GPC Wrold, Google Page Creator Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

Welcome to GPC World!

whirlybird20 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:47:06 CDT

Feel free to use the above image in blog posts, on websites, etc.

Important News

The end of gpc as we know it!

Google has announced that they no longer accept new user registrations because they would like to focus on developing google sites (wikis).

They also say "your pages will automatically be transitioned to Google Sites later this year"

If this happened, then this website also would have to be closed since it has no other use.

You can help stop this happening by signing this petition.

Read Googles official announcement

Useless links (unless google reconsider killing gpc!!!)

About

whirlybird20 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:37:25 CDT

The Actions List

whirlybird20 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 03:36:21 CDT

There are a few options available for pages previously created in google page creator. To access these, go to the google page creator site manager at www.googlepages.com and tick the page that you would like to apply these options to.

Now click on the "More Actions ..." drop-down option box.

A list similar to the one bellow should appear:

Tell your friends
Discard unpublished changes
Unpublish
Duplicate
Delete

All of which are very obvious as to what they do.

Questions and Answers

whirlybird20 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:38:58 CDT

Please use the navigation system, or the search bar on the left to find the answers you are looking for.

Can't find what you are looking for?

The Site Manager

whirlybird20 — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:34:32 CDT

The site manager is the main interface that you will see after logging into google pages at www.googlepages.com. This shows you all your pages, files you have uploaded, and gives you a number of options for changing these files, and pages.

From here you can also access the site settings.

Site Settings

whirlybird20 — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:34:14 CDT

To access your site settings, go to the site manager, and click "Site Settings" at the top, right side of the page.

From here you can:

Change your site name (this does not change your url)
View your site url (Hopefully you will also be able to change this soon)
Select your home page
Select whether your site contains adult content or not
Hide / un-hide your site

How to Change Width of Columns

prac — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:49:18 CDT

The idea

To change the width of columns, we need to override the default CSS which is included in the Template

As GPC remove the usual link tag used to load an external stylesheet, we load the style with a javascript :

<script language="Javascript" type="text/javascript">
var cssNode = document.createElement('link');
cssNode.type = 'text/css';
cssNode.rel = 'stylesheet';
cssNode.href ='http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/style_width.css';
cssNode.media = 'screen, print';
cssNode.title = 'style sheet for changing width';
document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(cssNode);
</script>

It's usual to write this script in the subtitle section of the page. Do not put this script in the title section, as GPC copy the content of this section, to create the tag <title>.

The CSS to use depends of the layout, and, if the template use pictures as background or not.

Two columns Layout (left), without pictures as background

The standard width is 470 pixels (px) for main column, 230 px for sidebar.

With this CSS, we will have a 670 and 230 px width :

#container {width: 900px;}
#main-content {width: 670px;}
#sidebar {width: 230px;}

For Lagoona Template, we need some extra statements :

#container {width: 918px;}
#main-content {width: 670px;}
#sidebar {width: 230px;}
* html #twocolumn-left #main-content {width: 675px;}

Three columns Layout, without pictures as background

Changing 140 - 420 140 px width to 180 620 180 px :

#container {width: 998px;}
#main-content {width: 620px;}
#sidebar {width: 180px;}
#sidebar-alternate {width: 180px;}

For Micro Template we need some extra statements

#container {width: 998px;}
#main-content {width: 620px;}
#sidebar {width: 180px;}
#sidebar-alternate {width: 180px;}
* html #threecolumn #main-content {width: 629px;}

Layout with pictures as background

Lagoona Aqua, Chemise Slate or Madison use pictures as background. The pictures are defined in the original css :

background: url(/-/includes/style/name1/name2/name3.jpg) position;

name1 and position depend of the template. It's easy to download these pictures using this URL :

http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/-/includes/style/name1/name2/name3.jpg)

To change the width of columns, we need to change the width of name3 pictures !

Create the new pictures with a graphical editor and upload them to your GPC. To use them in a stylesheet use this CSS :

background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/name3.jpg) position ;

Madison One Template (2 columns right)

Changing 470 230 px to 695 230 px

#container {width: 925px;}
#main-content {width: 695px;}
#sidebar {width: 230px;}
body#twocolumn-right div#main-content {padding: 0 25px;width: 625px;margin-left: 10px;}
body#twocolumn-right div#sidebar {padding-right: 15px;width: 215px;}

and for the pictures :

body {background: #e2e6ec url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/container-fill.gif) center repeat-y !important;}
body div#container {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/container-top.gif) top no-repeat !important;}
div#header {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/header-fill.gif) repeat-y !important;}
div#main-content {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/content-top.gif) top no-repeat !important;}
div#sidebar {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/content-top.gif) top no-repeat !important;}
div#footer {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/content-top.gif) top no-repeat !important;}

Look at an example here

Victoria Vinyl Template (1 column)

Change the standard 718px with, to get a wider look of 1000px width

#container {width: 1000px;}
#main-content {width: 1000px;}

and for the pictures :

#onecolumn h1 {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-h1.gif) no-repeat;}
#onecolumn #header {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-header.gif) repeat-y;}
#onecolumn #header .wrapper {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-one-headerwrapper.gif) no-repeat left bottom;}
#onecolumn #container{background: #fff url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-one-container.gif) repeat-y;}
#onecolumn #footer {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-one-footer.gif) no-repeat left bottom;}
#sidebar .wrapper h3 {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/h3-sidebar.gif);}

