Question : Customize left_col.phtml properly in Magento - XML beginner!

I want to spice up client's store and add some SEO related links and images to my left column in Magento Commerce 1.4.0.1

By default Magento has this thing called "left call out" which is just a clickable ad.

I want to make a super left call out box for SEO purposes. I would like to add several images, (ok that's probably easy, just duplicate the code in the xml and phtml files I assume) but I also want to insert some text hyperlinks in there, and I'm not sure how to do that properly in xml and phtml. I mean I can echo a static link in php, but I don't know to write out something simple like that in Magento's XML system. My url's will be pointing to my server so I assume I will be using this code:
---
<a href="{{store direct_url="carbonfiberstuff"}}"><h1>Carbon Fiber Stuff</h1></a>
----
somewhere? Instead of just typing out the full domain name.

Current Callout:
[Picture link]

Proposed Callout:
[Picture link]
[text link]
[text link]
[text link]
[Picture link]
[text link]
[text link]
[text link]

Please see my client's carbon fiber hoods website, on the Toyota MR2 Page here you can see the left callout:
http://www.carbonfiberhoods.com/exterior/hoods.html?Make=Toyota&Model=MR2&Year=0

Answer : Customize left_col.phtml properly in Magento - XML beginner!

Hi,

The best approach would be adding a callout through static block so that you can modify the contents as and when required without modifying the phtml or XML.

You can create a static block in admin panel and placed the following code in cms.xml inside <default> node.

Thanks

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<reference name="left">
    <block type="cms/block" name="cms.your.callout" before="left.your.callout">
	<!--
	    The content of this block is taken from the database by its block_id.
	    You can manage it in admin CMS -> Static Blocks
	-->
	<action method="setBlockId"><block_id>your_callout_identifier</block_id></action>
    </block>
</reference>