Tag Archives: hostgator

How to Learn WordPress [14 Online Courses, Blogs, and Video Tutorials]

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Hosting

The post How to Learn WordPress [14 Online Courses, Blogs, and Video Tutorials] appeared first on HostGator Blog . When you’re starting a new website, one of the first decisions you have to make is how you’re going to build and manage it. For anyone with limited technical expertise, creating your website with the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, WordPress, offers a lot of benefits. WordPress provides an intuitive interface that saves you from having to use coding languages like HTML to make changes to your site. Because of its popularity— WordPress has over half of the CMS market share—you can find many resources to help you learn it and use it to its utmost potential. And with an extensive library of themes and popular plugins , many either affordable or entirely free, you can easily add functionality and design elements to your website. Even though WordPress is easier to use than a lot of other website options, you won’t know how to do everything from day one. It’s still worth taking some time to learn the ropes so you can get the most from it.  Luckily, there are a wealth of online resources—many of them free—to help you get up to speed on using WordPress.  Best Online Courses to Learn WordPress Online courses are one of the best ways to gain a lot of knowledge quickly. Whether you’re just starting out and want to get a thorough introduction to the basics of WordPress, or are hoping to level up and gain some more advanced knowledge, an online course can be a good way to learn WordPress skills.  1.  Udemy Udemy has one of the biggest repositories of online courses on the web, including 10,000 courses focused on WordPress. That includes courses for beginners, as well as ones that focus on more advanced WordPress skills like theme development and security.  With so many courses to choose from, almost anything you want to learn should be covered. And you can narrow down your options based on the ratings of past students, to make sure any course you choose has a solid reputation.  2. Skillshare Skillshare is another popular platform for online courses in a variety of topics. They offer a number of WordPress courses of varying lengths. Some of the most popular are general courses for beginners, but you’ll also find a range of more specific topics covered like WordPress SEO and using WooCommerce to build an online store. 3. WP Apprentice WP Apprentice offers a few WordPress courses, including a free one that covers the basics of getting started. The paid courses are more comprehensive and range in price from $39 to $75. They cover learning the essentials of using WordPress, understanding the Gutenberg editor, setting up a business website with WordPress, and learning WordPress SEO.  4. Joy of WP Joy of WP provides two free WordPress courses to help new users get started. WP A to Z covers all the most important basics, including links, themes, and plugins. How to WordPress helps with learning Gutenberg and how to do a number of important tasks in WordPress.  5. WPShout WPShout offers several free WordPress courses for developers. They have a basic starter course for new developers, then more advanced courses that get into topics like theme development, the WordPress hooks system, and using WP_Query.  Top WordPress Blogs to Check Out Courses can provide a thorough helping of information in one place, but for ongoing information that covers a wide range of related topics, WordPress blogs can be a valuable source. There are a lot of blogs out there that focus on using WordPress. These are some of the top ones to follow.  6. HostGator WordPress Blog While we may be biased, we’d be remiss if we didn’t call out the many helpful WordPress resources we make available here. There are two main places you’ll find these: On the HostGator blog , which includes dozens of articles with tips for using WordPress for different types of websites, and that cover useful topics like themes, plugins, and WordPress security.  On the HostGator support panel , which offers articles for customers of HostGator’s WordPress hosting on how to use the CMS with your HostGator account. In both places, you’ll find suggestions and instructions in clear language that beginners can follow just as easily as experts. 