jueves, 23 de julio de 2015

Mega Menu with Images or Thumbnails for Blogger

Visual content holds a certain appeal that websites integrate images to every page, or even operate solely through photos. Now, with the new AJAX navigation menu widget, images can be added to the drop-down menu as well.

The AJAX navigation menu for blogger is a widget designed specifically for the Blogger platform. It is inspired from the Mashable website long before it was given a makeover. Despite the plain and simple inspiration, the drop down menu with images is a huge hit.

It works based on the jQuery library and Blogger JSON Feed API. Function-wise, it works just like a normal drop-down menu when JavaScript is disabled. For it to work online, a blog must be for public visitors, so the Blogger JSON Feed API will function as designed.

Features

Multi-Level Menu Support

The AJAX menu is a multi-level drop-down menu that is based on the standard unordered list of HTML. When a menu contains a sub-menu, it loads on the fly when a user rolls over the main menu. What is great about this is that it saves outgoing traffic, especially on a website that uses a large navigation.

Cross-browser Compatibility

Most AJAX applications will work across different browsers even with other plugins or proprietary technology already installed.  The menu with images works in the same premise, instead of being designed for a specific browser. Because there is no telling which browser you or your blog readers would use, the new AJAX drop-down mega menu with images is the ideal option.

Some of the Windows browser supported includes IE5+, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari Netscape 7+ and Opera 8+. When you're using a Mac, the AJAX menu is supported on Firefox, IE and Safari. If JavaScript is disabled, however, the menu is still accessible, but only as pure CSS menu.

Automatic Sub-Menu Display

With the new AJAX menu, you only need to roll over a menu item and sub-menus will automatically load. No need to click on a menu to get the sub-menu to drop down. This not only saves users' valuable navigation time, but also outgoing traffic.

Menu Styling

AJAX menus can be styled by simply changing the megamenu.js and the CSS style. The former is used when javaScript is turned on, while the latter is when it is turned off. You can adjust the menu parameters manually or you can use ready-to-use templates.

There are plenty of other features, but you would not be able to use or experience them if you do not install the new mega menu with images. What do you need to do then to implement it in your blog or website?


Adding Mega Menu with Images/Thumbnails in Blogger

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger account, then go to the Dashboard. Select the blog where you want to install the new mega menu.

CSS

Step 2. Click on Template, then press the Edit HTML button. Press anywhere inside the code area and use the CTRL + F function to make your search quicker and easier. Type the following tag and hit Enter to find it:
]]></b:skin>
Once you find the tag, add the code below just above/before it:
.megamenu *{margin:0;padding:0;font-family:'PT Sans Narrow'}ul.megamenu{list-style:none;line-height:1;overflow:visible !important}ul.megamenu:after{margin:0;padding:0;content:' ';display:block;height:0px;clear:both}ul.megamenu li{float:left;display:inline;position:relative;text-transform:uppercase}ul.megamenu li a.menu-target:after{content:"";width:0;height:0;border-left:3px solid transparent;border-right:3px solid transparent;border-top:3px solid #fff;font-size:0;line-height:0;bottom:22px;right:5px;position:absolute}ul.megamenu li a{display:block;line-height:50px;padding:0px 20px;text-decoration:none;border-left:1px solid #000;box-shadow:1px 0 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) inset;color:#d9d9d9;font-size:14px;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out}ul.megamenu li a:hover{background:#111111;color:#fff}ul.megamenu ul{position:absolute;display:none;top:100%}ul.megamenu li:hover > ul{display:block}ul.megamenu ul li{z-index:72;min-width:149px;float:none;background:#000;text-shadow:none}ul.megamenu ul li a{text-transform:none;font-weight:normal}ul.megamenu ul li a:hover,ul.megamenuid ul li a.hover{background:#E0E0E0;color:#444}ul.megamenu ul ul{display:none;left:100%;top:0}ul.megamenuid li div.megasubmenu{background:#F9F9F9;position:absolute;width:830px;z-index:90;left:0;top:100%;overflow:hidden;min-height:150px;-moz-transform:translate(0,30px);-webkit-transform:translate(0,30px);-o-transform:translate(0,30px);transform:translate(0,30px);transform-origin:50% 0;visibility:hidden;opacity:0;color:#888;box-shadow:0 10px 7px -7px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out}ul.megamenuid li:hover div.megasubmenu{visibility:visible;opacity:1;-moz-transform:translate(0,0);-webkit-transform:translate(0,0);-o-transform:translate(0,0);transform:translate(0,0)}ul.megamenuid ul,ul.megamenuid ul li{display:block !important;border:0 none !important;margin:0 !important;padding:0 !important}ul.megamenuid ul li{background:none !important;float:left !important}ul.megamenuid ul.leftmenulist{position:absolute;width:18%;left:0;top:0;bottom:0;background:#EEEEEE;border-right:1px dashed #e5e5e5 !important}ul.megamenuid ul.leftmenulist a{border-left:none !important;color:#555}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist{position:relative;display:block;width:81%;float:right;margin:0px 0px 0px !important;background:none}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist li{display:block;overflow:hidden;position:relative;min-height:210px;padding:5px 17px 5px 0px !important}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist li .thumb-container{left:0;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;overflow:hidden;font-size:0;line-height:0}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist li .thumb-container img{position:relative;top:10px;padding:0;width:100%;height:100%;display:block}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist li a{display:block;border-left:none !important;padding:0px 5px !important;line-height:1.4;color:#777;font-weight:bold;font-size:14px}ul.megamenuid ul.rightmenulist li a:hover{color:#000;background:transparent}ul.megamenuid .loading-icon{background:url('https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EyAb-RWcyTmipkanc0oBq2aohOEL4_DD9hO6bPb7qEZN0mkKLP0TSbbap4VwAdVLdhU5JXggN5uUmCBifB5NPoksyiPsIqIzhhyu7SERmHG-5V0oq1NEW2aRI50qBnaIJAoY3cq0imI/s1600/wait.gif') no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;width:22px;height:22px;position:absolute;top:50%;margin-top:-11px;right:5px}ul.megamenuid .menu-icon{border-bottom:4px solid transparent;border-top:4px solid transparent;border-left:4px solid #777;display:block;height:0;margin-top:-4px;position:absolute;right:11px;top:50%;width:0}#megamenuid{background:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) -moz-linear-gradient(center top , #3d3d3d, #212121) repeat scroll 0 0;background:-webkit-linear-gradient(top,#3d3d3d,#212121);background-color:#3d3d3d;box-shadow:1px 1px 0 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) inset;height:50px;width:100%;position:relative;max-width:1000px;margin:0 auto;padding:0px}#megamenuid h5{font-size:16px;margin-top:70px;text-align:center}#megamenuid h5:before{content:"";position:absolute;top:50px;left:50%;width:5px;height:2px;margin-left:-4px;border-left:2px solid black;border-right:2px solid black}#megamenuid h5:after{content:"";position:absolute;top:55px;left:50%;width:10px;height:5px;margin-left:-7px;border-top:2px solid black;border-left:2px solid black;border-right:2px solid black;border-radius:8px 8px 0px 0px}li.search-box{float:right !important;line-height:35px;margin:7px 10px 0 0}li.search-box .search-field{border:none;padding:3px;background:#3F3F3F;color:#fff;width:135px;font-size:13px}li.search-box .search-field:focus{border:none;outline:none;background:#4C4C4C;color:#fff}li.search-box .search-button{background:url('https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95RFqzebiS1pdE1Ml39EQW7YP3vQ4KHME784Fs4OgQxxvha60m7LIlHMcwlXxlQWvQhRFXWhenl7l7VsgqMuQNwaM9RUt4Cgl0pqS4e7Rn1A9xcbazznGTNYGDvqi0yibXECentF2VT0/s1600/search.png') no-repeat;border:none;cursor:pointer;padding:5px 10px;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out}li.search-box .search-button:hover{opacity:0.9}.search-alert{background:#E84C3D url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickQ4UYY9wwcMDYKivnpf1EQr-O3oRRYgU0Sxq4VwD2PHxmf4o1jLk4nWK-23oArrPAirXyC9KiKSQERO8ELJVhSBNVRHduH5ZwAAXTx7N6SweDIBcXKXTzlALvmImkMCRBoKL5C14Tjo/s1600/search-info.png) no-repeat;background-position:5px;text-transform:capitalize;color:#fff;margin:-5px;padding:0px 15px 0px 40px;display:none;border-radius:5px}

