Getting Started with Blogger:

 

A Complete Guide

Blogger.com is Google's free blogging platform that allows anyone to create and monetize a blog with minimal technical knowledge. This guide will walk you through every aspect of setting up, managing, and earning from your Blogger blog.

Setting Up Your Blogger Account

Step 1: Create Your Blog

• Go to blogger.com and sign in with your Google account
• Click "Create Your Blog" or the orange "+" button
• Enter a name for your blog (this is the title that appears at the top)
• Choose a blog address (URL), which will be yourname.blogspot.com
• Click "Create blog"

Step 2: Choose Your Display Name

• Select how you want your name to appear on posts
• You can use your Google profile name or create a custom display name
• This can be changed later in Settings

Understanding the Blogger Dashboard

Once created, you'll see the main dashboard with these key sections:

Posts - Where you create and manage your blog content
Stats - Traffic and engagement analytics
Earnings - Monetization management
Comments - Reader comment moderation
Pages - Static content like "About" or "Contact"
Layout - Customize your blog's structure
Theme - Design and appearance settings
Settings - Blog configuration options

Creating Your First Post

• Click "Posts" then "New Post"
• Enter a title and write your content using the visual editor
• Use the toolbar to format text, add images, insert links, or embed videos
• Add labels (tags) to categorize your post
• Click "Publish" when ready, or "Save" to work on it later
• You can also schedule posts for future publication

Setting Up Pages

Pages are for permanent content that doesn't appear in your regular blog feed.

Common Uses for Pages:

• About Me/About This Blog
• Contact information
• Privacy Policy (required for monetization)
• Terms of Service
• Portfolio or services offered

Creating a Page:

• Click "Pages" in the left sidebar
• Click "New Page"
• Title your page and add content
• Click "Publish"
• Pages appear in your navigation menu (you can customize this in Layout)

Customizing Your Blog's Appearance

Theme Settings

To Change Your Theme:

• Click "Theme" in the left sidebar
• Browse available themes or click "Customize" to modify the current one
• In Customize mode, you can adjust:
  • Background colors and images
  • Font styles and sizes
  • Column widths
  • Link colors
  • Individual page element appearances

Advanced Options:

• Click the down arrow next to "Customize" to backup, restore, or edit HTML directly
• "Edit HTML" allows complete control for those comfortable with code

Layout Configuration

The Layout section controls where elements appear on your blog.

To Modify Layout:

• Click "Layout" in the sidebar
• You'll see a visual representation of your blog structure
• Common sections include: Header, Blog Posts, Sidebar, Footer
• Click "Add a Gadget" to insert new elements like:
  • About Me widget
  • Popular Posts
  • Archive by date
  • Labels (tag cloud)
  • Social media follow buttons
  • Custom HTML for ads or badges
  • Blog search box

Rearranging Elements:

• Simply drag and drop gadgets to reposition them
• Click "Save arrangement" when finished

Understanding and Using Stats

Blogger provides built-in analytics to track your blog's performance.

Accessing Stats:

• Click "Stats" in the left sidebar

Available Metrics:

Overview - Shows pageviews over time with graphs for:

• Today, yesterday, last week, last month, all time
• Pageview totals by timeframe

Posts - Individual post performance showing:

• Which posts get the most traffic
• Pageviews per post over selected time periods

Traffic Sources - How people find your blog:

• Search keywords (though Google increasingly limits this data)
• Referring URLs (other websites linking to you)
• Direct traffic

Audience - Demographic information:

• Countries where readers are located
• Browsers and operating systems used
• Less detailed than Google Analytics but useful for basic insights

For More Detailed Analytics:

• Consider setting up Google Analytics 4 (free)
• Add the tracking code through Settings > Analytics

Monetizing Your Blog

Blogger integrates with Google AdSense for revenue generation.

