Tagged: wordpress.org

March 23rd, 2009

Six-Part Checklist for Setting Up a New WordPress.org Blog

In the last month or so, I’ve set up a few brand new blogs, and for each one, I used the same skeleton of a checklist to keep myself on track. Truth be told, setting up a blog on its own domain from scratch can be a bit tricky if you’re not paying attention, so I thought I’d share my checklist with you all today.

Part I: Set Up Domain Name

Perhaps the trickiest step of the whole process. All web hosts are different in how they instruct you to set up add-on domains, subdomains, name servers, etc., so even if you’ve done one, you haven’t done them all. Just follow the directions that your web host gives you, and you’ll be fine.

  1. Purchase domain name.
  2. Direct domain name servers to my web host.
  3. Set up domain name as a subdomain on my web host.
  4. Direct domain name to subdomain.
  5. Create FTP account for new subdomain.

Part II: Install Wordpress

This is my overly-simplified version of the Famous 5-Minute WordPress Install. Again, this can be tricky if you’ve never done it before, but it’s really not too difficult. Just dive in and do it.

  1. Create MySQL database and unique user and unique password.
  2. Customize wp-config.php file to match MySQL information.
    • Change table prefix from wp_ to my site’s initials (i.e. sja_). (This amps up the security of your database.)
  3. Upload WordPress files to the designated directories.
  4. Run WordPress installation.
  5. Change admin password.
  6. Add myself as a new user.
  7. Review and change default settings.
  8. Create a sample post with a sample comment.

Part III: Upload and Install Plugins

For each of the plugins below, I upload them, activate them, and review/change their default settings. All of the blogs I manage get these plugins:

  1. Akismet
  2. All-in-One SEO Pack
  3. Broken Link Checker
  4. Feedburner Feedsmith
  5. Google Analytics for WordPress
  6. Google XML Sitemaps
  7. MobilePress
  8. Subscribe to Comments
  9. WordPress.com Stats
  10. WordPress Related Posts
  11. WPtouch iPhone Theme

Part IV: Set Up Google Webmaster Tools, Analytics & Feedburner

Google provides three services that I find essential in my blog management: Feedburner, Analytics, and Webmaster Tools. If you already have a Gmail account, you can use it for these services. In the case of the Springfield Bloggers Association blog, I created its own Gmail account in case I pass the blog development to someone else.

  1. Create and optimize Feedburner RSS feed for blog.
  2. Create and optimize Feedburner RSS feed for comments.
  3. Add both new RSS feeds to Feedburner Feedsmith plugin settings.
  4. Add blog to Google Webmaster Tools dashboard.
  5. Verify blog by creating and uploading the specified file to my blog’s directory.
  6. Submit sitemap.xml file created by Google XML Sitemaps plugin to Webmaster Tools.
  7. Create Google Analytics account for blog.
  8. Add blog’s tracking number to Google Analytics for WordPress plugin settings.

Part V: Set Up Blog Theme

This step can take a long time if you’re picky. If, however, you comfortable using a theme as it was designed, it goes pretty fast.

  1. Install desired blog theme.
  2. Customize header with unique banner.
  3. Add copyright information to footer.
  4. Customize sidebar with desired widgets.

Part VI: Complete Miscellaneous Tasks

And here’s where you’ll begin to feel like you’re blogging because you are. Yea!

  1. Create blog categories.
  2. Create blogroll.
  3. Add pages and fill with content.
  4. Write a few starter posts.
  5. Delete sample post and comment.

Once I’m done with all these tasks, I spend some time tweaking the design (I’m picky) and fine-tuning my content. In some cases, I’m ready to share the blog with the world right away, but for other blogs, I’m collaborating with other bloggers, so announcing the blog is put off until it’s exactly as we want it.

Hope this post helps you organize your new WordPress.org installations! (And certainly, if there are steps you think I’ve missed, send ‘em my way.)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in bloggersguide.net | 10 Comments »

December 3rd, 2008

Creating a Google Sitemap for Your Wordpress.org Blog

In case you don’t read my other blog, this month I’m participating in NaBloPoMo, and instead of posting entirely on my personal blog, I’m splitting my posts between BloggersGuide.net and SarahJoAustin.com. Today, I want to talk about sitemaps.

“Sitemap” is one of those web developer buzz words that won’t mean anything to you–or that will simply frustrate you–until you can create one for your own site. Essentially, a sitemap is web file that contains links to every page on your site, and they’re important because they allow spiders to get to every page of your site–pages that they might not get to crawl ordinarily. (Remember search engine spiders can only crawl to a web page if it’s been linked to from another page. And if you don’t have many links to your site, your site might not get crawled much, if at all.)

If you have a small, static site, creating a sitemap in XHTML is pretty easy, but if you have a complex site or blog, creating a sitemap can be a nightmare because every time you update your site, you have to update your sitemap. What’s even more frustrating is that search engines, especially Google, like sitemaps to be written in XML, which is incredibly unforgiving. You make one mistake, and the whole file goes to crap. (Kinda like a knitting project.) What’s a blogger to do?

If you’re using Blogger or using Wordpress.com, you’re SOL, but if you’re using Wordpress.org, the handy dandy Google XML Sitemaps plugin is exactly what you need. This plugin generates a sitemap.xml file and notifies search engines when your file has been updated. I won’t go over the settings in detail, but essentially you should set the plugin to build your sitemap automatically, to notify all search engines, to include all pages and content, to build the file in the background, and to automatically detect your file. Once set, the plugin will create your sitemap and leave it in your main directory.

Once you have your sitemap.xml file, you’re not quite finished. Because the plugin’s title references Google, you need to tell Google about your sitemap. By doing this, you’ll essentially tell Google, “Hey! Here’s a map of my website so your spider will know how to find all my pages. Check it out!” To submit your sitemap to Google, you must have a Google account and be signed up for Webmaster Tools. Essentially, Webmaster Tools allow you to see what the Googlebot sees when crawling your site. You’ll see broken links, incoming links, and outgoing links, plus you’ll have access to a handful of tools that tell Google your preferences in how your site is filed.

To add your sitemap to Webmaster Tools, you’ll need to add your site’s URL in your dashboard. This creates an “account” for your site, and you can add as many sites to your dashboard as you like. (Yes, I wish Webmaster Tools, Analytics, Feedburner, AdSense, and AdWords all worked from the same dashboard, too. Santa, this is my Christmas wish.) Once you’ve added your site, you can verify it by adding a meta tag to your site’s <head></head> tags or by uploading a file to your site. Verification isn’t required, but it is recommended.

Next, click Sitemaps in the Webmaster Tools navigation, and click Add Sitemap. Select Add General Web Sitemap from the dropdown menu, and then type ’sitemap.xml’ in the textbox under #3. Click the Add General Web Sitemap button, and you’re ready to go. It can take a few hours for Google to crawl your sitemap, but in any case, it doesn’t take too long.

And there you have it. As long as you keep your Google XML Sitemaps plugin updated, every time you make a change to your site’s files, Google (and anyone else you submit your sitemap to) will be notified of those site changes. Easy peasy!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in bloggersguide.net | 5 Comments »

 

You need to log in to vote

The blog owner requires users to be logged in to be able to vote for this post.

Alternatively, if you do not have an account yet you can create one here.

Powered by Vote It Up