In Q1 this year, I got a chance to make a custom photography logo for a freelance photographer based in Poland. This is what I like to call a signature logo.
The client really wanted his own signature to be used as a logo. And so we went with the concept. I loved how it turned out after that and so did he.
You can check out his work on his Instagram handle.
When you want your logo to be unique and iconic, this can be a perfect choice, your signature is a great representation of you and the chances of someone having something similar are really slim.
In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of using HTTPS on your blog.
Today, I'm writing to give you a tutorial for your blog that is hosted on blogger.com and the tutorial is all about switching from HTTP to HTTPS in a manner that is doesn't affect your blog traffic, confuse Google and make a hot mess out of your otherwise, fine and amazing blog or website.
Blogger has always aimed to make it easier for bloggers to achieve the guidelines it gives to bloggers and site owners. For example, a very easy way to nofollow links, a customisable platform, and when it was finally time for HTTPS, blogger helped by allowing users to just make two clicks and have access to free SSL and thus HTTPS.
Fun Fact : I love how blogger simplifies things, in fact, I love the blogger platform and I think it's really a good option for bloggers and even some service-based creative individuals. I use it myself.
But, the problem with large scale changes such as these is that they won't be without problems of their own.
It is, as I mentioned before, important to keep in mind that such large scale changes also come with their own set of problems, and ones that came with the adoption of HTTPS in early 2016 was that most blogs that were using third-party scripts and widgets, experienced a lot of "content unavailable" errors when being served over SSL.
WARNING : It should be kept in mind that switching from HTTP to HTTPS can cause incompatible third-party widgets and scripts to break.
So let's get into the step by step way to prepare for the switch and that actually make it on your blogger blog.
01. Prepare for the switch from HTTP to HTTPS
One of the first things I'd like you to do is find out whether your theme's external widgets (that are not from Blogger) support HTTPS. If you're running an old theme, chances are it won't support many scripts and you'll see a lot of content that doesn't load anymore because of it, or you'll see mixed content issues.
I wish I could tell you what script is causing the problem but with so many templates out there I couldn't exactly pinpoint what's wrong with yours unless I know more about it. Feel free to leave a comment (without leaving a link in the actual comment that you need help).
Make a list of all widgets and codes your theme uses that don't support HTTPS, and know that these might not work or cause problems when you switch. Ask your script developer if they plan to support HTTPS and can help you integrate it.
02. Make The Switch
- Now, head over to Settings in your blogger dashboard.
- From there, click Basic
- And under HTTPS select "Yes" for both the options.
To match, here's what your settings should look like:
That's it, you should see HTTPS working in about 24 hours for your blog. Usually, it happens sooner, but I still recommend giving it 24 hours before you decide that something is wrong and you need to troubleshoot it.
03. Making changes in Google Webmasters
Every time a URL changes Google and most search engines view it as a new URL, so by switching to HTTPS it's like your website is brand new.
But we don't want that, because well, that's bad for our search presence. So, you'll go to Google Webmaster/Search Console and add all your site versions:
- Starting with HTTP (both www and non-www versions)
- Starting with HTTPS (both www and non-www versions)
And then, you'll set the preference to the HTTPS version, this lets Google know that while both domain names are yours and of the same site, you prefer the HTTPS version over HTTP.
04. Updating your Google Analytics
If you are using Google analytics, and chances are that you are. You'll need to update your websites address there too.
- Head on to over to Google Analytics
- Click on Admin
- Navigate to Property Settings
- Change the default URL to "https://"
Make sure the settings are saved and you are done.
That's it, this is how you can properly switch from HTTP to HTTPS on your blogger blog.
Troubleshooting HTTPS Issues
Sometimes, you HTTPS availability might get, what you may call "stuck" and that's not normal.
If you're not seeing HTTPS working on your blog even after the 24 hour period is over, here's what you can do to troubleshoot:
- Check whether your domain is set-up properly.
- Uninstall or remove Cloudflare if you have that enabled on your blog.
- Reset your custom domain on blogger.
- Turn off HTTPS and wait a day or two before turning it back on.
Usually, this will fix the issue. But if it's still not working, please feel free to leave a comment below (don't add your website link in the comment section, instead use your google account or name and URL so I can get in touch with you).
