Blogger Tip: Trackback Pings

Since blogger.com and livejournal.com don’t support trackbacks directly, I thought some of you bloggers would be interested in this handy little tool. It’s a manual trackback ping form courtesy of Wizbang.

If you write on your blog about information you found on somebody else’s blog, you can use this form to send a trackback ping. On their blog will be an entry to point back to your blog letting readers know where additional information can be found.

Why would you use such a tool? I’m going to use it right not – since I found this tool on Wizbang, I’ll send him a trackback.

First I find his “permalink” – a unique URL for the message in question. I’ve added it as a link above so when you click “Wizbang” it’ll send readers to the right thread. The permalink is http://wizbangblog.com/archives/002942.php .

At the bottom of that thread, Wizbang tells me that “trackback” entry is http://wizbangblog.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/2945 . Notice it’s a completely different link, not meant to be clicked on. It’s meant to be “pinged” via that form in the first sentence. This accomplishes all these things at once:

• It let’s Wizbang know I’m talking about him;
• It adds a link on Wizbang pointing back here to Chasing the Wind;
• It adds an inbound link for places like Blogrolling.com in case you’re trying to build up readership.

It’s win-win for everybody – I have links pointed to Wizbang and send readers his way, and at the same time stick a link on *his* site sending readers my way. Clink the Wizbang permalink above and see the entry for Chasing the Wind.

I know you experienced bloggers already know this, but I know of two blogs younger than me that might be able to use these traffic tips. 🙂