Getting prepared for future WordPress upgrades

Jul 03, 2009 in information

One of the good things and one of the bad things is the constant evolution of WordPress. It can be a pain to upgrade but the new features and abilities are usually a good payoff.

Now I know that we are still waiting for the WordPress 2.8.1 release but there are some big changes coming in 2.9 that you should be aware of that effect your hosting. This is quoted from the WordPress blog

WP 2.9 will require MySQL 4.1.2 or greater. This is raised from the current requirement of 4.0.

In order to promote migration to PHP 5, the upgrader will suggest that those running PHP 4 switch to PHP 5.

Now for most of us that is a bunch of gobbly gook but it actually is really easy to check if your host meets these requirements and if they don’t to ask them to upgrade now so you will be ready.

Log into your cPanel for your domain (http://yourdomain.com/cpanel) and you can check the status. On the version I use it is on the left hand side at the bottom under general server information. (You may need to expand it to see all the information.

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Once you do you can see the version of MySQL you are using and the version of php you are running.

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As long as you meet the minimums (and the majority should) you are set but if not you may want to ask your host to upgrade so you will be able to continue now rather than waiting until the release in a few months.

Just a quick FYI for you.

Have a great week end.

Mike Paetzold

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WordPress Is No Longer Just For Blogging

Jun 30, 2009 in information

WordPress Is No Longer Just For Blogging

Seems like a rash statement I know. But by the time you finish this article you will know six ways to use Wordpress besides as a blog. Exactly why WordPress is more powerful than the majority of static websites. And why you should be using it too.

WordPress is well known as one of the best, if not the best, blog platforms around. What you may not know is that with minimal effort WordPress can be used in not just one or two other types of sites but at least six and probably ways besides Being used as a blogging platform. Don’t believe me here are six different ways you can use WordPress.

1. As a squeeze page to collect leads for your email list
2. As a review site allowing you to make affiliate sales
3. As a sales letter for your product that is search engine friendly
4. As a static looking site for any regular content site
5. As a membership site to help you generate residual income
6. As an affiliate site to promote your favorite affiliate programs

Those are the ways that you can use WordPress That brings up the question as to why you would want to use it for any of those things. There are 3 primary reasons.

1. The structure of a WordPress blog with just a couple of plugins is very appealing to the search engines.
2. Search engines tend to spider them faster because of the structure that is inherent in the software.
3. Add in the automated RSS feed and you have a perfectly set up spider friendly site quickly and easily.

Think how many more visitors you can get by having the search engines liking your site structure. Think your page just may rank a bit higher in Google, Yahoo and Bing? Will that generate more visitors to your site for whatever purpose you are using it? I sure think so what about you?

The other great thing about WordPress is the ease of installation and the vast number of plugins. You can add lots of functionality quickly and easily. There are literally thousands of plugins available to you.. The really nice part is most of them are free.

There are also a huge number of themes available to customize your blog to get the look you want to achieve. All of these things together mean that once you get comfortable with WordPress you just may put your webmaster out of a job. It is easy when you know how.

To discover exactly how to bend WordPress to your will spy on this programming nerd and watch exactly how he does it at Nerd Blogger.

You may use this article as long as it is unchanged (including the resource box) and all links are maintained.

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WordPress 2.8.1 beta 2 – Are you a plugin author?

Jun 27, 2009 in information

Just downloaded the latest beta version of WordPress for the new upgrade for the 2.8 version. WordPress is “begging” for plugin authors to check their plugins on this. From their post…

We especially suggest, recommend, and beg that plugin developers test their plugins against beta 2 and let us know of any issues. Notable fixes in beta 2:

* Translation of role names fixed
* wp_page_menu() defaults to sorting by the user specified menu order rather than the page title
* Upload error messages are now correctly reported
* Autosave error experienced by some IE users is fixed
* Styling glitch in the plugin editor fixed
* SSH2 filesystem requirements updated
* Switched back to curl as the default transport
* Updated the translation library to avoid a problem with mbstring.func_overload

Now so far all the plugins I normally use seem to be working fine but for any of you that have created plugins take the time to test them with the new beta release. This way you will save your self some grief from people that have problems and provide more value to your customers.

Looks like this is very close to being a full release and I will keep you updated.

Mike Paetzold

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Blog Commenting – A Great Traffic Strategy

Jun 25, 2009 in information

Blog Commenting – A Great Traffic Strategy

Blog commenting is a great way to generate traffic and back links to your blog. Though most people know this they tend not to do this because it seems like it may be a bit of that 4 letter word – WORK.

Because of that you see lots of services that will sell you commenting or PLR packages that come with pre-written blog comments. Not some of my favorite things.

Blog commenting does not have to be hard but you do need to provide value to others to generate value for your blog.

There are two ways that blog commenting helps your blog.

The first is the back link from leaving your comment.

The second is from people clicking through on your signature because of the comment you left.

Now there are plugins like do follow and comment luv that can make your comments more powerful. If you find blogs that do follow and use comment luv keep a list of them or add them to your feed reader as they will be more valuable links.

