Blogger is a great free tool for those just getting started online.
But, if you’re starting to take your online efforts seriously, then you’re probably going to run up against the limitations of the platform rather quickly.
If you’ve made the decision to switch from Blogger to WordPress, then you probably don’t want to lose all of the content you’ve created thus far. That’s exactly why we created this guide.
Read on to learn how to switch from Blogger to your new self-hosted WordPress site.
The Limitations of Blogger
Blogger can be a great tool for people just getting started with blogging. In fact, it’s one of the most common beginner blogging platforms out there. But, if you’re taking your online presence and website seriously, you’ll probably reach a point where you’ll want a little more control.
One thing that Blogger lacks is customization options. Even if you do manage to turn a profit with your blog, you run the risk of a third-party being in control of your work.
If you want to grow your website and turn it into a full-time business, then you’re going to need the level of customization and control that WordPress provides.
But, if you already have a lot of content on your Blogger blog, then you probably want to take it with you. We show you how in the steps below.
Transferring from Blogger to WordPress
When making the transfer you probably don’t want to lose any hard earned rankings or traffic. The steps below will help you easily migrate your site without the usual headache.
1. Get a New Host
Before you make the switch you’ll need to purchase web hosting and a domain name. So, only move forward once you have those setup.
You’ll also need to install WordPress on your domain. This quick post will show you how to do that (assuming you’re hosting your new site with HostGator). Don’t worry, it only takes a few minutes.
2. Export Your Blogger Site
The first actual step in the import is going to be exporting your current Blogger site. To do this, login to your Blogger dashboard and navigate to Settings>Other. On this page click on the Back Up Content button under the Import & Back Up section.
Save your backup to a safe location on your computer. This file will be saved in a .xml format.
3. Import via WordPress
Now, we’re going to login to your brand new WordPress site and import all of the Blogger data you just downloaded. To do this, login to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Tools>Import.
You’ll notice one of the options is Blogger. Click on it. If you haven’t used this feature before, then you’ll need to click Install Now to activate this feature.
Once this is installed you’ll notice an option called Activate Plugin & Run Importer. Click on that. Now all you have to do is upload your .xml file from Step 2.
After this finishes running through, you’ll need to assign an author to all of the imported posts.
4. Switch Over Your Permalinks
Your permalinks are how your URLs are structured. Since you’ve imported all that content from Blogger we want your URL structure to mimic that as closely as possible.
To do this navigate to Settings>Permalinks. Select the box that says Month and name. This is the closest we can get to mimic the structure of your Blogger posts.
5. Redirect From Blogger to WordPress
Next we’re going to redirect your blogger site to your new WordPress site. We’ll need to do this on a site-level and on a per-post basis. This will ensure everyone visiting your Blogger site will land on the correct page on your new WordPress site.
We recommend using the help of a plugin to handle your Blogger redirects. To do this install the plugin called Blogger 301 Redirect. Activate this plugin on your existing WordPress site and follow the instructions to get this plugin up and running.
Finally, we’re going to redirect your RSS feed to your new WordPress feed.
To do this, navigate to Settings>Other within your Blogger dashboard. Click on Add next to the Post Feed Redirect URL section. Now, add the URL of your current WordPress feed.
6. Import Your Images
Sometimes, not every image will get transferred over to your new site. To remedy this, all you have to do is find the original images. Once you’ve downloaded the originals navigate to Media>Add New within your WordPress dashboard.
Then you can drag and drop the images that got left out, and add them to the relevant posts and pages.
Migrating from Blogger to WordPress isn’t difficult, but it does take time. Once you’ve done the import and followed the steps above it’s a good idea to comb through every post and page on your old and new site to make sure nothing got left out.
If you’ve completed the steps above you’re now the owner of a beautiful WordPress website, nice work!
Kevin Wood writes about technology and human potential. You can find him at his virtual homes Wooden Writing and Counter Culturist.