Add Post Titles to Older and Newer Post Links to Engage Your Readers!

When you open a Blogger blog post, there are links to Newer Post, Home, and Older Post at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately the Newer and Older post links only contain text "Newer Post" and "Older Post", not the actual post titles. Wordpress, from where I migrated to Blogger, can display the post titles. But not Blogger.

Add the Post Titles to Old and New Post Links!

1. Go to Blogger > Design.
2. Back up your Template.
3. Click on Edit HTML link.
4. Check the box next to "Expand widgets Template".
5. Press F3 and find </head>
6. Paste the Following code just before  </head>

<script src='http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js' type='text/javascript'/>

    7. Now find </body>
    8. Place the Following code just before </body>

<!--Start post title code http://www.tricksjustforyou.blogspot.com -->
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;item&quot;'>
<script type='text/javascript'>
// Post titles to Older Post and Newer Post links (without stats skew)
// by Alex 2012. See http://tricksjustforyou.blogspot.in/2012/03/add-post-titles-to-older-and-newer-post.html
//<![CDATA[
var urlToNavTitle = {};
function getTitlesForNav(json) {
for(var i=0 ; i < json.feed.entry.length ; i++) {
var entry = json.feed.entry[i];
var href = "";
for (var k=0; k<entry.link.length; k++) {
if (entry.link[k].rel == 'alternate') {
href = entry.link[k].href;
break;
}
}
if(href!="") urlToNavTitle[href]=entry.title.$t;
}
}
document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="http://'+window.location.hostname+'/feeds/posts/summary?redirect=false&max-results=500&alt=json-in-script&callback=getTitlesForNav"></'+'script>');
function urlToPseudoTitle(href) {
var title=href.match(/\/([^\/_]+)(_.*)?\.html/);
if(title) {
title=title[1].replace(/-/g," ");
title=title[0].toUpperCase() + title.slice(1);
if(title.length > 28) title=title.replace(/ [^ ]+$/, "...")
}
return title;
}
$(window).load(function() {
window.setTimeout(function() {
var href = $("a.blog-pager-newer-link").attr("href");
if(href) {
var title=urlToNavTitle[href];
if(!title) title=urlToPseudoTitle(href);
if(title) $("a.blog-pager-newer-link").html("&lt;&lt; Newer Post<br />" + title);
}
href = $("a.blog-pager-older-link").attr("href");
if(href) {
var title=urlToNavTitle[href];
if(!title) title=urlToPseudoTitle(href);
if(title) $("a.blog-pager-older-link").html("Older Post &gt;&gt;<br />" + title);
}
}, 500);
});
//]]>
</script>
</b:if><a href="http://tricksjustforyou.blogspot.in/2012/03/add-post-titles-to-older-and-newer-post.html/">Get this</a><!--End post title code http://www.tricksjustforyou.blogspot.com -->


 9. Now Find ]]></b:skin>
   10. Place the following code just above ]]></b:skin>

.blog-pager-newer-link {background-color:transparent !important;padding: 0 !important;}
.blog-pager-older-link {background-color:transparent !important;padding: 0 !important;}
#blog-pager-newer-link {padding:5px;font-size:90%;width:200px;text-align:left;}
#blog-pager-older-link {padding:5px;font-size:90%;width:200px;text-align:right;}

   11. Save your Template and you are done.

I believe this tip would engage your readers a bit more and if might help in terms on reducing the Bounce rate of your blogs. Please share it, if you found it helpful.

Drop your Comments below! Thanks. :)