Other Useful Tools
Several other useful tools in WordPress don't seem to fit anywhere else in the side menu, so they are placed under Tools, Tools.
Press This
Press This is a small web application that streamlines the process of posting articles as you are browsing around the Web. As you are browsing the Internet and come across text, images, or video you want to reference, you can use Press This to quickly make a post in your blog.
You can find Press This under Tools, Tools in the side menu. To start using Press This, follow these steps:
- Either drag the Press This link to your browser's link bar or add it as a favorite.
- Find a story you like, select the text you want to include, and then click the Press This link (or favorite).
- The Press This window appears with the title and link in the article body already filled in (see Figure 7.7). Add your additional text, images, categories, tags, and other standard post material.
Figure 7.7 Grab bits of the Internet and post it back to your blog with Press This.
- Click Publish.
Your post has been published. Press This offers you the options to view your post, edit your post, or close the window. When you are done, your main browser window is still where you left it. Press This can be a real time saver.
Webmaster Tools Verification (WordPress.com Only)
Google, Bing, and Yahoo! offer tools that provide you with detailed information and statistics about how your readers access and index your website. They can provide you with additional information to the standard WordPress statistics. Using the webmaster tools is completely optional. You can verify your site with one or all if you like with no impact to your site's performance or your readers' experience.
Before you can use these tools, you need to sign up for an account with the service of your choice and verify your blog. Use the instructions from the appropriate following section to verify your blog with one or more of the services.
Google Webmaster Tools
- Log in to www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ with your Google account.
- Click Add a site.
- Enter your blog URL then click Continue.
- Copy the meta tag, which looks something like <meta name='google-site-verification' content='dBw5CvburAxi537Rp9qi5uG2174Vb6JwHwIRwPSLIK8'>.
- Leave the verification page open and go to your blog Dashboard.
- Open the Tools, Tools page and paste the code in the appropriate field.
- Click Save Changes.
- Go back to the verification page and click Verify.
Yahoo! Site Explorer
- Log in to https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/ with your Yahoo! account.
- Enter your blog URL and click Add My Site.
- You are presented with several authentication methods. Choose By Adding a META Tag to My Home Page.
- Copy the meta tag, which looks something like <meta name='y_key' content='3236dee82aabe064'>.
- Leave the verification page open and go to your blog Dashboard.
- Open the Tools, Tools page and paste the code in the appropriate field.
- Click Save Changes.
- Go back to the verification page and click Ready to Authenticate.
- Go to the main page using the My Sites link on the left. In the status column, look for a green check mark indicating your site has been validated.
Bing Webmaster Center
- Log in to www.bing.com/webmaster with your Live! account.
- Click Add a Site.
- Enter your blog URL and click Submit.
- Copy the meta tag from the text area at the bottom. It looks something like <meta name='msvalidate.01' content='12C1203B5086AECE94EB3A3D9830B2E'>.
- Leave the verification page open and go to your blog Dashboard.
- Open the Tools, Tools page and paste the code in the appropriate field.
- Click Save Changes.
- Go back to the verification page and click Return to the Site List.
After you've got your site validated, you can use the webmaster tools to leverage the power of these search engines to determine who is linking to your site, what pages are most popular, and other statistics. You can even block the search engines from indexing part of your blog if you have pages you would like to exclude.