JavaScript

Step 3. Check if your blog has the jQuery plugin already installed. If not, you need to add a few lines of code before the </head> tag (CTRL + F to find it). See the code below:
<script src='http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.min.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script src='https://helplogger.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/megamenu.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<script type='text/javascript'>
jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
 $(&#39;#megamenuid&#39;).megaBloggerMenu({
  postsNumber : 4,
  noThumbnail : &#39;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TLA9biFLZwt1v-NzSC4O_bYktl3auibQ2B6NCIXAWLus-qB6tgXSabg9kSSYcNhMUM5YFv8yk605J2s3kUyoOI_OcyTp0v7f9tUi5qHRP2PSjWrK69SUzALKo_40hMAIPdiWGsxlzN8/s1600/no_image_available.png&#39;
 });
});

$(function(){
  $(&#39;.search-here&#39;).submit(function(e){
    if($(&#39;.search-box .search-field&#39;).val().length==0){
       $(&#39;.search-box .search-alert&#39;).fadeIn().css(&#39;display&#39;,&#39;inline-block&#39;);
      e.preventDefault();
    }
  });
});
</script>

Note

- If jQuery plugin already exist, remove the line in red.
- To change the number of posts, change the 4 value from:
postsNumber : 4
- To add a different thumbnail when a post has no image, replace the url in blue from:
noThumbnail : &#39;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TLA9biFLZwt1v-NzSC4O_bYktl3auibQ2B6NCIXAWLus-qB6tgXSabg9kSSYcNhMUM5YFv8yk605J2s3kUyoOI_OcyTp0v7f9tUi5qHRP2PSjWrK69SUzALKo_40hMAIPdiWGsxlzN8/s1600/no_image_available.png&#39;

HTML

Step 4. Carefully add the HTML code to ensure that the drop down menu with images will work as designed. There are only three types of URLs that the AJAX Menu accepts and they must be used accordingly.

Label URL: http://yourblogurlblogspot.com/search/label/LABELNAME
Search Query: http://yourblogurl.blogspot.com/search?q=SEARCHQUERY
Label w/ Search Query: http://yourblogurl.blogspot.com/search/label/LABELNAME?q=SEARCHQUERY

Among the three URLs, the Search Query has to be URL encoded using a specific tool.

Step 5. Search the following line using CTRL + F:
<div class='main-outer'>
Just above this line, add the following HTML code:
<ul class='megamenu' id='megamenuid'>
<li><a href='/'>Home</a></li>
<li><a class='menu-target' href='#'>MENU TITLE</a>
<ul>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a class='menu-target' href='#'>MENU TITLE</a>
<ul>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>LABEL NAME</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href='http://ADDURLHERE.com'>Normal Link</a></li>
<li class='search-box'>
<form action='/search' class='search-here' method='get'>
<input class='search-field' name='q' placeholder='Search Here' size='30' type='text'/>
<input class='search-button' type='submit' value=' '/>
</form>
<p class='search-alert'>Search form is empty!</p>
</li>
</ul>
<div class='clear'/>
<div class='clear'/>
Note: replace the text in blue with the label url and the text in red with the name of the label. This is the label that you have added to the Labels settings of your post editor:


Step 6. Click on Save template for all the changes to take effect.

If you can't find the line from step 5, access the Layout tab, click on Add Gadget, and then choose HTML/JavaScript Gadget. Copy the HTML code and paste it inside the box... then press the Save button.

That's it!

Once that is done, your AJAX menu with images will be implemented and ready for you to use. Make sure to choose photos that are relevant to the menu and sub-menus so your website will have cohesive look and appeal. Research shows, however, that text accompanied by any image, even if completely irrelevant, can grab attention. 
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jueves, 16 de julio de 2015

Which Hashtag Instagram Widget Should You Choose?

There are apps and widgets for almost everything, but one thing that is lacking is a widget that connects one of the most popular image-based social network to your website. Unfortunately, Instagram has yet to design an official widget that will allow you to easily and quickly embed grams on your website.

A widget is like a desk accessory that allows an end user to execute a particular function within a webpage. It fetches information from a particular source and then display it on an intended area. It can be designed to provide easy accessibility to weather, maps, sports updates, calendar and many others. Android and WordPress are two of the biggest contributors of web and mobile widgets, but Instagram still has to catch up.

While they're still trying to figure out how to make an Instagram widget, take advantage of any of the third-party widgets for Instagram. But because there are plenty of them out there, choosing the right one can be tough. Well, we did the sorting and guesswork out for you and presented you with the top 3 options:
instagram widget, instagram

Instansive

Instansive is a widget generator for Instagram that you can use for free or for a fee. Both versions practically have the same features, except for the number of times that the photos refreshes. It only happens once per day with the free version, but is always up to date with the premium version. If you want to do away with the restrictions of this Instagram widget, be ready to make a tiny investment.

instagram widget instansive


Instansive Features

- Display photos and hashtags in grid, slideshow or column.
- Customize the number of columns and rows
- Add a hover effect
- Show or hide image captions
- Photos are linked directly to Instagram
- Offers native support for Drupal and WordPress

For a one-time fee of $5, you can upgrade to the premium version.

Instansive, however, is not perfect compared to other third-party widgets for Instagram, because it has limited features in terms of customization, display, and refresh frequency. Even if you pay the minimal fee, only the photos will be kept up-to-date, but no other features will be added. But look on the bright side, it is responsive.


Intagme

Intagme is pretty simple and straightforward, which can be a bonus if you have to manage plenty of social media accounts and widgets. Its features also get the job done.

instagram widget intagme


Intagme Features

- Pull photos or hashtags and display them in grid or slideshow
- Get to customize the layout, thumbnail, size and image padding
- Edit photos by adding borders and/or background color

On top of all these, Intagme is 100% free, which would probably put all other third-party widgets at the bottom of your list. Before you make a final decision, however, know that Intagme lacks one display feature - column, similar to what you will see on Pinterest. It is not responsive and has limited customization options. Moreover, photos are linked to a page on Intagme.com, instead of directly to Instagram.

