If you missed Part 1 of this series please click here to catch up…
Okay so now you hopefully have a WordPress friendly account. Depending on your hosting you method of installing WordPress will differ. Follow any directions given by the hosting company or by WordPress documentation. If you are hosting with a company that uses cPanel, you will be able to install via Fantastico. Again, simply follow any how-to instructions provided by your hoster.
When you install your WordPress blog, ensure that you install it in its own directory within the root directory. This mean that you need to create a folder on your main public folder, title it blog. This will help ensure that the SEO you have already done for you existing site will fall right in line with what you will do on your blog.
If you are installing just the WordPress blog system you can skip setting up a folder off the root folder. You will not need to do this. But again, unless you do not have an existing site, it is recommended that you install your blog under it.
Now you have your blog installed. Configure it how you like, add whatever advertising you choose or none at all, and prepare some posts. If you need assistance with configuration, customization (including themes), or manipulation of code you can hire a freelance coder at www.RentACoder.com for relatively cheap and they can help you with this process.
Time for Plugins
Installing plugins is simple. All you have to do is upload their folders to the plugins folder in the wp-content folder on the server. From there you go to the plugins tab in the admin center and activate each one, remembering to take any necessary steps to configure each plugin after activating.
Here is a list of plugins that are essential to any blog. All of these and any others you may want can be found at: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/
Aksimet: This plugin aids in blocking spam comments. It should come installed already but you will need a WP Key to activate it. There is instructions on obtaining this key in the admin center.
MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer: WP’s ping features have a few (what I would call) glitches. It will ping your list every time you edit as well as publish. This can result in spam pinging and get you blacklisted quickly. Ping Optimizer eliminates this by only pinging when publishing, not editing already published material. Get your ping list here: I know it’s old but it is still a great ping list.
All in One SEO: This allows for SEO on each and every post. You get full control of keywords, descriptions and more.
Google XML SiteMaps: Automatically creates a Google sitemap for your site. They are sitemaps.org compatible which is necessary for most search engines to pick it up.
Those are just some basic ones. There are many and more you can have depending on your theme you chose, you’re advertising choices, JV’s you may have, and so on and so forth. The point is now are now set up with an avenue to market your already existing product or you have a site that you have wanted for some time.
Next time we will talk about dedication to the blog, getting the word out there, and getting exposure. We will also cover implementing affiliate advertising options if your blog is your main site.
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Great point about the Ping Optimizer. It’s something I hadn’t really considered, but need to get on top of pretty quick :0)
As a Newbie, I am always searching for articles that can help me. Thank you.