Wednesday 25 March 2009

TIP - Follow me Follow

email me

I was trawling the 'blogosphere' wondering what I could stumble across that would interest the visitors to this site when I came across this little beauty!

There is a simple instuction in HTML that advises search engines NOT to follow certain links from your site, for example the Admin page, or other pages that are critical to the security of your site, and it is simply the 'nofollow' attribute. By default Blogger sets the 'nofollow' attribute for ALL links, and that includes user generated content like 'comments', 'linkbacks' and 'trackbacks'. Removing this tag will provide 'link juice' for your visitors although there is a small danger that you might find an increase in SPAM. This last should not trouble you too much if you take the precaution of setting up your 'Comments' section to use the built-in CAPTCHA capability.

As always, when you are fiddling with the HTML of your template, please take the precaution of backing up the existing template in case things go awry.

BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP!

  • Go to >> Layout >> Edit HTML
  • Check the Expand Widget Templates
  • Search and find 'nofollow' in the edit window.
  • Delete rel='nofollow' in to-to!
  • Repeat the last two steps. There are at least two of these entries, sometimes 3.
  • Save your template. You won't see any obvious changes; the advantage gained is in your search engine ranking and the ability you've just given your visitors and commenters to link to your Blog and to a specific post!
  • You're done!

 

Instructions for removing the 'nofollow' tag
Instructions for removing the 'nofollow' tag..

 

Enjoy your increased exposure ...

back to the top

 

14 comments:

mingus said...

Nice tip! Thanks!

Carolyn R. Parsons said...

Good tip. I have a question. I just put a new template on my newer blog and it has a display problem on IE 7.0. It has a bit of a lag time before the text lines up.

The blog is here
www.weighlessandweightless.blogspot.com

Is there a solution?

Breeze

Jack Cullen said...

Hey! Can we follow each other? I'm trying to build my followers, but I only want people with credible blogs! I'll add you now.. I like your blogspot expertise!

Fletch said...

@ Stanis
Thanks. Must wait and see if it actually works ...

@ Breeze
e-mailed you. Post a follow-up if we get the problem resolved ...

@ JoH
Sure!

Jinksy said...

Enjoy your increased axposure ..... Sounds like a shy person visiting a nudist beach for the first time... I've read this post twice, but at 11.30pm the brain is already thinking sleep, and I can't decide whether I want to attempt following your advice or not! But I've enjoyed puzzling over the conundrum, as well as the sentence which sparked this comment! x

Fletch said...

Ah, jinksy, if only my misspent youth had included some of that ...

The 'exposure' here is if you are overly concerned about your blog ratings.

I notice you have deliberately eased off due to problems with your 'peepers'. I've had the same affliction for some time now, and the only solution appears to be to give the screen a rest.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, I'm so glad you led me to your blog...I need all the techie help I can get, and you've got wonderful knowledge, information and tips to impart!!!!! So thrilled to meet you! Thanks for your very kind comments! Cheers! ~Janine

Fletch said...

You are very welcome, Janine.

If there is anything you are having a problem with, just ask!

Akelamalu said...

Thumbelina (http://bedlam1.blogspot.com/) told me you may be able to help on a problem I have with blogger.

I'm having difficulty uploading images/photographs to my posts in blogger using blogger dashboard.

Whenever I try I get the message

Do you want to save this file, or find a program online to open it?

Name: upload-image-ajax.do

Type: unknown file type

From: draft.blogger.com

FIND SAVE CANCEL
I've never had these messages before. I've tried the FIND and the SAVE but I still can't upload any photos. If I use the old style New Post I can upload photos! Any ideas? I'd be ever so grateful if you can help. :)

Fletch said...

Hi Akelamalu.

Looks like you discovered (along with thousands of others) ANOTHER Blogger glitch. It isn't being carried as a 'Known Issue' as yet, but there are so MANY server 'screw-ups' at the moment that I think they are having a hard time keeping their heads above water ... !!

For instance, I can't edit my templates on any of my sites. That isn't much good to me as I am constantly adding and removing functionality. At the moment I can't!

I'll give it a week or two and if things haven't improved I think I'll take myself off to WordPress!

Carolyn R. Parsons said...

Oh..no..don't go away..lol...

I have a question. On my main blog www.breezedaze.blogspot.com, its there a way to make that template a 3 column blog? If not is it a difficult thing to switch to one? I'm looking at all these three column jobbies and I want one!



Breeze

Fletch said...

Sure, Breeze.

Go to this page to get a 3-column version of 'Son Of Moto'.

Remember that virtually all your widgets will get deleted when you do an update, so make copies of all the ones you want to keep. You can add them to your new template later.

Laborious process, but can't be helped!

Fletch said...

Update - 8 May 2009

It appears that all my problems stem from registering with "Blogger-In-Draft"! Worse, I can't 'unregister' - it won't allow me!

The current state of affairs is:

1. I am now able to edit templates - barely!2. I am NOT able to upload graphics (is anybody else having this problem?) whilst I remain 'subscribed' to "Blogger-In-Draft", despite having used only 1% of my allocated Picasa space.3. I continue to be shown as 'not signed in' despite the fact that I can access the Admin pages on all my blogger sites!I guess I'll just have to wait for them to sort themselves out ... !!

Akelamalu said...

Thanks Fletch. It would seem that Blogger in draft has cocked up!

I'm OK for the moment as I am toggling backwards and forwards between the old and the new and I can at least upload images. :)