I'm sure there are many people out there like me who started off displaying the default number of tags on their WordPress 2.3+ blogs. After a month or so of posting, you maybe have starting realizing that tags are like cats; uncontrolled, they can just keep multiplying over time and crowding out the spaces where they live;-)

The default setting for the wp_tag_cloud function is 45 tags. But for many WordPress themes, this number is too large for the space allocated to your tag cloud. The good news is that there is an easy way to trim down the total number of tags that get shown.

Here's the code to display the 30 most popular tags on your blog, with the smallest font size at 8 and the largest font size at 22:

<?php wp_tag_cloud('smallest=8&largest=22&number=30'); ?>

If you want to show more or less tags, just change the number 30 to whatever you want. If you want the most popular tags to look bigger, just increase the number 22 to whatever you want. If you want the least popular tags to look smaller, just change the 8 (but don't go too small or else no one will be able to read).

So all you need to do to contain tag sprawl, is to spay or neuter your wp_tag_cloud function with the "number" variable.

It seems that the more I learn about blogging, the more I realize that I have a lot to learn. While I really enjoy my blogs, I worry about learning how to do it right. Naturally, it is an ever evolving process. Even experienced bloggers are constantly learning new things to improve their blog. However, having a great blog that can also earn a bit of money seems to be more technical that just writing great content. There are several things that I need to work on.

SEO
I think this is something that I don't pay as much attention to as I should. I write SEO articles for a living, so I do know how to do it. However, having my own blogs allows me a bit of freedom to write according to my train of thought. Which is a nice break from "work", but does not really optimize my blogs.

Tags
Ok, I admit it. I really don't get the tags. I am not sure how to determine them so this is something I need to do some reading on. I usually just choose the main points of my posts. I guess these would relate to keywords. This would probably explain why I don't really get how to determine my tags--if I am not using keywords specifically in my blogs it is hard to use them as tags!

AdSense
Another overwhelming aspect of blogging. Sure, it is easy to cut and paste a code into a blog. I am always amazed to see a string of gibberish miraculously turn into an actual ad. I guess I am easy to amuse.

Making sure they are placed to work their best is another matter entirely. I am also unsure if I understand the "rules". I thought that there could only be three per page (or blog?) and yet many place ads between posts. Doesn't this automatically mean more than three per page if you post with any regularity? Oh, my head hurts.

I am sure that the more I read the sooner it all will "click" for me. Patience plays a big role in the success of any blog. It is also very close to the top of my list of qualities that I need to work on. In the meantime, I'll just keep on keepin' on.

I am always happy for a bit of feedback. My blogs are very new still so I always appreciate the opportunity to learn and improve.

http://easingchronicpain.blogspot.com/

http://apostcardfromparadise.blogspot.com/

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