Prerequisites for Monetization:

• Original, quality content
• Regular posting schedule
• Compliance with Google AdSense policies
• A privacy policy page
• Sufficient content (generally 15-20 posts minimum recommended)

Setting Up AdSense:

1. Click "Earnings" in the left sidebar
2. Click "Sign up for AdSense"
3. Fill out the AdSense application with:
   • Your address and tax information
   • Phone number for verification
   • Bank account details for payments
4. Submit your blog for review (approval can take days to weeks)

Once Approved:

• Return to Earnings in Blogger
• Toggle "Show ads on your blog" to ON
• Choose where ads appear:
  • Above or below posts
  • In the sidebar
  • Between posts on your homepage
• Blogger automatically places responsive ads in these locations

Ad Customization:

• You can adjust ad density (how many ads appear)
• Control ad placement through Layout by adding AdSense gadgets manually
• Balance monetization with user experience

Checking Earnings and Getting Paid

Viewing Your Earnings:

• Click "Earnings" in Blogger for a basic overview
• For detailed earnings, click "View in AdSense" to access your full AdSense account
• AdSense shows:
  • Estimated earnings today, yesterday, this month
  • Page RPM (revenue per thousand impressions)
  • Click-through rate and cost-per-click data
  • Payment history

Payment Process:

1. You must reach the payment threshold ($100 USD in most countries)
2. Verify your address by entering a PIN mailed to you
3. Add payment information:
   • Bank account details for electronic transfer (recommended)
   • Or check/wire transfer options
4. Payments are issued monthly, typically between 21st-26th
5. Money appears in your account within a few business days

Important Notes:

• Invalid click activity can result in account suspension
• Never click your own ads or encourage others to do so
• Earnings vary widely based on niche, traffic, and geographic audience

Using the Reading List Feature

The Reading List is Blogger's built-in RSS reader for following other blogs.

Purpose:

• Keep track of blogs you enjoy
• Get updates when they publish new content
• Stay connected with your blogging community

Adding Blogs to Your Reading List:

• Visit a Blogger blog you want to follow
• Click the "Follow" button (usually in the sidebar)
• Or go to your Reading List and click "Add" to enter a blog URL

Accessing Your Reading List:

• From the Blogger dashboard, click "Reading List"
• You'll see the most recent posts from blogs you follow
• Click any post title to read it
• Mark posts as read or keep them unread for later

Managing Your Reading List:

• Unfollow blogs by clicking "Manage" and removing them
• Organize followed blogs (though options are limited compared to dedicated RSS readers)

Moving or Copying Posts Between Blogs

Blogger doesn't have a built-in one-click feature for moving posts, but you can accomplish this through these methods:

Method 1: Manual Copy and Paste (Best for Single Posts)

1. Open the post you want to move in edit mode
2. Click the "HTML view" button (< > icon) in the toolbar
3. Select all content and copy it
4. Switch to your destination blog
5. Create a new post and paste the content in HTML view
6. Check that images and formatting transferred correctly
7. Publish on the new blog
8. Delete or unpublish the original if desired

Method 2: Export and Import (Best for Multiple Posts)

1. On the source blog, go to Settings > Manage blog
2. Click "Back up content" to download an XML file
3. Save this file to your computer
4. Switch to your destination blog
5. Go to Settings > Manage blog
6. Click "Import content" and upload the XML file
7. Posts will be imported to the new blog

Important Considerations:

• Imported posts retain their original publication dates
• Comments are included in exports/imports
• Images hosted on Blogger will continue to work
• SEO impact: If posts exist on multiple blogs, you may face duplicate content issues
• Consider using 301 redirects or canonical tags if you're permanently moving content

After Moving Posts:

• Update internal links if you reference other posts
• Check that all images display properly
• Verify formatting hasn't broken
• Consider setting up redirects from old URLs to new ones (requires custom domain)

Essential Settings to Configure

Navigate to Settings to adjust these important options:

Basic:

• Blog title and description
• Privacy settings (public vs. private)
• Adult content warning if applicable

Posts, comments, and sharing:

• Comment moderation settings
• Reader sharing options
• Post template defaults

HTTPS:

• Enable HTTPS redirect for security (recommended)

Permissions:

• Add co-authors or admins
• Control who can view your blog

This foundation should get your Blogger blog up and running professionally. The platform is straightforward enough for beginners while offering enough customization for advanced users. Focus initially on creating quality content, then gradually implement monetization and advanced features as your audience grows.

Understanding Post Labels

Post Labels: Organization and Navigation

What Are Labels?

Labels (also called tags) are keywords you assign to posts to categorize them. They help readers find related content and allow you to organize your blog by topic rather than just chronologically.