You still can and should add comments to other blogs even if they do not use those plugins. The reason is if you are participating and adding value to other blogs on your topic you will get traffic from your commenting efforts whether they do or do not.

The key is to be adding value and being on topic.

As an example commenting on a blog about horse training and linking to my WordPress blog will probably not get a lot of that blogs readers to be interested and follow to my blog. These are not the targeted readers I am looking to attract. If I had left a comment on another blog that was about blogging it would have much more power and the people clicking through would be my targeted audience.

It is easy to find blogs on your topic. Here is an easy 4 step way to find them.

1. Write a blog post on a specific topic
2. Go to Google news,
3. Search your topic
4. Click on the blog link on the left hand side.

You will see the most recent blog posts on that topic. (It is better to comment on newer posts and you are more likely to be approved.) Go read the post and add your comment.

Do this on a regular basis and you will increase the targeted traffic to your blog.

Mike Paetzold is a long time blogger and WordPress expert who has created 15 Minute Blog Traffic to help you generate more traffic to your blog easily.

You may use this article as long as it is unchanged (including the resource box) and all links are maintained.

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Use Pillar Posts For More Blog Visitors

Jun 24, 2009 in information

Use Pillar Posts For More Blog Visitors

Pillar posts are one of the best ways to generate back links and improve the overall ranking of your blog. Pillar posts are the support for your blog. They help to define your topic and act as support for your blog thus the term pillar posts.

A pillar post need to be a good resource that people will want to refer others. The two most common types are a tutorial or a resource list.

It is best to make these on topics that are evergreen. By evergreen I mean something that will still be valuable 3 or 6 months or even 3 years from now. With the internet changing as fast as it is this is not always possible and you can get results from items that are less likely to last.

As an example Twitter has become huge over the last year but a great Twitter resource list from last year is probably not still valid as the scene is changing their daily. That does not mean that you could not have gotten some great traffic for it over the first few months. It just won’t continue to add references like a more evergreen topic.

Make sure that you have done the keyword research for your topic and that your pillar post targets one of your specific keywords.

A great list of Word press plugins would be perfect for my blog about WordPress but the same list would have absolutely no value on my horse training blog. It needs to be on topic for the rest of your blog. Seems like common sense but I have seen people create lists that have absolutely nothing to do about their primary topic just because it was a hot topic.

Resource lists are one of the easier ways to create a pillar post. List the top 10 or any other number of what ever the resources are in your topic. If your blog is on traffic generation then a post explaining the top 10 ways to generate more traffic would be perfect.

For how to, tutorial or instructional pillar posts go in to depth on exactly how to do a specific task. If you are doing it in writing then be sure to include screen captures (if appropriate) to make it even more valuable.

Your how to can also be a video which are quite popular in this day and age. Doing both a written version and a video version on your pillar post topic can make it even more likely that more people will link to your post.

The better the information you share the more likely people are to link to it.

In conclusion adding pillar posts are one of the best ways to generate links back to your blog which will definitely allow you to get more traffic to your blog. So stop reading and go add one to your blog today.

Mike Paetzold is a long time blogger and WordPress expert who has created 15 Minute Blog Traffic to help you generate more traffic to your blog easily.

You may use this article as long as it is unchanged (including the resource box) and all links are maintained.

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3 Ways To Use Guest Blogging For More Traffic

Jun 23, 2009 in blog-launch, information

3 Ways To Use Guest Blogging For More Traffic

Guest blogging is one of the true win – win – win situations you can participate in. When you have a guest blogger you win by having solid content for your blog that you did not have to write. It works best when you get someone that is in the same or similar area that has a different view on things.

Each of us is unique so your readers win because they get another view of the topics you cover. This makes your blog an even better resource for them.

The guest blogger wins because they get their ideas in front of a new crowd. If they make a good impression they can pick up more readers for their own blog.

Now that you understand the dynamics of guest blogging here are 3 ways to use guest blogging to increase your reach.

Share your very best content when you guest blog. The better the quality of your posts that you share the more you build your reputation as an expert on the topic. People want to follow others that share quality information.

Make your information actionable for the reader.Some of the better results I get from blog posts are where I lay out an action plan and am very specific. Giving a lot of information with no way to use it can be confusing for the reader. People like to know exactly how to apply the information. The more step by step it is the more likely people are to use it and most importantly to tell others about it.

Guest blogging helps you the most when you build up the trust of your new audience and giving people an action plan is a great way to do that.

Make your signature file actionable. After all the signature file is your paycheck for your work. Use good anchor text to improve your ranking in the search engine and give people a reason to click through and become part of your tribe too.

So there are 3 ways that you can use guest blogging to increase your reach and generate targeted visitors to your blog.

Mike Paetzold is a long time blogger and WordPress expert who has created 15 Minute Blog Traffic to help you generate more traffic to your blog easily.

You may use this article as long as it is unchanged (including the resource box and all links are maintained.

