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9 Quick Steps To A Better Blog Experience

If you’ve ever wondered how to increase traffic, gain followers and keep readers on your blog, here are nine easy steps you can take right now to do so!

1. Turn off “Word Verification” for Comments

Word verification discourages comments. If you want comments and engaged readers, make it easy for them to communicate and share their thoughts with you – you’ll be surprised what you learn! :) If you’re worried about trolls or spam, just turn on comment moderation. No comment will be posted without your approval.

*From your Blogger Dashboard, go to Settings > Comments. Scroll down and find Show word verification for comments? Check No, then click Save Settings.

2. Use Linkwithin

This gets me every time! You’ve probably seen it before, but the LinkWithin widget shows similar posts from your blog underneath each post, with a thumbnail image. It gets me every time. I keep seeing interesting titles with enticing thumbnail images. And I click. And click. And keep clicking.

LinkWithin Widget.

3. Optimize Your RSS Feed.

If I had to guess, I would say that 99% of the blog reading I do is from Google Reader. But Google Reader doesn’t give me the option to leave a comment down at the bottom of the post, when I’m done reading, and would naturally want to comment on the post. In order to leave a comment, I have to scroll at the way back up to the top of the post to click on the blog so I can leave a comment.

But you can make it super easy for your readers to comment by adding a link down at the bottom of your RSS feed that will encourage them to leave a comment or even share on Facebook or Twitter. I love this. I’m definitely more likely to comment if a blogger makes it easy for me! :)

*Create a Feedburner account. Click on your feed, and go to Optimize > FeedFlare. Check Email This, Comments Count, Share on Facebook, and Stumble It! and Activate the service. You want at least those four, but not so many that your readers are overwhelmed and don’t know what to click.

Next you’ll need to redirect your Blogger feed to your new Feedburner feed. From your Blogger Dashboard, go to Settings > Site Feed. Look for the Post Feed Redirect URL box and type in your complete FeedBurner feed address. To find your feed address, go to your Feedburner account, and click on the little gray RSS button RSS button to the left of your blog’s name. The address that appears in the address bar at the top of the screen is your feed address. Save your new Blogger settings and you’re good to go!

WordPress users, check out the Ozh’ Better Feed plugin.

4. Allow Full Blog Feed

This is a highly debated topic. Should you allow readers to read your blog in an RSS reader? It might discourage them from coming to your site, right? But not allowing them to read your feed through their preferred method (an RSS reader) might discourage them from reading it altogether. For example, I prefer to do all my blog reading and browsing from one convenient location, Google Reader. All my favorite sites are bookmarked in one place, and I can easily see the newest posts as soon as they are posted. I check it several times a day, just like email. But if a blog doesn’t let me subscribe to its full feed, I don’t subscribe at all. And I hardly ever check it. The other blogs, I check several times a day. I’m definitely more likely to visit, engage, and comment on the blogs I check several times a day! :)

*From your Blogger Dashboard, go to Settings > Site Feed. Confirm that Allow Blog Feeds is set to Full and save.

5. Music

If the previous topic was highly debated, this one is just downright controversial! Keep in mind that taste in music is extremely personal and subjective, and think twice about having music playing in the background of your blog. At least think twice about having the music automatically start as soon as the page is opened. Some readers may already be listening to music in the background, and your site will be competing with whatever they’re listening to. It may deter some readers.

Alternatively, consider blogging a list of your favorite songs – songs that are inspiring you right then. Energetic songs for exercise. Upbeat songs for roadtrips. I would LOVE to read a post like that! :)

6. Take Advantage of Your Sidebar

Your sidebar space is prime real estate. Use it to draw readers in and keep them engaged. Add links with photos to your favorite & most interesting posts to keep readers clicking. Our Best Bites is a really good example of this. They change the links seasonally and every time I visit there’s something new from their archives that I haven’t seen yet and want to click. I get drawn in every time!

7. Make Searching Easy

Help your readers find what they’re looking for, quickly and easily. They may remember a specific post of yours, but didn’t bookmark it. When they come back to your site, make it easy for them to find it. The best way to do this with a Blogger blog is to keep the navbar up at the top – don’t remove it! Your readers have no other way to search your blog without it. If you’re worried that it clashes with the design of your blog, you can change the color for a more professional look.