Related: How to Add an Instagram Widget in Blogger


SnapWidget

Among Instagram widgets, snap widget is the most popular and is used by more than 100,000 websites daily. It can be used free or for a monthly fee of $6.99.

instagram widget snapwidget

SnapWidget Features

- Pull photos or hashtags, then display them in grid, board, slideshow, map or scrolling.
- Thumbnail size and layout can be customized
- Background color hover effect layout and photo padding can be used to customize photos
- Show or hide sharing buttons

Features of Premium Version

- All of the above
- Create up to 10 widgets
- Filter photos by username & hashtag
- Link photos to Instagram or any other page add custom CSS if so desired
- Has more advanced customization options, such as pagination controls integration of Google Analytics and photo pop-up functionality

For a price of $6.99 per month, this Instagram widget is a worthy investment, especially because the free version is ad supported. This means thumbnails are linked to a SnapWidget page where photos appear alongside ads. An added bonus is that whether free or paid, there is an option available that lets you make the widget responsive for mobile use.

Which Instagram Widget Should You Choose?

Even if only 3 options were presented, making a choice is still not a walk in the park, but at least you don't need to shuffle through tons of widgets. From the information above, you can make an informed decision as to which Instagram widget to use. Or, you can narrow down your options based on your budget - whether you have one or not, the features you need, and how much customization control you want to have.

You should also think about how an Instagram widget can affect your SEO efforts. If you want it to be SEO friendly as the rest of your website, find out how it was developed or rendered, as some of the platforms used may not be visible to search engines. Consider all the factors above and your work will be easier.
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lunes, 13 de julio de 2015

7 Search Engine Optimization Tips for Bloggers

SEO, as you might have already know, is an acronym for search engine optimization. In the simplest of words, it's the way search engines like Google.com, Yahoo.com, Bing.com and others present your page in users' search results on their sites.

Cool, how do they that?

Well, they do that via sophisticated software tools, called spiders. Consider the whole internet as an empty room, with air particles as websites. Now sneak a spider into that room. Each tiny step that this spider would take now is essentially crawling a website (as the room is dark and full of websites). This is how search engines crawl through the web picking up site after site, studying them and ranking them. This ranking is important, really important. A higher ranked website by Google will always be on the first page of Google's search results for a related query compared to a lower ranked one.


So, in order to get ranked higher, you and I need SEO. SEO is like black pepper without which fried egg might not taste 'that' tastier. In simple words, in order for search engines to find your site and rank it higher than others in your field, you need to optimize it. Let's see how with these 7 simple tips.

Ways to SEO Optimize your Blog

Before starting with our 7 simple tips for a quality SEO, it's important to broadly classify those tips into two basic areas, on the basis of origin:

On-page Optimization

Refers to optimization of your actual web content including your HTML code, your text, as well as graphic content.

Off-page optimization

Off-page optimization, however, deals with things like backlinks (hyperlinks pointing to you site from other websites, apps and networks).

1. Create SEO Friendly Blog Post Titles

Post titles are important for SEO. They really are since they are deal makers or breakers. Whenever you write something, make sure you give proper attention to the post's title. Make your titles simple, intriguing, descriptive and gullible so that people may know what is this all about and what to expect. An even better approach is to wear searchers shoes while giving a title and think how would you Google it if you were looking for content like this.

google search results, seo title

Also, don't forget to include keywords in your title and keep it under 70 characters (or search engines would crop it before looking).

2. Improve the quality of your content

If you think 'content' isn't important for SEO, think again! Your content is the most important part of your site. While writing, don't copy-paste from elsewhere, don't stuff it with keywords alone, don't bombard it with images and multimedia files and don't write any lesser than 300 words. These all would affect your ratings quite poorly.

So, write original, use keywords in scenarios instead of straying them around (like I didn't use SEO here, SEO there in every next line), use images where they suffice and make sure you name them properly to appear in image search results, i.e. an image with the "img009.jpg" name would never appear in the image search results but "tips_to_success.jpg" would. The best would be to use text content and wrap them proper in HTML tags like <H2></H2> etc. (search engines likes content this way). Also, make sure your blog post's length is somewhere between 300-500 words - crossing over is fine but lesser isn't.

seo title headings

3. Keywords are keys

Keywords are terms that others may use to search for your content. While keywords are important for SEO, don't go on and stuff your site with keywords. This would make your content appear like a spam to spiders, who would neglect it henceforth.

Ideal is that once you have chosen your title (and included your keyword in it, as I have added keyword SEO in title above), use it in page URL, in your starting and ending paragraphs, as well as in article body where required without sounding awkward. Additionally, you may link it using anchor text to relevant resources in and out of site.

Adding keyword in the post URL using Custom Permalink

4. Meta-tags are important, but not 'that' much

If we had been living in early part of 21st century, meta tags might have done all the SEO for your site. Unluckily, we aren't. Google and other search engines have long left using meta-tags for finding site information. Hence, if someone tells you meta-tagging is all you need for your sites SEO, tell them it isn't.

Nevertheless, it's important that you use your keywords in your meta-data. Some themes already do that for you, if they don't (you can check that using page source or using view source code from browser), don't sweat. You can use 3rd party plugins like All in One SEO Pack and Scribe.

5. Socialize!

Make others talk about your site and share your content on social media sites or their blogs. It gets even better if somehow sites with high ratings link back to your site. This makes spiders think that you are someone important that everyone these days is talking about, resulting in enhancing your ratings dramatically.

Guest posting is another good approach for that. Comment on other sites, make friends with bloggers (best in business) and make them comment at yours. These tiny little things do matter a lot, resulting in enhanced SEO of your site.

6. Link in and Link-Out

Hyperlinks or Links are important from SEO perspective. You can use them to:

Link out to other sites, networks and posts, or even to your previous posts (also called inbound or backlinks) using anchor element with keyword.

anchor element with keyword

Or even better, make others to link in to you, via sharing your content on their sites or social media networks.

As stated above, an even outstanding strategy for building links is guest posting.

7. Write Often

Sites with new content every day, or twice thrice a week have still far better ratings than those who post every fortnight. A better incoming content frequency makes spider come to your site regularly, resulting in better ratings and enhanced SEO.
Are we done then? Well, trust me - your sites rating is in your hands, not in Google or Yahoo. SEO is just about doing things neatly and in a sophisticated manner. Walk your site these 7 steps for a quality SEO and you will witness the difference yourself at Google, if no place else.

Remember, code clean, write original, socialize... this is what SEO is all about!
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domingo, 31 de mayo de 2015

Keyword Difficulty Analysis: How to Choose the right SEO keywords

A successful SEO campaign almost always relies on the keywords used. As elements that search strings are matched against, they can propel a website forward, helping it rank on search engines. The significance of individual keywords, however, is slowly dwindling, and keyword-based search engine optimization is losing its strength. Blame it on black hat practices that, even when they're being cracked down, have left lasting effects. This is because there are now factors that are far more important than keyword presence:

• Keyword placement matters more than usage frequency. That is, using keywords in the title tag and header has more weight than using them five times in the content.