Additionally, you can seek support in my group dedicated to bloggers using blogger.
Mixed Content Issues
Once you get your site to load over HTTPS but there is still some content being served over HTTP you will not mixed content issues.
The only way to combat this is to find what content is being served over HTTP and to fix it.
INFO : If you need me to solve and fix their mixed content issues. I charge my hourly rate of $75/hour for all tech work. If you'd like me to help you fix this, please feel free to get in touch.
I hope this tutorial has helped you and please feel free to leave comments and questions down below if you are stuck somewhere or just need more help in making sense of things.
If you know of someone that could benefit from reading this blog post, feel free to share it with them!
And if possible, please consider donating if you can, so that I may be able to continue with creating tutorials and blog posts such as these. It is my mission to be able to provide as much information as possible about blogger blogs to dispell some really nasty myths out there, and your donation really does make a difference!
Now, if there is a certain tutorial that is not yet on this website or a blog post topic you'd like to hear more about, feel free to send in a request and I'll guarantee you that I'll write on it.
You can even follow my blog or subscribe to receive the latest blog posts directly to your inbox so that you never miss a post.
I think you'll agree with me when I say blogging has changed so much since the early 2000s; what it used to be when it was just getting popularised. And so has the technologies we use to blog.
Nowadays, blogging isn't just hitting publish on a blog post, it's so much more. Marketing, promoting, selling products and services you build, running membership sites and so much more.
As the nature of blogging has changed, new threats emerged, and security questions are being raised. People want to be protected, more and more people are realising the importance of their data and are taking it seriously.
Laws are being formed about the same, and as a digital content creator, it falls on you to keep up with all the latest changes and rules and regulations not only to protect yourself but your audience and give them a secure browsing option on your blog or website.
One of the most recent changes has been awareness about HTTPS and SSL. And I know some of you haven't caught on it, yet. That's why I'm here to help you understand what it is in a non-technical way, and let you know why it's so IMPORTANT.
What is HTTPS?
The abbreviation stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is the secure version of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
Google has been pushing HTTPS for a long time now, and even gave a small significance to websites that were being loaded over HTTPS to those that were simply loading on HTTP.
It was all made official, with the release of Google Chrome 68. Google was making it sure that website owners serve their websites over a secure connection.
What is SSL?
Think of SSL as the means by which a secure connection is served by a server to a computer network. The result of which is, that you see a padlock and your web address starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP.
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer.
Why use HTTPS and SSL?
HTTPS signals your web browsers to use an added layer of SSL to protect your site's traffic, in short, you readers and audience. This also helps protect your audience's sensitive information such as credit card information, passwords, e-mails etc.
It prevents attackers from meddling with your site content by changing it when a visitor visits your website.
Why is this important to me as a blogger?
Brilliant question. It is important, especially for site owners such as yourself. Let me explain why. As a blogger, you own your very own space in the world wide web. And so, it becomes your duty to protect your audience the best you can when they visit your website and/or blog.
To safeguard your audience's sensitive information is an ethical thing to do. And if that hasn't convinced you, then, it also helps build trust towards your brand and loyalty over time.
Think about it, do you want to or will buy from a site that gives a "Not Secure" warning to users? I think not. Especially when audiences are becoming more aware of their privacy and data by the day.
In an age of increasing frauds, shady companies, and shady privacy policies there is one thing that customers appreciate and that is transparency and honesty. SSL gives your audience to peace of mind to browse through your website and interact with it safely.
And I believe it should be at the heart of your business to value your customer, their privacy and information safety the most.
But sometimes, just being ethical and good-natured isn't enough for some so here are a few more reasons an SSL is important for you:
- Chrome browsers/ other browsers won't give a "Not Secure" warning to your visitors.
- A slight boost in SEO
- If someone wasn't subscribing to your e-mail list or buying your product because their browser was telling them their sensitive data might be at risk, they will do so now that you have SSL enabled.
What is TLS and does it matter?
TLS is known as Transport Layer Security. It is a succeeding technology to SSL and it is what makes sure that data transfer between your web server and a visitors computer is encrypted (protected) the same way SSL would do.
