) but much isn't, because Blogger does so much of this for us.

What is Responsive Web Design?

One of the biggest changes to how frequent service the internet recently is the range of screen sizes.

Back in the sunlight hours, we had ever-increasing screen resolutions, so on the whole frequent went from 800x600 to 1024x768, and the like - the definite varied along with the type of observe and graphics certificate.  But the constant was the yearly joke almost "What's your New Year's outcome?" - the answer for eternity got superior both time.

But at the moment nearby are smartphones, drug, and giant television screens in the mix. Users might be looking by the side of websites in no matter which linking 300x200 to 4096 × 2160 - or more if they're using a television.

To start with, nix single was quite certain how websites be supposed to cater in support of this. Many frequent made two sites: Single in support of their "regular sized" users and single in support of "mini-screen" users. Sometimes this led to  duplicate-content, which didn't amuse Google's search-engines. It made more product (of the boring kind) in support of frequent maintaining websites, who had to bring up to date two spaces. And it didn't cater in support of the super-size-screen individuals by the side of all. Google announced so as to a procedure called "responsive net design" was their recommended line of attack. Basically, it says to allow single version of the website, but to deposit advice into it (usually with CSS) maxim whether or anywhere to be evidence for things based on the size of the user's screen - ie, effectively by "responding" to the user's settings.

This article from Blacknight Solutions goes into a batch more assign - and uses more technically precise language to express the challenges and the line of attack.

What does Responsive Design mean for Blogger users?

This infographic is a quick-and-visual outline of the area of responsive-website design.

It recommends various books and in the "toolkit" section, it lists options in support of Wordpress, Drupal and Joomla and JQuery.

Of these, JQuery is used in support of show tools so as to a digit of Blogger-helpers provide - so I would expect to comprehend "responsive" being added to their skin texture soon.

Apart from the JQuery front, to begin with I accepted wisdom so as to approachable website design didn't material in support of frequent who service Blogger: As Ive explained beforehand, we simply don't allow much control greater than the web-pages so as to are made to show our blogs. But it made me wonder almost how Google might amend Blogger so they were following these guidelines fully themselves.

But bearing in mind thinking a little more, I realised so as to Blogger is already preparatory to service the approachable design line of attack with mobile templates: If single is enabled in support of your blog, afterward the gadgets so as to are publicized a another on mobile and non-mobile procedure ane the way so as to posts are displayed is another - but the underlying position content (posts and pages) is the same.

And nearby are things so as to we can act in our redeployment and stencil expurgation so as to will help Blogger turn into our sites product better on procedure with another screen sizes.

So, what should we do?

Set the maximum width for pictures.

Modish the post-editor, you can wish to turn into pictures small, means, big, and the like - and the principles so as to are used in support of this are absolute facts of pixels height and width.

But could you repeat that? Happens if you calibrate the width to, say 400 pixels ("400px"), and a user has a screen which is narrower than this?  The question is unkind to answer, as mobile procedure apply a little scaling-down so so as to in many situations the picture fits, and look fine.

I recently read an article from an English coffee-drinker, viewing how to amend these sizes to one principles you care for and to control the picture quality by the side of the same instant.   At at the outset I accepted wisdom so as to this would solve the difficult.

But nearby are personal belongings anywhere it won't product suitably, eg if you care for text and pictures to be part by part, and service a chart more willingly than a "<div>" statement to act this. If the amount of deep space so as to you allocate to the picture is wider than the deep space on the screen, afterward the results my be unpredictable, or the text might be very, very narrow.

I was originally leaving to advise working around this difficult by indicate the width in expressions of percentages as a substitute of pixels, in support of instance:   Form = 'width: 80%;'  But, as I found tonight, if you float your pictures to the gone or the straight, so as to line of attack doesn't quite product - the way so as to the post-editor puts in <div> statements capital so as to scaled down pictures can be gone inside purposeless superior purposeless divisions, and the like..

A better alternative is to carry on to service small / means / big and the like, and plus to add a CSS regulation  maxim so as to pictures can take more than a undeniable proportion (ie percentage) of the existing. Deep space.    (Thanks to Paul of Spice Up Your Blog who suggested this, as a way to impede pictures from spilling into the sidebar).

