How to install, use and update a WordPress blog - Part I

The Ultimate SEO Guide for WordPress bloggers 2009

You are determined to start a blog of your own, but have no clue where to start from. WordPress an advanced blogging tool and provides rich features for bloggers. In this post, you can know all about WordPress blogging, from the scratch to the most advanced ways of optimizing features of your blog.

Since it is tough to compile everything about WordPress in one post, I wish to do this through a series of articles. First things First, to start blogging you need to set up a blog. So my first post will talk about installation of a WordPress blog. The following steps will help you kick start your blog.

• Any server will work in the installation, but you need a few programs to start your blog. They are-
  • An FTP Program: this is a pre-requisite to acquire a hosting space for your blog.
  • A PHP editor such as notepad or Dreamweaver.
  • MySQL tool
  • A zip extraction tool
  If you have all these tools and have the basic knowledge of how to use them, you are all set to go.
• Download the most recent version of WordPress software from www.Wordpress.org. I personally suggest downloading version 2.7
• Once you have downloaded the WordPress files from the website, extract the files locally.
• Upload the extracted files through FTP to the hosting web space.
• The next step is the creation of a database. The hosting service will provide you the hostname, username and password of the database created.
• Now go to the Domain Name in the browser. Click on "Create a Configuration file." It takes you to the WordPress page that reads "Welcome to WordPress" after you run through the page, click on "Let's go."

• On clicking "Let's go," you will be led to a WordPress page that requires you to enter your database connection details. Enter your "Database name," "Username," "Password" and "database Host" here. (The Database host is generally your local host) and table prefix. Click on "submit."

• You will now be led to another WordPress page where you have to "Run the Install." In case you have an error establishing connection at this stage, find out what is wrong.

• Next, you will be taken to the welcome page of WordPress where you can enter your Blog Title and your email ID. All the future updates on your blog will be sent to the e-mail ID provided here. The blog title you choose will be displayed on the header.

• Now click on "Install WordPress." With this, your WordPress installation is complete. A username and password will be sent by WordPress to your email. This confirms your installation.