Linking to favourite posts

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[Snoskred]

This topic was split from - 15 Design Decisions That Annoy Readers because I think it deserves its own thread.

I use Sephy's search box all the time, and my own.  But in general I know what I'm after because I've seen it before.

Which makes me think that having a few links on the sidebar to your favourite posts is an excellent idea for people like me. 

[KirstenL4W]

The favorite posts thing would be hard for me to guage.  Do I choose MY favorites, and if not, how do I determine YOUR favorites.  Do I just go by the number of comments, or do I try to choose ones that would be really helpful.  How do I know exactly which ones you want to refer to over and over again?  I don't really do how-to posts like you and Sephy do that are worth having on the front page like that.

I'm trying to get one of those category-listed sitemaps up (Snos, I emailed you) because I've really been liking them on other people's sites.  I find those way more satisfying than doing a search, especially on sites I've never been on before.

I feel a future post coming on...

[Snoskred]

(sorry, the upgrades took up a lot longer than expected - I was just about to go through my inbox, you'll have a reply soon. )

I think this is an excellent point. How do you choose which posts to put in the sidebar?

For me it is a bit easier because I link to the how to's and also some of my favourite articles, the ones I know people liked because they said so.

I think the better idea is sort of like the similar posts plugin - just highlighting some of your posts from the past in the sidebar.

When StephenCronin gets back maybe this is a plugin he might like to create? We should ask him.

[Kelley]

Hmmm, interesting thought.  Some of my favourite posts don't have a lot of comments, mainly because I wrote them when I had very few readers.  And those tend to be the more serious type ones rather than the fluffy silly ones I tend to write now. Which makes me wonder whether to do it or not.  People expect the silly not the serious....

[Lani]

I think there are already heaps of plugins that can handle this.

It depends on what you want to do.  There are some where you can mark the post featured and it will rotate them, some where you can display by category, some where you display by "this time last year", some to display related posts by tags, some by popularity based on comments/views/links, whatever.  The list goes on and on and it really depends on what you want to do.

But if you have some particularly valuable or defining content, it's easy just to use a text widget and add the permalinks yourself so it might not be worth installing something.

A great example of doing this, I think, is Skellie's site  Where she has "reader favourites" but has used striking graphics for each link.

And Kelley, it probably is worth linking to some of those.  You could easily write a catchy title saying that you can be serious.  I think that it would probably be valuable for newer readers who want to get to know you a little more, as well as laugh with you.

[Kelley]

Skellie is amazing isn't she?   Some of the stuff on her site makes me want to play with mine 

I really need to move some stuff around on my blog, the sidebars feel really cluttered to me.  No form or flow.    Perhaps I should do that before trying your suggestion.....

[FormerAdmin]

Hi,

I've put favourite posts into a "recently popular" category on On Blogging Australia - the last five show up in the left hand column on the main page. These are more reader's favourite posts than mine - I have it set by number of comments.

Cheers, Andrew

[Snoskred]

I really need to move some stuff around on my blog, the sidebars feel really cluttered to me.  No form or flow.    Perhaps I should do that before trying your suggestion.....

Note these are just my thoughts. I do note it looks a lot less chaotic than it did a while back. 

Look, I used to be going for the "longest sidebar in the history of blogging" effect. So I know all about cutting back - I had to do it very seriously when I moved to Wordpress because my number one priority is to have a quick page load. A lot of stuff that used to be on my sidebar went elsewhere.

My number one piece of advice would be this -

Take all the awards and put them on their own page. In fact anything that can live on a page of its own or perhaps be grouped together on the about page, that is the better place for it.

Number two -  Use drop down boxes for the categories and archives. This means they take up less real estate.

Number three - put the Entrecard where recent ramblings is, so it is above the fold.

Number four - try and group things together in a way that makes sense., which you've already mostly done. Perhaps try having one sidebar for blog and you related stuff, and one sidebar for others - like the blogroll, and the social widgets.

Number five - consider whether you need the feedjit widget, because that seems to slow your page load down. You do have it in the right place though - last thing to load.

But really your page load isn't too long as long as feedjit is behaving, it is more a matter of making logical sense of what you have there.

[Kelley]

I swear Snos, sometimes I wonder if you are inside my head 

Basically everything you said is what I was thinking.  Will have a play around.  Thanks babe!

[CannedTuna]

One thing that I try and do is link back to related old posts (articles)  in the body of the current post.  This gives a little bit of previous post pimping and google love to your older posts

[kathiemt]

One thing that I try and do is link back to related old posts (articles)  in the body of the current post.  This gives a little bit of previous post pimping and google love to your older posts

I do that too - sometimes helps to resurrect oldies but goodies!

[Lani]

Yup.  I try to do that too, not just for Google love, but on a personal blog it's a good, organic way for new visitors to explore.  Also good for finding out about sploggers if they don't strip the links.