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WordPress is an excellent blog platform which provides complete customization which is both user and search engine friendly. Below are some of the tips, tricks and plug-ins that I use when I setup WordPress blogs:
 
Custom Meta/Title Tags
 
There are numerous WordPress Meta Tag plug-ins but I like to use this one offered by G-loaded. This Meta Tag plug-in adds Meta Tags to the Front Page, Single Posts, Static Pages and Archived pages. It is compatible for the following versions: v1.5.2 - v2.3.2. For title tags I use the following code so that the title for the home page uses the blog's description and individual pages get the title of the post gets puts at the start of the title. The title can be updated in a file called
header.php.
 
 
 
Feeds
 
By default, WordPress truncates content within a feed. I personally feel that offering full content within Feeds is actually more beneficial because it allows users to get a complete concept for a given post. Additionally I have noticed a higher number of subscribers when I switched from a partial feed to a complete feed. Using a plug-in such as CompleteRSS is a great way to offer full feeds.

 

With CompleteRSS you can say goodbye to invalid RSS and partial entries -- your feeds show your entire article no matter what, bringing you the traffic you deserve, and no longer use the very-much abused 'content:encoded' tags that cause many feed readers such a headache.

If you're using FeedBurner in WordPress you should probably also use FeedBurner FeedSmith: This plugin will detect all ways to access your feed (e.g. http://www.yoursite.com/feed/ or http://www.yoursite.com/wp-rss2.php, etc.), and redirect them to your FeedBurner feed so you can track every possible subscriber. It will forward for your main posts feed, and optionally your main comments feed as well.
 
Custom Site Search
 
Site search is usually a feature that's turned on by default but if it's not make sure you add it. Site search allows for users to visit more pages during their stay on your site. WordPress also allows for custom search pages so that you can give visitors a richer experience on your blog. For custom search page options check out:
 
http://codex.wordpress.org/Creating_a_Search_Page. Lastly don't forget to track the Site Search with something like Google Analytics. Site Search tracking setup can be found here.
 
HTML Tables
I am not sure what the deal is with HTML in WordPress (or Blogger for that matter) but they constantly mess up. There have been numerous occasions where I tried to copy and paste an HTML table from a different blog into one my blogs and ended up losing the table formatting completely. My suggestion is to find some sort of FCK Editor Plugin to replace the default editor OR to use the "copy from word" option located in the default editor. It looks like this:

Comments (14)

I was under the impression the world had given up on tables in favour of CSS layouts.

Feedburner is a great tool.

Thanks for the information! We'd have to agree that WordPress is by far the most progressive and best blog platform out there and we strictly use WordPress for our blogs and would never switch to another! Just when it seems like they have reached the max on new features and options, a new one is added. Even if they have a few flaws or bugs here and there, they are certainly ahead of the rest.

For onsite search engine optimization in WordPress I have been very happy with the All-in-One SEO plugin. Recently, I discovered Headspace 2 which features look amazing. With these tools, I spend very little time with each post/page on SEO anymore. Nice tip on the site search tracking.

I prefer the All in One SEO plugin to handle the meta tags. It has many more many than most other plugins in its category and is regularly updated.

Tom, I personally still like to use tables to represent data from comScore or Net Ratings, rather than for the entire make-up of the blog.

David, thanks for the tip - I will check it out.

The use of Wordpress is begining to be a web-site "norm". I have seen many websites that not only use the Wordpress platform, but use it instead of PPC! There are many ways to utilize social media as well as social marketing to achieve your online marketing goals. The tips mentioned are a great starting line for your marketing efforts. I recently wrote a post about a virtual law firm: Making Law Easy, they use the Wordpress platform, and soon will graduate from a Wordpress "brown belt" to a "black belt" and wage social marketing war on their competitors.

Thanks for the tips, Manoj:) I will definitely check out those plug-ins you mention!

To me word press is something that you type that no one gets to see . I never had one comment on my wordpress blog . You never see it anywhere when you type in me or my book so what good is word press blog or is it one of those things they expect you to give them tons of extra money to work?

Are there really any other options to Wordpress these days? - it just seems so ubiquitous and I don't believe the free-hosted options are worth considering.

2 other tips:

seo-title-tag for Custom Meta/Title Tags
wordpress-automatic-upgrade to manage your site

Manoj,

Thanks for the tip about FeedBurner FeedSmith! That's a plugin I'm setting up right now.

Keep on bloggin'!

Jay,

That automatic upgrate plug-in is great! For everyone else here's the URL: http://techie-buzz.com/wordpress-plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade-plugin.html

A very helpful post for those who use Wordpress.

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Manoj Jasra has been in the search marketing industry since 2002 with Enquiro Search Solutions, where his technical background in programming and software made him a key member in the development of several proprietary industry tools. Since then, his learning in marketing and business strategies as they relate to online has led him to become a resident expert on Search Marketing/Web Analytics. Manoj also authors the blog, Web Analytics World, which features Manoj’s insight on the Search Marketing and Web Analytics Industry.

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Enquiro offers a complete solution for your business needs - everything from Organic SEM & SEO to managing your Sponsored SEM strategies (PPC). Enquiro also provides in-house research to help you build stronger Search Engine Marketing relationships through usability resolutions with your target market - leveraging technology to bridge the disconnect between intent and lead. However, more than anything else, Enquiro knows the value of having a robust analytics solution to track and measure success.

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Manoj Jasra is currently the Director of Technology and SEO Expert at Enquiro Search Solutions. He has been in the Search Marketing Industry since 2002, since then, his learning in marketing and business strategies as they relate to online has led him to become an expert in Search Marketing/Web Analytics, providing consultation and implementation strategies for clients. Manoj frequently writes in his blog about the latest in the Web Analytics and SEM Industry.