Book Review

WordPress for Business Bloggers

Editor’s Note: An updated edition of WordPress for Business Bloggers was released after this review was published.

I recently relocated my blog from Google Blogger to WordPress hosted on my own domain. As an IT consultant, I’m used to getting under the hood and mastering new concepts. However, when it comes to blogging, I really just want to focus on writing content, not endless tweaking and maintenance. I was intrigued by the title of Paul Thewlis’ book. WordPress for Business Bloggers (Packt Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1847195326) is a single, comprehensive resource for writers like me who want to create their own business-focused blog.

Not limited to just WordPress, Paul additionally delves into related topics such as search engine optimization, social media marketing, and monetizing your blog. I’m usually very skeptical of books that choose to go down rabbit trails that are best left to separate titles, but Paul covers these topics well. Paul uses a fictional blog to illustrate the concepts throughout the book. Curiously, his own personal blog isn’t updated very frequently. Paul must be a busy man.

The biggest benefit I personally obtained from the book was the author’s usage and endorsement of various WordPress plugins. There are frequently many plugins for the same task, such as blog rolls, Twitter feeds, etc. The book helped me narrow down some options and also helped me see the value in adding plugins that I had not considered, such as a Google sitemap plugin.

The book uses WordPress 2.6 and I’m currently using WordPress 2.9, but the minor differences do not take away from the usefulness of this guide. WordPress for Business Bloggers is still the only WordPress book on my shelf.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dallas Marks

Dallas Marks

I am an analytics and cloud architect, author, and trainer. An AWS certified blogger, SAP Mentor Alumni and co-author of the SAP Press book SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence: The Comprehensive Guide, I prefer piano keyboards over computer keyboards when not blogging or tweeting.

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3 thoughts on “WordPress for Business Bloggers”

  1. Hi Marks,

    I am preparing for my BO certification. I get more knowledgeable day by day from your blog.Byb why don’t you show (post) your BO certificates here. Picture says more than words. Keep up your good work.

    Cheers
    Cindy
    [email protected]

  2. Regarding SEO (and in the “For what it’s worth” department) when I search for “Dallas Marks Business Objects” your old blogger content still comes out listed first. 🙂

  3. Thanks, Dave. I’m sure Google ranks its own Blogger higher in the rankings. It’s probably time to take down the rest of the old blog.

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