How Labels Appear:

• At the bottom or top of each post (depending on your theme)
• In a "Labels" gadget in your sidebar (showing all labels with post counts)
• In your blog's URL structure: yourblog.blogspot.com/search/label/LabelName
• Clicking a label shows all posts with that label

Best Practices for Choosing Labels:

Be Specific but Not Too Narrow

• Good: "Prostate Cancer Treatment", "PSMA Therapy", "Clinical Trials"
• Too broad: "Cancer", "Medicine"
• Too narrow: "PSMA-617 Phase 3 Trial Results March 2024"

Use 3-7 Labels Per Post

• Enough to categorize thoroughly
• Not so many that they become meaningless
• Balance specificity with usability

Maintain Consistency

• Decide on label naming conventions early
• Use "Radar Systems" consistently, not sometimes "Radar" and sometimes "Radar Technology"
• Create a master list of approved labels to reference
• Use plural or singular consistently (e.g., "Clinical Trials" not mixing with "Clinical Trial")

Create a Hierarchy in Your Mind

• Broad category: "Prostate Cancer"
• Specific treatment: "Hormone Therapy", "Radiation"
• Even more specific: "Lutetium-177", "ADT Side Effects"

Example Label Structure for a Prostate Cancer Blog:

• Disease stages: "Localized PCa", "Advanced PCa", "Metastatic PCa"
• Treatments: "Surgery", "Radiation", "Hormone Therapy", "Chemotherapy", "Immunotherapy"
• Specific drugs: "Lupron", "Xtandi", "Zytiga", "Pluvicto"
• Topics: "Clinical Trials", "PSA Testing", "Side Effects", "Quality of Life"
• Research: "New Research", "Treatment Guidelines", "Imaging Technology"

Example Label Structure for a Defense/Aerospace Blog:

• Platforms: "Fighter Aircraft", "Naval Vessels", "Satellites", "Submarines"
• Systems: "Radar Systems", "Missile Defense", "C4ISR", "Electronic Warfare"
• Specific technologies: "SAR", "GMTI", "Hypersonics", "Stealth Technology"
• Topics: "Defense Budget", "Procurement", "Geopolitics", "Military Strategy"
• Regions: "Indo-Pacific", "Middle East", "Europe", "Arctic"

How to Add Labels to Posts:

1. When creating or editing a post, look for "Labels" on the right side panel
2. Type a label name and press Enter
3. Add multiple labels by typing each one
4. Blogger will auto-suggest labels you've used before
5. Click labels to remove them

Managing Your Labels:

Unfortunately, Blogger doesn't have a centralized label management system, but you can:

• See all labels in the "Posts" section (shows which posts use which labels)
• Edit posts to change labels
• Use the Labels gadget to see which labels you've created
• Periodically audit your labels and consolidate similar ones

Adding a Labels Gadget to Your Blog:

1. Go to Layout
2. Click "Add a Gadget" where you want the labels to appear
3. Select "Labels"
4. Choose display options:
   • Alphabetically or by frequency
   • Show all labels or limit the number
   • Display as list or cloud (size varies by post count)
5. Save and save the layout

Finding Blogs to Follow

Method 1: Google Search with Site Operator

The most effective way to find Blogger blogs on specific topics:

Search Format:

site:blogspot.com "your topic" OR "related term"

Prostate Cancer Blog Examples:

Search: site:blogspot.com "prostate cancer" support OR treatment OR survivors

Specific blogs found:

• Advanced Prostate Cancer - advancedprostatecancr.blogspot.com (Personal journey and treatment updates)
• Prostate Cancer InfoLink - prostatecancerinfolink.blogspot.com (News and research updates about prostate cancer)
• My Prostate Cancer Journey - myprostatecancerjourney.blogspot.com (Patient experience blog)

Search: site:blogspot.com PSA OR "hormone therapy" prostate

Aerospace Blog Examples:

Search: site:blogspot.com aerospace engineering OR aircraft design

Specific blogs found:

• Aerospace Engineering Blog - aerospaceengineeringblog.blogspot.com (Technical articles on aerospace engineering concepts)
• The Unwanted Blog - the-unwanted-blog.blogspot.com (Aerospace, aviation, and space topics)