Luckily it's very comfortable to act this - precisely add a CSS regulation in the usual way in support of your stencil.   The specfic regulation to add is

    .Position img {max-width:98% !Important}

When you text and paste - don't put behind you the dot (.) by the side of the start of so as to line.

Also, you might like to conduct experiment with principles - you might even set out as low as 80% on a little blogs.   The beauty of this regulation is so as to it specifies the utmost - if your photo is less important than so as to, it's not affected.

Width of other embedded elements, eg PDF files

Pictures aren't the simply things so as to allow a fixed width - the same mechanism can crop up to embeddded credentials / PDF library, slideshows, maps, forms, and the like. They can be more challenging to service on sites with less important screen sizes. Somteimes their code might cater in support of differnt sizes. But single fine overall belief is simply to remove the height statement from the, and indicate the width in expressions of a percentage.

That thought, I don't act this in support of the embedded Google custom maps on single of my sites: As a user I very much like better to comprehend the atlas by the side of chubby size, and to scroll around as I need to - so I've assumed so as to my visitors like better the same line of attack.   It all depends on the nature of your position, and how frequent service it.

Responsive AdSense ads

If you service Adsense via Blogger's gadgets, afterward appropriately sized units will be placed on your blog. And (unless you wish the "ads linking posts" option in the Blog Posts gadget) - this includes inside mobile-template viewers.

But many Bloggers service AdSense by getting the code and installing it to their stencil or putting it into an HTML/Javascript doohickey, perhaps as they care for better control greater than the trailer colour-scheme, or to allow the option of image-only AdSense ads.

Fortunately it's pretty comfortable to adapt these ads to be approachable - this tremendous article from Digital Inspiration explains this procedure in more assign.

Sidenote: I was quite pleased with up to date announcements by a little Blogger-helpers (eg Paul in Spice Up Your Blog) so as to we can at the moment service AdSense in Dynamic Templates.  When far as i know this has been the holder since Dynamic Templates were introduced: Provided AdSense is enabled in your blog with a doohickey (not embedded in posts, or deposit into HTM/Javascript gadgets), afterward the Dynamic Template point of view promised to be evidence for an advertisement in an appropriate place (most likely the footer, I think). Modish princple, this is precisely any more dimension of being "responsive" to another screens and ways of impression website content.

What else

My instinct is so as to nearby are other things which blogger users will need to think almost as we move into a "responsive" humanity - by the side of smallest amount Bloggers who thoughtfulness almost visitors from another screen sizes will need to be active.

At a tiniest, consider whether you need to enable a mobile stencil in support of your blog, and calibrate up a little definite gadgets precisely in support of it.


What else do you think is relevant here?

Verify your Google + summon to progress more exposure in search results

I dappled an attractive position in the AdSense blog precisely at the moment.

It's truly been deleted from the blog (probably as it was believed to be posted on the Google+ blog, not the AdSense one), but the creative feed content is still existing, in support of at the moment, by the side of http://feedproxy.Google.Com/~r/blogspot/tuAm/~3/30qIWIcbTMk/social-fridays-gain-visibility-by.Html

notes about interesting changes in other blogging tools

This quick-tip introduces "quick tips", a new type of post in blogywoodbabes.blogspot.com.

I on track Blogger-HAT-Lite. The notion was to turn into  petite posts almost changes in other products which Bloggers often service, but which I didn't allow the instant or in rank to send a letter to a good-quality article almost.

Verifying blogs and their Google+ pages

This quick-tip describes verifying Google+ pages, based on a recent post in the Inside AdSense blog.

Verifying Google+ pages is almost making an formal link linking a summon and a website, as a way of getting exposure in support of both the position and the summon.

How to link posts together in Blogger

This article shows how to link from a new blog post to one that you have already written. It is part of the Blogger-Basics series.

Sometimes, when you're writing a blog-post, you want to refer to a post you wrote before.

