If you are using Blogger, one of the most annoying missing features is the ability to send a trackback. Fortunately there are a number of ways to send a trackback with Blogger using 3rd Party services or desktop blogging software.
In this first part of this quick series, I am going to cover Haloscan.
Create A Haloscan Account
First of all you need to register with Haloscan .
You do not need to integrate Haloscan with your blog to use their trackback system
I would actually currently advise you not to integrate Haloscan for comments and trackback display on your blog for a number of reasons.
- Blogger can now display linkbacks
- You can remove nofollow from the trackback links on blogger
- It is harder to migrate to WordPress or other blogging platform if all your comments are in Haloscan.
Send Trackback With Haloscan
It is important that links actually exist, and in this particular case when this post is published a link will exist, otherwise comment spam plugins might intercept the trackback.
There is also what I would look on as a bug with Haloscan, they use the blog title as the link for the trackback, and not the post name. The blog post title appears in bold above the trackback. Knowing this you can make sure you have some keywords for a good link by including them in the blog title rather than the post title, though the text entry field is quite small.
This is how a trackback appears on my blog below the comments box.
So if you are using Blogger, or a blogging platform that doesn’t seem to send trackbacks correctly, Haloscan is one option you can use to send a trackback.
12 Comments
Andy,
I tried testing between two of my blogs but haloscan came up with a “405 Error”. Do you have any idea what this could be?
Thanks
Tim
Errors would either be that you didn’t use the correct trackback URL, or that the blog receiving the trackback doesn’t accept them.
Blogger works on linkbacks thus there is no need to actually trackback.
One more reason for not integrating incoming Trackbacks with Blogger is that they are scripted — which is like Nofollow on steroids! :)
I would be careful on removing NoFollow from Blogger’s backlinks. Primarily for one reason, you cannot control them.
Another service to send Trackbacks is Forret’s Trackback Wizard and no registration necessary.
Also, there is control in Firefox’s Scribefire for sending pingbacks when you publish your post. This is the handiest method of all three, not to mention that it is probably one of the best Blog Desktop Publishing utilities that are still working for Blogspot (unless you want to pay for one).
I have some more options coming ;)
To quote some lyrics from a New Radicals song, “I think I just gave away the ending!” :)
Sorry dude. I just noticed the “Part 1″ in the Title.
It is nice to see that you are helping to bridge the gap between Blogger and WordPress styled blogs. You can really see a rift sometimes when it comes to intermingling with each other.
I still have a few blogger blogs out there, and this is also a redirected blogspot which makes things interesting.
And you haven’t really blown away much of the game, I do have a gem you might not have seen, just need to take the time to present it rather than just drop a bunch of links.
There is also a nice reward at the end of the tunnel :)
nice quick lesson Andy. I’ve been using HaloScan, but see room for more cross-platform automated options…
Dan I think you will most likely switch to the second option I am in the middle of writing about, it is much more intuitive.
Andy, I’m also using Haloscan in my blog but since today I don’t know how to use the Trackbacks. I’m only use the Haloscan service for track my recent comment.
Now, with the help from your article, I’ll try using this type of service..
Thanks fir this instruction
شادمانی بی سبب من و رضا
Yes the lack of trackback on blogger IS annoying. I use haloscan but that has its problems as after integration I lost all my previous comments. Now I have a new blog I am considering my options.
Thanks for the info. Will try out the steps.
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