I've already mentioned the reasons you should consider adding an SSL on your blog, but apart from the ethical reasons, and some other obvious reasons also mentioned above. Let me say it again.
SSL is important for the safety of your visitors' sensitive information, such as e-mail addresses, credit card information, debit card information, phone numbers, addresses etc.
So if you collect any of the above information from your visitors, you SHOULD use an SSL/TLS encryption on your website/blog.
This isn't just a matter of being ethical it's also a responsibility, and personally, I'm hesitant to purchase or interact with websites that don't use SSL/TLS or don't have a padlock (lock icon) displaying in the address bar.
But having an SSL gives you the following advantages as well:
I hope this blog post has helped you understand in a better way why bloggers and website owners should start using SSL/TLS. If this blog post has helped you, please help me out by sharing it with your friends on social media, follow my blog or subscribe to receive new posts directly in your inbox.
If you feel that you'd like to help me out please consider donating so that I can keep bringing DIY tutorials and more to you. If there's a request or tutorial you'd like to see on this blog, feel free to suggest it here.
Does it matter if I don't use SSL/TLS on my website/blog?
I've already mentioned the reasons you should consider adding an SSL on your blog, but apart from the ethical reasons, and some other obvious reasons also mentioned above. Let me say it again.
SSL is important for the safety of your visitors' sensitive information, such as e-mail addresses, credit card information, debit card information, phone numbers, addresses etc.
So if you collect any of the above information from your visitors, you SHOULD use an SSL/TLS encryption on your website/blog.
This isn't just a matter of being ethical it's also a responsibility, and personally, I'm hesitant to purchase or interact with websites that don't use SSL/TLS or don't have a padlock (lock icon) displaying in the address bar.
But having an SSL gives you the following advantages as well:
- It gives you a boost in SERP over the same niche non-SSL sites that are talking about the same things you are talking about.
- IF I haven't said it already, it protects your visitor's sensitive information. So if you collect e-mails or sell something on your website, it is a must!
- It builds trust and shows your audience you take their privacy seriously.
How do I add SSL/TLS to my website?
Each website is just unique in the way that it is built. And what tools go into the making of it.
Some people use website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com whereas others might use Blogger.com or even choose to go the self-hosted route.
But the ability to have HTTPS essentially is provided by your host, where your website lives (or is hosted). All the above-mentioned platforms offer free SSL for your site except self-hosted blogs (in this case, some hosts do charge for SSL and some don't) and there is a way to go about it if you want to enable it.
How to enable SSL on the platform that you are using is outside the scope of this blog post however, as this is a series I will eventually be covering your platform sooner or later.
TIP : Feel free to subscribe or follow my blog to make sure you can stay updated with my blog posts and don't miss a tutorial. You can even request a specific tutorial or blog post about a topic you wish to know more about here.
What is a mixed content issue?
Mixed content issue is when HTTPS and SSL are enabled on a site yet the address bar shows an icon with an "i" and circle around it.
This means that while your site is using the HTTPS protocol and has an SSL/TLS in place there are some components being loaded over non-SSL encryptions. This is what we call a mixed content issue.
To be able to fix mixed content issues you need to know what scripts, codes, images, media or content are being served over non-secure channels on your website that are causing this issue.
Once you locate this and make sure everything is being served over SSL/TLS then, this issue will be resolved.
Usually, asking your developer or tech is the best thing to do to help you properly fix these issues.
However, if that is not an option you will need to do this manually. In the coming blog posts in this series, we'll explain how to resolve mixed content issues depending upon your blogging/website platform.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I help bloggers on all popular platforms solve and fix their mixed content issues. I charge my hourly rate of $75/hour for all tech work. If you'd like me to help you fix this, please feel free to get in touch.
This means that while your site is using the HTTPS protocol and has an SSL/TLS in place there are some components being loaded over non-SSL encryptions. This is what we call a mixed content issue.
How to fix mixed content issues?
To be able to fix mixed content issues you need to know what scripts, codes, images, media or content are being served over non-secure channels on your website that are causing this issue.
Once you locate this and make sure everything is being served over SSL/TLS then, this issue will be resolved.
Usually, asking your developer or tech is the best thing to do to help you properly fix these issues.