*From your Blogger Dashboard, go to Design. Under Add and Arrange Page Elements, find the light blue navbar and click Edit to choose a new color.

8. Use Labels

Another way to keep readers clicking is to use Labels (aka tags and categories for WordPress users). If you write about a specific subject frequently, label it with a descriptive word or short phrase. Then if your readers want to see more posts on that topic, all they have to do is click the label at the bottom of the post, and all the posts you’ve written on that topic will come up. For example, a few of my labels are Scarves, My Favorite Things, and Kayaking.

9. Use Descriptive Hyperlinks

There are two ways to include links in your posts.

1. Click here for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes recipe.

2. Here is the Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes recipe.

The benefits of the latter are twofold.

1. It stands out more. It’s easier to see. The eye is drawn to it. You know you’ll be taken to a post about Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes.

2. Search Engine Optimization. If you link to another site and use a descriptive  hyperlink, they will love you forever. The next time someone searches for something similar to the descriptive link you used, the more likely the page you linked to will be at the top of the search results. Love it!

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So these are a few quick steps you can take right now to keep your readers happy, engaged, and clicking. I love to see these implemented on blogs I visit! What do you love to see on a blog? What makes you close the screen? Share you tips in the comments, and we can all improve. :)

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152 Responses
  1. Vivian

    Thank you for these amazing tips. I have been a long time reader of kevinandamanda.com and I’ve finally decided to take the leap and make my own blog, thanks to you, sadly it’s not on google/blogger but all these are still very useful tips that I can’t wait to use!!

  2. lisa

    Thank you thank you thank you for this wonderful information! Very easy and helpful. I’d been wondering how to do the links at the bottom of other posts.

  3. Susan Stephen

    Thank you for the information. I will be setting up a blog for our company soon. Right now I am researching and this article was very helpful.

  4. Lesley

    Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!!!! i’ve been dying to know how people to do “you might also like these posts” thing! So happy to finally have this option, too!

    Lesley
    byporchlight.blogspot.com

  5. Susan

    Kevin and Amanda,

    I happened upon your blog and all the various things you offer, got excited about the fonts but then found your tuts on blogs too. I took the top 9 tips and did them all. I can’t tell you how much that has helped me. Ive spent most of the day trying to learn how to blog and optimize more and this little list was a God send! You explain things to the point and make it easy to follow. Now I am onto the recipes as an empty nester I have forgotten how to cook (never thought that would happen lol) so I am learning new things all over again its fun! I’ve enjoyed my time here and following the other links you have in your site.

    Blessings and hugs to you ~ Barefootsoul

  6. sarah

    Hi, I just found your blog today and I love it! I’ve done #3 and added the comments count, facebook, email, and stumble it but on my feed it’s only showing the last three and not the comments section. when you check those four things, do you check both the “site” and “feed” sections? I’ve done just the “feed” section and then both section but the comments are still not showing up either way. Thanks for your help!

  7. Julie

    Wonderful! Thank you so much for the step-by-step guide to implementing these things. I’m so HAPPY! It makes my blog look so much better!!!

  8. ChiWei

    Here I am, clicking and clicking away, getting drawn in by all the enticing thumbnails, just as you said! Thanks for the tips – done and done and done, on my own little startup blog. I’m a new follower!

  9. Chelsea

    I just found your blog today, and I’m so excited for the information about LinkWithin. I’ve been wanting to do that for months and hadn’t been able to figure out how! Thanks so much! I also tried to turn off the word verification for my comments because my hubby always complains that his comments don’t go through. With the new blogger dashboard, I couldn’t find the spot to turn off word verification, but since LinkWithin sent me through the old format, I was able to find it. Thanks again!

  10. Shawna

    As a newbie blogger I am completely overwhelmed, so thank you, thank you, thank you for your simple, but effective tips. I have implemented most of them already!

  11. Malou

    Wow I just read through this and followed your easy-to-read steps and I’m already noticing a difference. I especially liked your tip on enabling comments and optimizing RSS feed. There’s so much to be learnt about blogging properly!
    Thank you!
    I love your blog, will be following it from now on :) xx

  12. Jesse

    Thank you for all of the wonderful tips! I applied a few of your tips to the blog… and now it feels all jazzed up and ready to go!