Defense and Military Blog Examples:

Search: site:blogspot.com defense OR military analysis OR procurement

Specific blogs found:

• Defense Issues - defense-issues.blogspot.com (In-depth military analysis and defense policy)
• Elements of Power - elementsofpower.blogspot.com (Military technology and strategic analysis)
• ASPI The Strategist - aspistrategist.blogspot.com (Australian Strategic Policy Institute blog)

Naval Affairs Blog Examples:

Search: site:blogspot.com naval OR navy OR warships OR submarines

Specific blogs found:

• Naval Open Source Intelligence - snafu-solomon.blogspot.com (Naval news and analysis, focuses on amphibious warfare)
• Navy Matters - navymatters.blogspot.com (Critical analysis of US Navy programs and strategy)
• The Galrahn Files - galrahn.blogspot.com (Naval strategy and maritime security)

Radar and Signal Processing Examples:

Search: site:blogspot.com radar OR SAR OR "signal processing"

Specific blogs found:

• Radar Tutorial - radartutorial.blogspot.com (Educational content about radar systems)

Method 2: Using Blogger's Explore Feature

1. From your Blogger dashboard, click "Reading List"
2. Look for "Explore" or recommended blogs (this feature has been reduced over the years)
3. This is less reliable than direct searching

Method 3: Follow Blogs from Blogs

Once you find one good blog:

• Check their blogroll (list of links to other blogs they follow)
• Look at their "Blogs I Follow" gadget if they have one visible
• Read their comments—active commenters often have their own blogs
• Check their profile to see what other blogs they follow (if public)

Method 4: Blog Directories and Communities

While many blog directories have declined, some still exist:

• Search for "[your topic] blog directory"
• Look for niche communities that maintain lists of blogs
• Reddit communities often share blog recommendations

Method 5: Social Media and Forums

• Twitter/X: Search for blogspot.com links in your topic area
• LinkedIn groups may share member blogs
• Specialized forums often have members who blog

Advanced Search Techniques:

For Recent, Active Blogs: Add date parameters to Google search:

site:blogspot.com "prostate cancer" after:2024-01-01

For Specific Types of Content:

site:blogspot.com radar "synthetic aperture" tutorial OR guide
site:blogspot.com navy analysis "aircraft carrier"
site:blogspot.com prostate cancer "clinical trial" results

Finding Academic or Technical Blogs:

site:blogspot.com aerospace intitle:engineering OR intitle:technical
site:blogspot.com defense intitle:analysis

Evaluating Blogs Before Following:

Check these indicators of quality:

• Update frequency - Has it been active in the past few months?
• Content depth - Substantial posts vs. brief snippets?
• Original analysis - Not just reposting news?
• Author credentials - Do they demonstrate expertise?
• Engagement - Are there thoughtful comments?
• Longevity - Blogs active for years are more likely to continue

Organizing Your Reading List:

Once you've found blogs to follow:

1. Follow liberally at first (you can always unfollow later)
2. Check your Reading List regularly
3. Unfollow blogs that become inactive or irrelevant
4. Engage with bloggers through comments to build community
5. Consider setting up an external RSS reader (like Feedly) for better organization, as Blogger's Reading List is basic

Building Your Own Network:

As you follow and comment on blogs:

• Bloggers often reciprocate follows
• Your thoughtful comments may lead others to check out your blog
• Link to relevant blogs in your posts (they may notice and link back)
• Consider creating a blogroll gadget showing blogs you recommend

Example Searches to Try Now:

For your specific interests:

Prostate Cancer:

• site:blogspot.com "prostate cancer" patient OR survivor 2024
• site:blogspot.com PSMA lutetium pluvicto
• site:blogspot.com ADT "hormone therapy" experience

Defense/Aerospace:

• site:blogspot.com radar "signal processing" SAR
• site:blogspot.com hypersonic missile defense
• site:blogspot.com F-35 OR "sixth generation" fighter

Naval:

• site:blogspot.com submarine OR "naval warfare" analysis
• site:blogspot.com destroyer OR frigate procurement
• site:blogspot.com "carrier strike group" strategy

The Blogger ecosystem is less vibrant than it was a decade ago, with many bloggers moving to Medium, Substack, or WordPress, but there are still excellent niche blogs maintained by passionate experts. The key is using specific search terms related to your interests and being patient in building your reading list.