7. WPBeginner With over a million readers, the WPBeginner blog is one of the web’s go-to resources for all things WordPress. That includes highlighting featured deals and plugins, providing WordPress tutorials, and covering examples of websites that use WordPress effectively.  8. Smashing Magazine As the premier design publication on the web, Smashing Magazine covers a lot more than just WordPress. But their WordPress section is extensive and packed with useful information. You can find helpful articles that cover basic topics like how to create a WordPress site, as well as many articles that get much more specific and advanced in the WordPress tips they provide.  9. WPTavern WPTavern is a blog focused on all things WordPress. They cover WordPress updates and news, including the launch of new plugins and themes. It’s a useful blog for staying up to date on what’s happening in the world of WordPress. Best Sources for WordPress Videos Blogs can cover a lot of important information, but for visual learners, they won’t work as well as watching the same topics covered in videos. A number of websites specialize in videos you can use to learn WordPress.  10. LinkedIn Learning LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) has over 1,000 video tutorials about how to use WordPress. They range in skill level from beginner to advanced, and cover an array of topics including plugins, using WordPress for ecommerce, and making a website that’s accessible in WordPress.  The platform allows one month of free access, so it’s a good place to start your learning if you want to soak up a lot of knowledge quickly. After that, all their courses and videos are available for a fee starting at $24.99 a month.  11. WordPress.tv WordPress.tv collects videos about WordPress submitted by members of the community. It includes videos from key WordPress events, particularly the WordCamps hosted around the world. Some of the videos feature insights from important WordPress influencers. And notably, the site includes videos in multiple languages to help out a global audience.  12. WPTuts The WPTuts YouTube channel updates with new videos every week that provide tips and tutorials on using different aspects of WordPress. That includes useful WordPress tools like WooCommerce, Elementor, and the Brizy Visual Page builder. You can start with their Tutorials for Beginners section, then search through the extensive video library to answer just about any question you have.  Even More Resources for Learning WordPress While all the videos, courses, and blogs will give you plenty to work with, there are a few other types of resources it’s worth adding to your list. 13. WordPress Codex The WordPress Codex is the online manual for WordPress. It’s full of important technical information about how to use WordPress. There are specific sections on plugins, themes, and permalinks. For many of your starter questions, it makes sense to look first on the WordPress website itself.  14. Tao of WordPress The Tao of WordPress is a book that covers all the basics of creating and maintaining a website on WordPress. It has the depth of a thorough course, but collects it in book form for those that prefer to learn through reading.  Get Started With WordPress Once you decide to build your website with WordPress, the next question you have to answer is where you’ll host your website. HostGator offers managed WordPress hosting —a plan designed with WordPress compatibility top of mind.  With our WordPress plan, you can count on helpful resources on how to use WordPress and connect it with your hosting account. And you’ll get the quality of service that HostGator offers to customers of all plans—including 24/7 customer support, a promise of 99.99% uptime, and one of the best reputations in the industry. Choosing WordPress is a big step toward building a website that’s easy to create, maintain, and customize to your heart’s content. Choosing HostGator is the next step to getting your website published on the web where the world can see it.  Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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How to Find Your Side Hustle

