Blog

Tag: SEO

Learn SEO basics with these videos & guides

My clients often ask me how they can improve their SEO (search engine optimization) to rank higher. If their budget allows for it, I partner with an SEO expert, because a successful SEO or SEM (search engine marketing) campaign requires specialized expertise. If such a campaign isn't in their budget, as is often the case […]

Read More
Best web design podcasts, Fall 2012

These are my favorite audio podcasts about web design and development, both the technical and business sides. They also feature topics such as marketing and freelancing. My last post on the best web design podcasts was from June 2012, so it was time to update the list. I’ve listed them roughly in order of preference, […]

Read More
Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to WordPress by Susan Gunelius

The Complete Idiot's Guide to WordPress by Susan Gunelius My rating: 3 of 5 stars An easily understood, very basic WordPress guide for beginning users. It's focused on blogging rather than building traditional websites. The first half covers WordPress.com, and the rest covers WordPress.org. The Attracting an Audience section has valuable chapters on SEO, feeds, […]

Read More
HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett (Book Summary)

HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the most visually pleasing web design book I’ve ever read. It’s logically organized and explains concepts well, using simple terms, code examples, and beautiful illustrations. I wish I had had it when I was first learning HTML […]

Read More
Customize Google search results with options and tools

Google’s search results are generally quite good by default, but customizing the results can make them even better. Google provides several options for doing this, which appear along the left side of the search results page. These work best if you’re signed into a Google account. Type of content The top group of options filters […]

Read More
How to change the WordPress permalink structure to postname

I've been changing the permalink structure for WordPress sites to simply postname, and you can do the same! I'll show you how to generate the redirects you need. In the past, I've configured WordPress to use the permalink structure Day and Name, which formats the URLs for posts as /%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/. Although I knew that a […]

Read More
Adding Google Custom Search to WordPress

I like to replace the default search functionality in WordPress with Google Custom Search. While recently redesigning a site using a child theme of the Twenty Eleven theme for WordPress, I found that Google had discontinued the IFrame option for Google Custom Search. Fortunately, I found this post: Integrating a Google Custom Search Engine into […]

Read More
Google search operators and tips

It’s time to improve your Google search techniques! The simplest tip is to start by using as few words as possible, because each word focuses the search further and thus limits the results. Then, add more words to narrow your results. You can also use the following search operators: Search single word exactly as is […]

Read More
Review: Sams Teach Yourself HTML and CSS in 24 Hours by Julie C. Meloni

Sams Teach Yourself HTML and CSS in 24 Hours by Julie C. Meloni My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a decent introduction to HTML and CSS. Its main advantages over other books of this type are the full color examples and syntax-highlighted code snippets. The explanations and examples are simple and easily understood. […]

Read More
Review: WordPress All-in-One For Dummies

WordPress All-in-One For Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson, Cory Miller, Kevin Palmer, Andrea Rennick, Michael Torbert My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the broadest, most comprehensive WordPress book I’ve read so far. It covers more than WordPress for Dummies, because it deals with everything from administration to design to development. I skimmed the first […]

Read More
Review: WordPress Bible by Aaron Brazell

WordPress Bible by Aaron Brazell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a comprehensive WordPress book; topics include getting started, plugin development, theme development, content management, and maintenance. I’m a web designer who creates WordPress sites for small businesses, so I focused on SEO, plugin recommendations, and theme development, and skimmed plugin development. My […]

Read More
Review: Head First WordPress by Jeff Siarto

Head First WordPress by Jeff Siarto My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is short and very high-level, dedicating only 1 or 2 pages to most topics. It's best for beginners or intermediate WordPress users. It covers styling a theme, managing users, managing categories and tags, embedding video, podcasting, security, and performance. I liked […]

Read More
Ready to Blast Off?

Let's talk.

Contact OptimWise
crossmenuarrow-right