Blogger's TrackBack Alternative, Part II

Last week, we began discussion of Blogger's alternative to TrackBacks. They support Backlinks.

Briefly, "Backlinks" are Blogger's implementation of displaying "backlinks," or links to a post. More about just what Backlinks are can be found in last Tuesday's Blog Tip.

We covered how easy it is to set up Backlinks, unless you have an older Blogger Template, or have modified your Template in such a way that the automatic process doesn't work.

Today, we're going to tell how to manually install Backlinks on your Blogger blog.

Where Do They Appear

First, let's consider if we want the Backlinks to appear on the front page, or just on the individual post page.

Blogger's default setting is for them to appear on the individual post page.

But it's also possible to show all or part on the front page. We'll call those "Inline Backlinks." That ought to get a whole 'nuther controversy started! :)

Backup!

Always backup your Template before making any changes. You can find how to do that here.

The Link To The Links

Now, if you plan to use Inline Backlinks, you can skip this part.

First thing we need to add is the piece of code that take the reader to the list of links. If we only want the Backlinks to appear on the individual post page, we need provide a link.

Find this in your Template:

<MainOrArchivePage>

Now, right after that, you should see this tag:

<BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

In just a little bit, you'll see the closing tag:

</BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

Right after that, put this:

<BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>
<a class="comment-link" href="<$BlogItemPermalinkUrl$>#links">links to this post</a>
</BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>

That puts the link to the Backlinks on the front page and on the archives page.

The Backlinks Code

On the individual post page, we'll put the actual Backlinks.

Search for the following tag:

<ItemPage>

Now, just after that opening tag, look for:

<BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

Shortly after that, you'll see a bunch of code, ending with:

</BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

Now, right after that, add this:

<BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>
<a name="links"></a>
<h4>Links to this post:</h4>
<dl id="comments-block">
<BlogItemBacklinks>
<dt class="comment-title">
<$BlogBacklinkControl$>
<a href="<$BlogBacklinkURL$>" rel="nofollow"><$BlogBacklinkTitle$></a> <$BlogBacklinkDeleteIcon$>
</dt>
<dd class="comment-body"><$BlogBacklinkSnippet$>
<br />
<span class="comment-poster">
<em>posted by <$BlogBacklinkAuthor$> @ <$BlogBacklinkDateTime$></em>
</span>
</dd>
</BlogItemBacklinks>
</dl>
<p class="comment-timestamp"><$BlogItemBacklinkCreate$></p>
</BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>

Now, if your looking for standard Blogger functionality, you're done!

Inline Backlinks

If you want Backlinks to show on your Home Page, you should have skipped the "Links To The Links" section. Instead, do this:

Find this in your Template:

<MainOrArchivePage>

Now, right after that, you should see this tag:

<BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

In just a little bit, you'll see the closing tag:

</BlogItemCommentsEnabled>

Right after that, put this:

<BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>
<h4>Linking to this post:</h4>
<ul>
<BlogItemBacklinks>
<li><$BlogBacklinkAuthor$> linked with <a href="<$BlogBacklinkURL$>" rel="nofollow"><$BlogBacklinkTitle$></a></li>
</BlogItemBacklinks>
</ul>
<p class="comment-timestamp"><$BlogItemBacklinkCreate$></p>
</BlogItemBacklinksEnabled>

Remember, this section is only for Inline Backlinks. If you don't want Inline Backlinks, skip this section, and instead, follow the instructions in the "Links To The Links" section.

Now What?

You are done! You now have Backlinks on the Individual post pages. And you either have links to the Backlinks on the front page (and archive pages) or you have Inline Backlinks on those pages.

Can I See? Can I See?

If you want to see standard Backlink functionality in place, go to my "Other TrackBack Demo" page. [This link simply creates a link to a post on that page which will, in time, show up as a Backlink on that page.]

If you want to see Inline Backlinks, go to my "TrackBack Demo" page. [A link already exists there as of this writing.]

Questions?

If you have a question for phin or me, drop us a line. My email address is basil.thinks.he.is.so.smart@gmail.com