Monday, May 16, 2011

LinkWithin

Who doesn't love a (good) product or service that's also free?

                   
When it comes to blogging, there are a lot of so-called freebies (widgets,software, gadgets...) out there that turn out to be nothing more than a bunch of trouble. Spam, spam go away....network and operating issues, pop-ups and bugs galore! Been there, done that, no thanks! For me, it has made me wary of trying new things online. Who needs a  lot of unnecessary hassle, wasted time and effort too???

A recent exception was giving LinkWithin a try after seeing it on several blogs that I visit on a regular basis. I'm happy to report that not only does it work perfectly, it doesn't bring with it any of the undesirables that I've mentioned above. A simple application that works and installs almost instantly. Simple and yet very effective.

In case you are not familiar with this free service, here's some information  from the LinkWithin website:
                               

Show Related Stories Under Each Post!

LinkWithin is a blog widget that appears under each post, linking to related stories from your blog archive.

Don't Let Your Past Stories Go to Waste!

We retrieve and index all stories from your blog archive, not just recent stories, making them accessible to new or casual readers of your blog who would not otherwise encounter them.

Increase Pageviews, Keep Readers Engaged

The widget links to stories that are relevant and interesting to readers of a particular post, keeping them engaged with your blog, and increasing your traffic.

Elegant, Unobtrusive Design

Our widget is minimally styled and blends in with your site design.

Free and Easy to Install


If you look at the bottom of this post, you can try an example of LinkWithin in action!

I've found some wonderful posts at other blogs that I would never have read, had it not been for LinkWithin. And I note that every day, more and more visitors to my Blogger blogs are also taking advantage of LinkWithin when they stop by to visit my blogs. I spend a lot of time writing posts, I want as much exposure as I can get from every one of them. With LinkWithin, it really helps to high-light some of my earlier posts, in an attractive format.

Check out their website for more about this wonderful free service. And don't worry, you won't be bombarded with lots of blinkies and pop-ups over there, just the real deal! In simple, non-techie language too.

Overall rating for this service: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

7 comments:

  1. I think this widget comes with the wordpress blog.

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  2. Geraldine,
    I enjoyed this, as I'd wondered how this was done. I plan to try it, because it seems like a good addition, and it's nice that as you say it is simple, with no bells and whistles.
    Hugs,
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been using this for so long and still love it and you are right, it allows a post continued life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ger,
    Just to ask advice: I was able to download the Link Within widget, but when the words "Something else you might like" appeared no posts appeared, the space was blank. I checked and there seems to be no extra instructions - does it just take some time, from your experience, or did I possibly miss a step? I thought I'd ask, as this seems like something nice to add.
    Have a great day,
    Hugs,
    B

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Brenda, It took a little while for the post boxes to show up when I first added this, but not very long. I do note that when there isn't an image at the top of a post, the boxes show up with the title but blank. Is that what you are getting? If it's still not working, I'd send them a note. I don't know what else to suggest.

    Hi SandyL, A free WP account doesn't work with LinkWithin, which is too bad I think, but maybe that's WP choice not theirs. If you pay for a hosted WP site, you can LinkWithin, that's the last thing I read on this, at their site. I'm not sure if that's what you are referring to or another widget altogether.

    Hi Teri, It was thanks to you and Sandy Carlson that I signed up for LinkWithin! As you already know, I found many a gem through this service at your blogs, Sandy's and others too. I think it's a great freebie and I agree, adds life to posts!

    Happy Week and Happy Blogging, G

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  6. I've tried it before and find it clutter my blog. but maybe I'll try it again since it's true that older posts does not get the attention it needs.

    have a great day.

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  7. I think this is a great idea. I've clicked on older posts at several blogs, because of LinkWithin. A good freebie.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your visits and feedback! :<)

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