  13. Catherine

    fantastic tips! thank you so much!!! i had success with them all. the only issue was with feedburner… the one thing i was reeeeaaalllly wanting to use was adding the ability to comment from reader and wouldn’t ya know? that was the one of the four options selected that did NOT show up! i just had to laugh… thanks Amanda!!!

  14. Annalise

    Hi Amanda! I am wondering if you know how to make RSS feeds look like the original post on a blog. Whenever I make a new post for my blog it looks fine on the site, but then I get the RSS feed and the pictures aren’t centered anymore, text is where it shouldn’t be, etc. It is really fustrating, especially if most people only read the feeds. The post can be hard to follow :( Any ideas?

  15. Emily Connor

    Thank you so much!! I’m always looking for ways to improve my blog! Any ideas on how to really get your blog name out there? Thanks in advance!!

  16. Christa @Stories of a House

    I love your blog! You both are so smart. I did everything to add the comments footer to google reader, but it won’t show up. Only email this and share on facebook shows up. Do you have any idea why comments won’t show up?

  17. Gretchen

    I learn so much about blogging from YOUR blogs. Thank you for taking the time to share such valuable tips. It’s especially helpful to know about the LinkWithin widget. It will definitely help to keep the readers hanging around longer.

  18. marla {family fresh cooking}

    Amanda, this is great advice. How do I add the Twitter Flare to self hosted wordpress? Also do you check “feed & site” on each flare? I am now debating whether or not I want to put my whole feed in the reader. Sounds like it might be a good idea?? xo

  19. Yvonne

    I DID IT!! LOL these were all GREAT ideas to improve my blogger, Thank you for sharing!! (=
    hope you get a chance to see all the new changes made

  20. Lee Anne

    Amanda you seriously rock! LOVE when you post things like this. Always so easy to follow, thanks so much! I did most of the steps on my blog and was so excited I even wrote a post and linked to ya. :)

  21. the wanna be country girl

    Thank you so much for the tips! I added linkwithin right away, and I’ve seen folks using it and staying longer on my blog. I love reading you blog and seeing your photos. Thanks again for taking the time to guide newer blogers.
    Take care,
    the wanna be country girl – Caroline

  22. Ashley

    One of the best helpful tutorials I’ve seen. Thank you SO much for posting this!!! I’m learning a lot as I’m a new blogger to this world :)

    – Ashley
    Ashley Creations :)

  23. Lynda

    Thank you so much! Loved how to optimize your feed – I just changed mine. I hate to sound like such a dummy, but can you give instructions on how to provide links with photos on my blog. I love, love, love your blog and really appreciate your help!

  24. Cassandra

    These are some awesome tips! I made some changes to my blog and I’m so glad I did! I probably would have never thought of the things you mentioned. Soo helpful!

  25. Jamie (Mama.Mommy.Mom)

    So true about the background music! I will not follow a blog that has music playing. It may sound silly, but it drive me nuts and I just can’t enjoy a blog that always has music going.

  26. Debbie Howard

    Great tips. I hate music on blogs too. Keep my computer on mute but sure wish I could use my own player and listen to what I like but gave it up to keep from having something else breaking in. I would also add that I wish more people would give the option of an email feed. I prefer to get it in email that way when I don’t have time to get to it right away it is easier for me to find it. Please it is just one more click on feedburner to add the email option.
    Debbie

  27. Amy

    I Cannot tell you how helpful all this was. I came looking to place a cute font on my blog, Well I did not find it, but I certainly found lots of other helpful things. Very clearly detailed. Thank you!

  28. Ellen

    Great tips! I would add to this comments about making certain that your blog is easy for everyone to read……..by not using backgrounds and font colors which are so uncomfortable that I don’t keep reading,, i.e. bright yellow on black. And about that music? I REALLY dislike having to listen music I don’t care for.

  29. Amy at TheSceneFromMe

    Thank you so much for all these great tips. I am currently on WordPress, but I am trying to switch over to Blogger to make it more user friendly for myself. Anyone have any suggestions on this, I’d greatly appreciate it!

