Category Archives: WordPress

Why the WP Sidebar is Your #1 Conversion Tool

WordPressWordPress, started in 2003, began as a simple self-hosted blogging tool. Since then it has grown into so much more. It is now a content management system with many large websites such as Forbes and Tech Crunch running entirely on the platform. The company was quite accurate when they said, “WordPress is limited only by your imagination.” Using those same creative juices, configure your sidebar to ensure you convey exactly what your web site is about and deliver the most value to your visitors.

A sidebar is just that, a bar on the side of a blog or website that stays put as you click through different pages. It is very easy to produce, and helps the visitor to your blog or website understand more about you as a person as well as many other helpful things that generate traffic. Easy navigation is essential for any website, and while a sidebar provides this for visitors, it also allows you to choose which pages or posts they navigate to.

Directing People to Social Media with the Sidebar

wordpress-sidebar-widgetsSidebars come in many shapes and size, so pick out the correct theme with a style you like – it will save you hours of time in customization. It can point out things that you would like to highlight when visitors are on your page. It is also a great way to direct people in the right direction so they know how to contact you or follow you on social media. The importance of this is huge; when people know you on a more personal level it makes it easier for them to relate to you. It is easier to trust or support a company or person when you can check them out, and social media is a good way to do this. You can see how the person interacts with others, and check if they are a legit business.

Great Uses for Your Sidebar

The possibilities are endless when it comes to deciding what to put in your sidebar. It is easily changed and can be customized (think of the sidebar as the equivalent of virtual advertising magnets) as you see fit. The most popular options are:

1-     An about link/picture: This is important because it will show people your expertise and whether or not they should trust your business or opinion. This also makes your page very personal and more welcoming to others.

2-      Contact information: This can include ways to contact you on social media, phone numbers, addresses (if applicable) and any other way you are open to receive communication. If people have questions or concerns they need to be able to get a hold of you.

3-      Links: These could be links to other websites or blogs you run, or websites that you are affiliated with and support. If people are interested in your blog they will more than likely want to check out other stuff you create or support.

4-      Popular posts: This will showcase the most popular posts which could essentially spark immediate interest in what you are offering. This is also a great way to drive views to relevant content.

WordPress is a fun and easy way to write and be creative. Use your sidebar to help you keep visitors entertained and help them find exactly what they are looking for.

Going Gaga over Google Analytics Plugins – Six Greats for Your WP Site

Today, Google Analytics (GA) is one of the most commonly used tools to monitor your website statistics. WordPress, the most popular content-publishing software, offers several plugins to integrate Google Analytics into your webpage. WordPress Google Analytics plugins range from simply adding the GA tracking code to customizing the WordPress administrator panel. Here are six great plugins to add Google Analytics into your WordPress website. Also, check out these gallery plugins that we covered in an earlier article on the site, plugins everywhere this Holiday season!

Pro Google Analytics Tools for WordPress

Track your social actions of Facebook and Twitter not just user visits with Pro Google Analytics Tool. This Google Analytics plugin for WordPress also tracks internal website search statistics and downloads – presenting the data all within your WP admin area. Also within WordPress it can show you extensive reports about an individual post or page – very powerful Search Engine Optimization and Marketing information.




Google Analytics for WordPress is one of the most comprehensive plugins for Google Analytic integration. Using asynchronous analytic tracking code, the plugin provides the most reliable and fastest Google Analytic tracking code offered. The easy one-click installation supports custom placement of tracking code, automatic site tracking and event tracking. In addition, you can track outbound links and downloads as page views, use custom variables to help track visitor preferences and Meta data.

Google Analyticator

With the Google Analyticator plugin there is no need to edit code before logging, the required JavaScript code enables Google Analytics logging on any WordPress website. View recent website statistics directly from your website using a front-end widget or from the dashboard in the administrator section. The plugin uses the latest asynchronous analytic tracking code, supports outbound links and downloads tracking, website speed tracking and advance tracking codes provided by Google.

Google Analytics Dashboard

Although Google Analytics Dashboard does not offer the tracking code for Google Analytics, it allows you to view your analytical data in the WordPress dashboard. Integrating Google Charts, the dashboard provides detailed statistics and information about the number of visitors, visits, organic searches, bounce rates and pages per visit. In addition, you can allow other users to view dashboard information or embed data into posts or your theme. This plugin is ideal for tracking website performance without logging into Google Analytics daily.

Googlyzer - Google Analytics WordPress Plugin

Creating an administrative dashboard to WordPress, the Googlyzer plugin uses micro-charts for tracking website statistics from Google Analytics for each of your domains. With customizable options, the asynchronous analytic tracking code automatically loads in the header or footer of WordPress code. The home dashboard widget is customizable with selected key metrics, popular page stats, charts and tables. For the main dashboard, choose to display charts, tables, historical data, date range trends or Meta data for each of your domains. In addition, you can customize the colors, size and dimensions of the charts and tables.

