Everything Typepad

Typepad 101: A Recap of Newness

In case you missed it, we over at Typepad have been hard at work introducing a ton of new things for you to play with. Let's take a look at all of the new goodies!

First up, we have the Post Carousel, which adds a slideshow of the latest posts to the top of your blog.

Post Carousel: Working Hard on Your Blog

We didn't want to make your sidebars jealous, so we've also introduced the Sidebar Carousel as well. This is similar in concept, but highlights a specific category in your sidebar as opposed to all of your latest posts. Have more than one category you want to highlight? Add as many Sidebar Carousels as you like!

Continuing the fun with sidebars, we've got the Spotlight Posts widget as well as the Copyright and Introduction widgets.

The Spotlight Posts widget displays a list of posts from a category in your sidebar, even giving you the option to show the thumbnail for the first image in the post along with the post excerpt.

Spotlight (on Dogs)!

The Copyright and Introduction widgets come pre-loaded with some text that we think is useful: the Copyright widget contains the HTML code for the copyright symbol and your blog's name and the Introduction widget contains a few sentences to give you some ideas. The text for both of these widgets can be edited as you like.

Finally, the new Signature Module is a great way to add signature images, sign-offs, advertisements, or anything else you want to have automatically inserted into the bottom of each post. Add it once and it's applied to all of your posts so that you don't have to copy and paste the same thing in each time.

Until Next Time: The Signature Module in Action

We've also made some changes to our Disqus comment integration and would love it if you'd give it a whirl on your blog. We're particularly interested in those blogs using domain mapping and would ask that you open a ticket or reply back so that we can take a look at your integration.

In addition to all of this, we also released a new responsive theme called Gourmet that comes in both Spicy and Sweet designs. We think you'll love both its responsive functionality - which allows it to look great on all types of browsers and devices - and its fantastic design.

Gourmet: The Spicy Version

It's important to note that many of these features are for the Beta team only, so if there's something you want to try out but don't see, swing by the Account tab.  From there, check the Beta team option, save your changes, and you'll see all of this Typepad goodness at your fingertips!

Featured Blog: Economist's View

NAME: Mark Thoma
BLOG: Economist's View
TYPEPAD MEMBER SINCE: 2005
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: As a macroeconomist and econometrician, and a Professor of Economics at the University of Oregon, Mark Thoma knows economics. He is a regular columnist for The Fiscal Times, and an analyst at CBS MoneyWatch. His blog, Economist's View, has been called "the best place by far to keep up with the latest in economic discourse".

FOLLOW: Typepad | Twitter

A brand new theme just for food lovers!

Are you into food? Like really into food? Then our newest theme is for you. It's called Gourmet and it has two style variations - Spicy and Sweet.

Gourmet Theme - Spicy Variation

The theme is available for all account levels and it's built on our very cool Repsonsive framework, so it'll look great on any device. Give it a try by going to Blogs > Design > Choose a Theme and look for Gourmet in the listing.

Gourmet Theme - Sweet Variation

Do you want your social media icons to show in the navigation bar, the way they're shown in the theme examples above? Just add your social accounts in Account > Other Accounts and then enable those for display in Blogs > Design > Content: Navigation Bar.

We're going to be adding more variations to the Gourmet theme soon, so we're wondering - what types of foods would you like to see featured? Let us know in the comments!

Avoiding Common Blogging Mistakes: Your Sidebars are Languishing

Welcome to our series on common blogging mistakes, and how to avoid them. Every other week, we'll debut a new post designed to help you avoid mistakes that are common to both new and veteran bloggers, full of tips and tricks guaranteed to help you become an even more passionate, engaged blogger with a growing audience.

Typepad offers easy ways to add all types of content to your blog's sidebars - images, links to other sites and pretty much anything else you might want to include. The downside is that it's easy to add content to the sidebar and then forget about it. This can lead to slow load times, broken outbound links, and a blog that appears unkempt.

When we perform a Blog Tune-up Service, one of the very first things we check is the health of the blog's sidebars. You can do this yourself easily and it can help reduce clutter on your blog while improving load time.

At Blogs > Design > Content, you can see each item that you have set for the blog's sidebars. First, look at the general number of modules you have in the sidebars. If it's a lot (maybe more than 10 in each sidebar), it's time to consider getting rid of non-essential items. Some widgets and banners are only relevant for a specific time, so those are easy to remove.