However, if that is not an option you will need to do this manually. In the coming blog posts in this series, we'll explain how to resolve mixed content issues depending upon your blogging/website platform.
Do you help fix mixed content issues?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I help bloggers on all popular platforms solve and fix their mixed content issues. I charge my hourly rate of $75/hour for all tech work. If you'd like me to help you fix this, please feel free to get in touch.
I hope this blog post has helped you understand in a better way why bloggers and website owners should start using SSL/TLS. If this blog post has helped you, please help me out by sharing it with your friends on social media, follow my blog or subscribe to receive new posts directly in your inbox.
If you feel that you'd like to help me out please consider donating so that I can keep bringing DIY tutorials and more to you. If there's a request or tutorial you'd like to see on this blog, feel free to suggest it here.
At the start of this year, I got a chance to work on designing a business card for a Wix Code Expert for an event she was going to be attending.
I was tasked with creating a design that was modern and felt unique to her brand.
I came up with the concept of colour splashes that represent her brand colours as she is a vibrant person, who touches and transforms the business lives of her clients.
She quickly fell in love with the concept and approved it right away. It was an amazing experience to work with her!
Need a custom business card designed for your business?
Feel free to get in touch here or via my Etsy shop.
When you've just embarked on your blogging journey, you probably hear a lot of things. And at least once, I believe you must have heard that e-mail lists are gold mines for bloggers.
Now, the problem with all the information available out there on the internet is that ultimately, you don't know whether or not it applies to you. And instead of finding out after a long time of trying, wouldn't it be better if someone just told you what applies to you according to the stage you are at in your blogging journey?
I can't tell you about it enough times, but when I started my very first blog in late 2014, I didn't know ANYTHING. I was a total NOOB.
And I made so many mistakes. I tried so many strategies for the first year most of which didn't work; and it wasn't because the strategies were terrible, it was because I tried to them when I had no knowledge of the order of things when it came to blogging.
1.5 years into my blogging journey, I was not only overwhelmed, but I was also entirely burnt out. I wanted to give it up, blogging didn't feel fun anymore, it was becoming a task I was starting to dread a little.
And now I know why. I collected all this information reading blog posts from bloggers about blogging and was applying it to my blog without fail for so long that I had a list of 10-15 blogging and related tasks to do every day on top of my studies. Talk about being dumb.
So fellow bloggers, don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't do EVERYTHING at once.
Moving on to the subject at hand, and without wasting time I'll just say it. I don't think new bloggers should worry too much about e-mail marketing. There, I said it.
I know, somewhere in the world an email marketer is frowning when I give new bloggers this advice, but I just want to say this; it's not that e-mail marketing is not important, I never said that. It's just that there are more important tasks for you to do each day for your blog at the moment.
Allow me to explain it better.
Why I believe new bloggers need not bother with email marketing
Being a new blogger means you've just set-up your blog and have a few posts up OR you are earning anywhere from $0-$500/per month as a blogger.
I give this limit because it makes it easier to define a new blogger this way. It could be that you're blogging for years but haven't made this much income from blogging too and in that case, you could consider yourself a part of this advice as well.
Now, I'm writing this blog post for bloggers. And so I'm going to assume that most of your revenue comes from the following streams:
- Showing advertisements
- Affiliate marketing
- Sponsored posts
- Reviewing products
I know bloggers do earn by selling their own products, but I'm not going to include it in this profile because that is something bloggers do when they are at an advanced stage in blogging. All bloggers that you see that are selling their products like hotcakes right now, they're probably not new bloggers, and even if they seem to have a new blog they are probably NOT first-timers.
Most new bloggers will hit the $500/month mark only by the (mentioned above) four streams of income. Blogging regularly (at least 2-5 times a week) and by increasing their blog traffic.
TIP : If you're a blogger who is earning anywhere from $0-$500/month I offer a Facebook support group especially for you! It's to help encourage you, motivate you and provide you with no fluff advice that works. It's free and you can join it here
In my blog consultations and coaching I have noticed that the majority of new bloggers don't know how to gradually build up their blog, they will not go from A to B but try to jump from A-Z. Which often ends in nothing but frustration and thoughts like, "only bloggers that blog about blogging make money".
