Sometimes people email asking me how to do stuff and I keep meaning to share some of the information in it’s own blog post. Here are some answers to some of the most commonly asked questions…if you have more questions leave them in the comments. I’m not real smart, but I know people who are and if I send them naughty pictures they’ll give me the answers I’m looking for. So ask away!
1.) How can I leave a link in a comment so that only the highlighted words show up and not the entire url?
If you’re leaving a comment and want to share a link you can use a code that will hide the ugly http:// stuff and simply show the words Use this code: <a href=”http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/“>Mama’s Losin’ It</a>, only change the URL and title to reflect the destination you want the link to go to.
2.) How do I create a still frame/picture of a page or website on the internet?
You know…like this:
Simply go to the page you want to use. Click the “fn” and “prt sc” button at the same time. Open up paintbrush, click edit/paste. There you go. Save it as a jpeg in your pictures and it’s ready to go.
3.) How do I link to someone without typing out the URL on the actual post?
You’re new here aren’t you? When you first start blogging you might not be familiar with the link. Instead of writing “You MUST check out Mama Kat at http://www.mamakatslosinit.com! She’s amazing!!” you should write “You MUST check out Mama’s Losin’ It! She’s amazing!!”
Not only is that a much more fluid sentence, but it gives Mama Kat better link love. I don’t know why, but saying click here or writing out the url does not give the destination the link juice that they need to climb the technorati/alexa/google rank charts. Make sure the link is a different color than your text though so that your readers know it’s a clickable word or phrase.
To do that you just highlight the words you want to be clickable and find the link button in your toolbar. In WordPress it looks like a piece of a chain link fence OR it says link in bold blue letters. In Blogger it looks like a little planet with a satellite on top of it and when you hover your mouse over the top of it the word “link” appears. Yes it’s that easy. Just click that button and copy/paste your link and there you have it.
4.) What is that technorati/Alexa/google rank crap you were just talking about?
I have to be honest…this is something I barely understand. This is what I gather in “mama kat terms”.
All web sites are given “status”…from websites we use everyday, like Google and Facebook…to silly little blogs like ours. All sites that are correctly registered are ranked among the alllllll the other websites. The higher your ranking the more likely your blog will come up in search results and the more likely advertisers will be interested in working with you. I’m sure there are a bunch of other perks, but I don’t really know. I just do what I’m told.
Someone told me I needed to register with Alexa so I did. Someone told me I needed an account with technorati, now I have one. I’m sure they’re important for a reason…I just don’t know exactly what that reason is. Here are some articles written by people who DO know that I have found to be very helpful if this is something you want to learn more about. They provide descriptions, links to help you get started, and ways to increase your sites ranking:
- 20 Quick Ways to Increase Your Alexa Ranking
- How To Increase Technorati Authority
- Google’s Page Rank Explained
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Those are all some fantastic tips and tricks! The only thing is I clicked fn and prt sc and now I can’t get my screen back to normal! HAHA.
What is the “FN” button and where is it? I don’t see it on my keyboard for capturing a screen shot.
Thank you for all the tips. I actually did have a question today. I have two blogs on Yovia.com, and they are just starting to get attention and comments. Should I go ahead and move them to their own dot com, or wait for a while till they get a little more popular? Thanks for your help in advance :).
Not all computers need the function key (FN) to be held down at the same time. My laptop for example, I only need to hit the PrtSc key (short for print screen) and then paste in a new paint document, or something similar.
Ahhh, Kat! Ahhhh! Okay now I’M losing it! Just this morning I was thinking about how I need to join a writer’s group to give myself some writing inspiration and hone the craft, and I just stumbled onto your too adorable blog through SITS. :o) Can’t wait to join in on your Workshops!
P.S. Neat that you’re a former English teacher! I used to teach Kindergarten in my pre-mama life, and we did Writing Workshop even with my little Kinders. They loved it. I still have some laminated and bound stories that my kiddos wrote. :o) Can’t wait to tackle the same kind of stuff with my girls in the future! (Homeschooling…with a good, strong cup of iced coffee!)
Thank you soooo much for these tips! I have wondering about the screen shot one FOREVER! It is like you read my mind. I love all you blog tips! Thanks!!!
I’m so glad someone else has no clue why they sign up for technorwhatever and others, but does what they are told none the less!
Wow. I actually knew the answer to all of these!
Justine :o )
“fn button”?
I must be oblivious because that sounds like a bad swear to me … lol :)
Thanks for the tips, I feel like I’ma goin’ ta college!
I love blog tips. I didn’t know most of these.
Very helpful, thank you for sharing all you wonderful knowledge.
Just wondering, is there going to be a test?
Thank you for those great tips!
I’ve been trying to figure out how to get a screen shot with no luck. You’re the first person to say hit the “fn” button instead of the alt button. I tried it and it FINALLY worked for me! You are awesome!
SITS brought me by and I am so glad they did! I am cracking up reading your blog.
Thanks Kat for the tips! Being new to the blogosphere I appreciate any tips, tricks and free drinks I can get. I’d love to learn more about all the buttons you and others have along side your right column. Why do you do it? How do you do it? Benefits, drawbacks, etc. Thanks for being a great example. Love you and your site. I’m a fan!
First of all, really love the blog/brand – unique! Go Mama Kat! The reason the link juice is different when you link your actual keywords/brand is because then Google not only gets a ‘vote’ for the site but it also realizes that your site is about ‘keyword’ or ‘brand’. If you like ‘here’, you get a vote for your site but you get a vote for the keyword ‘here’ rather than ‘Mama Kat’.
Excellent article, great tips and info =)
Great tips, Mama Kat! I am so proud that I knew all of this! Except of course that the screen capture function is different on a Mac. :)
Someone told me I needed an account with technorati, now I have one. I’m sure they’re important for a reason…I just don’t know exactly what that reason is.
It is so the gov’t can gather your IP address and then track everything you do online. Cue evil laughter. Just kidding.
screenshots on a mac would be command + shift + 4
MamaKat! I’ve always wondered how you did this with your Bachelor posts. Now I can do it too! Thanks for sharing your super cool bloggy ways and having a section for tips. You’re so awesome! (has anyone told you this today?)
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