• Using synonyms is more than acceptable. Now that Google is more sophisticated in interpreting data of a website, keyword specificity is fading. So even if different key phrases are used, as long as they have similar context, Google can place them in the exact same category, theoretically.

• Semantic search is making a huge difference on user searches. In the past, Google dissects search queries by words. A search query about "running shoes Utah", for example, would return anything that may be related with running, shoes and even events in Utah. But with search semantics, Google interprets the meaning of the whole search query rather than just the individual words.

Along with these changes is the need to take a different approach to keyword research. Keywords still matter, but they need to be perfect to be really effective. So whatever process you have been following for as long as you can remember, you should completely forget. Even if you did rank, it turns out that you have been doing keyword research all wrong. Rather than research for high volume, low competition and good CPC keyword, or effective latent semantic index keywords, you should use keyword difficulty analysis instead.

What does Keyword Difficulty Analysis mean?

keyword difficulty analysis

Keyword difficulty is defined as a factor that helps determine how easy or difficult it is for a website to rank based on a particular keyword. So it's no longer about short-tail or long-tail, and high or low, because other factors now come into play, such as the following:

- The number of pages currently ranking for a specific keyword
- The number of pages bidding on a keyword in paid search campaigns
- The volume and cost per click of a keyword for a particular month

If you want to go down to specifics, you also need to look into queries that you must compete for based on three elements:

1. Your competition or the number of indexed pages for a particular query
2. The authority or ranking strength of a website based on the quantity and quality of incoming links
3. The relevance of well-ranking websites in terms of how they match certain search queries with consideration to factors, such as on-page ranking and off-page signals.

Difficulty analysis also entails estimating keyword difficulty. The easiest way to do this is to check out strong and weak search results based on a keyword or key phrase that is widely used. Between "running shoes Utah" and "Nike running shoes", the latter is harder to rank with, especially for normal and less-popular blogs. There is no way you can compete with high authority blogs.

A search query on "Pebble Time review" would return the following results:

free keyword difficulty analysis

All of these make up the top 10 strong results, which is clearly hard to outrank by less authoritative websites.

But if you use long-tail keywords, there is a possibility that the results will include forums, non-relevant sites, YouTube videos, Yahoo Answers and other websites that will be easier to outrank or those that make up weak results. So, what you want is a keyword that will return weak search results.

But because there are no hard-and-fast rules in difficulty analysis, you need to use tools at your disposal. A keyword difficulty tool can come in many shapes and sizes, so to speak. It's not just a specific type of software, but a set of procedures that lets you identify keyword difficulty.

Perform difficulty analysis based on several principles


Competing Pages

Find out who your competitions are for a particular keyword or phrase. Simply type in the search terms you want to use on a search engine and check out the results. As a blog or a business, your competitors are other blogs or companies that are providing the same products or services, and using the same set of keywords. The top ten is your strongest competition.

You can further narrow down your search by looking into the number of pages being indexed that use the same search terms on the title. To do this, use one of Google's advanced search operator "allintitle", which will display websites where the keywords appear in the title.

Now that you know your competitors, it is important that you don’t make any decisions based solely on the data that you collected. Just use them as an indicator, since there are plenty of other elements that will keep you off the first page.

Top 10 Search Results

If you want to determine the metrics involved in keyword difficulty, determine the top ranking sites related to the terms you intend to use. Getting results is easy. It is making the searches non-personalized that is challenging, although not impossible. You just need to use the right tools to de-personalize your search and get the results that matter more. Using Chrome browser in incognito mode is one good example. What this does is to remove results returned based on search data and preferences, such as ads, news, images and YouTube videos.

Number of Links

Top-ranking pages are likely to have a significant number of external and domains pointing links based on certain key terms. If you use the same keywords, you would definitely have a hard time ranking. But if there is a top-ranking website with just a few direct links, you have a door of opportunity. Using Open Site Explorer or Majestic SEO, you can acquire a number of linking domains a website has. But know that a site with few high quality links can have the same authority as one with plenty of low quality links, which is why further analysis is necessary.

Off-Page Optimization

How strong a competitor website's off-page optimization is reflected on the number, authority and type of links it has, including the backlinks. Keyword difficulty analysis will look into page authority, domain authority, keyword in anchor text and the diversity of unique linking root domain.

On-Page Optimization

Now that you know who your competitors are, find out how well optimized they are. Think like a search engine and look for different signals that will help your keywords rank easily and effectively. 

      • Keyword in title tag
      • Length of the title tag
      • Keyword in H1
      • Keyword in image alt text
      • Keyword in domain or URL
      • Keyword representation in anchor text or external links
      • Content quality
      • Optimization level (over optimized or not)
      • Use of questionable SEO practices
      • Internal linking architecture of a website

You can also keep your evaluation simple by just ranking each page's optimization as none, minimal, over, fair, decent or good, and excellent. Regardless of which step you take, however, this process takes a lot of work. If you want to cut down on the amount of effort and time you spend, you should filter your keyword list to a manageable size.

Perform difficult analysis using Google search operators 

Google can be your best friend in difficulty analysis, and not just in knowing your competitions or the keywords they use. To maximize Google, however, you must use three of its special operators.

As already mentioned, allintitle returns results that contain your search terms on the title. allinurl, on the other hand display results with the keyword included in the URLs, and allintext returns search results with the keyword appearing within the content.

How do you use them to your advantage? Using the keywords "nike running shoes", for example, run a keyword difficulty analysis in Chrome. Don't forget to search in incognito mode to keep results organic and non-personalized. Take note of the total results and those that returned using Google's advanced search tools. The data you collect will look similar to the one below:

Keyword: nike running shoes

keyword difficulty analysis for total results

Results with allintext: nike running shoes

keyword difficulty analysis for results with allintext

Results with allinurl: nike running shoes

keyword difficulty analysis for results with allinurl

Results with allintitle: nike running shoes

keyword difficulty analysis for results with allintitle

What do the figures tell you?

• If the total results are equal or close to 1,000,000, you have higher chances of ranking on the first page.
• If the results with allintext are just 50% more than the total results, keyword difficulty is very high.
• If the results with allinurl and results with allintitle is less or close to 1,000, the chances of ranking on the first page is high provided that certain criteria are met:

      o 2000+ words in-depth blog post
      o Proper image optimization
      o High Flesch Reading Score
      o Quick Load Spee
      o Good Social Shares
      o Efficient Inter Linking
      o Several high DA, PA Backlinks
      o Perform difficulty analysis using specialized checker

What is great about using Google search operators is that you will know your competitors during your research. But you can always take a shortcut through a keyword difficulty tool.

Perform keyword difficulty analysis using difficulty tools


Keyword Inspector

This is a free tool that you can use to analyze how difficult it is to rank a specific keyword. Every search term is ranked as Very Easy, Easy, Moderate, Difficult and Very Difficult.

Keyword Inspector keyword analysis tool

To start using it, you must first create an account. Once that is done, you can then run an analysis by typing in the keyword on the input box, choosing a country and then hit "Submit". You will get a tabulated result, with the keyword difficulty analysis indicated at the last column. It is highly recommended that you use search terms that is ranked moderate or less difficult.

Take note, however, that search results may vary from one country to the next. So don't make decisions based on them alone. Instead, combine it with other keyword difficulty tool.

