How to Add a Directory to Your WordPress Site
In the wake of COVID-19, many content creators are scrambling to find ways to bring new content to their audiences. For many websites, the most obvious solution is to create a blog directory to highlight a variety of independent blogs. However, there are many different ways to organize and display blogs on your WordPress site. In this article, we will discuss five different methods for adding blogs to your WordPress site.
The Five Different Ways To Add A Blog Directory To Your WordPress Site.
There are five different ways to add a blog directory to your WordPress site (and one really cool bonus method). If you’re looking for an easy way to add a blog directory to your existing site, check out these seven steps to achieve that.
Let’s get to it.
Method One: The Classic Blogger Way
This is the original option. If you’ve ever added a blog directory to your site, you have most likely used this method. It’s quite simple. Just find the folder where you want to store your blogs and drag it into your WordPress content area. Then, you can start adding your favorite blogs to it. When you reach the top of your blog directory, you’ll see a link to add more blogs.
The advantage of this method is that it’s incredibly easy to use. You won’t need to worry about organizing or connecting your blogs to one another. Simply drag and drop them in the right order and they will all be linked automatically. Because there’s no theme or template to edit, it’s also very easy to add more blogs or change the appearance of your blog list.
Method Two: The Classic WordPress Way
This is the default method when it comes to adding a blog directory to a WordPress site. It’s so easy to use that even non-techy users can do it without any problem. When you visit your WordPress dashboard, you’ll see a “+” icon near the top right corner. Click on that and you’ll see a screen similar to the one below.
If you’re using a free WordPress account, go to Settings → Reading and click the “Add New Blog” button. Then, you’ll need to choose a blog name and a descriptive tagline and provide a quality image for your blog. You can also choose to make your blog public or private. When you’ve done that, click the “Publish” button.
If you’ve already got a brand-spanking-new blog on your WordPress site and you want to add a blog directory, you can do it in two simple steps. First, go to Settings → Reading and click the “Add New Blog” button. Then, edit the blog name and tagline and choose a good looking image for your blog. When you’re done, click the “Publish” button.
After you’ve published your blog, you can head over to Template → Add New and click the “Blogs” widget. Then, you can either choose to display all your published blogs or only those that you’ve added manually by clicking the “+” button next to the blog title.
The advantage of this method is that it’s very easy to use and requires very little technical knowledge to accomplish (hence the name, default WordPress method). However, one big disadvantage is that it doesn’t allow for much customization. If you want to add a fancy design to the sidebar or change the blog name or tagline, you’ll have to edit the source code of your website or blog. This is not recommended for website owners who want to keep their sites up to date with the latest news and trends.
Method Three: The Wix Way
This is another easy option when it comes to adding a blog directory to a WordPress site. All you need to do is visit the WIX website and create an account. After you’ve done that, you can start using their drag-and-drop blog builder. It’s incredibly easy to use and even non-techy users can grasp it quickly. When you’re done creating your blog, you can either choose to make it public or private and fill in the details of your blog.
The advantage of this method is that it’s extremely user-friendly (hence the name, Wix option). You can literally create a blog in no time at all and even franchise it with WIX All-in-One. Because it’s a hosted service, you won’t have to worry about the technicalities of server maintenance or website updates. Everything is taken care of for you.
The disadvantage of this method is that it isn’t very flexible. You can’t add too many blogs (it’s a one-at-a-time kind of deal) and the content that you add won’t be linked to each other automatically. This makes it more difficult for potential bloggers to discover your site if they’re searching for blogs related to their own niche.
Method Four: The Squarespace Way
This is the easier option yet when it comes to adding a blog directory to a WordPress site. All you need to do is visit the Squarespace website and create an account. After you’ve done that, you can start using their drag-and-drop blog builder. It’s quite similar to Wix in that it’s simple and easy to use. When you’re done creating your blog, you can either choose to make it public or private and fill in the details of your blog.
The advantage of this method is that it’s extremely user-friendly (hence the name, Squarespace option). You can literally create a blog in no time at all and even franchise it with Squarespace All-in-One. Because it’s a hosted service, you won’t have to worry about the technicalities of server maintenance or website updates. Everything is taken care of for you.
The disadvantage of this method is that it isn’t very flexible. You can’t add too many blogs (it’s a one-at-a-time kind of deal) and the content that you add won’t be linked to each other automatically. This makes it more difficult for potential bloggers to discover your site if they’re searching for blogs related to their own niche.
Method Five: The Elegant Theme Method
This method allows you to take your pick from a variety of elegant themes when adding a blog directory to a WordPress site. All you need to do is click on the “Download themes” button on the official WordPress website and choose either the free option or the premium option. Then, you can continue to download and install the themes directly from your WordPress dashboard.
The advantage of this method is that it gives you complete control over the appearance of your blog. You can literally choose the color scheme and design of your blog. Even better, you can choose the type of content that you want to feature on your blog. This brings us to our next point.
The disadvantage of this method is that it doesn’t give you the convenience of using a drag-and-drop blog builder. You’ll have to edit the source code of your website or blog to add additional functionalities. This is not recommended for website owners who want to keep their sites up to date with the latest news and trends.
The Bonus Method: The Seven Step Approach
If none of the other four methods above appeal to you, you can still achieve the same thing with this option. Simply go to your WordPress dashboard and click the “+” icon next to the “Blogs” widget. Then, follow the prompts to add a new blog (you’ll need a free WordPress account for this method)
When you’ve done that, you’ll see a screen similar to the one below. From there, you can either choose to display all your published blogs or only those that you’ve manually added.
The difference between this option and the previous ones is that this allows for much more customization. As a blogger, you’ll want to display all your published content regardless of whether or not you’ve added it manually. This is where things get a little tricky. You can see above that I have two blogs. One is called “The Accidental Vegan” and the other is called “The Luxurious Nomad.” I’ve published “The Luxurious Nomad” and it shows up correctly on my blog dashboard. However, “The Accidental Vegan” does not show up at all despite being published. This is where the magic happens.