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Hosting

The post How to Find Your Side Hustle appeared first on HostGator Blog . Did you know that over 44 million Americans already have a side hustle, according to CNN Money? Something that’s also worth mentioning? 36% of those side hustles are bringing in at least $500 extra dollars a month. Owning and operating your own independent business, apart from your full-time job, is a great way to hone your skills, make some extra cash, and build a business that could end up replacing your full-time income. 5 Steps to Finding Your Side Hustle With a multitude of side hustle opportunities out there, how do you decide which one is perfect for you? Here is a checklist to help you get started. 1. Find your why You’ve heard the idea of “finding your why” from thought leaders like Tony Robbins and Simon Sinek. If not, the basic idea is once you know why you are doing something, it’s possible to accomplish your goals. Here is a relatable example. It’s January 1st and you are going to get in shape this year. After all, that’s what people resolve to do, right? You go to the gym every day until January 12th. Then, your interest and motivation start to stagger, until you find you haven’t been to the gym in weeks, and finally, you don’t really care. If this is you, you’re not alone. Only 8% of people actually accomplish their New Year’s Resolutions, according to research by the University of Scranton. The reason? It’s safe to say it’s because these goal setters don’t have a defined why, or an underlying motivating reason to keep going when the going gets tough. Starting a side hustle may be one of your greatest desires, but to be successful, it’s important to determine your ultimate why. Is it because you want to pay off consumer debt that is eating at you every day? Do you want to transition from your full-time job to doing what you really love? Do you want extra cash for luxury vacations instead of staying in yucky hostels? Dig deep to determine whatever deeply motivates you, write it on a big poster board, and mount it on your wall. When things get hard, look at your poster and you will remember exactly why you made this goal of starting a side business in the first place. 2. Find your element Now that you know why you want to start a side hustle, it’s time to find some feasible options of what you might do. There are several options for a side business, but not all of them are for you. Some side hustles may bring in more money, but if you have zero interest, then it’s not a good fit. Similarly, you may be interested in a certain type of business, but if you lack talent, it also might not be a smart way to spend your extra time in a day. In the book Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life by Ken Robbins, he talks about the magic space that is your element. In short, your element is the place where your passions and your talents meet. To find the perfect side hustle, you need to find your element. Do this by brainstorming all of your talents and all of your passions. When you find a job that caters to both your talents and your passions, you’ve found your element. For example, you may love jewelry, but if you don’t have an artistic eye, an Etsy custom jewelry shop is not your element. However, let’s say you could spend all day writing, you know a ton about content marketing and everyone tells you how much they enjoy your articles. There you have it. Freelance writing or blogging might be your element, and a good starting point for finding your perfect side hustle. 3. Evaluate how much time you have Another factor in finding the right side hustle is to get a realistic hold on how much extra time you actually have. Everyone has 24 hours a day, but not everyone has the same responsibilities and priorities. How much time you have will provide valuable insight into what type of business you can start.  The best way to find out how much time you have is to spend a week or two tracking your schedule. Here are some questions to consider when tracking your schedule: When do you wake up? Could you wake up earlier? How much time in the morning do you need to dedicate to your physical health, mental health, and family?  Do you have any down time during the day? How are you currently spending that time? What time do you get off work? How long does it take you to get home? When do you settle down for the evening and start engaging in “me time?” How do you spend your “me time?” Are you spending any time on activities that don’t bring you joy or invigorate you (hello…Netflix browsing)? What time do you go to bed? Could you push bed time one hour later? Once you know how much time you have, it will be easier to pick a side hustle that works within your schedule. 4. Do your research up front The last thing you want to do is pick a side hustle, register your business, get started and then find out months down the road there is a better option for you. Before getting started, take the time to learn about every side hustle option that is available. Start out by reading blogs about different types of side hustles and using Google for additional research. There are also several side hustle resources that will provide insight into what side hustles are out there. Here are 3 favorites to help you get started: Side Hustle School – Side Hustle School provides daily podcast, in-person workshops, and a book to help you develop a successful side hustle. Side Hustle Nation – Side Hustle Nation is a podcast and blog filled with advice on hustle business ideas, how to get started, and how to build your business.  Ryan Robinson – Ryan Robinson is the king of side hustle advice. He offers excellent guidance, resources, and tips.  Once you have a good idea of what side hustle businesses are out there, you’ll be able to make the right choice from the get-go. 5. Research income potential This step brings the process full circle. In other words, it brings you back to your why. If your ultimate why is to pay off $2000 of credit card debt, you can opt for a side hustle that is more enjoyable but pays less (e.g. dog walking, rideshare driving, etc.). If your ultimate why is to replace your full-time income, then you need a side hustle that brings in more money (e.g. affiliate marketing, freelance design, blogging, etc.) The resources listed above will not only help you understand what side hustle options are available, but also how much you can make with each side hustle, and how you can maximize your earning potential with strategy. Finding Your Side Hustle When starting a side hustle, remember the most important piece of advice: to get customers, you need to tap into the online search world by putting up a solid website.   Check out Gator Builder , our intuitive website builder, to get started. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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Do You Need Insurance for Your Side Hustle?