MOZ Keyword difficulty tool

This tool is more comprehensive and comes with other useful features, making it an ideal choice. It may not be free, but it does give good value for your money. You can run 20 reports at one time, and a standard subscription has a daily limit of 400 reports.

To run a difficulty analysis, simply type in one or more keywords on the input box. You can separate the terms using a comma, tab or by typing it on a new line. Choose a search engine (Google, Bing, etc.) and country, and then hit "Check Difficulty" button. You will then get a report with the difficulty score and ranking factor indicated. The score is between 1% and 100%, with 1% as being easy and 100% as being very competitive.

What is great about this difficulty analysis tool is that you have the option to export the report as CSV, in case you want to run you own analysis. There is also a "Compare" button that will give you an idea which keyword has the lowest difficult score, yet has the most search volume - an excellent combination. Simply check on the keywords you want to compare, two or more at a time, and then hit Compare.

Take note that the data of search volume will always be for Bing even if you choose Google as your search engine. Don't worry though, since this would not affect the results in any way.

SEMrush

Originally a professional SEO tool designed for digital marketers, SEMrush has recently introduced a tool for keyword difficulty analysis where you can bulk check ranking of multiple keywords. It is not free, but you do get a 14-day free trial period. Look for the keyword difficulty analyzer under Tools, type in your keywords and then search for their difficulty score. You can put in a maximum of 100 search terms per line.

The great thing about this tool is that you get more in one go. That is, you not only learn about Keyword difficulty, but also Keyword Research, Competitors Analysis, and even Backlink Opportunities.

There are just a few examples of keyword difficulty tools that you can use. Among the three options, SEMrush is considered the simplest to use and is highly recommended for affiliate marketers and bloggers.

Keyword difficulty analysis can be done for app store optimization as well. Check out the result count to determine the number of apps targeting a particular keyword. Simply type in the search terms on the app store and both Apple and Google will show which apps use certain keywords. Another factor is volatility that provides a good indicator of how difficult it is to rank for a particular search term. Because finding volatility manually is hard, look for tools that you can use.

Once you have a list of keywords, sort and filter them out into different categories, such as immediate and short-term keyword targets, medium-term keyword targets that need to be groomed and grown, and long-term keyword targets that can be obtained through sustained effort.

Keyword difficulty analysis may seem like a new concept, but it is the new way of ranking in search engine results, which is why it is worth implementing in your SEO campaign.
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miércoles, 11 de marzo de 2015

Building a List/Grid View Switcher in Blogger with Auto Read More

A list of posts in grid or list view provides a more defined canvas with which a blogger or website owner can use as a guide in creating content. This concept has extended to visitors, where they can have control on whether or not they wish to view posts in list or grid view. While custom modification codes are shared by some blogging sites, others are not. Some that are shared, however, can be complex even to bloggers themselves, such as JQuery.

The good news is there are lightweight codes available, including the Auto Read More in Blogger. Through it, a blogger can add two buttons that will enable visitors to switch between grid view and list view, depending on what they prefer. These buttons, however, are only visible on limited pages - homepage, label page and archive page. Nonetheless, it is better than not having this particular feature at all.

Unlike JQuery, the Auto Read More uses HTML, CSS and JavaScript. To view posts in a list view, two sets of CSS codes are added as one. Another set is added to view posts in grid view. Other combination of codes is used to enable easy switch between views, particularly at a click of a button.



How to Add a List/Grid View Switcher in Blogger

Step 1. Log into your Blogger dashboard and select your blog, then go to "Template" > press the "Edit HTML" button.

Step 2. Click anywhere inside the code area and press the CTRL + F keys to open the search box. Type this tag below inside the box and hit Enter to find it:
</head>
Step 3. Just above the </head> tag, copy and paste the following CSS style and scripts:
<script type='text/javascript'>
function list_view(){
if(document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post&quot;)) {elementArray = document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post&quot;); while (elementArray.length) {elementArray[0].className = &quot;post-grid-view&quot;;}}
if(document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-title&quot;)) {elementArray = document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-title&quot;); while (elementArray.length) {elementArray[0].className = &quot;post-title-grid&quot;;}}
}
function grid_view(){
if(document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-grid-view&quot;)) {elementArray = document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-grid-view&quot;); while (elementArray.length) {elementArray[0].className = &quot;post&quot;;}}
if(document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-title-grid&quot;)) {elementArray = document.getElementsByClassName(&quot;post-title-grid&quot;); while (elementArray.length) {elementArray[0].className = &quot;post-title&quot;;}}
}
</script>
 <script type='text/javascript'>
posts_no_thumb_sum = 100;
posts_thumb_sum = 350;
</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
function removeHtmlTag(strx,chop){
if(strx.indexOf("<")!=-1)
{
var s = strx.split("<");
for(var i=0;i<s.length;i++){
if(s[i].indexOf(">")!=-1){
s[i] = s[i].substring(s[i].indexOf(">")+1,s[i].length);
}
}
strx = s.join("");
}
chop = (chop < strx.length-1) ? chop : strx.length-2;
while(strx.charAt(chop-1)!=' ' && strx.indexOf(' ',chop)!=-1) chop++;
strx = strx.substring(0,chop-1);
return strx+'...';
}
function createSummaryAndThumb(pID, pURL, pTITLE){
var div = document.getElementById(pID);
var imgtag = "";
var img = div.getElementsByTagName("img");
var summ = posts_no_thumb_sum;
if(img.length>=1) {
imgtag = '<span class="posts-thumb" style="float:left; margin-right: 10px;"><a href="'+ pURL +'"><img src="'+img[0].src+'" /></a></span>';
summ = posts_thumb_sum;
}

else {
imgtag = '<span class="posts-thumb" style="float:left; margin-right: 10px;"><a href="'+ pURL +'" title="'+ pTITLE+'"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYf5xnXozBrR9SUYUxVDX3gFHvA7c_G8VRg7pQ86KXtZQDGEvvR-H5nBsEhaHYySbGoObxQBcfHIVejyQTShlKOnQ3QBNtxxZTwPs93hhvxr9tI4Lryc2yglgnTrU-tsRz1v1Kq1qle0e/s1600/sorry-image-not-available.png" style="margin-top: -30px;" /></a></span>';
summ = posts_thumb_sum;
}

var summary = imgtag + '<a href="'+ pURL +'"><div class="post-summary-text">' + removeHtmlTag(div.innerHTML,summ) + '</div></a>';
div.innerHTML = summary;
}
//]]>
</script>

