31 December 2008

13 tips to increase blog traffic.

Here are some simple things you can do to get your blog noticed quickly:

1. Submit your blog to all of the directories listed on Pingomatic which allows you to ping a few services all at once.

2. Submit your blog to Pingoat which allows you to ping over fifty blog ping services all at once.

3. Sign up for an account at BlogExplosion and register your blog there. After registering visit other members blogs to earn credits.

4. Submit your blog to all of the directores listed at RSS Feeds directory

5. Sign up for My Yahoo and add your blogs feed to your own “My Yahoo” account. This will get your blog included in Yahoo very quickly.

6. Sign up for My MSN, and add your blog to your own “My MSN” account. This will get your blog included in MSN very quickly.

7. Sign up for Google Pages, and add add some content (non spam) and link to your blog. This will get your blog included in Google very quickly.

8. Place a link to your blog in your signature, so that any posts to Forums, Outgoing Emails, etc, will promote your blog.

9. Place your blog on all the major search engines. AddMe.com will submit your blog free to the top 14 Search engines.

10. SubmitExpress.com will submit your blog free to the top 20 Search engines.

11. Submit your good articles to Ezine Articles

12. Locate blogs with a lot of traffic and place relevant comments in their comment box . Do not spam or place the ‘I like your site,visit mine’ type comments.

13. And last, post quality content as often as possible

I hope these tips help you get your blog noticed. Know any other good tips? Please share them here.

Bloggy Web 2.0




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Green Template for Blogger



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29 December 2008

10 SEO Tips

There are thousands of search engines but only two of them will bring you most of the traffic. They are google and yahoo. Another search engine that brings me a little traffic is msn but I do not focus too much on tactics for that engine.

Focus your attention on the engines that will bring you the most visitors first and work your way down.

Basic SEO

1. Insert keywords within the title tag so that search engine robots will know what your page is about. The title tag is located right at the top of your document within the head tags. Inserting a keyword or key phrase will greatly improve your chances of bringing targeted traffic to your site.

Make sure that the title tag contains text which a human can relate to. The text within the title tag is what shows up in a search result. Treat it like a headline.

2. Use the same keywords as anchor text to link to the page from different pages on your site. This is especially useful if your site contains many pages. The more keywords that link to a specific page the better.

3. Make sure that the text within the title tag is also within the body of the page. It is unwise to have keywords in the title tag which are not contained within the body of the page.

Adding the exact same text for your h1 tag will tell the reader who clicks on your page from a search engine result that they have clicked on the correct link and have arrived at the page where they intended to visit. Robots like this too because now there is a relation between the title of your page and the headline.

Also, sprinkle your keywords throughout your article. The most important keywords can be bolded or colored in red. A good place to do this is once or twice in the body at the top of your article and in the sub-headings.

4. Do not use the exact same title tag on every page on your website. Search engine robots might determine that all your pages are the same if all your title tags are the same. If this happens, your pages might not get indexed.

I always use the headline of my pages as the title tag to help the robots know exactly what my page is about. A good place to insert the headline is within the h1 tag. So the headline is the same as the title tag text.

5. Do not spam the description or keyword meta tag by stuffing meaningless keywords or even spend too much time on this tag. SEO pros all agree that these tags are not as important today as they once were. I just place my headline once within the keywords and description tags.

6. Do not link to link-farms or other search engine unfriendly neighborhoods.

7. Do not use doorway pages. Doorway pages are designed for robots only, not humans. Search engines like to index human friendly pages which contain content which is relevant to the search.

8. Title tags for text links. Insert the title tag within the HTML of your text link to add weight to the link and the page where the link resides. This is like the alt tag for images.

My site contains navigation menus on the left and right of the page. The menu consists of links not images. When you hover over the link with your mouse, the title of the link appears. View the source of this page to see how to add this tag to your links.

9. Describe your images with the use of the alt tag. This will help search engines that index images to find your pages and will also help readers who use text only web browsers.

10. Submit to the search engines yourself. Do not use a submission service or submission software. Doing so could get your site penalized or even banned.

Here is the submission page for google: http://www.google.com/addurl.html

Submit only once. There is no need to submit every two weeks. There is no need to submit more than one page. Robots follow links. If your site has a nice link trail, your entire site will get indexed.

My site has a nice human friendly link trail which robots follow easily. All my pages get indexed without ever submitting more than the main index page once.