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Hosting

The post Do You Need Insurance for Your Side Hustle? appeared first on HostGator Blog . Congratulations! You finally decided to start your side hustle.  You’ve done your research to determine which side hustle is best for you. You’ve set your side hustle goals. You may have even already started building a website for your side hustle . This is fabulous news, and, hopefully, things have been smooth sailing so far.  Now it’s time to delve a little deeper and make sure your business has covered its backside.  In other words, it’s time to learn whether or not you need insurance for your side hustle. To help bring you up to speed, here are the side gig insurance essentials. Why Do You Need Insurance for Your Side Hustle? Owning your own business is beneficial for several reasons. You get to set your own schedule, work remotely, go on vacation when you want, be your own boss, and charge your customers what you want. But, there are some downfalls to owning your own business—namely, you don’t have a group insurance policy subsidized by your employer. Similarly, your personal home and auto insurance don’t cover work-related claims. This means if you run a business that is susceptible to a lawsuit, property loss, and/or business interruption, you need insurance. Seeking out insurance for your side gig will protect you from financial ruin in the event of an incident, accident, or lawsuit. How Do You Know If You Need Insurance for Your Side Hustle? Not every side business is the same, so not every business owner will need the same type of insurance. In fact, some business owners won’t need insurance at all. Whether or not you need insurance (and how much insurance you need) is based upon your risk factor. If your side hustle has a high risk factor, you need insurance. If your side gig has low or no risk involved, then you only need a small policy or may not even need insurance. Here are some things to consider to determine risk: Do you run a side gig where someone could get hurt (bitten by a dog, victim of a car accident, experience an allergic reaction to one of your products)? Do customers come to your place of business? Do you go to customers’ homes? Do you work with the elderly, children or animals? Do you handle any sensitive information or process credit cards? Do you use a car to travel to and from business engagements? Do you use valuable equipment that could get destroyed in an accident? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you have a higher risk profile. Take the time to consult with an independent insurance agent about insurance options.  If you answered no to all of these questions, then your risk profile is lower. This doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from insurance. It could mean you only need a small policy. What Kind of Side Gig Insurance Do I Need? Each side gig is different which means the types of policies different business owners need will vary greatly. Here is a quick review of the different types of policies you may need. After reviewing each policy, you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not your business needs the respective type of insurance. Business Owner’s Policy A business owner’s policy is a packaged policy that covers all of the basics. This includes things like vehicle, property, crime insurance, liability, and more. An insurance agent will help you create a policy that is specific to you and your business. This is the most common type of business policy and a good option for every business owner to research. If you are at higher risk for certain aspects of this bundled policy, you can get a separate and more comprehensive policy. These policies include: Professional Liability Insurance – This policy covers claims due to negligence or accidents such as bodily injury or property damage to a third-party.  Crime Insurance – If you need property protection from fraud and theft, this is the insurance for you. Property Insurance – Property insurance protects your own business from natural disasters, fire, storms, theft, etc. Vehicle Insurance –  If you use a car strictly for business, you need a separate business policy. These types of policies will protect your business and your personal assets in the event of damage or a lawsuit. Personal and Advertising Injury No one likes to be accused of libel, privacy invasion, copyright infringement, slander, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens. If you are sued for any of these offences, a personal and advertising injury policy will cover you. Product Liability Insurance Do you make or sell a product? If so, you should look into a product liability insurance policy. This protects you in the event of a lawsuit resulting from a customer getting injured by your product. Since every business is so different, you can work with your insurance agent to customize your policy to your business. Workers’ Compensation Do you employ at least one other individual? If so, you need a worker’s compensation policy. This type of insurance protects you from lawsuits that result from injuries on the job. Keep in mind most states require workers’ compensation for any W2 employees. Cyber Liability Insurance If you store any sensitive, personal or financial information on your computer, then you need a cyber liability insurance policy. This will help you cover the costs related to any potential breach in security . Accounts Receivable One of the biggest risks when starting a side gig is the risk of clients not paying you. If you send invoices to clients, look into an accounts receivable policy. This will cover you financially when clients don’t pay up. The policies mentioned above are among the most popular types of insurance side hustlers should research. Insuring Your Side Hustle for Success Starting a side hustle is the perfect way to make extra money. If you have already researched your side hustle and settled on your business idea, it’s time for the next two most important steps.  First, make sure to set up your website with our easy to use, drag-and-drop Gator website builder . Then, take the time to protect your business and personal assets by looking into insurance. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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5 Tips for Launching Your First Email Marketing Campaign