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<style>
#list-view-button {font-family: Verdana; text-align:left;cursor:pointer;font-size: 14px;border-bottom: 5px solid #eaeaea;text-decoration: none;}
#list-view-button a{text-decoration: none; color: #666;}
.grid-view-button {background-color:#efefef;color:#666;padding:5px 10px;border-radius: 5px;font-size: 12px;}
.list-view-button {background-color:#efefef;color:#000;padding:5px 10px;border-radius: 5px;font-size: 12px;}
.post-grid-view {width:100%;height:250px;overflow: hidden;float:left;margin:0px 0px 20px !important;position:relative;display: block; -webkit-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; -moz-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; -o-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; }
.post-grid-view .posts-thumb {width:40% !important;height:250px !important;float:left;margin:0px;position:relative;border-top: 0px solid transparent !important;overflow: hidden;}
.post-grid-view .post-header {display: none;}
.post-grid-view .post-body img {min-width: 300px !important; min-height: 250px !important;display:block;width:100%!important;height:auto!important;max-width:800px!important;max-height:400px!important;border:none;outline:none;position:relative;margin: 0px;padding:0;}
.post-grid-view .post-summary-text {opacity: 1; background: none; width: 58%;font-size: 120% !important;clear: none !important; display: inline-block !important; padding: 80px 0px !important; color: #666 !important; text-shadow: none !important; float: right !important; text-align: left; position: relative !important; font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;}
.post-grid-view .post-body {height: 250px;background:#f5f5f5; box-shadow: none !important;}
.post-title-grid a { font-size:170%;color: #777;font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;}
.post-title-grid { position: absolute; left: 42%; top: 5%; z-index: 1;}
.post-grid-view .post-footer {left: 41%; display:block;position: absolute; bottom: 2%;font-size: 120%; background: transparent !important; border: 0px solid transparent !important;font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;}
.post-grid-view .post-footer a{color: #128EC9;}
.post-grid-view a.comment-bubble {display: none;}
.main-inner .column-center-inner .section {margin: 0px !important;}
.post { -webkit-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; -moz-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; -o-transition:all 0.5s ease 0s; transition:all 0.5s ease 0s;}

#blog-pager {clear:both;}
.post {height:auto;width:32.2%;display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;float:left;margin:0 1% 1% 0%;overflow: hidden;padding:0!important;}
.date-header {display: none;}
h3.post-title a {font-size:90%;font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase;color:#fff;text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);font-weight: bold;}
h3.post-title {text-align: center; position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;overflow:hidden;margin:0px !important;padding-top: 30%; background-color: rgba(50, 126, 213, 0.8);transform: scale(1);opacity: 0;z-index: 10;height: 100%;transition: all 300ms ease-out 0s;}
h3.post-title:hover {opacity: 1;}
.posts-thumb {width:100%!important;height:200px!important;overflow:hidden;clear:both;}
.post-body {border-radius:2px;box-shadow:0 5px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);position:relative;overflow: hidden;}
.post-body a {text-decoration: none;}
.post-body img {display:block;width:100%!important;height:auto!important;max-width:800px!important;max-height:400px!important;min-width:200px!important;min-height:200px!important;border:none;outline:none;position:relative;margin: 0px;padding:0;}
.post-summary-text {display: none;}
a.comment-bubble {color:#fff;text-decoration:none;font-size:100%;width: 100%;text-align: center;position:absolute;top:175px;left: 0px;text-shadow:1px 2px 1px #333;font-family: &#39;Pacifico&#39;, cursive;z-index: 122;}
a.comment-bubble:before { content: &quot;Comments: &quot; url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxVGNBRfNgHkXACyQWLW987MNUPQovHClF_jPB41F4B1mNeZ8jHQhQXF5seXS0JfXgqnJwmE1NEiIZ7W6V-NWMsv_C-upJDnPS8EZkrUtL2uNDJeYoKmgvDSjuSX6OYdFBO3W_EC5n-9H/s1600/heart-active.png);}
.post-header,.post-footer {display:none;}
</style></b:if></b:if>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Pacifico' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Step 4. Next, search for the following line:
<b:section class='main' id='main' showaddelement='no'>
...in case you can't find it, search for this one instead:
<b:section class='main' id='main' showaddelement='yes'>
Step 5. Just above this line, add the following code:
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<div id='list-view-button'><a class='grid-view-button' onclick='grid_view()'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2s4EHRmYF9qf3VvKIDyEsr6vyxU82l9BTr-A4ghMu1_5mNU8p20_vR4wwwTOMw9VkCnXFlA4zxP_4r2BMIk4BhL0bp54QH79uCkWTwjw7PreZgNY-d_fLpTT6HUHA6ZOnXaFZC4aTdcbQ/s1600/search-grid-icon.png' style='margin: -8px 1px -3px -6px;width: 16px;'/> Grid View</a> <a class='list-view-button' onclick='list_view()'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA-SbMKQ_dsfMDkimzeCwOUYNtCwfUC9va-a7OeOj7ez5amZo4ExadZ94Vn6Ribee2HfyCXG3rpuxhpOQXnGkPPq6D-FC9C0tYTHxs_ehpAMScGBT3crsaGp1G8QPye-GhbT2nEot4J9l/s1600/icon-list-view.png' style='margin: -8px 1px -3px -6px;width: 16px;'/> List View</a></div>
</b:if></b:if>
Step 6. Now, search the code below:
<data:post.body/>
Step 7. You will find 3 occurrences of this code, replace only the second and third one with this one below:
 <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
    <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;item&quot;'>
        <div expr:id='&quot;summary&quot; + data:post.id'>
            <data:post.body/>
        </div>
        <script type='text/javascript'>createSummaryAndThumb(&quot;summary<data:post.id/>&quot;,&quot;<data:post.url/>&quot;);</script>
        <b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
            <a class='comment-bubble' expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'>
                <data:post.numComments/>
            </a>
        </b:if>
    </b:if>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;item&quot;'>
    <data:post.body/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;static_page&quot;'>
    <data:post.body/>
</b:if>
Important: if you already added the auto read more script, remove the previous one in order to make this work.

Step 8. Finally, click "Preview" to see if everything looks good and press the 'Save Template' button to save the changes...

That's it!

Adding a dynamic view switcher on a blog will make viewing content a lot easier for visitors. Whether using a list or grid view, a more compressed list of posts will eliminate the need to click on the next page, which could take time if loading takes a while to complete. For a blog archive, using the Auto Read More codes in Blogger will surely make everyone's viewing experience very convenient.

Considering the ease with which the codes can be customized, building a list/grid view switcher would be completed in no time. A real bonus is that Auto Read More works on all platforms, with cross-browser support as well.
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jueves, 5 de marzo de 2015

Add Masonry, Grid Layouts to Blogger Posts with CSS and Javascript

How a website's content is displayed can spell the difference between being popular and obscure. Anything that looks chaotic or hardly readable is never going to be anyone's favorite. This is why content must be displayed in an organized, easy to follow and straightforward manner. Nothing works better than a structured grid, in this case.

Posts listed in grid view provide an excellent viewing experience for both the blogger or website owner and the visitors. This is especially true if the grid comes with images that would play with a person's visual inclination. What is great about grids is the seamless and smooth layout, complemented with a structured yet simple architecture. This makes it easier to navigate through a blog archive or product page. The style also enables a website owner to present posts in a more artistic and informative manner, without delving into the details. Suffice to say that a grid view demands creativity to be effortlessly mixed with functionality.

How views can be switched depends on a number of changes in a blog's codes. Some are fairly easy to implement, while others can be a little complex. Not to worry, as there are guides that will be provided. Grid styles also come in huge varieties, with each one designed to cater to a specific audience. Now, are you ready to go on the grid?

Features

What features can you expect from a grid style post in Blogger?

  • All the posts will follow the grid style when switching to grid view.
  • While the codes are being customized, the posts are left untouched. Their length, however, could be changed accordingly.
  • Auto Read More will be applied on all posts.
  • Thumbnails are automatically added based on the first picture found in each post.
  • Code is secure and is used across the board. In fact, 99% of bloggers are using a similar code to enable grid style posts in blogger.

