How to Bring Google Followers to WordPress

by Sharon on June 12, 2010

Are you looking for a way to bring your Google Followers to WordPress? I’ve found a perfect (and easy) way to do it.

NOTE: this only works if you keep the SAME domain name when you move from one platform to the other.

When you move your blog to WordPress, you will need to update your Feedburner feedsource. For example, my blogger feedsource was

http://www.goodtrueandbeautiful.com/feeds/post/default

and when I moved to WP I had to change it to

http://www.goodtrueandbeautiful.com/feed/atom

That meant that people who were receiving my blog’s feed in Google’s Reader didn’t get the updates… Very frustrating! People who use Google Reader had to re-subscribe (even thought their “faces” still showed up in the widget).

The GREAT news is that I’ve found a simple and effective way to bring Google Followers to WordPress (and when I say simple, I mean really simple – I’m embarrassed I didn’t figure this out earlier!).

Follow these steps:

Install the Redirection plugin (I use the one by John Godley – you can find it by searching “Redirection” in your Add New Plugin search).

Paste your original Blogger feed source in the top line.

Paste your new WordPress feed source in the bottom line.

It should look like this (using YOUR feed information, not mine)…

Hit the save button.

That’s it – Your Google Readers will now get your new feed in their reader!

A few extra comments:

  • many people have assumed that because they see all the faces in their Google Follower gadget/widget that their readers are getting updates.  Unfortunately this isn’t true…
  • Yes, your feedburner numbers will bounce back once you do this.
  • If you have installed a new Google Followers gadget on your WP blog, this redirection will still work.  The feed update isn’t dependent on the widget being visible.

Hope this helps!

Shameless Plug:  If you would like to hire me for technical support, or take me up on my free offer to move your blog to WordPress I have details on my services here.

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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

lynn @ Maven of Savin June 12, 2010 at 11:39 AM

AWESOME!! What a great logical solution! LOVE IT!

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Sharon June 14, 2010 at 12:06 AM

thanks Lynn! I’m psyched about it too… Let me know if you need any help

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Dalia June 12, 2010 at 12:59 PM

Thanks so much Sharon! I knew if there was a way you would figure it out!

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angie June 12, 2010 at 1:44 PM

This is SO helpful.

THANK YOU. And thank you for the email!

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Sharon June 14, 2010 at 12:06 AM

My pleasure! I was excited to figure it out!

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BigMamaCass June 14, 2010 at 11:45 AM

Awesome info. Thanks :)

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Sara Chapman in Seattle, USA June 21, 2010 at 11:27 PM

I’m searching for a way to have followers with the little pictures on my wordpress blog, but not to bring followers over from somewhere else. Is this something I should show my tech person? Can you recommend anything if this isn’t it? Thank you very much!

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Zippy July 1, 2010 at 12:38 PM

WOW..big thanks for U..!!! :)

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Zippy July 1, 2010 at 12:50 PM

Sorry, I have some question.
I already redirect my Blog feeds in feedburner.com.
My question is, “in the target URL, i must add my feedburner feed or just blog feed like U, ht*p://www.narzis.net/feed/atom’?
Thx :)

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Zippy July 1, 2010 at 1:21 PM

I already try Ur tips step-by-step, but still not working.
Does the ‘www’ prefix in the source and target URL also influential?
Like this:

ht*p://www.narzis.net/feed/atom
ht*p://narzis.net/feed/atom

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Sharon July 1, 2010 at 1:59 PM

@Zippy: the Redirection Plugin that you need to use for this hack will actually remove the “www” from the original source (It can only work if the domain names are the same from your original blog to the new WP blog – it won’t work if you are trying to go from blogspot.com to .com ). Therefore, the prefix shouldn’t matter.

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Zippy July 1, 2010 at 4:30 PM

Yihaaa! Successfully! Thanks again for U!
Great tips, I love it! :D

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Missy July 9, 2010 at 5:54 PM

So I changed my domain name from a .blogspot.com to a .com. How would you suggest I go about the follower move? Just add the widget to WP then as my last post on the blogger ask them to re-follow? Or have you figured out some other way to make it work :)

Thanks!

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Katie Lane July 12, 2010 at 2:15 PM

Is there any way to bring Google Followers to WordPress when the old and new domains are different?

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Sharon July 12, 2010 at 3:48 PM

Hi Katie Lane — unfortunately, I haven’t found a way to do that… the redirection solution will only work if the domain names are the same. If you were using a blogspot, you could try to redirect it to the new domain, but I’m not confident that it will work.

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Shawna September 4, 2010 at 4:35 PM

You completely saved the day. I’ve been working on this problem all day! I’m still waiting for my Feedburner numbers to catch up, but it looks like everyone is finally receiving my feed correctly. Thank you so much!!

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