Posted on August 17, 2019 by Hosting

The post 5 Tips for Launching Your First Email Marketing Campaign appeared first on HostGator Blog . Email marketing is far from dead . In terms of return on investment, it still holds up as a viable campaign element. The trick is to know how to use this resource to its best advantage.  Even in a world with so many options for electronic communication, email remains an affordable and effective way to connect with consumers. But the most important bit is to make sure your emails go to the right people – qualified leads and prospects.  If this is your first campaign, don’t feel overwhelmed. With a little help, you can create a plan that’s effective and brings the positive attention that you want. Here are some tips to get started.  What’s a Qualified List Anyway? The last thing you want to do is buy a list, blast out emails, and hope for the best. If you want reasonable results, that list must be qualified. What does that mean? A ”qualified” email list has email addresses of those who have expressed interest in the types of goods or services that your company sells. Those addresses may be individual consumers, buyers for other companies, department heads, or anyone else with the authority to make purchases. The tie that binds them together is they have indicated the desire to receive emails related to products they want.  How do you come up with a qualified list? One approach is to have consumers opt in to receive your emails. That often provides a list’s foundation.  Don’t overlook generating qualified recipients by using your social media accounts. A simple post that includes a link back to the opt-in page on your website allows interested parties to sign up. Combined, the list will be composed of recipients who are more likely to open and read the email than hit the delete key.  Now that you know who you’re emailing, it’s time to launch your first email campaign.  Here are the 5 tips for launching your first email campaign… 1. Create emails with a specific purpose or offer. Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/hs-fs/hub/53/file-23119214-png/blog/images/email_list_growth_tactics-resized-600.png If you’re serious about mounting an effective campaign, the email text must focus on engaging the recipients in a specific way. Offer them something in exchange for reading the email. Make a compelling case for accepting the offer.  Some of the offerings you could make include:  Notice and ability to register for an upcoming event Signing up for an email newsletter Discounts on specific goods and services Announcements of new products Can you include more than one offering? Yes, but it isn’t always the best move. One of the offers might be lost in the shuffle. You would do well to stick with one purpose for that email and follow up with a second one that contains a different offer a few days later.  Remember that your content must not contain any element that hints of a scam . Be up front and clear from start to finish. You’ll get more readers that way.  2. Write an eye-catching subject line. Remember the old axiom that was at the core of Toastmasters International training? It works with email campaigns too. The “Three S” approach – stand up, speak up, and shut up – translates well into this type of campaign.  Use the subject line to make a point or ask a question. Follow with information the recipient can use in the first paragraph. Follow with content that backs up that information. Close with a way to learn more by clicking over to your website.  That’s it. Forget about flowery phrases or trying to impress readers with a wall of text. Keep it simple and to the point . More people will read the whole thing and be inspired to ask for more.  3. Choose images and videos directly related to the email topic. It’s fine to include images or embed video in your marketing emails. Just make sure they accomplish more than taking up space.  The images must directly relate to the email topic. Unless you’re selling a new pet product, kittens are not good choices. Use an image that shows the product or at least someone using it. That creates context.  The same is true with video. Make it short, sweet, and relevant. No one has time to watch a video as long as a TV show. Use the video to make a quick point and direct the reader to the product. Do it in less than three minutes. 4. Don’t hit “send” 500 times. In the beginning, your email list may contain ten people. Maybe less. At that level, it’s no big deal to put them all on BCC using your regular email address and service and send it out. Once you have hundreds, or even thousands of names on the list, the technical aspect of simply emailing them all get complicated. Your standard Gmail account will likely be exhibiting symptoms of stress thanks to Google’s new AI spam filters . Most web hosts help newbie email marketers take the next step in technical sophistication by offering email services like autoresponders, multiple email boxes for your domain, web mail, and other handy features for a marketer. A reputable service should fully abide by GDPR data privacy requirements . Most hands-on HostGator reviews explain how to set up email in a GDPR-compliant manner, as does the HG knowledge base . As your list grows, it will eventually become too unwieldy to manage even with a web host’s resources. At that point, it’s time to look into a full-fledged email marketing service like Constant Contact .       5. Use the email format that works best for your audience. Source: https://ucarecdn.com/900cb335-6b86-4a87-a06e-54975362273f~7/nth/5/ HTML is pretty. It works a lot of the time. It may work for you. Then again, it may not.  Think about your target audience. Are they more likely to open the email on a phone or a laptop? Will the HTML slow down the load time and motivate the reader to close and delete the email? Will it add anything of value to the email itself?  Only you can answer those questions, and a lot depends on the quality of the underlying code . As you decide, be aware that poorly-executed HTML increases the odds that readers will delete the email before finishing it. That also means they won’t forward it to their associates.  The bottom line… Expect to be horrified by the perceived complexity when you first dig into the idea of email marketing. It can be overwhelming but only if you’re a rank newbie and try to implement every tool and strategy at once.  Start simple. Create a landing page , drive traffic to it, collect email addresses, and send the list emails periodically. Lots of online marketers have been very successful doing nothing more than this. Later you can figure out autoresponder sequences, list segmentation, and conversion techniques. For now, take the first step. Choose one of those email marketing services we mentioned up there and take action.  Many have a free level or trial period. Ultimately, the only thing standing between you and your first email marketing campaign is inaction. Change that by taking action now. Good luck!    Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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The Right Way to Tag Your Blog Posts

