I’ve been blogging for over six years, and I’m still always looking to find new or better tools and blogs to make me a better blogger. So I wanted to share some of the tools and blogs that I’ve found very useful.
1. Google Webmasters If you want your blog to be successful, you must play by Google’s rules. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Google has these rules so that search will work the way it should and website owners won’t be able to game the system. And they are more than happy to help. On this site you will learn more than you ever thought possible about Webmaster tools, Google Search, SEO, and more. There are three sections to the Google Webmaster site:
- Webmaster Tools – Have you added your blog to Google Webmaster Tools yet? Anyone with a website or blog needs to have it there. Google will let you know of any critical issues on your site (that would affect your search rankings). And Webmaster tools offers you many resources to help improve your blog.
- Webmaster Education – There are two parts to the Education section. Webmaster Academy, a full free online course, which you take in modules in your own time, on Google Search and Google Webmaster Tools. And the second part is a page of helpful Webmaster Resources.
- Webmaster Tools Help Center – I would actually start with this section before the other two. The help center explains everything you will come across on the rest of the Google Webmasters website.
2. Copyblogger
This is one of my favorite blogs for blogging advice. One of the reasons why is because I love to read it. I realized that many of the advice blogs I used to read, gave good advice, but I didn’t necessarily enjoy the blog experience. Copyblogger practices what he preaches.
3. SlideShare
A great tool to use to upload and share presentations, infographics, documents, videos, PDFs, and webinars online. It is perfect for uploading PowerPoint presentations so that you can have them online. And they don’t only live in SlideShare. You can embed them on your blogs and social media. Once you make an account in SlideShare, you can follow others and you will get alerted when they add new slideshows.
You don’t have to create a slideshow to have an account. You can learn a great deal from just browsing others. You can see a slideshow I created and embedded into my blog.
4. Buffer
By using Buffer you can schedule social media posts to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus to later time or date.
5. Kikolani
Another one of my favorite blogging advice blogs, written by Kristi Hines, one of the top women in the field. This blog can sometimes be a bit more technical than Copyblogger, but is worth checking out.
Do you have any blogging tools or blogging advice websites that you love and would like to share? Please do so in the comment section below.
Jennifer is also the Family Technology Guide at About.com.
Jennifer Wagner
In addition to writing two blogs, Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology and her new blog, Technology at Any Age, Jennifer Wagner has also published a book, The Gamer Generation: Reaping the Benefits of Video Games. She also writes about technology in education and social good on her blogs. She is married and lives in NYC and has two grown sons. Instagram: jenwag57
Follow Me:
Tamara says
I love Hootsuite. Like Buffer, it lets me see all of my social media accounts at once and share, comment and schedule posts for later.
Thanks for this great resource list!
Susan says
Great tools, many of which I was not aware. Thanks for the informative article.
I will be putting the info to good use.
Raquel says
Buffer is a great tool. I had not heard of Kikolani, but will have to check it out. I also love the Social Media Examiner. They have lots of helpful articles on social promotion.
Lana says
Thank you! I’m a brand new blogger so this information is very helpful!
Bonnie a.k.a. LadyBlogger says
Jennifer, this is the best thing I’ve read today–and I’ve been reading blogs all day! Pinned to my “e learning” board on Pinterest and shared!
Suzanne Stavert says
This was super helpful I need to spend more time on this. I just started with Buffer, but I need to utilize it!
Val says
Great list. I also prefer HootSuite for the social media sharing and auto and bulk scheduling features. Thanks for putting this together.
Lynne says
Thank you! This is very helpful, Jennifer.
Claudia Schmidt says
Thanks, Jennier! I’m on the Blogger platform (still debating whether to move to wordpress or not) and so can’t use some of these, but the sites above are great resources!