I genuinely believe that new bloggers should focus on things such as SEO, blogging regularly and site monetisation first and building a community (e-mail list) later.
Why I believe new bloggers don't benefit as much from e-mail marketing
Having been a new blogger once, I know what is and isn't going to bring you the most ROI (return on investment) as a new blogger.
And I don't just mean financial ROI, I also mean the amount of time you invest in writing out to your e-mail list will not bring as much ROI when you're a new blogger.
See, when you're a new blogger, your focus should be on building your blog traffic, and blogging regularly and to some extent branding yourself (having a nice theme, a logo and blog header that people can start recognising your brand).
I also know that most new bloggers are working with a limited budget. Depending upon the blogging platform you may have chosen you've already invested in your blog and it is yet to earn you something.
TIP : I wrote a blog post about starting and maintaining a blog that costs you $0/year and why it's a good idea to not start with an initial investment in this blog post.
And guess what, it will cost you more to start an email list too.
What it costs to maintain an e-mail list
Yes, it costs to maintain an email list. First, you'll need am email marketing service provider.
Some of the most common ones are:
- MailChimp: has a free option.
- Mailerlite: has a free option.
- Aweber: paid only, but has a free trial.
- Madmimi: paid only.
- ConvertKit: paid only.
After either hitting the free limit you'll need to upgrade, or if you go with a service like ConvertKit you'll have to pay right when you start using their service.
And then it will cost you to either rent a PO Box or a virtual address where you can receive snail mails that can then be forwarded to your real address.
All of these costs add up and could easily go over $100/year. And when you are not sure whether you will earn this money back in a few months, it's pretty much a gamble.
Do you actually know how to make your email list profitable?
This is a good one, trust me.
I see many new bloggers starting an email list, with everything set-up and then go onto facebook groups and say:
Hey I just started an email list, it would be great if you can give a few tips on how to grow and profits from my list. I've heard, it's where the money's at. TIA!"
This means that you don't really know what goes into making an e-mail list profitable yet you've invested in it. That would be like me (who knows nothing about trading but I know it can make people money) so I invest my savings in it anyway and hope that I will make it back in some time.
Let me be clear, I'm not trying to bash you, I'm just trying to let you know that if you don't fully understand something, then it's worth waiting on it till you understand it better and feel confident in it.
The upkeep of an email list requires sending email newsletters regularly that your audience enjoys but can't wait to open every week or so, from you. And then you need to have lead magnets, and tripwires and funnels set-up that can help you monetise your email list.
So you're saying you haven't monetised your blog properly yet, and you want to start tackling a whole new project called email marketing, no wonder juggling all that will burn you out.
Nurturing your e-mail list takes time and effort, just like nurturing your blog does. And now at this stage when you're building your blog, and you start building an e-mail list as well you'll be putting in double the time you were before, and yet you will probably not see enough ROI at the start.
Why?
Because the first few years of blogging are usually the hardest!
You're investing all this time but not seeing much result because Google is just getting to know you, you're starting to learn a lot of things like how you're the admin of your blog, the editor, the marketer, the content writer, the graphic designer and so much more.
And most bloggers will start their blog as a hide-hustle, that MEANS you only have a set number of hour(s) each day to get the MOST important tasks done.
And this is exactly why, I want you to leave the less important task for you right now, for later.
Notice I say, "less important right now" because email marketing IS important, just not at this point in your blogging journey.
When is it the right time to start an email list/ email marketing?
I value transparency and honesty. And I want to give you advice in a way it is most beneficial to you. I don't want to encourage you to invest in anything before the time is right. And with blogging, timing yourself right is crucial.
You don't want to run out of funds before your blog becomes self-sustainable or even profitable.
Having said that, I believe that the right time to get started with e-mail marketing is when your blog is bringing in $100/month.
The reason I say that is because this amount is enough to cover your blog expenses for the next year in most cases and the rest you can invest in e-mail marketing upkeep costs. Hopefully, even save some bucks depending on where you live, and what your responsibilities are.
Anytime before that and you may overwork yourself, invest too much and not be able to afford the costs of blog upkeep for the next year.