  30. Meredith

    Thank you so much for these tips! There were a few that I’d never even realized I was missing, but yet, they’re key when I am visiting other blogs. Thanks!

  31. Melissa

    Well written! I too read 99% of blog posts in Google Reader and I love the suggestion on how to allow readers to make comments once they get to the end – I didn’t know that was possible.

  32. Priscilla

    Thanks so much! I made all of the changes you suggested. I’m willing to do whatever I can to help make it easier for my followers.

  33. Debbie Howard

    Great ideas. I have already started implementing them. In fact I opened a new tab and as I read, I began to “make it so” Some will take me a bit of time but I intend to “get with the program”. Thanks for the tips!
    Debbie

  34. Beth

    What a great post! I appreciate your insight- as a new blogger, I had no idea what some of these things meant when I started. I took your advice and changed a few things up. Thanks again!

  35. Sugar Mama

    Personally, I don’t like music on a blog. In fact, I’ve quickly clicked off pages just because of the music. I wish I were more blogging savvy, because I need major help with my tagging and categorizing.

  36. Jill

    Fantastic! Thank you. I get to work on my blog every now & then and seems like every time I do things have changed or just moved along…so your tips are very much appreciated.

  37. Barbara Bakes

    Great tips. I am particularly sensitive to music on sites. Sometimes I find myself blogging in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep and if I forget to mute the sound my husband is not happy with me.

  38. Mia

    Great tips, Amanda! I don’t have my own blog but this is definitely things that either keep me coming back or not. Especially the music one! Or if I can’t comment with just my name. I don’t want to have to create a new e-mail account just for the sake of being able to comment on a blog.

  39. Gina

    Sorry another comment. If you have the box for embedded below post ticked in comment form placement (settings – comments again) people using search engines other than IE cant access this. I use Chrome and there is nowhere to enter information in that option.

  40. Gina

    Thank you for this. Very helpful. You are so right about blog feed. I also use Google reader and if a blog has restricted feed I really can’t be bothered. They have got to convey something really exciting to me in very few words which surely is harder work for them!!!

  41. Katherine @ Grass Stains

    Amanda, I think these are absolutely FABULOUS tips! I agree with each one 100%. You’re so thoughtful to have put them all out here for everyone. :)

  42. Casey

    I learn the most stuff from you! Thank you for posting the tips.

    I had NO clue about being able to enable comments in the RSS feed. I would say that is the #1 reason why I don’t comment on very many blogs. Great tip, thanks!

  43. Emily

    Thanks so much Amanda. I really do appreciate the effort that you put in to helping the rest of us. You were one of the first people that made me realize how awesome a blog could be.

  44. Jen

    I am new to blogging and I have to tell you that your tips have been so helpful to me! Thank you so much. I also had word verification turned on…
    Still learning.

  45. Stephanie W

    Thanks so much for the tips. Some I was already do (probably by accident!) and some were new to me. I love the linkwithin gadget and wondered how people did that. Now I know and have it on my blog. ;)

  46. Tara @ Tara Being Tara

    Amanda, these tips are amazing! I just did quite a few of them… just when I thought your blog couldn’t get any better, you pull this out! Thanks!!!

  47. Michelle

    Thanks for these tips… I’m a new blogger and appreciate seeing tips like this. I did the linkwithin thing – even though I only have 4 posts!

    And I completely agree on the music thing – that’s always the first thing I turn off on a blog if I really do want to read it, but I do end up reading it more in Google Reader if I want to follow along – just to avoid the music!

  48. Tracy

    Thanks so much, Amanda, for the great tutorial. I have only been blogging for a little over a year but I have learned so much from you and your great website! I always love coming to see what you and your website will teach me next! That and I love looking at your cute little pups too! LOL

  49. TJ

    How do I get the Navbar to reappear? Something I added to my design a while back made it disappear. Is the search that is in the Navbar the same as the search widget you can add? If so, is there a way to get that to function better? The one that I have won’t find hardly anything in my blog. I hope you can respond cause I’m struggling with getting started. Thank you so much! God bless!

  50. Felicity

    Thank you so much, Amanda! I needed this – I’m fairly new to the world of blogging and I’ve been trying to do anything I possibly can to make my blog better! Thanks a bunch!!

