[RayB]

Wordpress is my favourite platform for blogging, it's free, easy to use and fairly SEO friendly "out of the box".

But there are some free plugins which you can install to make it SEO "perfect"

You can download plugins for free here. Once downloaded and unzipped you need to upload them via FTP to your hosting (or ask your designer/host to do it for you). They should be uploaded to the folder:

/wp-content/plugins/ <<<<<<< EDIT

The SEO Friendly Wordpress Plugins I use are:

Google XML Sitemaps - This will create a search engine sitemap, which helps Google to find your pages. The sitemap will automatically update each time you post. You can also submit this sitemap to Google Webmaster Tools. If you don't have and account you can open one for free HERE

Robots Meta - When you open your Webmaster Tools account they will give you verification code to paste into your blog. This plugin provides a field for you to add it without knowledge of coding.

For the advanced SEO'er it also does some other neat things like forcing a trailing "/" on the end of urls (which is a good thing, trust me) and facilitates adding "noindex" or "nofollow" tags to sculpt PR or reduce duplicate content issues

All in One SEO Pack - The most important plugin of all! This plugin allows you to add a unique title tag, meta description and KW tag to each post.

Redirection - An important aspect of SEO is to direct the www version of your domain to the non-www (or vice versa.) This is known as canonicalization (but don't fret about that). This plugin does it for you automatically!

For advanced users, it also has a brilliant 301 re-direct tool, so if you move or delete a page you can re-direct it to another page in seconds (and not lose any PR juice).

Google Analyticator - If you are running an adwords campaign you need to add tracking code - a doddle with this plugin

[Calibre Designs]

Oh thanks a lot Ray.

In the coming months we will look at SEO and blogs. This method really does drive traffic to the site as people keep saying.

Do you think that I should write 2 blogs? One for graphic design and one for product design?

What tips will you give a total novice? (in IT terms - power button, this is a mouse, this is a vdu etc.... ) so that anyone can do.

[Jeewhizz]

Its good to know I have those ones on my blog

[pvcprinting]

Ray,

Nice one chap....you are a mine of useful information

[Tigglet]

Thanks Ray, I have got the 'All in One SEO Pack' but wasn't aware of the others.

[sally]

Ray please can I have the idiots guide to the Redirection one

[RayB]

Originally Posted by sally

Ray please can I have the idiots guide to the Redirection one

Download, activate it's and job done Sal. All you have to choose is whether you prefer the www version in a tick box (most do) - and that's it

It does loads of other stuff, but don't worry about that unless you are moving loads of pages

[sally]

Sorry Ray I meant I don't understand your explanation of what it actually does.

[RayB]

Originally Posted by sally

Sorry Ray I meant I don't understand your explanation of what it actually does.

Ok - so you have 2 versions of your domain name (we all do) - the www or non www

You only want one to be available - so you redirect one to the other.

Normally that is a coding thing

But with this plugin it's one tick box - job done

[sally]

I didn't know I had 2

Okay will give it a try, although for some reason my blog account won't upload anything from my laptop but thanks for the links, I shall keep trying.