What Google’s Recent Mobile Update Means For Bloggers

Posted on May 9, 2015May 9, 2015 by sitemanager

We first talked about Google's mobile-friendly update last month, revealing some helpful tips for webmasters and bloggers. In case you missed it, the Mountain View company rolled out a major update to the algorithm it uses to rank websites. Called "Mobilegeddon" by some marketing gurus, it's designed to improve the search rankings for mobile-friendly sites, while lowering the rankings for mobile-unfriendly sites. So, how will this update affect bloggers? Google began rolling out its new mobile-friendly update on April 21st. At the time, it was unknown just how significant this update would ...

Where To Find Images For Your Blog

Posted on May 5, 2015July 6, 2015 by sitemanager

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, holds true when blogging. Adding relevant images to your blog posts will encourage a higher level of visitor engagement, which in turn translates into a better blog. Due to international copyright laws, though, you can't simply copy and paste any image you come across. To legally use an image on your website, you must download it from a source that grants such permissions. Flickr Creative Commons Arguably, one of the best source of free-to-use images is Flickr Creative Commons. With over 20 million images and counting, you can find pic...

Why Won’t Google Index My Blog?

Posted on May 1, 2015May 1, 2015 by sitemanager

Can't seem to find your blog listed in Google's search results? While Yahoo and Bing may provide some traffic, it fails in comparison to the Big G. So when a blog fails to rank in Google, it can be troubling for the owner. The good news is that you can often fix this issue, first by identifying why Google hasn't indexed your blog. Copyright If your blog has been reported for copyright violations, Google may deindex it. The person or organization reporting the violation, however, must provide ample proof; otherwise, Google will let it be. To check and see if your blog has been reported, visit...

Should I Allow Visitors to Comment on My Blog?

Posted on April 30, 2015May 1, 2015 by sitemanager

If you're thinking about launching a blog, one of the decisions you'll have to make is whether or not to allow visitors to submit comments. There are both advantages and disadvantages to enabling this feature. Many newcomers assume the best solution is to disable visitor commenting, but the answer isn't as cut and dry as this. So, should you allow visitors to submit comments on your blog? Benefits of Visitor Commenting The primary benefit in allowing visitors to comment on your blog is the free content it creates. Each time a visitor leaves a comment, it adds unique, relevant content to your...

Mistakes To Avoid When Starting a Blog

Posted on April 30, 2015May 1, 2015 by sitemanager

Thinking about starting a blog? Doing so is a great way to establish a strong presence on the web, generate a following, and even promote your products and/or services. However, you'll want to avoid making the following mistakes when blogging. Wrong Content Management System There are literally dozens of different content management systems (CMS) available, some of which include Drupal, Joomla, BigCommerce, Blogger, Business Catalyst, Tumblr and WordPress. With so many different choices, how do you know which one to choose? For the purposes of blogging, most experts will agree that WordPress...

WordPress Releases Critical Security Update

Posted on April 24, 2015May 10, 2015 by sitemanager

If you have one or more websites running WordPress, you should check to make sure they are updated to the latest version. Vulnerability in Version 4.1.1 and Older Earlier this week, the WordPress security team identified a vulnerability in versions 4.1.1 and older that could be exploited by hackers to access websites. According to the security team, the security issue was attributed to a cross-site scripting vulnerability that allowed anonymous users to compromise a website. They didn't provide any specific details on how this vulnerability works, which is a probably a good thing since you d...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Blogging

Posted on April 22, 2015April 24, 2015 by sitemanager

If you're thinking about starting a blog, you probably have some questions you want answered first. In an effort to demystify the process, we're going to reveal some frequently asked questions and answers about blogging. What Do I Need To Start Blogging? Blogging is actually easier than most people realize. All you need is a computer with an active Internet connection and the will to succeed. Hosted content management solutions (CMS) like WordPress.com and Blogger eliminate the need for a dedicated domain name and web host. Just sign up for an account and create your own blog! Can I Make Mo...

How To Make Your Blog Stand Out

Posted on April 17, 2015April 19, 2015 by sitemanager

While the exact number remains unknown, it's estimated that there are more than 150 million active blogs on the Internet. This includes personal journals, political, entertainment, social, and even crossover e-commerce blogs. With so many blogs currently online -- and more being created each day -- many beginners struggle to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Why Your Blog NEEDS To Stand Out There are several reasons why you should create a unique blog rather than following in the footsteps of other bloggers. For starters, it gives visitors a reason to choose your blog over you...

How To Backup a WordPress Blog

Posted on April 16, 2015April 19, 2015 by sitemanager

As the saying goes, hope for the best but prepare for the worst, holds true when blogging. Hopefully nothing will happen to the server on which your blog is stored, but if it does you should have a copy of your data ready to get it back online. Failure to routinely backup your blog is a serious mistake that can cause you a world of trouble later down the road. Backing up traditional static websites is relatively easy. All you need to do is connect to your web host using a file transfer protocol (FTP) program and download your files. If you ever need to restore a static website, you simply ...

Subdomain vs Subdirectory For a Blog

Posted on April 14, 2015April 18, 2015 by sitemanager

Thinking about launching a blog to use in conjunction with your primary website? Unless you want to register a separate domain name, you'll have to choose between a subdomain or a subdirectory. While both methods can be used to create fully functional blogs, there are some key differences between the two that shouldn't go unnoticed. What's The Difference? The primary difference between a subdomain and subdirectory is the way in which the URLs are created. Blogs created as a subdomain feature URLs that are prefixed to the parent domain. If we created a separate blog as a subdomain on our site...

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