    Felicity @ Simple Elegance

  51. HeatherB

    Wonderful list – thanks for putting this together. Not that I actually write on my blog, but it’s good to know just in case… :)

  52. Mari

    I went and checked – sure enough, I had word verification on! I turned it off, but will only enable moderation if I get hit with spam again. *sigh* I thought the LinkWithin thing was cool, but it wouldn’t work for me. Some sort of server error. Bummer.
    And, yes, two of my biggest pet peeves are music and partial feeds. I do understand why some people choose partial feeds (one person I contacted said that her posts were being ‘lifted’ and reposted elsewhere) but I don’t have time to be clicking through so often.
    And music! Gah! I tend to like a very wide variety of music. There are very few genres that I don’t/won’t listen to. Inevitably, it’s the one type I dislike the most that comes blaring out at me. Even worse is when you find the player & stop it – only to have it restart every time you click a link (for the next post, to leave a comment, etc). That drives me crazy! And keeps me from *ever* visiting again.
    Finally (shew!) I have to agree with commenter #21. Please, please include your email addy so I can have a conversation! I’ve gotten the ‘noreply’ commenter several times and it makes me sad!
    Thanks so much Amanda!

  53. Corri C

    Awesome tips, but especially number 4. I follow too many blogs to want to open them a few times a day. I never click over to read the rest of the post and it isn’t long before I delete them off the reader. However, I do read full blog postings and often then follow through to the site (like today) and comment or look at some post that was linked to.

  54. Bec

    100% agree with all of this! I get so annoyed when I open a blog and music is blaring out at me. 99% of the time I just close the blog and don’t stick around to read it. Instead, I write music posts every once in a while of the music I’m loving at the moment, but then my readers can choose to listen to it or not listen to it. Love this post :)

  55. Maria Babin

    Thank you for these fabulous ideas and for sharing them with us so generously! I’ve already made several changes – your instructions were very simple and clear – and will continue to make the other changes. I have also LOVED LOVED LOVED your photography tuts. Blogger Sentral does some good tutorials and I used the Labels tutorial to put labels on my blog, for those interested… Thanks again!

  56. MelindaB

    I am not a blogger but a blogger reader and I agree with everything you wrote!
    Here is one fun tip I learned – I was getting overwhelmed by the amount of blogs I read and not knowing who updated and the only solution seemed to be to go to Google Reader. However, I didn’t like reading the pages in the generic reader page. One of the blogs I read, Sugar Bee – Craft Edition, let me in on a little secret the Google Next Button!
    http://craftedition.blogspot.com/2010/09/google-reader-next.html
    It is awesome! All the benefits of the reader but it takes to the actual blog!

  57. Marla

    Thanks for the tips! Especially how to optimize your RSS. I was missing a few of those crucial steps.

    I’ve also been singing that anti-Captcha and anti-music tune for months now. And still my readers won’t budge (well, some of them). But I have a feeling more people will listen to you than me. Therefore, I retweeted your tweet. Hope they get the hint. ;p

  58. Megan

    Love Love Love Love Love!! Especially #4! I am just like you and will not subscribe to a blog if I can’t get the full feed in my reader. Thank you for this post!

  59. Jodi E

    Very helpful info, thanks so much. I started a blog once before but got caught up with summer activities and let it slide. Now I am ready to give it another go so your post was very timely!

    Have a GREAT day!

  60. Judy

    Thank you so much for taking the time to put together these tips. One question, how do you get that little Boston Terrier head by your blog as it appears when it’s linked on my blog? So cute and I have a BT too!

  61. PatriciaD

    Great tips, thanks for sharing. I do some, don’t do others but am always amazed at the different ways we all check out and visit our favorite sites.

    I have seen and didn’t know how people got the similar posts to show up so was very happy to see this plugin…only it’s not working on my site. The “You Might Like This” verbiage is there but nothing under it. And to top it off I’m getting errors when I try to get their help. Do you have any ideas why this might be happening? Obviously I’ll have to take it off if I can’t figure out how to get it to work but left it just in case you’re able to check it out for me. I appreciate it if you’re able to.

    LOVE your emails and the link at the bottom that allows me to comment like this so easily.