If you are interested in having me as a guest on your blog and you cover blogging or WordPress please contact me at http://askmikepaetzold.com

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3 Ways To Increase The Traffic To Your Blog

Jun 20, 2009 in information

3 Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Blog

By Mike Paetzold
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Traffic is the life blood of your blog. No matter the topic of you blog every blog needs more traffic. Below are 3 easy to implement ways to get more traffic to your blog.

1. Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a great way to do this. Contact other bloggers in your niche and ask if they would like to have you write a guest post for their blog. This allows you to go provide quality content to another audience and you can link back to your blog. The owner gets quality content.

It is even better when you guest for each other. This way you can share audiences and increase the reach of each of your blogs.

2. Pillar Posts

Pillar posts are posts that are usually a bit longer and very detailed with instructions or lists. Do a detailed how to on a topic and you are likely to get people linking to it because of how useful it is. These can include lists of resources that are helpful or good instructional posts.

3. Blog Commenting

Taking part in the conversation on other blogs is a great way to generate backlinks and draw visitors from the links on the comments. The key, as with all of these tips, is adding quality content in your comments. People will follow your signature link and check you out ONLY when you are adding to the conversation they are already involved on.

So there are 3 easy to implement ways to increase your traffic and back links to your blog. The key is to start applying them today.

Mike Paetzold is a long time blogger and WordPress expert who has created 15 Minute Blog Traffic to help you generate more traffic to your blog easily.

You may use this article as long as it is unchanged (including the resource box and all links are maintained.

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Catching up on things

Jun 13, 2009 in questions

There has been a lot going on this week with WordPress and myself. WordPress released version 2.8, I held the monthly Blog Talk Radio WordPress Q and A and re-launched WordPress Made Easy.

So some of the comments and question have not gotten answered. Time to correct that as much as I can.

The first was a question on the subscription pop that I use. It is a light box pop. There are a few available. The one I like the best and use on my Mike Paetzold Recommends blog is a paid version of Optin Pop plugin.

It has a free version there too. The difference is the paid version allows you to rotate different pops. For me I like that and use it for more than just adding subscribers.

I will offer different items for the signup or use it to refer people to various Butterfly Marketing style sites too. This way people see different offers each time they stop by. You can use a site like Instant Bonus Pages to find quite a few of these type sites and then target the offer to your audience. You can set it to load on entrance, time delayed or on exit.

The other question that I saw I missed was on widgets with the new WordPress 2.8. You do need to save the widget once you drag it.

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As soon as you drag a new widget it expands so you can set the options. Even if you are using the defaults you need to hit the save button.

Think that catches up on what I have missed. As always if you have questions on WordPress and blogging use the comments below.

Mike Paetzold

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WordPress 2.8 Update and Blog Talk Radio Replay

Jun 11, 2009 in information

WordPress 2.8 released last night. Still finding new things that have been added each time I play around. The syntax highlighting was a surprise but a nice one. If you are editing your theme it color codes things like your favorite desk top code editor does.

Check out the video below from WordPress.tv

Last nights Blog Talk Radio is available for replay. Thanks to all that attended and to my co-host Steve Roye of Real First Steps. Lots of good information and we always have fun.

Have not seen any problems with upgrading through my main blogs. All have upgraded and seem seem to be working well. Power WordPress Users now have the new files available in the member’s download area.

Well got up way too early this morning as the dampness and my back are not getting along well but it did allow me to get this out much earlier than I normally would.

Finally , a shameless plug – The $20 discount on the re-launch of WordPress Made Easy (upgraded to include all the new features in 2.8) is only available until Saturday

Have a great day.

Mike Paetzold

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WordPress Wednesday Times 3

Jun 10, 2009 in profitable blogging

Lots happening about WordPress today. WordPress 2.8 is being released, WordPress Made Easy has been totally redone to include the changes in 2.8 and finally tonight at 7 pm is the monthly WordPress Q and A Show on Blog Talk Radio. Now to the details.

Not announced 100% as I write this in the early morning but WordPress 2.8 should be out today per their blog. The post before this covers the steps for upgrading and what to be aware of to make it a smooth process. You can get my team and I to do the upgrade for you if you prefer. Once it is released we will also be updating the file for Power WordPress Users.

WordPress Made Easy – Just finished redoing all of the videos and instructions to cover all the changes in WordPress since the original release. Added bonuses that were not included to make it even easier for you to not only install and tweak out your WordPress blog easily but to get started with traffic generation and even included a complete explanation of the new dashboard.

Everything that you need ot get your blog working for you. Then I went a bit nuts and cut the price by $20 but just through Saturday. Check out WordPress Made Easy today before the savings disappears.

Last but certainly not least is the monthly WordPress Q and A Call tonight at 7pm edt. I will once again have my good friend Steve Roye on the line to keep it funny and avoid any techno-babble. You can call in or listen online and ask your questions live. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments below.

So all in all a Wacky WordPress Wednesday. Talk to you tonight.

Mike Paetzold.

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