Of course, everyone's situation is different. And the amount they are investing is different from person to person. I started my blog for free and am still on a free platform, and yes, I do monetise it. And no, I don't plan to change it anytime soon.
I know a lot of coaches recommend getting your hands and feet wet with e-mail marketing right after you set up your blog. But I don't. Also, I'm not a coach; I do however, provide blogging consults. And help advise on what platform may be the best for your needs.
If you like, you can set-up your 60-minute blog consultation session with me for just $75 here.
There are a lot of reasons why people recommend email marketing, some are purely for the affiliate commission they will make and some because they actually see a lot of good results with it.
But I think it's necessary to understand that none of the coaches or bloggers that you are following is in the same stage in their business or blog as you. What is beneficial to them may not be beneficial for you right away or ever.
I write for bloggers that are new and struggling. If you want to learn about blogging in a systemised and structured way that it takes the burden and overwhelm of blogging away from you, then my blog and content are for YOU.
By doing this, I'm trying to help you take things on one at a time and ensuring you can stay blogging for longer and have more chances to succeed.
It is up to you to decide, at the end of the day, whose advice makes more sense to you and will help you more and you are free to adopt any methodology you like.
I hope that this blog post has helped you a little, if not a lot and will help you make smart decisions in your blogging journey.
If you like my content, feel free to subscribe to my blog posts so that you receive them directly in your inbox. Or you have some suggestions, or comments and feedback or even a question you'd like to ask, make sure you do so in the comments below.
I'd love to hear what you think about the subject!
You don't want to run out of funds before your blog becomes self-sustainable or even profitable.
Having said that, I believe that the right time to get started with e-mail marketing is when your blog is bringing in $100/month.
The reason I say that is because this amount is enough to cover your blog expenses for the next year in most cases and the rest you can invest in e-mail marketing upkeep costs. Hopefully, even save some bucks depending on where you live, and what your responsibilities are.
Anytime before that and you may overwork yourself, invest too much and not be able to afford the costs of blog upkeep for the next year.
Of course, everyone's situation is different. And the amount they are investing is different from person to person. I started my blog for free and am still on a free platform, and yes, I do monetise it. And no, I don't plan to change it anytime soon.
Some XYZ blogging coach recommends getting started with e-mail marketing right away, how do I know what advice to take?
I know a lot of coaches recommend getting your hands and feet wet with e-mail marketing right after you set up your blog. But I don't. Also, I'm not a coach; I do however, provide blogging consults. And help advise on what platform may be the best for your needs.
If you like, you can set-up your 60-minute blog consultation session with me for just $75 here.
There are a lot of reasons why people recommend email marketing, some are purely for the affiliate commission they will make and some because they actually see a lot of good results with it.
But I think it's necessary to understand that none of the coaches or bloggers that you are following is in the same stage in their business or blog as you. What is beneficial to them may not be beneficial for you right away or ever.
I write for bloggers that are new and struggling. If you want to learn about blogging in a systemised and structured way that it takes the burden and overwhelm of blogging away from you, then my blog and content are for YOU.
By doing this, I'm trying to help you take things on one at a time and ensuring you can stay blogging for longer and have more chances to succeed.
It is up to you to decide, at the end of the day, whose advice makes more sense to you and will help you more and you are free to adopt any methodology you like.
I hope that this blog post has helped you a little, if not a lot and will help you make smart decisions in your blogging journey.
If you like my content, feel free to subscribe to my blog posts so that you receive them directly in your inbox. Or you have some suggestions, or comments and feedback or even a question you'd like to ask, make sure you do so in the comments below.
I'd love to hear what you think about the subject!
Recently, something was brought to my notice. It was the fact that food bloggers were feeling a little left out. You see WordPress offers this plugin, which allows it's users to integrate reviews from readers which show up in google search results.
This is particularly important for food bloggers. I believe that have recipes on their blogs and use bloggers. And I hate to see bloggers on blogger being left out because of my love for the platform. I want to show people that it's just as customisable as any other platform out there, and one needn't feel less professional when using it.
Today's blogger tutorial is going to cover the steps you'll need to perform for ratings to appear in your recipe rich result in Google.
If you're still not sure what this means, read on.
What is a Google rich result snippet?