• It means that you don't have to repeat information, and can focus on writing it really well in just one place.
• It encourages visitors to read more than one post, and doesn't bore people who already know the related information..
• It's good for SEO (encouraging search-engines to give your blog a good place in their result lists)

For example, many of the posts here on Blogger-Hints-and-Tips are about how to get other tools (eg Facebook, Feedburner, AdSense) to work with Blogger:  in general these posts describe how to get some HTML code from the "other" site, and then how to install it into your blog. Originally, I repeated the "how to install" instructions in every post - but when Blogger changed how this was done, this meant I had to update dozens of posts.  To make this simpler the next time, I just wrote one post about installing third-party code into Blogger.

Google Affiliate Network has a widget for UK Bloggers

This Quick-Tip is about the Google Advertiser Network widget becoming available for Blogger users based in the UK.

Today, Google Advertisers Network announced so as to their Blogger widget is at the moment existing in support of a little Blogger users in the United Kindgom.

Desktop search turns a downward corner?

This Quick-Tip shares an interesting observation about the trends in search-volumes - and is a reminder to think about what your blog is like for readers who use mobile devices.

Today I noticed an attractive position from on-line marketing definite Blind Five Year Old, who've been tracking comScore search-engine ratings in support of seven years.

Using a domain purchased from another domain registrar or blogging-platform for your Blogger blog

This article is about how to use a domain (URL) that was purchased outside of Blogger / Google as the custom-domain for your blog.
 
Blogger and custom domains

The easiest way to give your Blogger blog a custom domain is to pick an URL that is currently available and purchase it through the Settings > Publishing  tab.   If that is s successful, all you need to do is set up an administrator account for your domain.   (Sept 2012:  this option is currently unavailable - hopefully it will be back soon.)

But sometimes the URL you want will not be available through Google / Blogger:

• Maybe it's owned by someone else
• Maybe you own it  already, because you purchased it through another domain registrar.  
• Maybe you don't have a credit-card so cannot purchase through  Google.  
• Maybe it's for a country that Blogger doesn't sell domains for (eg Ireland).

How to put pictures into unusual shapes, using PowerPoint

This article explains how to put a picture that is one shape (a "square peg") inside an image of another shape (a "round hole" - or star, elipse, octagon, etc) - using Microsoft PowerPoint.

Original title:   How to put a square peg into a round hole - in pictures

Recently, I've been using PowerPoint to turn into the thumbnail image in support of my posts. This capital so as to I own the copyright of the pictures, so can share them lacking worrying almost copyright issues.

Get notified about changes in popularity of pages on your blog/site.

This Quick-Tip describes the alerts that Webmaster Tools are now offering for changes in search popularity of particular pages.

Google Webmaster Tools allow added to their alerts skin texture.

Basically, this capital so as to they try to notice the changes "that possibly will be on the whole attractive in support of you", and dispatch the website landlord a message whilst they smudge something.

Takeout now lets you download your own YouTube videos

This Quick-Tip is about accessing your own YouTube videos, using Google's Takeout / Data-liberation service.

If you upload a cartridge using the Blogger Post Editor's cartridge icon, afterward it's stored in Google Videos - which is at the moment retired except for in support of the part so as to hosts vids uploaded thru Blogger.   (This was anywhere they were being deposit  the keep up instant I checked, which was a only some months ago)

Google Groups now has a "My Discussions" view

This Quick-Tip is about how to see the posts you made in Google Groups - in particular in the Blogger Product Forum.

I used to be quite practicing in the prior Blogger Help Forum.   But since they switched to the new-fangled Google Groups based Blogger Product Forum, I've been with a reduction of enthusiastic:

Google product cancellations for October 2012

This Quick-Tip is about the products that Google is dropping, or making changes to, from October 2012.

Google's latest announcement about retiring products came out yesterday (Saturday).   Seems odd that they're calling it "spring cleaning", since it's autumn / fall in most of the countries where major Google products are based.

So what's on the list that will affect Blogger-users?

Making custom domains work without the www at the start

This Quick-Tip is about an issue that some people have had with their "naked" custom domain not re-directing to the www-at-the-start version, and how to fix it using a feature in your Google Apps account.

Since Blogger released their initial fix towards the custom-domain mapping problem of mid-September 2012, a lot of people have found that it's unattainable to setup the custom domain so that my-domain.xxx works in addition to www.my-domain.xxx does.

