This tutorial assumes that you already know how to install plugins.
There are other ways to obtain the same result, but I’m providing step-by-step instructions according to how I’ve done it in this blog:
- Download the Popularity Contest plugin by Alex King;
- Edit the file popularity-contest.php:
- On line 39 (
@define('AKPC_SHOWPOP', 1);), change it to 0 to not show each post’s popularity with the post content; - On line 49 (
@define('AKPC_SHOWHELP', 1);), change it to 0 as well to not show the little [?] that links to the explanation of what the popularity means; - Install the Popularity Contest plugin;
- Popularity values can be changed in the Popularity Contest Options (Options>Popularity);
- Install the JAW Popular Posts Widget plugin by Thomas Watson Steen;
- Drag and drop the widget called “Popular Posts” to the desired sidebar (Presentation>Widgets);
- The title and the number of posts you would like to display can be edited in the widget options;
- Your blog is now displaying the most popular posts in the sidebar!
This is definitely a great way to expose your blog’s best content to your visitors, making them stay longer and getting more page views. (;
Want to read more WordPress tutorials?
I tried Alex King’s plugin for a while but I was not satisfied with it. Instead I use WordPress Report plugin from Tan Tan Toolkit which includes an added bonus of a Top Post plugin that can be used as a widget to display on the side bar featuring the most recent popular posts on your site based on Google Analytics traffic report.
Hey Mark,
thank you for sharing your experience and providing another way to display the most popular posts in the sidebar.
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Have to give it a try. Having trouble with my Firestats which comes in with the sidebar plugin for most popular posts. Thanks for sharing.