Links

WHY ARE LINKS IMPORTANT?

It's great if you're talking about another blogger to link to them. It enables your readers to visit their blog and see what you're talking about. This in turn gives that blogger new traffic.

For those who are seriously into increasing their blog traffic, there is another reason why linking is important. Links help to build technorati ranking as well as increasing a blogs position in search engines.

Links will also help those bloggers you've mentioned, find there way back to you.

So it's a win-win situation all round.

HOW DO YOU LINK?

Linking can be a bit overwhelming if you're just starting out in blogging. I know it took me a while to get my head around it. If you're using blogger you'll find a link button in the page you're using to compose your message.

When composing a message, you have a choice of 2 windows. One it called "compose" and the other is called "Edit HTML". Both give you the option of linking. If you link in the compose page, your link will often look much the same as the URL you've added to the box.

Here's an example of what it looks like: http://www.lighteningonline.com/

If you use the "Edit HTML" page to insert a link you'll find the link doesn't show in your page initially. That's because there is nothing inserted between these symbols >< . If you insert whatever text you'd like to appear in your post between those 2 symbols, your link will look more like this Lightening. As you can see it gives a much neater appearance to your blog post to do it this way.

Be mindful that this will insert the link at the bottom of your text. So if you've already written the post and come back to do the links later, you will need to cut and paste that link to the place within your post that you'd like it to appear.

If you're using wordpress, you need to type the text you want to appear, then highlight that text and click on the link icon. Once you've entered the URL into the box that appears, it will turn your highlighted text into a link. I've only just learnt how to do this in wordpress. :-)

IS THAT IT?

Well, I have just learnt that the text you use for your link can be important as well. If you're discussing a topic then it's better for both you and the website you're linking to, if you include related search words as part of your link.

As an example, when I was posting about homemade playdough and wanted to link to Kate's post about homemade playdough. Instead of making the link on the name "Kate", I made the link on the words Homemade Playdough.

I can't say that I'm 100% clear on how all this linking stuff works. If you'd like to know more though, you can read what Meg has to say about linking within posts.

ONE MORE THING

Have you claimed your blog in technorati yet? Even if you're not interested in getting involved in "top blogs" and so on, it's a nice thing to do to take a few moments to claim your blog so that any links you give another blogger can count for them. It is also an interesting way to find out who else might be talking about your blog. I have found some interesting blogs via technorati when they've mentioned me or added me to their blogroll without me actually realising. If you haven't already read it, you might be interested in my Technorati for Beginners post.

If you know anyone who is starting out in blogging or would like to know more about linking, please let them know about this post. I'm trying to keep things reasonably simple so that people like me can understand and follow them. :-)

Join "saving mum" for FREE in December

Well, it's always nice to get something for FREE and www.savingmum.com.au are offering FREE membership. According to Emma this offer applies for the month of December.

So pop on over there and sign up. I'm not all that familiar with their website yet but it's worth a look. It looks like it's aimed at parents of 0-6 year olds in particular. They even have a section for saving the planet (big tick from me on that one).

While some of the information is aimed at and relevant to parents, I think you'd find plenty for those who don't fit that criteria.

They also offer a free newsletter. I'm yet to recieve one yet so I can't comment on the quality but I figure while it's not costing anything, it might contain some gems of information worthy of reading. :-)

So, head on over there and take advantage of this special offer. I just checked and they are indeed offering this FREE for the month of December. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Don't forget to pop back here and let me and others know what you think of the site.

Favourite Blogposts This Week

Well, this week has been a rather busy one with setting up my new blog at Lightening Online. I've been used to using Blogger and the switch to Wordpress, while great, is taking some getting used to. :-)

But, I have still been out and about in Blogworld and once again have come across some wonderful posts.

Firstly, I HAVE to mention this post at On Blogging Australia. It's titled Lightening's Problogging Questions. How cool is that? I asked a heap of question and the author of that particular blog answered them all!!! See, I told you that the Blogworld was a nice place to be!

Rachelle at Seek First His Kingdom wrote a post about the Great Christmas Card Debate. It's well worth the read and I guess in some ways relates to the post HELP that I wrote recently where I was talking about the fact that we don't seem to take the time to connect with one another in a "physical" way, even by way of sending a card to let someone know we're thinking of them.

All For Women are having a "12 days of Christmas" giveaway at the moment with a new thing to be given away each day. I have to admit I'm a bit partial to a giveaway so I've been visiting often! ;-)

Well, I know there were lots of other great posts this week but I wasn't so great at making a note of them. Hopefully I'll do better next week! :-)

Lightening Online

Most of you who read this blog will already know that I have shifted my main blog to www.lighteningonline.com but I wanted to mention it here as well. I still intend to keep this blog as a little sideline of my thoughts and finds in the blogging world. :-) I hope you'll come and visit me at my newly moved blog, as well as continue to visit me here! :-)

Isn't the Blogosphere Such a Nice Place to Be?

I am constantly amazed by how kind and helpful bloggers are to people that they've only met through the blogworld. What a special place it is to be a part of. I'm so glad I started blogging and moving in blog-circles. I have learnt SO much, met some wonderful people and generally feel like I've improved my quality of life quite dramatically.

If you want to know anything about blogging, there are many wonderful blogs out there which provide some wonderfully useful information. Behind those blogs are some extremely kind and helpful people. To be honest, I expected the blog world to be just like the rest of life. Those at the top happily ignoring those of us at the bottom of the heap and socialising with the rest of the "elite".

Now maybe there are one or two bloggers that are like that - if there are, I'm yet to meet them but I'm still very much a new and tiny fish in this big blogpond.

For the most part, I've noticed that blogging seems to be more of a circle, rather than a hierarchy. How refreshing is that? Sure, there are the top blogging lists and they're always a great way to find new and interesting blogs. But so far it hasn't felt to me like I *have* to be on that list in order to be an integral part of the "blogosphere". I'm not somehow relegated to the less desirable lunch spot just because I'm nowhere near reaching the "top 100" or "top whatever". LOL.

I want to mention specifically a few bloggers whose blogs I have found helpful and who's writers I have found extremely approachable. Snoskred at Life in the Country, Meg at Dipping into the Blogpond and Andrew at On Blogging Australia.If you haven't already found these blogs for your self (and I know it took me a while before I came across some of them), it's well worth a visit and a look around.

Don't forget to say hi in their comments - we all know how much bloggers LOVE their comments. You can even say that Lightening sent you if you like. I know I always find it interesting to discover where people have come from and how they found me. :-)

You might have noticed I'm a bit light on posts this week. I've been working on a new project - to be unveiled very soon. :-) I have a couple of blog reviews in the pipeline and hope to post on those once I get this other "secret project" up and running. :-)

Help a Complete Stranger

Veronica over at Sleepless Nights has set up a fund to help a 13 year old friend of hers go on a school trip to Japan. Not just any trip, but one where the students had to earn a place to go. Only 10 students from her year level are able to go and she is one of them. What an honour and what an opportunity for her.

If you'd like to do something for someone you haven't met without expecting any return, this is a great opportunity. The trip is costing her $1600 plus spending money. All it would take is 1600 bloggers to donate $1 each. Or 320 bloggers (or blog readers) to donate $5 each. What's $5 these days? It won't even buy you coffee and cake (some places it won't even buy you one OR the other).

Let's show this young girl the power of the blogging world. Let's do this for no other reason than that we can! :-) Go on, make someone smile today!

Oh, and anyone that donates can place this lovely picture on their own blog: