Using The Meta Search Description In Your Blog

There is some confusion, about including "search description" meta content, in blog template code, to provide source for data shares to social sharing sites.

In various topics in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue, I've seen references to "data:post.metaDescription", "data:post.snippet", and "data:post.pageTitle" used, in providing the blog post source for the FaceBook "og:description" tag. As far as I can tell, none of these exist.

The Layout data tag "data:blog.metaDescription", which provides "og:description", does exist - though it seems to be referenced, ambiguously.

Some FaceBook Open Graph content references different Blogger tags, depending upon page type. The FaceBook "og:title" references "data:blog.pageName" with an "item" (post) page, and "data:blog.title"; with other pages.

"og:description", on the other hand, only references one Blogger tag - "data:blog.metaDescription". The latter appears to change its source, depending upon whether the main page, or a post page, is being viewed.

• In main page mode, the per blog "Description", from Settings - Search preferences, is referenced.
• In post page mode, the per post "Search Description", from the Post Editor "Post settings", is referenced.

Source listing for this blog, in main page view.

"What Blogger won't (or can't) tell you. Blogger features and problems explained, using real life examples."

Source listing for this post, in post page view.

"Blogger provides the meta tag "data:blog.metaDescription", which seems to vary in source. Learn how it varies."



There is no mention of "data:blog.metaDescription", in the reference Blogger Help: Layouts Data Tags - as either a per blog, or per post, data element.

In my earlier post, my reference to "'data:blog.metaDescription' name='description'" was simple. But simplicity can lead to confusion.

<meta expr:content='data:blog.metaDescription' name='description' property='og:description'/>

Some tags are universal, others vary depending upon page type ("item" being post page).

<!-- BEGIN Open Graph tags -->
<meta expr:content='data:blog.metaDescription' name='description'' property='og:description'/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.pageTitle' name='keywords'/>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<meta content='article' property='og:type'/>
<meta content='https://plus.google.com/nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn/about' property='article:author'/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.canonicalUrl' property='og:url'/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.pageName' property='og:title'/>
<b:if cond='data:blog.postImageUrl'>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.postImageUrl' property='og:image'/>
<b:else/>
<meta content='http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/S1600-R/yyyyyyyyyyyyy.gif' property='og:image'/>
</b:if>
<b:else/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.title' property='og:title'/>
<meta expr:content='data:blog.canonicalHomepageUrl' property='og:url'/>
<meta content='blog' property='og:type'/>
<meta content='http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/xxxxxxxxxxx/S1600-R/yyyyyyyyyyyyy.gif' property='og:image'/>
</b:if>
<meta expr:content='"en_US"' property='og:locale'/>
<!-- END Open Graph tags -->

'data:blog.metaDescription' name='description' is referenced once, in the template code - and the source is apparently determined, based on the context.

If you find this confusing, I have to agree with you.

---

#Blogger provides the Layout data tag "data:blog.metaDescription", which is used for the FaceBook meta ag "og:description" - for both blog main page, and post pages, when shared. This is in contrast to the FaceBook meta tag "og:title" and others, which use different Blogger data tags for the main page and post pages.

This variation has caused some confusion - and attempted use of different non existent Blogger data tags.

Change A Post To Draft, To Change The Post URL

Long ago, a renamed blog post would automatically receive a new URL, to match a change in date or title.

Blog owners would happily rename posts - and see a new URL, with no problem. Those blog owners who monitored search engine activity, however, later became concerned by the "404"s, shown in the search engine activity logs, in Webmaster Tools - or from various test searches.

Blogger later gave us dashboard and post editor options, to let us intentionally change a post URL, when necessary - and stopped allowing incidental changes to the date or URL, when editing post content.

Settings - Search preferences has the "Custom Page Not Found" and "Custom Redirects" wizards, for dealing with existing posts with changed URLs - and the Post Editor "Post settings" has the "Permalink" wizard, to change URLs of new posts.

This gives blog owners the ability to Edit and Publish posts, and to adjust URLs, independently - and makes it harder for owners to accidentally generate "404"s with existing posts.

You can change a post to Draft status, to change the date or URL.

Recently, people discovered that changing a Published post, to Draft status, would reset a post. A Published post, changed to Draft, and later Published again, would act as a new post would have, when Published.

Blog owners wishing to change the URL of an existing post would change a post back to Draft status, change the Date and / or Title, then Republish - and the post would have a new URL to match the new Date / Title.

This worked great - for owners intentionally wanting a new URL for their renamed posts.

You can also publish a post to Draft, to re use the URL of that post.

If you delete a post, then publish a new post with that same title, you will get a post with a URL containing a duplication prevention suffix - because deletion of a post does not let you re use a URL. If you publish a post to Draft, that resets the URL - and lets you publish a new post to that same URL.

Saving a post as Draft, to edit, can allow URL change - and cause broken links.

Some blog owners use Draft status, for previously Published posts, differently

You can take a published post offline, as a Draft post - then change the Title, and various other settings. This will not change the URL - unless you also change the Permalink, before you Publish.

If you do change the URL, be mindful of the links that may refer to the old URL.

If you want the URL to change, you will have to change the permalink.

While the post is in Draft status, find "Permalink" in "Post settings", in the right sidebar of post editor. Select "Custom Permalink", and change the title section of the post URL. Then select "Done".

Note you will only be able to change the title section of the permalink. You can't change the year, month, or extension ("html") any more.

If I wanted to, I could rename this post, when in Draft status.

Change Posts To Draft, To Change The Post URLs

I could change the post URL, to match.

change-posts-to-draft-to-change-post-urls

The most obvious change that I could get, then would be

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2015/01/change-posts-to-draft-to-change-post-urls.html

Fix broken links, by adding a custom redirect.

We can use the same tools to correct mistakes, as we can to make changes.

If you change the URL - and cause broken links, and / or "404" entries in Search Console / Webmaster Tools, when re Publishing a Draft post, just add a Custom redirect from the old URL, to the new URL. One new redirect takes but a few seconds to add - and will keep your readers, the search engines, and you happier.

Blogger Magic - The "Robots.txt" File

Some new blog owners spend time examining the various settings provided by Blogger, in the dashboard.

Some dashboard settings inspire questions, in Blogger Help Forum: Learn More about Blogger. As helpers there, we know from experience that some questions, asked and answered there, will lead to later questions in Blogger Help Forum: Get Help with an Issue.

The "Robots.Txt" file is one feature which inspires these types of questions.

I was updating my settings on Blogger, and I discovered some settings that I didn't understand. What do I add for "Custom robot text" and "Custom robot header tag"?

When I was young, my mother used to provide advice "That is a well enough!" - as the proper answer, to this question, is to "Leave well enough alone!".

The "Robots.txt" file is a collection of various settings - and the dashboard "Search preferences" wizard provides useful options, for Blogger blog owners.

You may edit "robots.txt", if you wish - but be mindful of possible consequences.

When used properly, "Robots.Txt" provides us several possibilities. That said, we should heed the warning.

Warning! Use with caution. Incorrect use of these features can result in your blog being ignored by search engines.

The section "Crawlers and indexing" is a dashboard feature which should probably be left alone by 99% of all Blogger blog owners - except in specific, documented examples.

All "robots.txt" entries are carefully designed, by Blogger / Google Engineers.

Some portions of "Robots.Txt" are maintained by various well documented Blogger and Webmaster Tools features.

• The Blogger label search exclusion is essential to preventing search engine penalties.
• The Blogger search engine options are essential to proper search engine activity.
• The Webmaster Tools maintained site feed may be essential to effective search engine access.

Other sections of "Search preferences" have similar value. Unless you understand "Robots.Txt" functionality, however, you should leave settings in "Crawlers and indexing" alone.

If you are not familiar with the settings, it's best to not play with them.

Leave the magic spells, to the magicians and wizards. See Blogger Help: Help people find your blog on search engines, and Google Developers - Webmasters: Robots.txt Specifications, for details.

Use the Blogger dashboard "Privacy" wizard - and stop there - unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences.

Work on publishing blog content - informative, interesting, and unique. Learn more, as you publish your blog. Indexable blog content will get you more search reputation, than tweaking "robots.txt".

Controlling The Search Engine Spiders

Most, but not all, blog owners eagerly anticipate the arrival, upon their blog, by the search engine spiders.

The spiders come to index your blog, when the search engines recognise your blog's existence in the Blogosphere.

For those blog owners who don't want their blogs indexed, Blogger provides the settings, in Settings - Basic - Privacy, "Add your blog to our listings?" (for internal Blogger spiders, and Blogger links) and "Let search engines find your blog?" (for external spiders).

The privacy settings control the content of the "robots.txt" file in the blog.

The spiders, when well behaved, read "robots.txt" for instructions.

The spiders, when interested, read "robots.txt" for instructions. You can modify "robots.txt", using the dashboard "Search preferences" wizard.

You make the privacy settings changes, and let Blogger maintain "robots.txt" on your behalf. Alternately, you can use "Settings" - "Search preferences", if you are daring.

These settings are at the blog level - one setting affects the entire blog. If you would like only a part of the blog protected, make a second blog (blogs are free), and include one blog in the other. If you would like specific URLs protected, use the URL removal tool in Google Webmaster Tools.

Read "Search Console" reports carefully, and learn the meanings.

If you use Google Webmaster Tools / Search Console, maybe to add a sitemap or otherwise analyse or maintain your blogs search engine relationship, you may see some interesting details

URL restricted by robots.txt (http://myblog.blogspot.com/search/label/mylabel)

and you'll generally have one of these notations for each label in the blog.

Those restrictions are normal. All label searches are restricted, so the search engines won't detect the label searches as containing duplicate content. Your blog shouldn't depend upon label searches for your readers to find each post.

Some search engines will index private blogs.

Interestingly, I note that the search engines can have access to blogs that require permission to read. Private blogs can't have blog feeds, but the search engines can still index them. The "robots.txt" file is advisory only; search engines may honour the files directives, or they may ignore the directives.