  62. Jerika

    Thanks Amanda! I’m just getting started with mine and your blog has been a great inspiration to me! Hope I can take these tips and figure out how to do them in wordpress :)

    Jerika

  63. The Frugal Free Gal

    Great tips! I went down the list to make sure I had done all of them, or will try to do the things like the descritive links in the future. I had taken my linkwithin off because I thought it was cluttering my page, but when I used to look at my traffic feed, a lot of people would use my link within, so its back in business! :)I am a subscriber so this is how I found the article. I love finding ways to improve my blog!

    The Frugal Free Gal
    http://thefrugalfreegal.com

  64. Liz

    Hi Amanda! Those are some great blogging tips and great reminders. I love your blog and you always seem to offer great articles and helpful advice. Love the fonts too!

  65. Viola Mahr

    Ohh! Amanda, I’m a bloglurker finally poppin’ out to say THANK YOU! I’m an overly young and rather new blogger… and I really appreciate your tips! You’ve stated some very obvious, but often overlooked facts about how people (like me I guess) like things to operate in the blogworld. Do you know of any good things for typepad users? Just askin’ :) Thanks again. I love love love kevinandAMANDA!!! :)

    hugs,
    Viola

  66. Katy Stone

    love it. thanks for these. some of them (word verification and music) i was aware of (and strongly agree!), but i also learned several new little things.

    also, what about adsense? when does it become worth it?

  67. Tamisha

    Amanda – thanks for these tips! However, you actually CAN install something for your readers that will allow them to search your blog for keywords or post titles and still remove the nav bar. It’s a side widget gadget in Blogger powered by Google Blog Search that places a small search box in your sidebar where anyone can search your entire blog for any or all words they want. You have 3 options with the widget: you can let it choose to search your blog, links to other sites you’ve posted on your blog, or the entire web, or all 3. You can decide what combination you want the box to offer your readers. :-) The widget is in Dashboard > Add a gadget > Search Box.

  68. Vickie

    Love the tips!! Verification drives me bonkers! Sometimes I can’t even read the words and if I am doing some serious blogging, it slows me down.

    Also I didn’t know I can changes the color of the navbar. Thanks for sharing the tips:)

  69. Piroska

    Great tips!
    My biggest pet peeve in going to a blog (okay, there are 2):
    — so graphic intensive, with tons of widgets and gadgets and “stuff”…that is so slow-loading, that it either bogs my computer down…or freezes it completely. No matter how great the site, I won’t keep coming back, because it’s too frustrating.
    –Music. I usually listen to my own, and there’s nothing worse than 2 songs at once! And sometimes, the blog’s music blasts on so loud, I nearly have a heart attack! Or blown eardrums…

  70. Jennifer

    I love that you gave these tips!! Thanks so much!
    I love the feedburner tip but can’t get it to work. I’ll have to figure out the glitch!

  71. Michelle

    Thanks Amanda!
    These tips are awesome and I’ve made some adjustments to my blog. I was getting frustrated that my hit count was high but commenting was low.

  72. Kelly Jo

    Oh my gosh, Amanda! Thank you so much for this amazing information and easy-to-follow steps to add these!! I’ve just optimized my blog. Thanks!!

  73. Melissa

    Thanks so much for these tips! And thank you for telling ppl to think twice about music. I am a HUGE music-lover, but i hate when people have music on their blog & sometimes i will just click out of the blog altogether. Typically my computer is on mute, so i won’t hear it anyway. Sometimes i leave it on b/c i was watching soemthing earlier & then all of a sudden music is blaring at me!!! I hate that!

    I do use labels, but at the bottom of my posts, it doesn’t say which labels go w/ that post. Not sure how to fix that, do you know?

    I am going to be making some of these changes for sure! Thanks!

    1. Amanda

      Hi Melissa! I think it has to do with your template. That’s a good point! I didn’t realize the labels weren’t automatically on all Blogger templates.

    2. Jill

      I agree about the music. I try to catch up on some blog reading while I’m at work. (shhh…don’t tell) Anyway…I keep my computer on mute so I don’t get blasted with music as well.