A google rich result snippet for a recipe query usually looks like this.
As you can see, the first one has no reviews. This is what Google probably says if your blog is on blogger and it's hosting a recipe. Now, one could say it's more enticing for a user searching for a recipe to want to try out one that others have already tried and liked.
Hence it makes the other two results with star ratings more clickable.
As a blogger, you're competing for the clicks and naturally, don't want to leave no stone unturned to get a user to try out your recipe instead of your competition's.
In this guide, you'll learn how your blog posts will start showing these ratings as well. So let's get started.
Requirements
- A blogger blog (doh)
- A rating widget that can collect and store ratings such as this one (it's free).
01. Sign-up for the rating widget
In your recipe post, make sure you install this widget to collect ratings on your blog post. I recommend this rating widget because I've had a play with it and liked how easy it was to use.
The installation code from after you sign-up for this rating widget should go directly into your blog post where you want the ratings to appear.
Make sure you're using the rating widget, and you've turned off the option to enable google rich snippets in the widget settings.
And I know it seems counterintuitive to turn off this option when we want rich result to show ratings, but the way most rating widgets are configured is to pull product ratings instead of recipe ratings and so it won't help you.
Make sure it is unticked.
02. Add structured data in your post
Here is the code you need to add structured data that Google can recognise and use for your rich result snippet. You don't need to make any changes in it, as I've done all the work for you.
Just copy and paste, and change only the things highlighted in pink with your own information.
<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Recipe">
<span itemprop="name">Mom's World Famous Banana Bread</span>
By <span itemprop="author">John Smith</span>,
<meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2009-05-08">May 8, 2009
<img itemprop="image" src="bananabread.jpg"
alt="Banana bread on a plate" />
<span itemprop="description">This classic banana bread recipe comes
from my mom -- the walnuts add a nice texture and flavor to the banana
bread.</span>
Prep Time: <meta itemprop="prepTime" content="PT15M">15 minutes
Cook time: <meta itemprop="cookTime" content="PT1H">1 hour
Yield: <span itemprop="recipeYield">1 loaf</span>
<div itemprop="nutrition"
itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/NutritionInformation">
Nutrition facts:
<span itemprop="calories">240 calories</span>,
<span itemprop="fatContent">9 grams fat</span>
</div>
Ingredients:
- <span itemprop="recipeIngredient">3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed</span>
- <span itemprop="recipeIngredient">1 egg</span>
- <span itemprop="recipeIngredient">3/4 cup of sugar</span>
...
Instructions:
<span itemprop="recipeInstructions">
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix in the ingredients in a bowl. Add
the flour last. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for one hour.
</span>
</div>
03. Add your rating widget
Right after you have added in the code displayed above add the rating widget code if you were still confused about where to add it.
We add the rating widget here because we want people to be able to rate this recipe so we can collect proof of the structured data we are going to add later in this tutorial.
04. The Manual Set-up
Now because we are working in blogger, there is one manual step that you'll have to perform. Even though you're recording the ratings using the rating widget, the won't show up as rich data.
This is because there is no structured data present to tell Google that these ratings are associated with the structured data of your recipe.
To link these two, you need to check the ratings and add a manual piece of code that you will have to update manually regularly. Unfortunately, that's just how it is with blogger.
So if you have 1 vote and an average rating of 5 then the piece of code you will add will be:
<div itemprop="aggregateRating" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/AggregateRating">
Rated <span itemprop="ratingValue">5</span>/5 based on <span itemprop="reviewCount">1</span> customer review(s).
</div>
And you'll have to add this piece of code right before this line in the structured code:
<img itemprop="image" src="bananabread.jpg"
alt="Banana bread on a plate" />
You'll have to revisit the post from time to time to update the revives and the rating according to your rating widget as it is not automatic, but I believe it's easy to do that.
And with that, you are done. Your google recipe rich result will show with ratings.
WARNING : This manual step is VERY important. If you are not going to update the schema structure of your ratings regularly, Google may penalise you for trying to spam or hack and show misleading information. At all times, please make sure that the number of ratings matches the ones you are declaring to Google with the help of schema data.
In case you don't plan to update these regularly, DO NOT go forward with this tutorial as it could mean a penalty from Google.
