Today is a big day! First, it's World Book and Copyright Day but it's also Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon, which means over 2,000 readers (myself included) are reading for 24 hours straight. With a run that long, it's important to take a few minutes to get pumped up and get the blood flowing, which is why I've created a Pump Up the Jam Playlist. The following songs will help you to … [Read more...]
5 Ways Non-Techies Can Help Optimize Your Site
If you run your own website, then chances are you have work to do. When I first started The Book Wheel, I had no idea what I was doing and, therefore, did not optimize posts, use the right keywords, update all descriptions, or understand that meta tags on photos were important. I do, of course, know these things now but going back and updating old content is tedious and … [Read more...]
5 Easy Ways to Build Backlinks NOW (Plus Infographic!)
If you're at all concerned about your site's SEO and how it ranks in search engine visibility, then you probably know already know who is linking to you and that you need to build backlinks. Backlinks, or links on other sites that link to your own, are an important component of any strategy aimed at increasing site traffic and online credibility. In short, more links … [Read more...]
Why & How to Find Your Backlinks (Plus Infographic)
Although I'm fairly proficient with Google Analytics, I find myself neglecting some of the more important aspects of what Google has to offer in terms of site maintenance, such as keeping tabs on my backlinks. Backlinks, or sites that link to your own site, are extremely important for SEO because the more you have, the more trustworthy search engines find you and, of course, … [Read more...]
5 WordPress Plugins I Can’t Live Without
Running a website can be hard, but thanks to technology it doesn't have to be overly difficult (neither does life, but that's another article altogether). What's great about Wordpress is that there thousands of plugins to make life a bit easier. I've tried at least one hundred of them over the years, both free and paid, and have been able to narrow down a few of my … [Read more...]
7 Reasons I Didn’t Review Your Book
News alert: I don't review every book I read. This statement may or may not surprise you, but the fact is that I simply don't review every book I have read. A recent conversation about the expectations of book bloggers got me thinking about all of the times I have accepted a book for consideration or added one on Goodreads but didn't review it. There are plenty … [Read more...]
Blog Images: PicMonkey or Canva – Which Is Better?
When it comes to creating blog images, there are a million options out there. From something as simple as Paint (yes, Paint) to a professional program such as Adobe InDesign, the choices are endless*. But for the everyday blogger who doesn't need a full editing suite but needs something more than the basic cut and paste, there are two key websites that offer just enough … [Read more...]
7 Apps to Organize Your Life, Blog, and Health
Let's be real - life is hectic, especially for a blogger. Not only is it difficult to balance work, life, and blogging, but there are a million apps out there that promise to make your life easier. I, myself, have downloaded most of them. I've tried EverNote, Wunderlist, the Wordpress mobile app, several different health apps, and more email clients than I care to admit. … [Read more...]