Blogger Settings Explained: What Sections Do You Need for What?

When managing a Blogspot (Blogger) blog, the Settings section is crucial for configuring how your blog functions, appears, and interacts with visitors and search engines. Below is a breakdown of the various Settings sections in Blogger, explaining each one’s purpose and which ones you need to focus on for SEO, user experience, and general blog management.

1. Basic Settings

Title: Up to 100 characters. This is the name of your blog and is displayed at the top of your blog's homepage. It's crucial for branding and SEO. Make sure it reflects your blog’s niche and includes relevant keywords.

Description: Up to 500 characters. To write a blog description, clearly state what your blog is about, focusing on your niche and the value you offer to readers. Keep it concise, reader-focused, and infuse a bit of personality, while incorporating relevant keywords for better visibility. The Blogspot description is also valuable for SEO, as it is displayed at the top of your entire blog.

Google Analytics Measurement ID: Create a Google Analytics account and add a tracking ID so you can learn more about your blog's traffic when it appears.

Favicon: A favicon is a small image that appears in the browser tab, bookmarks, and history list, helping users easily identify and navigate to your website. It enhances brand identity and user experience, giving your site a more professional look. To create a favicon, use online services that allow you to upload any image and convert it into a favicon.

Blog language: Set the primary language of your blog. Google uses this setting to target users in specific regions and languages. Make sure it's set to your preferred language (e.g., English, Spanish).

2. Privacy

Let search engines find your blog: This should typically be enabled for SEO purposes, so search engines can index your blog.

3. Publishing

Blog address: you can change your Blogspot blog address, but it's important to do so early in your blogging journey. Changing your URL later can affect your SEO and result in broken links unless you set up redirects. 

Custom domain: custom domains are second-level domains that provide a more professional, branded web address, whereas free Blogspot domains are third-level domains tied to the Blogspot platform. Previously, you could buy a custom domain from Blogspot via Google Domains, but now it is no longer possible because Google Domains has been discontinued. To purchase a custom domain, you’ll need to go through a domain registrar like: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Bluehost. 

  • After purchasing your domain, go to your Blogspot dashboard.

  • Navigate to Settings > Basic, then in the Blog Address section, click Edit and enter your new custom domain (e.g., yourblog.com).

  • You will be prompted to follow instructions to verify and connect your custom domain to your Blogspot blog, which typically involves configuring your domain’s DNS settings through your registrar’s control panel.

  • Blogger automatically redirects the old Blogspot.com URLs to the new custom domain URLs.

Redirect domain: this option is used to redirect the www version of your domain (e.g., www.yourblog.com) to the non-www version (e.g., yourblog.com).

Fallback subdomain refers to a backup subdomain in case there's an issue with your custom domain. If you’re using a custom domain for your blog and there’s an error with the domain availability, the Fallback subdomain ensures that your blog remains accessible through a third-level address on your custom domain address.

4. HTTPS redirect

The HTTPS Redirect feature in Blogger automatically redirects visitors from the non-secure http:// version of your blog to the secure https:// version, ensuring data security and encryption. Enabling HTTPS improves SEO, boosts user trust, and is essential for modern websites.

The option is enabled by default, and it is recommended not to disable it.

5. Permissions

Blog Authors: Here you can invite others to become authors of your blog. It's useful for multi-author blogs or collaborations.

Reader Permissions: You can set your blog to be public, or restrict access to certain people using private settings.

Generally, you want your blog to be public to ensure it's indexed by search engines and accessible to everyone.

Invite more readers. The option is off by default since the blog is public. You can switch to Custom readers mode, send invitations to your contacts to attract attention to your blog, and then make it public again.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Platform Should You Choose for Personal Blogging, and Why Is It the Wrong Question?

When you decide to start blogging, the most important thing is to begin immediately. Delaying your start can lead to lost motivation and missed opportunities. Focus on Content, Not Platforms If you start your blogging journey by fixating on which platform to choose, you risk losing focus. You might end up spending time and energy on an unimportant question instead of creating valuable content. The platform you choose is secondary to the actual writing and connection with your audience. Learning the Basics Yes, you'll eventually learn about the platform, how to buy a domain name, and other technical details. But remember, these are not the core questions that matter in the beginning. No matter which platform you select, you will be an unknown blogger at first. Realistic Expectations Don't be naive in thinking that platforms like Medium will automatically bring you an audience. Similarly, don't expect to rank at the top of search engines right away, regardless of the Content ...
Read more

Starting Your Blogging Journey: Key Priorities for Success

Embarking on a blogging journey is an exciting adventure, but where do you begin? To set yourself up for success, it’s essential to focus on a few key priorities that will guide your efforts. 1. Goals and Motivation First and foremost, establish clear goals for your blog. Understanding your motivations is crucial—do you want to monetize your content through ads or by promoting your own services? Perhaps you’re looking to connect with an audience that shares your views, philosophy, or creativity, making you feel helpful and engaged. Alternatively, you might aim to educate yourself about a specific subject as you write. Whatever your goals, keep monitoring your results. This practice not only helps you stay on track but also fuels your motivation to continue. But it’s not just about goals; establishing a consistent blogging routine is equally important. Regular posting helps maintain your momentum and keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more. 2. Content Creation and Audience ...
Read more