The Blogger Template

While most things you will want to do in Blogger require you to know
nothing about the HTML coding that makes things happen behind the
scenes, your template is the one area where you will want to learn a
bit about HTML and a bit about what the various strings of code on
your template mean.


If you were simply going to create a blog to tell your family what’s
going on in your life, then you could probably care less about the
template coding. You would choose a standard Blogger template and
the biggest change you would likely make is to select another standard
template at some point, to change the look of your blog. However,
because we are talking about monetizing your blog, you will need to
be familiar with some basics of HTML and your blog’s template. Where
you put strings of code within that template will effect where they
show up on the screen.


While the HTML in the template looks ominous, it really isn’t too hard
to learn what you will need to know. You will quickly discover that
HTML is a pretty intuitive type of coding and learning the basics are
possible with just a little practice. There are tons of great websites
which can teach you the basics of HTML, as well as books like “HTML
for Dummies” and the like. It is a good idea to find either a good site
or book for you to use when you start playing with your Blogger
template.


It is also important to note that if you always save a backup copy of
your template, then when things go awry, you can always go back to
where you started. Blogger created the ability for you to Backup and
Restore your template with ease. Always take this short step before
modifying your template. It will save you a lot of frustration down the
line. Never make changes to your template without a back-up copy.

Below is the “Template” tab in the Dashboard.

In the next chapter, “Signing Up for AdSense,” I will show you how to
add the AdSense code strings into your template. We will also talk
about specifically where to add the code within the template and
where that location will correspond to on your blog. While it looks
daunting, it really is very simple to do.


As you can see creating a Blogger account is a very simple process.
The first thing to do in order to make some money with a blog is to
create one on Blogger and then play around with the Dashboard and
get familiar with it. Google has done a great job with the “Help”
screens in Blogger. Many of the questions you will have about your
blog, template, and even HTML, they have created instructions and
explanations for. While familiarizing yourself with your new blog it is
advisable to take a few minutes to check out the help screens and look
around there as well. Google understands you will likely want to add
in AdSense and do other simple changes to your blog, so they have
made it as easy as possible for you.