What are the benefits of grid style?

  • Quick loading time of posts. Since only the snippets are loaded in certain pages, or a thumbnail and a caption, pulling up a blog archive would be quicker. When loading time is decreased, user experience is greatly enhanced.
  • Professional-looking blog. Without the chaos and concerns on readability, a website can look really clean and professional. Combined with the right colors and images, it can also leave a visual impact.
  • Improved website ranking. Because visitors have to click in order to view the rest of the post, page views of a site will significantly increase. This makes for a better SEO strategy.

Although changes to the CSS codes have to be made to implement the grid style view and make it compatible with a blog's template, all the work will be worth it once it is up and running.

Important:
Before anything make sure that you backup your Blogger template! If have encounter any problems with your edits, you can revert the template back to its previous condition by restoring it from your backup. For this, go to 'Template' in the left menu > click on the 'Backup/Restore' button in the upper right corner and press the 'Download Full Template' button - choose where you want to save the file on your computer and click the 'Save' button.

Now we can safely proceed with editing our Blogger template. If you run into problems, just revert back to your saved template.

How to Create Masonry, Grid Style Posts in Blogger

Step 1. Log into your Blogger dashboard and click on the blog where you want to apply the grid style.
Step 2. Go to "Template" located on the left side of the screen and press the "Edit HTML" button.
Step 3. Click anywhere inside the code area and press the CTRL+F keys to open the search box, then type the following tag inside the box (hit Enter to find it):
</head>
Step 4. Now copy the script below and paste it just before the </head> tag:
<script type='text/javascript'>
posts_no_thumb_sum = 100;
posts_thumb_sum = 100;
</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
function removeHtmlTag(strx,chop){
if(strx.indexOf("<")!=-1)
{
var s = strx.split("<");
for(var i=0;i<s.length;i++){
if(s[i].indexOf(">")!=-1){
s[i] = s[i].substring(s[i].indexOf(">")+1,s[i].length);
}
}
strx = s.join("");
}
chop = (chop < strx.length-1) ? chop : strx.length-2;
while(strx.charAt(chop-1)!=' ' && strx.indexOf(' ',chop)!=-1) chop++;
strx = strx.substring(0,chop-1);
return strx+'...';
}
function createSummaryAndThumb(pID, pURL, pTITLE){
var div = document.getElementById(pID);
var imgtag = "";
var img = div.getElementsByTagName("img");
var summ = posts_no_thumb_sum;
if(img.length>=1) {
imgtag = '<span class="posts-thumb" style="float:left; margin-right: 10px;"><a href="'+ pURL +'"><img src="'+img[0].src+'" /></a></span>';
summ = posts_thumb_sum;
}

else {
imgtag = '<span class="posts-thumb" style="float:left; margin-right: 10px;"><a href="'+ pURL +'" title="'+ pTITLE+'"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYf5xnXozBrR9SUYUxVDX3gFHvA7c_G8VRg7pQ86KXtZQDGEvvR-H5nBsEhaHYySbGoObxQBcfHIVejyQTShlKOnQ3QBNtxxZTwPs93hhvxr9tI4Lryc2yglgnTrU-tsRz1v1Kq1qle0e/s1600/sorry-image-not-available.png" style="margin-top: -30px;" /></a></span>';
summ = posts_thumb_sum;
}

var summary = imgtag + '<a href="'+ pURL +'"><div class="post-summary-text">' + removeHtmlTag(div.innerHTML,summ) + '</div></a>';
div.innerHTML = summary;
}
//]]>
</script>
Step 5. Find the following code snippet using CTRL+F or Command + F:
<data:post.body/>
Step 6. After pressing the "Enter" key on your keyboard, you may find three occurrences of the above code, replace only the second and the third one with this code below:
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
    <b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;item&quot;'>
        <div expr:id='&quot;summary&quot; + data:post.id'>
            <data:post.body/>
        </div>
        <script type='text/javascript'>createSummaryAndThumb(&quot;summary<data:post.id/>&quot;,&quot;<data:post.url/>&quot;);</script>
        <b:if cond='data:post.allowComments'>
            <a class='comment-bubble' expr:href='data:post.addCommentUrl' expr:onclick='data:post.addCommentOnclick'>
                <data:post.numComments/>
            </a>
        </b:if>
    </b:if>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;item&quot;'>
    <data:post.body/>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;static_page&quot;'>
    <data:post.body/>
</b:if>

Step 7. Now choose one of the styles below, copy the code provided and paste it just above the </head> tag:

Simple Grid Design


<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<style>
#blog-pager {
clear:both;
}
.post {
height: auto;
width:30.8%;
overflow: hidden;
display:inline-block;
text-decoration:none;
float:left;
margin:0 1.1% 2%;
padding: 0px !important;
}

h3.post-title a {
font-size:75%;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-transform:uppercase;
padding:0;
color:#444;
}
h3.post-title {
height: 26px;
text-align:center;
width:100%;
margin:0!important;
padding-bottom: 4%;
}
.date-header {
display: none;
}

.post-body a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.posts-thumb {
width:100%!important;
height:190px!important;
overflow:hidden;
clear:both;
}
.post-body img {
display:block;
width:100%!important;
height:auto!important;
max-width:800px!important;
max-height:400px!important;
min-width:190px!important;
min-height:190px!important;
border:none;
outline:none;
position:relative;
margin: 0px;
padding:0;
}
.post-summary-text {
color:#777;
font-size:100%!important;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-align:center;
clear:both;
overflow:hidden;
margin:5px 0 0;
padding:7% 10%;
}
a.comment-bubble {
color:#fff;
text-decoration:none;
font-size:100%;
font-weight: bold;
right:10px;
position:absolute;
top:165px;
text-shadow:1px 2px 1px #333;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
}
a.comment-bubble:before {
content: &quot;Comments: &quot;;
}
.post-header,.post-footer {
display:none;
}
</style></b:if></b:if>

<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Grid Layout with Post Summary and Thumbnail