More SEO Tips

Get the facts here: http://www.google.com/webmasters/. This page will explain most of what you should focus on along with what you should forget about.

If you have been thinking about handing over the task of SEO to someone outside of yourself, you should read some warnings before you part with any money. http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html

SEO Discussion

Most SEO Professionals will not tell you about the goose that laid the golden egg. The following link will take you to a jealously guarded FREE SEO discussion.

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=google.public.support.general

SEO: Google's Next Big Move

(Will your website be ready, or will you be playing catch-up six months too late?

November 2003 might go down in history as the month that Google shook a lot of smug webmasters and search engine optimization (SEO) specialists from the apple tree. But more than likely, it was just a precursor of the BIG shakeup to come.

Google touts highly its secret PageRank algorithm. Although PageRank is just one factor in choosing what sites appear on a specific search, it is the main way that Google determines the "importance" of a website.

In recent months, SEO specialists have become expert at manipulating PageRank, particularly through link exchanges.

There is nothing wrong with links. They make the Web a web rather than a series of isolated islands. However, PageRank relies on the naturally "democratic" nature of the web, whereby webmasters link to sites they feel are important for their visitors. Google rightly sees link exchanges designed to boost PageRank as stuffing the ballot box.

I was not surprised to see Google try to counter all the SEO efforts. In fact, I have been arguing the case with many non-believing SEO specialists over the past couple months. But I was surprised to see the clumsy way in which Google chose to do it.

Google targeted specific search terms, including many of the most competitive and commercial terms. Many websites lost top positions in five or six terms, but maintain their positions in several others. This had never happened before. Give credit to Barry Lloyd of SearchEngineGuide.com for cleverly uncovering the process.

For Google, this shakeup is just a temporary fix. It will have to make much bigger changes if it is serious about harnessing the "democratic" nature of the Web and neutralizing the artificial results of so many link exchanges.

Here are a few techniques Google might use (remember to think like a search engine):

1. Google might start valuing inbound links within paragraphs much higher than links that stand on their own. (For all we know, Google is already doing this.) Such links are much less likely to be the product of a link exchange, and therefore more likely to be genuine "democratic" votes.

2. Google might look at the concentration of inbound links across a website. If most inbound links point to the home page, that is another possible indicator of a link exchange, or at least that the site's content is not important enough to draw inbound links (and it is content that Google wants to deliver to its searchers).

3. Google might take a sample of inbound links to a domain, and check to see how many are reciprocated back to the linking domains. If a high percentage are reciprocated, Google might reduce the site's PageRank accordingly. Or it might set a cut-point, dropping from its index any website with too many of its inbound links reciprocated.

4. Google might start valuing outbound links more highly. Two pages with 100 inbound links are, in theory, valued equally, even if one has 20 outbound links and the other has none. But why should Google send its searchers down a dead-end street, when the information highway is paved just as smoothly on a major thoroughfare?

5. Google might weigh a website's outbound link concentration. A website with most outbound links concentrated on just a few pages is more likely to be a "link-exchanger" than a site with links spread out across its pages.

Google might use a combination of these techniques and ones not mentioned here. We cannot predict the exact algorithm, nor can we assume that it will remain constant. What we can do is to prepare our websites to look and act like a website would on a "democratic" Web as Google would see it.

For Google to hold its own against upstart search engines, it must deliver on its PageRank promise. Its results reflect the "democratic" nature of the Web. Its algorithm must prod webmasters to give links on their own merit. That won't be easy or even completely possible. And people will always find ways to turn Google's algorithm to their advantage. But the techniques above can send the Internet a long way back to where Google promises it will be.

The time is now to start preparing your website for the changes to come.

26 December 2008

How to promote your blog

Post regularly and try and be different to all the other blogs in the same sector as you, to create link bait. Comment on other poeple's blogs to get yourself seen. You could try submitting the blog to a couple of the free directories (might work, can't hurt, but don't spend more than a couple of hours doing this). Do a Press release about the launch of the new blog if you can think of something newsworthy to write about. Try and organise a blog marathon if you know other bloggers in your area, etc. But the biggest one with blogs I reckon is quality, regular postings.