Then, starting at the top, go through each item that's not a built-in function, like ads and outside links, and check for:

Correct HTML tags: Simply open the module, copy the code and paste it into a validation service. If there are incorrect tags, replace the old code with the corrected code and save. It's important that HTML tags are formatted properly - it's not something you can approximate!

Functionality: If you have a banner or link to an outside site, click through it from your blog and make sure the site is still functional and the content is what you expect to see there. If you have a dedicated blogroll, it's a good idea to do this periodically so you know you're directing your own readers to sites you'd visit yourself.

Relevance: Each item in your sidebar should either aid readers in getting around your blog, learn more about you, or provide information that's in some way relevant to your blog. If you write about food and have links to different cookbooks or other chefs, that makes sense and adds value. If you have content that is not related to you or your content, consider removing it. Readers will likely ignore it anyway.

Finally, check to see that your sidebar items are in an order that puts important elements at the top. A good order is something like:

1. A welcome blurb and photo of yourself
2. Links to your major social media profiles
3. Subscription options
4. Search module
5. List of categories
6. Outside links and banners

This prioritizes information about you and navigational items so your readers can easily find more of the content they're interested in. A quick sidebar check up once a quarter will ensure that your blog remains in tip top shape.

New For Beta Users: Widgetpalooza!

Adding widgets is a great way to easily and quickly implement features on your Typepad blog.  With that in mind, we're very pleased to introduce several new and exciting features for our Beta Team subscribers: Take a look at our Sidebar Carousel widget, Spotlight Posts widget, and the Copyright and Introduction widgets!

Let's break down what each of these features are:

The Sidebar Carousel places a slideshow of the images from one category of posts to your blog's sidebar. These pictures will then rotate, based on the various settings you can choose.  It's a great way to highlight specific categories or images on your blog in an eye-catching way. You can even add more than one Sidebar Carousel if you'd like.

Example of the Sidebar Carousel in action.

To add the Sidebar Carousel to your blog, simply go to Design > Content, find the Carousel option under Widgets, select the options you'd like to use, and save your changes.  Easy as pie! See the Knowledge Base article to learn more about the available settings for the Sidebar Carousel.

Next up is the Spotlight Posts widget.  It displays a list of posts from a category in your sidebar, and even gives you the option to show the thumbnail for the first image in the post along with the post excerpt.

As you can see, it's a pretty nifty way to highlight a specific category in your sidebar.  This can be useful to highlight text, images, or both! Learn more in the Knowledge Base.

Finally, we have the Copyright and Introduction widgets.  When you add either widget, they'll come pre-loaded with some text that we think is useful: the Copyright widget contains the HTML code for the copyright symbol and your blog's name and the Introduction widget contains some simple text to welcome and invite users to visit your blog.  The text for both of these widgets can be edited as you like.

Want to give these widgets a go but aren't a member of our Beta Team?  It's easy to join!  Just go to the Account tab, check the Beta Team option, and save your changes.

Beta Team, we'd love to hear what you think about these features!  Please open a help ticket with your feedback so that we can make them even better.

Featured Blog: A Humane Nation

NAME: Wayne Pacelle
BLOG: A Humane Nation
TYPEPAD MEMBER SINCE: 2006
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: Few are in a position to speak for the animals like Wayne Pacelle. As President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), he leads the nation's largest animal protection organization in the mission of celebrating animals and confronting cruelty. On the official Humane Society blog, you'll read about how they help animals through advocacy, campaigns to reform industries; providing animal rescue and emergency response; investigating cases of animal cruelty; and caring for animals through their sanctuaries and wildlife rehabilitation centers, emergency shelters and clinics.

FOLLOW: Twitter | Typepad

Typepad on Pinterest: Charlotte Rains Dixon

Did you know Typepad is on Pinterest? It's true! We love pinning and repinning great content from Typepad blogs in every genre, and we're always looking for great, inspirational content. Are you on Pinterest? Drop your link in the comments, and don't forget to follow Typepad right here! If you're not on Pinterest yet, check it out - it's a great way to promote your blog and connect with others!