grid layout for blogger


<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<style>
#blog-pager {
clear:both;
}
.post {
height:auto;
width:31%;
display:inline-block;
text-decoration:none;
float:left;
margin:0 1.1% 2%;
padding:0!important;
}
h3.post-title a {
font-size:75%;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-transform:uppercase;
color:#111;
padding:0;
}
h3.post-title {
text-align:center;
height:22px;
position:absolute;
bottom:23%;
width:100%;
z-index:101;
overflow:hidden;
margin:0!important;
padding:10px 0;
}
.date-header {
visibility:hidden;
height:0!important;
width:0!important;
margin:0!important;
padding:0!important;
}
.posts-thumb {
width:100%!important;
height:190px!important;
overflow:hidden;
clear:both;
border-bottom:3px solid #00C8BD;
border-top:3px solid #558ABB;
}
.posts-thumb:hover {
border-top:3px solid #FF664E;
border-bottom:3px solid #FEBE36;
}
.post-body {
border-radius:2px;
box-shadow:0 0 6px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
position:relative;
height:auto;
}
.post-body a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.post-body img {
display:block;
width:100%!important;
height:auto!important;
max-width:800px!important;
max-height:400px!important;
min-width:190px!important;
min-height:190px!important;
border:none;
outline:none;
position:relative;
margin: 0px;
padding:0;
}
.post-summary-text {
color:#555;
background:#f5f5f5 url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfgE4_2T7prKptcPE8vDFuqDzUjX4DWTH1gzpx8qW5WD0FaJPNT52jzedSHZOzUfShVDi6CKrJ_Dch5qjtQ9ygBTQw6hOHw7wftmIz1Yn1FZOPqHTlKZqNN8BQUFZ0KhyUXlsh3deSpmo/s1600/blueprint.png);
font-size:100%!important;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-align:center;
clear:both;
overflow:hidden;
margin:5px 0 0;
padding:17% 10% 6%;
}
a.comment-bubble {
color:#fff;
text-decoration:none;
font-size:110%;
right:10px;
position:absolute;
top:165px;
text-shadow:1px 2px 1px #333;
font-family: &#39;Pacifico&#39;, cursive;
}
a.comment-bubble:before {
content: &quot;Comments: &quot; url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxVGNBRfNgHkXACyQWLW987MNUPQovHClF_jPB41F4B1mNeZ8jHQhQXF5seXS0JfXgqnJwmE1NEiIZ7W6V-NWMsv_C-upJDnPS8EZkrUtL2uNDJeYoKmgvDSjuSX6OYdFBO3W_EC5n-9H/s1600/heart-active.png);
}
.post-header,.post-footer {
display:none;
}
</style></b:if></b:if>

<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Pacifico' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Grid Layout with Text Snippet on Hover

blogger posts


<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<style>
#blog-pager {
clear:both;
}
.post {
height:auto;
width:31%;
display:inline-block;
text-decoration:none;
float:left;
margin:0 1.1% 2%;
padding:0!important;
}
h3.post-title a {
font-size:95%;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-transform:uppercase;
color:#fff;
padding:0;
text-shadow: 2px 2px 3px #222;
}
h3.post-title {
height: 22px;
text-align:center;
position:absolute;
top:1%;
width:100%;
z-index:101;
overflow:hidden;
margin:0!important;
padding:10px 0;
}
.date-header {
visibility:hidden;
height:0!important;
width:0!important;
margin:0!important;
padding:0!important;
}
.posts-thumb {
width:100%!important;
height:190px!important;
overflow:hidden;
clear:both;
}
.post-body {
border-radius:2px;
box-shadow:0 5px 4px 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
position:relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.post-body a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.post-body img {
display:block;
width:100%!important;
height:auto!important;
max-width:800px!important;
max-height:400px!important;
min-width:190px!important;
min-height:190px!important;
border:none;
outline:none;
position:relative;
margin: 0px;
padding:0;
}
.post-summary-text {
cursor: pointer;
background-color: rgba(44, 77, 163, 0.8);
color:#fff;
font-size:120%!important;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
clear:both;
overflow:hidden;
padding:25% 10% 0%;
left: 0;
position: absolute;
text-align: center;
vertical-align: bottom;
text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
top: 0;
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 0;
z-index: 10;
height: 100%;
transition: all 300ms ease-out 0s;
}
.post-summary-text:hover {
opacity: 1;
}
a.comment-bubble {
color:#fff;
text-decoration:none;
font-size:100%;
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
position:absolute;
top:165px;
left: 0px;
text-shadow:1px 2px 1px #333;
font-family: &#39;Pacifico&#39;, cursive;
z-index: 122;
}
a.comment-bubble:before {
content: &quot;Comments: &quot;;
}
.post-header,.post-footer {
display:none;
}
</style></b:if></b:if>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>
<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Pacifico' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Masonry Layout (Pinterest Like Grid)

masonry layout for blogger


<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != &quot;static_page&quot;'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType!= &quot;item&quot;'>
<style>
#blog-pager {
clear: both;
position: absolute;
bottom: 0px;
left: 0px;
}
.blog-feeds {
display: none;
}
.post {
height: auto;
width: 100%;
padding: 0px !important;
margin: 0px 0px 30px;
display: inline-block;
text-decoration: none;
}
h3.post-title a{
font-size: 95%;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
text-transform: uppercase;
padding: 0px;
color: #fff;
text-shadow: 3px 2px 2px #222;
font-weight: bold;
}
h3.post-title, .comments h4 {
margin: 0px !important;
text-align: center;
padding: 10px 0px;
position: absolute;
top: 10px;
width: 100%;
z-index: 200;
}
.post-header {
display: none;
}
.date-header {
visibility: hidden;
height: 0px !important;
width: 0px !important;
padding: 0px !important;
margin: 0px !important;
}
.posts-thumb {
width: 100%;
height: auto;
overflow: hidden;
clear: both;
}
.post-body {
overflow: hidden;
position:relative;     
}
.post-body a {
text-decoration: none;
}
.post-body img {
display: block;
width: auto;
height: auto;
max-width: 100%;
max-height: none;
min-width: 100%;
min-height: auto;
margin: 0px;
padding: 0;
border: none;
outline: none;
position: relative;
}
.post-summary-text {
cursor: pointer;
background-color: rgba(44, 77, 163, 0.8);
color:#fff;
font-size:120%!important;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
clear:both;
overflow:hidden;
padding:25% 10% 0%;
left: 0;
position: absolute;
text-align: center;
vertical-align: bottom;
text-shadow: 1px 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
top: 0;
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 0;
z-index: 10;
height: 100%;
transition: all 300ms ease-out 0s;
}
.post-summary-text:hover {
opacity: 1;
}
.post-footer {
display: none;
}
a.comment-bubble {
color: #fff;
text-decoration: none;
font-size: 120%;
right: 5px;
z-index: 222;
position: absolute;
top: 5px;
text-shadow: 1px 2px 1px #333;
font-family: &#39;Open Sans Condensed&#39;, sans-serif;
}
a.comment-bubble:before {
content: url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxVGNBRfNgHkXACyQWLW987MNUPQovHClF_jPB41F4B1mNeZ8jHQhQXF5seXS0JfXgqnJwmE1NEiIZ7W6V-NWMsv_C-upJDnPS8EZkrUtL2uNDJeYoKmgvDSjuSX6OYdFBO3W_EC5n-9H/s1600/heart-active.png);
}
.main-inner .column-center-inner {
-moz-column-count: 3;
-moz-column-gap: 1px;
-webkit-column-count: 3;
-webkit-column-gap: 1px;
column-count: 3;
column-gap: 1px;
width: 100%;
padding: 0px !important;
}
</style></b:if></b:if>

<link href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'/>

Please note that the masonry layout might not work if you have a customized template, also older posts will appear vertically (from top to bottom) instead of left to right.

Step 8. Click "Preview" and if everything looks fine, press the "Save Template" button.


That's it!

Implementing a grid style view has its pros and cons, but the benefits clearly outweigh the disadvantages. The fact that a website will look visually appealing and professional when set in grid style, is already enough to boost its online reputation. An increase in page views is just the beginning. With the right images and content, a blog will also have better SEO. Most importantly, implementing the changes is not as complex as some might think. With a step-by-step guide available, adding a dynamic view switcher would be completed in no time.
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