List of 57 Ping Update Services

Here's a current list of ping services , maybe others use it as well:


http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
http://1470.net/api/ping
http://www.a2b.cc/setloc/bp.a2b
http://api.feedster.com/ping
http://api.moreover.com/RPC2
http://api.moreover.com/ping
http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2
http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping
http://www.bitacoles.net/ping.php
http://bitacoras.net/ping
http://blogdb.jp/xmlrpc
http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2
http://blogmatcher.com/u.php
http://www.blogoole.com/ping/
http://www.blogoon.net/ping/
http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates
http://www.blogroots.com/tb_populi.blog?id=1
http://www.blogshares.com/rpc.php
http://www.blogsnow.com/ping
http://www.blogstreet.com/xrbin/xmlrpc.cgi
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/XMLRPC
http://bulkfeeds.net/rpc
http://coreblog.org/ping/
http://www.lasermemory.com/lsrpc/
http://mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatt
http://www.mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatter/ping.php
http://www.newsisfree.com/xmlrpctest.php
http://ping.amagle.com/
http://ping.bitacoras.com
http://ping.blo.gs/
http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/
http://ping.blogmura.jp/rpc/
http://ping.cocolog-nifty.com/xmlrpc
http://ping.exblog.jp/xmlrpc
http://ping.feedburner.com
http://ping.myblog.jp
http://ping.rootblog.com/rpc.php
http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php
http://ping.weblogs.se/
http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2
http://www.popdex.com/addsite.php
http://rcs.datashed.net/RPC2/
http://rpc.blogbuzzmachine.com/RPC2
http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/
http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
http://www.snipsnap.org/RPC2
http://trackback.bakeinu.jp/bakeping.php
http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
http://www.weblogues.com/RPC/
http://xping.pubsub.com/ping/
http://xmlrpc.blogg.de/
http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2

25 December 2008

SWISHMax : 3 Column Blogger Template




There is no top right logo on the templates if you have download it. it's just a sample how you can use your own picture/logo on the top right header.

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3 Column Blogger Template: The Girl (Blue)



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SEO tools for a blog post (Overture and WebCEO)

I have published a post, How to build traffic to your blog and among the recomendations were to use WebCEO, a free SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tool which comes with free tutorials on SEO (there is also a paid version) and Overture Keyword Suggestion Tool for keywords suggestions and research. WebCEO also have a WebCEO "University" which you can join to gain knowledge of SEO (Seach Engine Optimization), all for free (minus the frills). You will have to pay if you want the extras.

I will outline here how I try to use the above mentioned tools to do some elementary SEO for a post regarding stroke and a first hand account from a brain scientist, Bolte Jill Taylor about what she observed as she suffered through the stroke and her subsequent recovery: Stroke Rehabilitation: A brain scientist stroke victim and survivor advice to stroke victims and caregivers. More can be done than what I am going to do, but with the limited time I have, I would rather focus more on content than SEO which can be a time consuming activity. If you want to do SEO in greater details, it will be good for you to go through the lessons (free for most of it) at WebCEO University (close new window/tab to get back to this page).

Link to WebCEO

shopping cart using js and paypal for blogger


Blogger now days start to sell some couple of products in their blog, like ebooks,vector ,icons etc.For those blogger here is a new shopping cart using javascript integrated with paypal.

SimpleCartis a javascript helps to create small shopping cart for you blog or website .It was developed by The wojo group.

According to them

“SimpleCart(Js) uses cookies to keep track of the items in the cart. SimpleCart(js) doesn’t require any databases or programming knowledge.You simply need to know some basic HTML and have the ability to copy and paste. However, it can easily be expanded to use databases or contain more advanced options ”

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How to add shopping cart to your blog

The easiest way to add a shopping cart is to use Paypal Merchant Tools. Of course in order to make use of this service, you will need a Paypal account if you don't already have one. Signing up is free and easy. Plus by making use of Paypal Merchant Tools, you can accept credit card payments.

Perhaps the easiest way to describe how to add a shopping cart to your blog is to describe how I set up this demonstration "online shop" at Demonstration shopping cart.

First, you will have to prepare your post. Add photographs, description, prices, etc.