Google Analytics Plugin

The Google Analytics Plugin is a simple, lightweight file designed to enable or disable Google Analytics tracking from your WordPress website. Once the plugin activates, simply add your Google Analytics property ID in the setting page and get started. With a user-friendly interface and toggling panels, the plugin inserts tracking code on all theme pages with the latest asynchronous tracking code.

Carolyn Google Analytics

Carolyn Google Analytics is a simple, minimal plugin that inserts a Google Analytics tracking code in your WordPress website. Since the Google Analytics code is stored as a site setting, theme files will not need any changes. In addition, because the Google Analytics code is not embedded for logged-in users your visitor count will not be inflated; therefore providing you with an accurate count.

Byline

Jackson Hathorn writes about web marketing as well as science related topics. One of the recent subjects he covered is how to purchase research chemicals in the UK, learn more at http://ChemicalWire.com

WordPress SEO 101: Tips, Tricks and Tactics You Should Know

WordPress SEO by YoastWordPress is one of the most widely used content management systems in existence for good reason: It’s easy to install on a web hosting server to create a website online, it’s easy to customize, and it’s easy to optimize for search engines in order to attract more traffic. With that said, many fail at the basics of WordPress SEO. The following is a sort of “WordPress 101” for new bloggers who need to know the basics of setting up their WordPress blogs in the most search engine friendly way.

Before we begin, it is important that users are aware of various SEO plugins that make much of the following possible. The most popular is the free plugin called Yoast SEO, which is easily the most complete offering available, regardless of cost.

Terminology

Some basic terminology will make the following recommendations easier to understand and implement:

  • Noindex vs Index: These are metatags that tell search engines what to do with a page or post. Index allows search engines to include an item, such as a post or page, in their results, while noindex does not.
  • Posts and Pages: Posts are where the more “blog type” content will typically go, while pages are often used for legal notices, “about” pages etc.
  • Categories and Tags: Categories are used to organize content themes, while tags are used for extra descriptions and to allow users to find related content in a more focused way.
  • Metatags, descriptions and Titles: Used to add a title to a page or post, as well as to provide more information to search engines concerning the topic of a piece of content.
  • Permalinks: The URL of a new WordPress site something akin to: http://examplesite.com/?p=30. These are referred to as permalinks that can, and should be changed.

There are more features and items, but these are the most important and where most of the results come from when optimizing a new WordPress Theme. Now, we can look at how to set each of these up in the most search friendly way possible, starting with metatags and titles.

Other Metatags, Descriptions and Titles

Yoast WordPress SEO pluginBy far, the most important element to optimize for individual posts as well as the homepage of a website is the title tag, and the meta description. These are used by search engines to determine what a piece of content is about. Each title and description should include the focus keyword for each piece of content.

Yoast’s plugin allows users to write a meta description and title to be shown in the search engines. Include the keyword no more than twice, and only if it flows naturally from a human perspective. Alt tags should also be included for images to include a keyword or variation of that keyword. While important this does not require a plugin and is not quite as important getting titles and descriptions right.

Posts and Pages

Posts and pages should always be set to index with very few exceptions. The only case should be situations when there is duplicate content from post to post, or page to page. An example would be multiple tag pages containing the same content. This is discussed below.

Categories and Tags

Categories are best set to index, while tags should be noindexed. These add little to the overall architecture of a site, and also potentially have value for people who may find category results in search engines.

Tags create a new page each time they are used, looking like “http://examplesite.com/tag/post-name”. A post with four or five tags is essentially duplicated on four or five additional pages. This can confuse search engines, as well as dilute authority, possibly resulting in lower search engine rankings.

Google’s guidelines on duplicate content indicate that this should not usually be a problem. There are several safeguards against duplicate content issues, but the easiest is to simply noindex tags. Both of these settings are easily handled by Yoast and other SEO plugins.

Permalinks

These are easy. By changing the permalink, you can include the target keyword in the post’s URL, adding more information for search engines to understand a piece of content’s topic, and encouraging higher rankings for important terms.

On the majority of blogs, changing the permalink to /%postname%/ in the permalink settings is fine. This will result in a url that looks like “http://examplesite.com/post-name”.

A Word On Links

Quality sites link quite a bit—both internally, as well as to external sites that add value to their audience. Descriptive internal linking helps search engines to find and understand content, as well as to push authority to target posts and pages to help them rank better. Linking to external sites helps little known sites get noticed by often notifying the site being linked to. Eventually, with enough quality content and outbound links to other popular blogs, links back may develop, further improving search engine rankings and helping to grow an audience.

SEO Is Ongoing

The downside to SEO is that it can be a never-ending process that changes when search engines adjust their algorithms. Getting the basics right is safe, effective, and can be completed in less time than it took to write this post.

Byline
This article was written by Chad Fisher on behalf of Kohala Ditch Adventures.