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Hosting

The post The Right Way to Tag Your Blog Posts appeared first on HostGator Blog . It’s easy to overlook the humble post tag when you’re setting up your blog. But tags are worth a second look and then some. These little labels can deliver a lot of value when you know what they do and how to use them wisely. Tags on your blog posts can make it easier for readers to find what they’re looking for. They can help search engine crawlers understand the content that’s on your site. And tags can help you organize, update, and repackage your archived posts. With the right tracking tools, your tags can even show you which direction your new content should take. What a Blog Post Tag Is—and Isn’t Tags are similar to a lot of other site elements, and it can get confusing. Let’s start by clearing up what a tag is and is not. First, blog post tags are not hashtags. They have similar functions, but hashtags work across an entire platform, which is why you get results from about a million different accounts when you search for #puppies on Instagram. Post tags work within your site, so clicking the puppies tag will return only your posts about wee puppers. Post tags also aren’t the code snippets used to track marketing campaigns with Google Tag Manager. Two totally different things. Post Tags Complement Categories Tags are optional, but WordPress automatically sorts blog posts into categories. If you don’t set up your own categories and use them, your content will be “uncategorized.” That’s not helpful for your readers, you, search crawlers, or people using search engines to find the topics you write about. So please, use your categories. Some bloggers don’t tag their posts because they feel like categories take care of all their sorting needs. That can work if you have a small blog that you don’t update that often, but the more content you have, and the more varied your topics are, the more useful tags will be. Here’s why: Categories sort your posts into a top-level groups that provide a general outline of your content. For example, baking blog categories might be cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies. But you can tag posts in any of those categories with specific labels like Christmas, gluten-free, and so on, so readers can find all your Christmas or gluten free recipes in one tag search. Category and tag management menus in WordPress Post Tags and Meta Descriptions Have Different Jobs Meta keywords show up in a search results snippet for your post, and they get scanned by search engine robots. They can share some of the same words you use in your post tags, but tagging your posts doesn’t automatically generate meta descriptions. You need to enter them in the meta description box for your post. 4 Ways Post Tags Make Your Blog Better 1. Tags can help your SEO. Before you start freestyling your tag names, check out your Google Search Console data to see what keywords people are using to find your blog. By tagging with keywords, you help search engine bots find and categorize your posts. That helps new readers find your blog more easily. 2. Tags make a big blog more manageable and appealing to readers. Consider the tags on a TechCrunch post about robot food delivery . TechCrunch has been around for more than a decade, so they’ve got a huge archive. But they limit the tags to a few relevant labels. Seven of these tags lead to lists of related content that readers can scroll through. The Berkeley SkyDeck tag only applies to the Kiwi story for now. But as the startup accelerator gets more coverage, that tag may appear on more posts. You’ll notice one tag that’s not on this post is food delivery. Even though it’s central to the story, most TechCrunch readers are not there for food delivery stories. Their focus is tech. So keep your tags tied to what your readers are looking for. Resist the urge to toss in oddball tags, because you’ll end up with a bunch of one-off tags that make your site navigation harder instead of easier and don’t help your SEO. 3. Tags relate your blog posts to one another. Once you have a few posts with the same tag, you’ve got a little niche within your content that readers can explore. Behind the scenes, you can also use your tags to find related blog posts you might want to link to in new posts. You can do this manually or you can use a WordPress blog plugin that will automatically surface related posts for you. Once you have a few posts with the same tag, you’ve got a little niche within your content that readers can explore. Behind the scenes, you can also use your tags to find related blog posts you might want to link to in new posts. You can do this manually or you can use a WordPress blog plugin that will automatically surface related posts for you. You can review your tags to see if it’s time to put together a mega-post that updates and combines related content from several different posts in your archive. Tags can also help you pull together material for an eBook quickly. 4. Tags can show you which blog topics your readers like most. You can track metrics for your tags, and even your categories, but you’ll have to do a couple of workarounds for Google analytics to make it happen. One option is to create custom dimensions for your tags and categories in your analytics dashboard . If you do this yourself, you’ll also have to modify your tracking code, too. If you’d rather not mess with your tracking codes, you can use a plugin to set up your custom dimensions. The MonsterInsights Pro plugin has an add-on for exactly this purpose. Google Analytics Dashboard for WP by ExactMetrics also lets you set up custom dimensions for tags and some other post elements. Ready to set up your blog and start tagging your posts? Get started with HostGator’s managed WordPress hosting. Find the post on the HostGator Blog Continue reading →

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