Then, sign into your Paypal account. Then click on the Merchant Tool Paypal Merchant Tool Tab tab. Then at the right sidebar, click on "Paypal Shopping Cart", then enter the details like Item Name/Service, Item ID/Number (optional), Price of Item/Service you want to sell, Currency, etc. Then either tick the Paypal "Add to Card" Paypal Add to Cart button button or if you have your own button hosted on the web, enter its URL. Click the "Create button now" Paypal Create Button Now button at the bottom of the page and 2 HTML script will be generated - one for the "Add to Shopping Cart" button and another for the "View Cart" button. Copy the HTML scripts and paste them in the appropriate places in your Post Editor Window. Add further buttons if required and when finished, publish the post.

How you can withdraw funds from your Paypal account
Note that there are two ways to withdraw money from a Paypal account - by check or transfer to your bank account. For withdrawal by check, only residents of U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, and Uruguay can do that. Regarding transfer to bank account, I have requested information on which countries can do that and will update this post when I get a response. In the meantime, what I have done is emailed my niece in US to ask if she could help me by opening a Paypal account if she don't already have one and I send what I have in my Paypal account to her and she help me transfer that to me. Waiting for a response.

Many have said it is possible for non-residents of eTrade to open a US bank account (one even guaranteed it, but unless I am desperate, I will take that guarantee with a pinch of salt). I have corresponded with eTrade and they have told me that only US residents and/or those who have a Social Security number can do that. If any reader knows of ways for people like us to withdraw from Paypal account, I hope you will leave a comment in this post. It will be very much appreciated.
Blogger Tips Tricks now using 4 column template optimized for 1064x768 screen resolution
Blogger Tips and Tricks is now 4 column and optimized for 1024x768 pixels screen resolution as well as AdSense. Blogger Tips and Tricks now used a 4 column fixed width Minima template with widths of 450 pixels for main column, 163, 163 and 164 pixels for the 3 sidebars respectively. Rationale for the change is as follows:

This showed that today, only less than 1% of visitors have the small screen resolution of 800x600 pixels while 32% has screen resolution 1024x768 pixels. Visitors having screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels and bigger total slightly over half have screen resolution over 83. This means that the vast majority of visitors to this blog with this new template will not have to use the horizontal scroll bar
horizontal scroll bar
to view all the content of this blog with this new 4 column template optimized for 1024x768 pixels screen resolution.

The main column (content) was only increased from 400 pixels to 450 pixels. This is because as discussed in What is the best template?, a readability study showed that content should be around 60 CPL (characters per line). I tend to agree because I use a wide screen and when I come across text which stretches the whole breath of my wide screen, I find it difficult to read and to scan. When I read until the end of one line, I have to search for the beginning of the next line and that can be a bit difficult as the end of a line and the beginning of the next line can be separated by a large distance.

The sidebars were kept to slightly over 160 pixels because the popular AdSense skyscraper (wide vertical banner) ad unit is 160x600 pixels and will then just fit in nicely in any of the 3 sidebars.

If you want this template, please go to 4 column New Blogger template.

New Blogger 3 column Sweet Dreams template

Amanda of BloggerBuster have created a number of New Blogger templates. However, please note that the templates uses many images hosted by Amanda, and when you download her templates, included also will be the images. This is like implying that you should upload those images to the web yourself, get the URL's and substitute them in the relevant parts of the templates. This may be because she don't want you to increase the bandwidth load from her site. In any case, it is probably wise for you to upload the images yourself as then these images will be controlled by you and not Amanda. If Amanda remove the images from the web or her site goes offline, the images in your blog will disappear.

Amanda's templates have some features very much different from the other templates including a Lable (category or tag) List in the form of a Label Cloud, animated or fixed gif images, widgets to add a mp3 music player plus a mp3 music file
, search box, etc.

However, I have noticed that after downloading her templates, some don't include the images (Blues) and some have some missing images. However, this is no problem as I will show you how to get the images, upload them to the web, get the URL's and substitute these with the the relevant URL's in the template. If you want to depend on Amanda, you can skip all those explanation, just download, backup your current template PLUS the Page Elements, upload her template and just forget about the rest. However, she has indicated that she prefer you to host your own files and images. If you want control over the images yourself and you don't know how, then you will have to read my instructions on how to get the missing images, upload the neccessary images and files plus get their URL's.

I will start with one of her template and explain the process fully, and the others, if you want to use them, the instructions for the first template will be exactly the same.

New Blogger 3 column Sweet Dreams template
An example of a blog using this template is Medical Matters.

Download

24 December 2008

22 December 2008

Dilectio



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Making 3 Column Blogger Template For Blogger Beta


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