Look at an example here

Madison Three Template (3 columns)

We will create a main section of 620 px, replacing the standard 470 px

#container {width: 998px;}
#main-content {width: 620px;}
#sidebar {width: 180px;}
#sidebar-alternate {width: 180px;}
body#threecolumn div#main-content {width: 560px; }
body#threecolumn div#sidebar{width: 168px;}
body#threecolumn div#sidebar-alternate{width: 128px;}

And for the pictures :

body div#container {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/box-fill.gif) center repeat-y; }
div#container div.wrapper {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/box-top.gif) top center no-repeat
!important;}
div#header {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/box-bottomtop.jpg) bottom center no-repeat !important;}
div#footer {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/box-bottom.gif) bottom center no-repeat !important;}

Look at an example here

Victoria Arpeggio Template (3 columns)

We change the standard of 140 - 420 - 140 to 230 - 520 - 230

#container {width: 980px;}
#main-content {width: 520px;}
#sidebar {width: 230px;}
#sidebar-alternate {width: 230px;}
* html #threecolumn #main-content {width: 529px; margin-left: 0;}
#threecolumn #footer {padding: 0 258px 10px 274px;}
#sidebar-alternate {width: 219px;}
#main-content .wrapper {padding-left: 12px;padding-right: 24px;}
h2 {margin: 0 0;}

We need to change 5 pictures /(718 px to 980 px) : fixed-header.gif, fixed-h1.gif, fixed-three-container.gif, fixed-three-footer.gif, and fixed-three-headerwrapper.gif. To define the pictures used for background, we use this css :

#threecolumn #header { background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-header.gif) repeat-y !important;}
#threecolumn h1 {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-h1.gif) no-repeat !important;}
#threecolumn #container {background: #fff url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-three-container.gif) repeat-y !important;}
#threecolumn #footer {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-three-footer.gif) no-repeat left bottom !important;}
#threecolumn #header .wrapper {background: url(http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/fixed-three-headerwrapper.gif)
no-repeat left bottom !important;}

Look at an example here

Simple Template (1 column)

We will use a picture as background, and a thinner column. The background is defined using the CSS : background-attachment: fixed

body {background-image:
url('http://YOURSITE.googlepages.com/YOURPIC.jpg');
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-attachment:fixed; }
#main-content {background-color: transparent;}
#container {width: 500px;border: 0 none; background-color: transparent; margin-left: 10px;}
html {background-color: transparent;}

Look at an example here

More informations

Find more informations and some examples here

To fully customize a Google Page Layout, we can also change the background. Take some ideas, in this page.

Search Engine Optimization

whirlybird20 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:37:45 CDT

Under Construction!

This, and all pages under this page are under construction.

Introduction to search engine optimization, how they work, etc.

On Site SEO
Off-Site SEO
Tools
What is page rank?

On Site SEO

whirlybird20 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:36:54 CDT

This page is under construction!

On-site SEO is stuff that you do to your site itself in order to rank better in search engines. Whereas off-site SEO is basically gaining links to your site from other sites.

Both kinds of seo are important. The best on-site SEO won't get you anywhere without good off-site SEO. And the best incomming links ever can't help you if your site has bad on-site seo.

SEO Tools

whirlybird20 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:10:07 CDT

iWeb Tool's Backlink Checker

This tool displays all the known links to your website. However it is limited to five queries per day.

Smart Page Rank's Backlink Checker

This is a tool similar to iWeb Tool's Backlink Checker, only this tool shows the anchor text used to link to you, and weather the link is nofollow, or not.

Google Position

This tool allows you to enter your website, and search phrases that you are trying to rank for, then it searches up to 1000 pages of google to see what position your site is.

Ranking Reports

This is another tool that is similar to google position, but it also searches Yahoo, AOL, MSN, AllTheWeb, and AltaVista, but it doesn't let you check multiple search phrases at once.

Counters and Statistics

kawebb — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:07:55 CDT

To keep track of how many people are visiting your page, you can put a counter on the page or you can subscribe to a service that provides you with a statistical report on your visitors.

Many beginners are attracted to the idea of a counter because it shows everyone how many visitors you've had. The problem is that it may show how few visitors you've had, and it doesn't really impress anyone. Serious websites don't feature these counters. Here is a reason why you shouldn't rely on the counters that may appear on websites: http://www.pagetutor.com/megacounter/

If you want to use one though, have a look at StatCounter You can use this to set up a counter and also to keep statistics (see below).

Statistical reports can provide useful information about your visitors: not identifying them in person but reporting on what country they come from, or whether they come form a school or government organisation. As stated above, Statcounter can provide this sort of service as can Google Analytics.

These statistical reports usually won't be seen by your visitors.

Backlink Checkers

whirlybird20 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:06:48 CDT

Backlink checkers are little tools that find links back to you. I know you can go to google and type "site:example.com", but this will not find all of the links back to you, but just the ones that google fins relevent.

A better way to do this is to use a checker. Bellow are a few that we link.

http://www.iwebtool.com/backlink_checker

http://smartpagerank.com/pagerank-backlinks.php

Social Bookmarking

whirlybird20 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:03:26 CDT

This is a great way to gain links from high ranking sites like digg, delicious, etc. fast! If people like your website, then they might want to share it.

We recommend getting your own button from www.addthis.com

Article Marketing

whirlybird20 — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:41:30 CDT