  74. Molly J

    Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips. I have spent some hair pulling hours trying to make my blog even look half way decent. These have greatly helped! I can’t wait to use them! Your blog keeps my looking back each and every day for more (sometimes maybe more than once a day:)) I LOVE it!

  75. Lacretia

    Great tips Amanda! Thanks for sharing these. I had no idea about the Feedflare. I agree that music playing automatically in the background is a no-no, as is only allowing a partial feed to an RSS reader. Thanks again and have a great day!

  76. Linda

    Thanks very much for the blog tips–I especially appreciate that you included the alternatives for WordPress. I’ll pass these along and utilize them in my own blog. I’m also a Google Reader user on my iGoogle page–rarely do I go to a blog from bookmarks anymore.

  77. Jami

    (posting this again because I think there was an error message…sorry if it posts twice.)

    Great information, as always, Amanda! About Number 5, I could not agree more. I have had to stop going to all sites that automatically play music except for personal friends. I always have Pandora playing while I am blogging or reading, so the competition makes me crazy. If music starts playing, I close it and don’t read anything.

    On the other hand, a site that has a player that is optional can be fun. I do enjoy hearing new music some times. There are a couple of sites I will pull up just to listen to their play lists, but only if they are not set to “auto”.

  78. Jami

    Great information, as always, Amanda! About Number 5, I could not agree more. I have had to stop going to all sites that automatically play music except for personal friends. I always have Pandora playing while I am blogging or reading, so the competition makes me crazy. If music starts playing, I close it and don’t read anything.

    On the other hand, a site that has a player that is optional can be fun. I do enjoy hearing new music some times. There are a couple of sites I will pull up just to listen to their play lists, but only if they are not set to “auto”.

  79. Southern Gal

    Thanks for these! Great tips. I agree wholeheartedly with #1 and #5. I have one that is a pet peeve. When I get a comment and it goes to my email account, I like to respond from there. I hate it when “noreplyblogger” pops up in the address bar. Please attach your email address to your blog so you can be contacted! I even started a new gmail account for this purpose. It’s so easy to do.

  80. Julie @SavvyEats

    Totally agree with these, especially the music and word verification! Music playing as soon as you open the site is one of my HUGE pet peeves.

  81. Stacy

    omgosh Amanda! Thank you so much for posting these helpful tips. I recently started my blog so any & all info is helpful. Next, you should post tips on what to blog about. LOL. I always get stuck in a rut and end up not blogging. Thanks again for the great tips!

  82. Mandy

    This is such a good list and thank you so much for including music. I love when someone gives me the option to see what they like, or even has “what I am listening to” in their sidebar because I LOVE MUSIC! But if I come to your blog and it automatically starts competing with Pandora on my computer, I am going to move on.

  83. Angie

    I love your tutorial! My hubby told me please turn off word verification last night, and in 10 minutes, 17 spam had went through. I turned it back on and am trying a new system today. I had also tried askimet plus another spam plugin and I was still getting a ton a day, although not as much. Do you guys have any spam fighting secrets?

  84. Tammy

    Love this! Today I sat down to fix up my blog and floundered. I went to email to distract myself from the task at hand and WOW – this was in my inbox. Thanks so much for the great suggestions!

  85. Amber

    For search I was able to put a google search in my sidebar that searches within my blog for blogger instead of having to keep the google navbar. Just thought I would add that note, because I never liked the google navbar.

    Great post, thanks!

  86. Carol Busse

    I love your blog! You have extremely insightful, helpful posts just like this one, and I appreciate it immensely. Thanks so much!

    Blessings,
    Carol

  87. Lorrie

    Great advice. I just added music back on my blog for the holidays. Generally I don’t have music. Love all the info on rss feeds..wondered how to do that. Thanks for sharing all this delicious information!

  88. Nimmi

    Great tips – thanks for sharing them with us.
    I also read ALL my favorite blogs (except one) through Google reader – I’m lazy like that. I rarely comment but this time I had to. -:)

  89. Estela @ Weekly Bite

    Wonderful tips! I love it when bloggers post these! I learn something different from each one! I’ve been wanting to “linkwithin” for months now, but never new how… Thank You!! :)

  90. Jessica @ How Sweet

    These are excellent tips and so true! I agree with every single one, especially the word verification for comments and the music.

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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