Want some inspiration? Check out our featured pinner, Charlotte Rains Dixon!

Charlotte Dixon is passionate about writing and wants to share this passion with her fellow writers.  Whether experienced or an aspiring writer, this blog has helpful tips for all levels - from perfecting your craft, staying inspired, writing exercises and more.

FOLLOW: Pinterest | Blog

Want to promote your pinterest account on your Typepad blog? Just go to Blogs > Content and add the Pinterest Widget to your Sidebar via the center menu. While you're there, make your blog posts "pinable" by adding the Pin It button to your post footers.

Want even more? Learn how to promote your blog on Pinterest and follow Typepad at www.pinterest.com/typepad.

Featured Blog: Chickadee Manor

NAME: Jennifer Venema
BLOG: Chickadee Manor
TYPEPAD MEMBER SINCE: 2009
WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT: With all the parenting blogs being published today, it can be difficult to see though the too-slick and overly sponsored melee to the gems. Enter Chickadee Manor, a fantastic family blog featuring a wide selection of topics, from family anecdotes to food to flowers, all accompanied by great photos. It's a cleverly written slice of family life, brought to you by the family that's living it.

FOLLOW: Twitter | Typepad

Typepad On Pinterest: Dessert By Candy

Did you know Typepad is on Pinterest? It's true! We love pinning and repinning great content from Typepad blogs in every genre, and we're always looking for great, inspirational content. Are you on Pinterest? Drop your link in the comments, and don't forget to follow Typepad right here! If you're not on Pinterest yet, check it out - it's a great way to promote your blog and connect with others!

Want some inspiration? Check out our featured pinner, Dessert By Candy!

The name says it all! Candy is an inline speedskater but after taking some baking classes and making herself at home in the kitchen, she uses her blog to indulge your palette with some tasty treats.

FOLLOW: Pinterest | Blog

Want to promote your pinterest account on your Typepad blog? Just go to Blogs > Content and add the Pinterest Widget to your Sidebar via the center menu. While you're there, make your blog posts "pinable" by adding the Pin It button to your post footers.

Want even more? Learn how to promote your blog on Pinterest and follow Typepad at www.pinterest.com/typepad.

Avoid Common Blogging Mistakes: Are you using Keywords effectively for SEO?

Welcome to our series on common blogging mistakes, and how to avoid them. Every other week, we'll debut a new post designed to help you avoid mistakes that are common to both new and veteran bloggers, full of tips and tricks guaranteed to help you become an even more passionate, engaged blogger with a growing audience.

A common mistake for bloggers seeking to achieve a high ranking in Google and other search engines is forgetting the importance of keywords. Keywords from your post should be included in the Title, Permalink, and Meta Keywords.

The Title is probably the most important part of your post in determining whether or not the entire post is read. When you compose a new post (or page), the Title should concisely describe the post by including keywords to entice the visitor to read more.

Every post and page should include a Title. The Title is included in the page source within the <title> </title> tags which is what is seen by search engines. Without a Title, search engines, like Google, are going to have a harder time indexing your post to be included in search results.

For more tips on crafting a page title, the Google webmaster help guide is an excellent resource.

Like the title, the Permalink should include keywords which give a visitor an idea as to the content of the post in the URL. Keep in mind the URL for your post or page and should not be too long. By default, the title will be used as the Permalink Filename, but this can often be too long and needs to be reduced to a few keywords. It’s easy to set your own Permalink Filename with keywords.

When composing your post, click the Edit button below the title to the right of the Permalink, edit the Permalink, and click Save before publishing your post. It is important to edit the Permalink before making the post live to prevent any outside links from breaking when the Permalink is changed. No spaces or special characters should be included in the Permalink. It is recommended that you use a dash to separate keywords in the Permalink.

The Meta Keywords are also important for search engine optimization (SEO). When composing your post, enter keywords which you expect to be used when finding your post in search results in the Keywords field. Keywords and phrases can be separated by a comma.

Keywords will be included in the webpage meta data which is used by search engines to better categorize your webpages. Visitors to your blog will not see the meta keywords.

Unsure what keywords to use? Google offers a Keyword Planner to help you choose the appropriate keywords for your posts and pages.

What tips do you have for utilizing keywords in your posts and pages? Let us know in the comments!