 

RSS Reader Pricing Comparison

Here's how the pricing compares across the major RSS readers. This will help you know if you're getting good value or if there are alternatives worth considering.

Inoreader Pricing (Your Current Service)

Free Tier:

• 150 feeds
• 500 articles per day
• Basic features

Starter Plan: $4.99/month or $49.99/year

• Unlimited feeds and articles
• No ads
• Advanced search
• Rules and filters
• IFTTT integration
• Export options

Professional Plan: $14.99/month or $149.99/year

• Everything in Starter
• Active searches (monitors for keywords)
• Monitoring folders
• Unlimited broadcasts
• Priority support
• Advanced automation

Inoreader is generally considered good value for power users, especially at the annual Starter rate.

Feedly Pricing

Free Tier:

• Follow up to 100 sources
• Basic organization
• Mobile apps
• Adequate for casual users

Pro Plan: $6/month or $60/year

• Unlimited sources
• Premium search
• Saved searches
• Integration with read-later services
• Priority support
• Browser extensions

Pro+ Plan: $8.25/month or $99/year

• Everything in Pro
• Leo AI assistant for filtering/prioritizing
• AI-powered keyword alerts
• Feed archiving
• Team collaboration features

Enterprise: Custom pricing

• For teams and organizations
• Advanced security
• Custom integrations

Feedly's sweet spot is the Pro+ plan at $99/year, which is competitive with Inoreader Starter but includes AI features.

NewsBlur Pricing

Free Tier:

• Up to 64 sites
• Full mobile apps
• All features except premium sites

Premium: $3/month or $36/year

• Unlimited sites
• Premium site access
• River of News view
• Text view
• Sharing features
• Search
• Saved stories
• Training filters

NewsBlur is the cheapest paid option at $36/year, making it excellent value if you don't need advanced automation.

The Old Reader Pricing

Free Tier:

• Up to 100 subscriptions
• Basic features
• Ads

Professional: $3/month or $30/year (currently discounted)

• Unlimited subscriptions
• Ad-free
• Premium support
• Faster updates

Standard pricing was $50/year, but they've been running promotions. At $30/year, it's very affordable but has fewer advanced features than competitors.

Feedbin Pricing

One Plan Only: $5/month or $50/year

• Unlimited feeds
• Clean, minimal interface
• Newsletter subscriptions (read newsletters as RSS)
• Twitter timeline support
• Full-text article extraction
• Saved searches
• API access

Feedbin is well-regarded for simplicity and reliability at a reasonable price point.

NetNewsWire

Completely Free

• Open source
• Mac and iOS only
• No syncing service (syncs via iCloud or other services)
• Unlimited feeds
• Fast, native performance

Best for Apple users who want zero cost, but lacks cross-platform support.

Miniflux

Self-hosted or Managed

• Free if you self-host
• Managed hosting: ~$15/year from various providers
• Open source
• Very fast, minimal interface
• For technical users comfortable with self-hosting

BazQux Reader

$3/month or $29/year

• Unlimited feeds
• Full-text search
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Good import/export
• Solid, simple interface

Good value at $29/year for those who want something straightforward.

Pricing Comparison Summary

Service	Annual Price	Best For
NewsBlur	$36/year	Best budget option with full features
The Old Reader	$30-50/year	Simple, Google Reader-like experience
BazQux	$29/year	Minimalists who want reliability
Feedbin	$50/year	Newsletter integration, simplicity
Inoreader Starter	$49.99/year	Power users, automation (your current plan)
Feedly Pro	$60/year	Casual to moderate users
Feedly Pro+	$99/year	AI-powered filtering and discovery
Inoreader Professional	$149.99/year	Heavy automation, monitoring

Value Analysis for Your Situation

You're paying $49.99/year for Inoreader Starter, which is a solid mid-range price. Here's how it compares:

Cheaper Alternatives:

• NewsBlur at $36/year saves you $14 but lacks Inoreader's advanced rules and automation
• The Old Reader at $30/year saves you $20 but is much more basic

Similar Price:

• Feedbin at $50/year is essentially the same price but better for newsletter integration

Worth Considering:

• If you don't use Inoreader's rules, filters, and automation heavily, NewsBlur at $36/year would save you money
• If you want AI-powered content curation, Feedly Pro+ at $99/year might be worth the extra $50
• If you need the Professional features (active searches, monitoring), the $149.99 might be justified

Questions to Assess Your Current Value

Are you using these Inoreader Starter features?