It has an choice for this in Blogger's Settings > Publishing area. But last night, after i set up a "subdomain" style entry for news.my-domain.xxx and directed my latest-updates blog from my-domain.blogspot.com to news.my-domain.com, learned that this didn't work.

Creative Kit photo editor works in Google+, if not in Picasa

This Quick-Tip is about using the Creative Kit, which has been giving me grief recently when I tried to use it from Picasa-web-albums.

For ages, I've occasionally used the photo-editor in Picasa-web-albums (the online version of Picasa) to edit photos so as to I've already uploaded, and care for to amend lacking changing the URL.   This editor was originally Picnik - until Google sold so as to upshot and replaced it with Creative Kit a while in the past.

How to remove or change the Newer Post and Older Posts links

This article explains how to hide or change the format of the "Older Posts" and "Newer Post" and "Home" links that are shown at the bottom of Blogger blogs with Layout or Designer templates.

Why are the older and newer posts links used

Most designer and layout templates have links at the bottom of your page of blog posts which let readers navigate back and forward among the list of posts.

Stop spammy links from hurting your blog

This article describes the Disavow tool, which you can use to ask Google to stop taking notice of links to your website that you consider to be bad.

Google's Webmaster tools now include a way of telling Google to ignore certain links when it is deciding what reputation your website or blog should have.

Add Google Drive's one-click-new icons to your blog or website

This Quick-Tip is about Google Docs / Drive's new short-cut buttons for making a new document, spreadsheet or presentation - and how you can install them into your blog.

Google have announced that one-click icons to create a Document, Spreadsheet or Presentation (now called Docs, Sheets, and Slides respectivly) are available as apps in the Chrome Web Store (a place where you can get various useful tools to install to your Chrome desktop or toolbar.

Changing the author for a published blog-post

This article explains how to change the author of a post that has already been published in Blogger.

Blogger posts and changing post-authors

When you Publish a position in Blogger, a digit of skin texture are calibrate up in support of the position, as well as the contents.  These include:

AdSense sign-up for Blogger users

This quick tip describes an announcement from Google about an upcoming simplified process for applying to use AdSense on Blogger or Hubpages.

New simpler AdSense application process

Google AdSense allow announced so as to from at present nearby is a amend the devotion process in support of new-fangled publishers who apply to service AdSense through a "host partner site". Currently Blogger and Hubpages are AdSense's "host partner sites" - import ones anywhere the "host" provides internet deep space to stockpile the monetized content, more willingly than the content-owner trade the internet deep space themselves.

Using an URL from domainDiscount24 for a blog

This article shows Blogger users, who allow purchased a domain through Google Apps using domainDiscount24 (dd24.Com), how to calibrate up the 2nd CNAME statement so as to is desirable by  Blogger's custom-domain verification step.


Most of the in rank plus applies to one who purchased a domain from Key Systems / DomainDiscount24 / dd24 and wants to service it in support of a Blogger blog.

Why buy a custom domain from Google Apps

A while in the past, I famous so as to Google Apps at the moment provide the aptitude to purchase a range of domains not existing via Blogger - in support of instance co.Nz (New Zealand), .Com.Es (Spain), .In (India), .De (Germany) -and many more.

Blog home-pages and mobile-templates: Do they work together?

This article discusses the issues of giving your blog a home page, and how this works for people using mobile devices.

Previously I've described the options in support of giving your blog a "home page", and plus how and why to enable a mobile stencil in support of your blog.

Limiting AdSense ad types for individual websites is now available

This quick tip is about a new feature that AdSense have just announced, which lets you control the types of ads that are banned - by website, instead of just for your entire AdSense account.

For a long instant, I've recommended so as to Blogger-users who service AdSense be supposed to:

•     Protect their story from malicious service, and
•     Stop sexual-content ads from viewing to be certain so as to they unite Blogger's Terms and Conditions.

New rule for how many AdSense ads per page

This Quick Tip describes a new rule that AdSense is introducing to their terms and conditions, about how often the new 300x600 ad unit can be used on a single page.

Recently AdSense introduced two new-fangled sizes of ad-unit, the 300x600 Large Skyscraper and the 300x50 mobile-banner.