There are certain cases in which a blogger may wish to make his or her blog private. If you are a new parent, for instance, you may wish to post photos of your newborn on your blog for friends and family members to see, but not the general public. Private blogs are also used for collaboration projects in which two or more people work on a single project together. Of course, there are just a few of the many reasons why bloggers prefer to maintain private blogs instead of open/public blogs.
Search Rankings and Privacy
It should go without saying that you won't be able to effectively rank a pri...
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Blogging
Help! My Blog Has Been Hacked
It's estimated that roughly 30,000 blogs and websites are hacked each day. As a blogger, it's downright frustrating when you invest your time and energy to building a successful blog, only for some hacker to take control of it. Regardless of who has access to it, though, it's YOUR blog, which is why it's important to follow some basic steps in the aftermath of an attack.
Check Your PC
According to the official WordPress website, the first thing you should do in the wake of a hack attack is to scan your local computer/PC for infections. Use a virus scanner like AVG or Microsoft Essentials (or...
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Easy WordPress Optimizations Tips
One of the reasons why so many bloggers and webmasters choose WordPress for their content management system (CMS) is its ease of use. Whether you are experienced in web design or not, you should have no problem launching a WordPress site. Using the platform's signature 5-minute installation, you can have a site up and running in minutes.
But if you really want to take advantage of WordPress and everything it has to offer, you should optimize your site using the following techniques.
Limit Your Plugins
There's nothing wrong with using plugins on a WordPress blog or website. In fact, ...
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How to Make Your Blog Stand Out
While the exact number remains unknown, some sources have estimated there to be roughly 152 million blogs on the Internet. Whether it's in the automotive niche, healthcare, e-commerce, fitness, fashion, etc., you can find a blog covering just about every topic under the sun.
Unfortunately, the massive amount of competition makes it difficult for newcomers to make a name for themselves, which is why it's important to distinguish your blog from the rest.
So, what can you do to make your blog stand out?
Be Personal
The term "blog" was initially used to describe a person's online journal. Wh...
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How to Build an Email List While Blogging
Are you collecting users' email addresses on your blog? If not, you should be. Email remains one of the most effective platforms for promoting a product or service. According to the credit bureau Experian, email marketing is 20 times more cost effective than traditional advertising, attesting to its benefits.
But how exactly do you capture email lists on a blog?
You have a couple of options, so we'll explain.
Create a Newsletter Signup Form
The easiest and most effective way to collect email addresses on a blog is to create a newsletter signup form. Users will enter their email address to ...
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5 Tips to Creating a Successful Tumblr Blog
It may not receive the quite the same level of attention as WordPress, but Tumblr remains a versatile and powerful blogging platform.
Ever since Yahoo purchased the blogging service back in 2013 for a cool $1.1 billion, numerous enhancements have been made to improve the platform. If you are thinking of starting a Tumblr blog, we have some tips to set you on the right track for success.
Use a Custom Domain Instead of a Tumblr Subdomain
Rather than blogging on a subdomain of Tumblr.com (e.g. yourblog.tumblr.com), you can use a custom domain of your choosing. To set up a custom domain for y...
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How to Create an Effective ‘About the Author’ Page
The key to maintaining a popular, successful blog is to establish a strong relationship with your readers. If readers view your blog as being nothing more than generic source of the same rehashed content that's found elsewhere on the web, you will ultimately fail to gain any notable traction. If your readers don't know much about you, you have less chance of connecting with them.
This Is Where An 'About the Author' Page Proves Useful.
With an 'About the Author' page, you can show readers that you are a real person, giving them a sneak peek at your personal side.
Use a Head-Shot Photo
When ...
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Tips for Creating an Effective FAQ Page
Does your blog have a page dedicated strictly to questions asked by your target audience? Creating a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page is a great way to add value to your blog while helping visitors in the process.
If a visitor has a question about your blog, business, or a product that you offer, he or she may look at the FAQ page for an answer. Search engines will also index this page, ranking it for questions contained within the page.
Look for Real Questions Asked by Users
How many times have you gone to a business's FAQ page, only to be disappointed that the questions and answers...
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Blogging Tips for Travelers
One of the perks of blogging is the simple fact that it can be done anytime, anywhere. As long as you have a laptop and Internet connection, you can blog. This has allowed many road-bound travelers to enter the realm of blogger. However, there are a few things you should know if you plan on blogging from the road.
Beware of Public WiFi
When blogging on the road, you'll have to rely largely on public WiFi for Internet access. In doing so, however, you place yourself at risk for hacking and cyber attacks. Hackers may intercept outgoing traffic on unencrypted wireless networks, viewing users' p...
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Should I Copy Protect My Blog’s Content?
It's downright frustrating when you invest countless hours of hard work into writing a new post for your blog, only to discover that one of your competitors has copied it and is now using it on their blog. Unless they have your permission, what they are doing is generally illegal under copyright laws. But not many bloggers are going to spend the time and money to go after someone for copying their content.
So, how can you copy protect your blog's content so this doesn't happen?
Display the Copyright Symbol
One helpful measure to discourage, but not prevent, stolen content is to display th...
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