What is Google Blogger?

You initially pick one of several templates for Blogger. You can switch to a new template at any point. The template controls the look and feel of your blog, as well as the links on the side.

You can also customize and create your own template, although this requires more advanced knowledge of CSS and web design. There are many sites and individuals who also offer Blogger templates free for personal use.

You can change the arrangement of most of the elements within a template by dragging and dropping. Adding new page elements is easy, and Google gives you a good selection, such as link lists, titles, banners, and even AdSense ads.

You can make money directly from your blog, by using AdSense to place ads automatically onto your blog page. The amount you earn depends on your subject matter and the popularity of your blog. Google puts a link to sign up for an AdSense account from within Blogger. You can also opt to avoid AdSense, and no ads will appear on your blog, unless you put them there.

• Overview of AdSense
• How to Add AdSense to Blogger
• AdSense Don'ts - Dirty Tricks and Bad Tips That Will Get Your Site Banned

Email posting makes it easier to use mobile devices to post to your blog. You can also post pictures directly from your cell phone with related service Blogger Mobile.

Google does not currently offer a way to make voice posts directly to Blogger from your cell phone.

Privacy

If you want to make blog posts, but you only want to keep a private journal or you just want your friends or family to read them, you can now choose to make your posts either private or restricted to approved readers.

Private posting was a much needed feature in Blogger, but you can only set the posting level for the entire blog, not individual posts. If you restrict your post to certain readers, each person must have a Google account, and they must be logged in.

Labels

You can add labels to blog posts, so that all of your posts about beaches, cooking, or bathtubs are properly identified. This makes it easier for viewers to find posts on specific topics, and it helps you when you want to glance back on your own posts.

If you are serious about blogging for profit, you may want to invest in your own web space and use a blogging tool that gives you more customization options and tracking information. Starting with a Blogger blog would still give you an idea if you’re able to keep up with regular blog postings or if you can attract an audience.

Blogger doesn't make a podcast friendly feed without some tweaking in Feedburner. Blogger's tools for private blogging are still very basic and do not allow for as much customization as bigger social networking blog sites, such as MySpace, LiveJournal, and Vox.

However, for the price, it’s really a very well rounded blogging tool. Blogger is an excellent place to start blogging.