Google Webmaster Tools
Hi everybody. Well here we are on a Sunday afternoon. Beth and I went out for a long walk around the University of Richmond today. We did two circuits around the lake and dripped enough sweat to fill a small puddle. But that’s good. And we always have good discussions while we are doing our walks. Our only problem has been that we didn’t do them consistently but now that walking has become a part of my life that may change. But who knows?
It has always been a case of her getting motivated or me getting motivated and sometimes we were motivated together. She swam every day last summer and fall. And I was busy trying to put a dent in the couch.
So hopefully we are coming together now and all will be well. Beth has a lot of pressure on her right now and I am just hoping she will decide to walk with me as a way of dealing with it.
And then there is the blogging stuff. I am using the Google Webmaster Tools and it is helping me to understand why my blog crashed and burned last June 25. It was actually a crash and burn that took a couple of weeks and I didn’t really see it happening until sometime after the 4th of July. But I understand now why it happened and will pass along that information. As well as a suggestion that you tune into Google Webmaster Tools if you operate your own domain.
Because (let’s face it) we have to play with Google. How many people every day click on Goog and look for something?
SO I have been looking into Google Webmaster Tools and here is what I have discovered (so far). If you have a bunch of categories and you decide you would like to slim down BE CAREFUL. Because every time you eliminate a category or a Tag for that matter you can create broken links in that golden brick road that runs between your blog and Kansas. Or Google. Wherever.
I eliminated a lot of categories when i went from categories to tags and it caused Google to penalize my blog. I thought maybe it was because I said something someone didn’t like very much. But lets be real. Google is getting ready to run the world. Why would anyone have the time to focus on something I said?
All of this became clear to me during our walk today. I am sure there are some very smart folks over at the University of Richmond. But most of them are on vacation this time of year. So it was just two middle class and middle aged shmoes walking around the lake trying to make sense of the 21st century.
And what we came up with is this. . .UNDERSTAND your Google Webmaster Tools. If you are going to have a secure place in the new social order you will need to do this.
But watch out! Because there are people lining up at the door and on YouTube who will say “Here’s What You Need TO Know about Google Webmaster Tools” and it’s just a come on to get your money. They explain maybe one or two things and the rest will cost you a thousand dollars.
So watch out. And here is my promise. If/when I figure it out you will get it laid out here (for free) just like we did with the NextGen plugin. And that’s a promise to all the 200 readers who can still find this place after Google deposited it in the deep blue sea.
Have a nice afternoon.
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2 responses so far
I did the categories to tag conversion right after I saw that it was available and after I felt I was building up way too many categories. I was lucky that I didn’t have this happen to me. In fact, it seems from my results that Live search loves tag pages. But Google does what Google wants.
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Oh David, this was a great read. I love your writing style. Warm, real and funny. Loved the way the walking ties in with the Google thing. I laughed over that. Just delightful. Also, I am glad you are going to tell us more about this at at some point. I own my own domain. http://www.nakedineden.com. And I know almost nothing about Google Webmaster Tools. Let me know when you post this, as I better make sure I read it.