• Advanced search across all feeds
• Rules and filters for automatic tagging/organizing
• IFTTT integration for automation
• Broadcast/sharing features
• Multiple export options

If yes: You're getting good value at $49.99/year. Inoreader is strong here.

If no: You might save money with NewsBlur ($36/year) and not notice much difference.

Do you follow more than 150 feeds?

• If yes: Paid tier is necessary; Inoreader is competitive
• If no: Free tiers might work, or NewsBlur is cheaper

My Assessment for Your Needs

Given your interests in prostate cancer research, defense analysis, aerospace, and naval affairs, you likely:

1. Follow specialized sources - Defense blogs, medical journals, think tanks
2. Need good search - Finding past articles on specific topics (like PSMA therapy or hypersonic missiles)
3. Value organization - Separating medical from defense content
4. Appreciate automation - Rules to tag or filter content by keywords

For these needs:

• Inoreader Starter at $49.99/year is appropriate - not the cheapest, but good value for power features
• NewsBlur at $36/year would work if you don't need advanced automation
• Feedly Pro+ at $99/year would only be worth it if you wanted AI to help filter the noise from hundreds of sources

Potential Ways to Save or Optimize

1. Annual vs Monthly: You're presumably paying annually ($49.99), which saves vs monthly ($4.99 x 12 = $59.88)

2. Audit Your Usage: If you're not using rules, filters, or advanced search, downgrade or switch to NewsBlur

3. Free Tier Test: Try Inoreader's free tier for a month to see if 150 feeds is actually enough for you

4. Combine Tools: Use free Inoreader for RSS + free tools for newsletters (like Kill the Newsletter or Feedrabbit)

Bottom Line

You're getting reasonable value at $49.99/year for Inoreader Starter. It's mid-priced but offers strong features for serious RSS users. You made a good choice switching from Google Reader to Inoreader years ago—it's remained one of the best options.

Only consider switching if:

• You want to save $14-20/year and don't need advanced features (→ NewsBlur)
• You want AI curation and have budget for it (→ Feedly Pro+)
• You want newsletter-to-RSS features (→ Feedbin)

For someone curating technical content across multiple specialized domains like you do, Inoreader Starter is a solid choice at a fair price.

I'll search for current information about Firefox add-ons for sharing content to Blogger and other platforms.Based on my search, here are some Firefox add-ons that might be worth exploring as alternatives or complements to AddToAny:

Share-it (Most Comprehensive)

This is a newer, open-source extension with explicit Blogger support. It offers an impressive range of sharing options including:

• Direct posting to Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, Medium, and other blogging platforms
• Copy functions (Markdown, HTML, Rich Text formats)
• Social sharing (X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads)
• Save-it-later services (Pocket, Instapaper, Pinterest, Raindrop.io)
• Keyboard-only operation
• Customizable sharing formats
• Lightweight and fast

This appears to be actively maintained (last updated February 2025) and covers most use cases in a single extension.

Share Backported

Another solid option with support for 30+ services including:

• Tumblr, Blogger (through general sharing)
• Social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads)
• Email services (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail)
• Productivity tools
• Container feature support

Last updated May 2025, so actively maintained.

SocialPilot

More sophisticated if you need scheduling capabilities:

• Multi-platform posting with AI caption generation
• Schedule posts for later
• Manage multiple brand accounts
• Best for professional content management

AddToAny

a solid choice with:

• Universal share button
• Recent additions: Threads, Bluesky, Microsoft Teams support
• Good for quick, simple sharing
• Some user reviews note occasional issues with Android and configuration

My Assessment: If you're looking specifically for better Blogger integration and more format flexibility, Share-it seems like the best upgrade from AddToAny. It's open-source, actively maintained, has explicit Blogger support, and offers more export format options (Markdown, HTML) that might be useful for your technical writing. The keyboard-only operation could also appeal to your efficiency-focused workflow.