In case you don't plan to update these regularly, DO NOT go forward with this tutorial as it could mean a penalty from Google.
I wish that there was an automatic way to do this, but the problem is that most rating widgets that work with blogger are configured as a product and don't give the structured data for a recipe. But you'll have to bear with it, for now, it's not an ideal solution, but if you really need those ratings to display in your posts and you'll keep them updated regularly, then I believe it should be fine.
Also, don't go without updating your posts for a whole month if it's popular, you know, use your discretion and common sense.
I should also add, that inappropriate or misconfigured structured data is harmful as you maybe unintentionally misleading google and then you could get hit with a Google penalty. Make sure you involve a professional if possible or seek their advice.
What to do if you use the recipe generator?
Now, I know many food bloggers use the recipe card generator. If you're one of them, the steps are pretty much the same, you'll just have to add the rating widget and the structured data for the ratings inside the code that your recipe card generator has generated.
This means you'll be doing step 1, step 3 and step 4. And you'll have to make sure that you've added this information within the code that the recipe card generator has given you and not just anywhere in the blogpost.
I know this isn't the most perfect solution, but it works. And until there is some better, automatic way to do this, I hope this will help you. If you've tried this and gotten stuck somewhere, let me know in the comments down below, and I'll do my best to help you as quickly as possible.
While leaving a comment, please make sure not to add any links even if it is to your blog or it won't be approved.
If at any point, you feel overwhelmed and need me to take over for you, then you can get in touch with me and hire me. Refer to the FAQ section for my rates.
And as always, if there's something you'd like me to make a tutorial on, let me know in the comments section. You can even sign-up to receive my blog posts directly into your inbox as well.
You can even join my blogger support group here if you like. I believe that sharing knowledge is the best way to grow. Ask me all your blogger related questions in the group :)
Oh and one more thing, know someone who will benefit from this tutorial? Then share it with them. It's free!
Conclusion
I know this isn't the most perfect solution, but it works. And until there is some better, automatic way to do this, I hope this will help you. If you've tried this and gotten stuck somewhere, let me know in the comments down below, and I'll do my best to help you as quickly as possible.
While leaving a comment, please make sure not to add any links even if it is to your blog or it won't be approved.
If at any point, you feel overwhelmed and need me to take over for you, then you can get in touch with me and hire me. Refer to the FAQ section for my rates.
And as always, if there's something you'd like me to make a tutorial on, let me know in the comments section. You can even sign-up to receive my blog posts directly into your inbox as well.
You can even join my blogger support group here if you like. I believe that sharing knowledge is the best way to grow. Ask me all your blogger related questions in the group :)
Oh and one more thing, know someone who will benefit from this tutorial? Then share it with them. It's free!
Some other related and frequently asked questions
It is quite self-explanatory if you read what it is saying. However, if there is something that you don't understand, please leave a comment below and consider clicking the notify me button so that you'll know when a reply has been posted.
That is actually the tag for the image, in the src section you need to add the link to the image, if it's hosted on blogger it will probably have a "1.blogspot" address. Just use the image you are using in your blog post.
I'm happy to. I charge $50 per 5 posts as there is manual work involved. However, if you already have the recipe card generator, then it's going to be $25 per 5 posts.
Yes, of course. Just leave a comment down below. If you need some live demonstration and face-to-face screen share session where I describe everything in detail and show you how to configure it all by yourself, you can get a 60-minute video call + screen share session with me for $75.
I worked closely with Jennifer Ford, to make a logo for her husband Todd's new business. Todd has over 30 years of experience in selling life insurance strategies and he also trains other life insurance agents.
The brief I was given was that they wanted a logotype that made a statement without being overly bold. From that, we worked onto collaborating about the colours, the logo and the design.
Fun Fact : We ended with two logos and a well-done project. I was so thrilled to be working with Jennifer as I hadn't done a logo where someone didn't want it to be pretty or feminine since most of my clients are usually women.
Jennifer and Todd were both happy with the end result, stating it was everything they were thinking it to be.
Want a logo designed for your blog, or business? Get in touch with me here, or visit my shop. I also sell via Etsy, if that's your jam.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons