Blogging with WordPress: 10 Things To Do Before Publishing a Blog Post

October

3

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Key Takeaways

  • Conduct thorough keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for and optimize your content accordingly.
  • Ensure that your blog post is well-optimized for the chosen keywords by incorporating them naturally throughout the content.
  • Craft an attention-grabbing and SEO-friendly title to attract readers and improve search engine visibility.
  • Write a compelling meta description that accurately summarizes the content and entices users to click through to your blog post.
  • Pay attention to the formatting and structure of your blog post to enhance readability and user experience.
  • Incorporate internal and external links to provide additional value to your readers and improve SEO.
  • Optimize images by using descriptive file names, alt text, and appropriate sizes to enhance visual appeal and SEO.
  • Thoroughly proofread your post to eliminate any grammatical errors, typos, or inconsistencies.
  • Ensure that your blog post is mobile-friendly to cater to the increasing number of mobile users.
  • Include a clear call-to-action to guide readers on the next steps and encourage engagement.

Crafting a stellar blog post on WordPress? Before hitting that publish button, ensure you’ve ticked off these crucial tasks – blog posts, writing, articles. From honing your headline for maximum impact to optimizing your content with SEO-friendly keywords, this list will guide you through the essential pre-publishing steps.

In this listicle, we’ll delve into refining your post’s structure, perfecting its visuals, and ensuring seamless social media integration. Plus, we’ll share tips for engaging readers and encouraging interaction with comments and shares on the article. Ready to elevate your blogging game? Scroll down for reviews of our top picks!

1. Perform Keyword Research

Before publishing a blog post, performing keyword research is crucial for optimizing your content for search engines and targeting the right audience.

  • Keyword research helps you identify the topics and information that your target audience is searching for. By using specific tools to track keywords, new bloggers can start to make sense of their niche and create content that resonates with their audience.
  • Improving SEO: Selecting relevant keywords can help increase your blog’s visibility on search engines, ultimately leading to higher rankings. This process enables you to pinpoint the terms and phrases that will attract more followers and increase traffic.
  • Analytics Tracking: Utilizing keyword research tools allows you to monitor how well specific keywords are performing in driving traffic to your website. This data provides valuable insights into which categories or topics resonate most with your audience.

2. Optimize the Post for Your Keyword(s)

To ensure your blog post is optimized for search engines, consider using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords. By targeting these keywords in the article, you can increase the visibility of your blog post and attract more organic traffic.

When selecting keywords for an article, it’s essential to consider long-tail keywords for specific targeting. These longer, more specific phrases can help you reach a niche audience that is actively searching for the content you are providing.

Here’s why optimizing your post with relevant keywords matters:

  • It improves your chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) in the article.
  • Targeting specific keywords in the article increases the likelihood of attracting qualified traffic to your blog.
  • Long-tail keywords often have higher conversion rates due to their specificity.

For instance, if you’re writing a blog post about “blog post ideas,” using this keyword strategically throughout your article can significantly enhance its visibility among individuals seeking inspiration for their next posts.

3. Add a well-optimized title

When crafting your blog post’s title, it’s crucial to incorporate keywords naturally throughout the content. By seamlessly integrating relevant keywords into the article, you enhance the post’s search engine visibility and make it easier for readers to find your content.

Utilize variations of the main keyword within the article title to capture a wider audience without compromising relevance. For instance, if your main keyword is “healthy recipes,” consider using variations like “nutritious meal ideas” or “wholesome cooking tips” in the article. This strategy broadens the scope of potential searches that can lead users to your blog.

Avoid keyword stuffing at all costs in your article; instead, prioritize maintaining readability and coherence in your title. Overloading titles with an excessive number of keywords can harm user experience and negatively impact SEO efforts and article. Striking a balance between optimization and natural language usage ensures that both search engines and human readers are satisfied with the quality of your content and article.

4. Write a great meta description

Crafting an effective meta description is crucial for optimizing your blog post for search engines and enticing users to click through to your content.

  • Including the primary keyword at the beginning of the title helps search engines understand the relevance of your content, potentially improving its ranking.
  • Keeping the meta description under 60 characters ensures that it displays in full on search engine results pages (SERPs), maximizing visibility and engagement.
  • Crafting a compelling and descriptive title entices users to click by providing a clear summary of what they can expect from your blog post.

5. Check Formatting and Structure

When preparing to publish a blog post, it’s crucial to pay attention to the formatting and structure for optimal performance.

  • Keep the meta description within 155-160 characters to ensure that it displays effectively in search results. This concise summary should entice readers while incorporating the target keyword for improved SEO.
  • Including a compelling call-to-action (CTA) can significantly boost click-through rates. Encourage readers to engage with your content by adding a clear CTA at the end of your meta description, prompting them to take action after reading your blog post.
  • Summarize the content effectively within this limited space, ensuring that it accurately represents what readers can expect from your post. Incorporate the target keyword naturally into this summary while maintaining clarity and relevance.

When adding internal and external links to your blog post, consider using subheadings to break up the content. This improves readability and helps readers navigate through the information more easily. Proper use of bullet points, numbered lists, and bold text for emphasis also enhances the overall visual appeal of your post.

Including relevant internal links can keep visitors engaged on your site by directing them to other valuable content you’ve created. It’s a great way to showcase related topics or provide additional context without cluttering the current page.

External links are equally important as they add credibility and authority to your content. When linking externally, ensure that the URLs are descriptive and directly relevant to the topic being discussed. Review spacing, font styles, and overall visual appeal of these hyperlinks within your content.

By incorporating these elements effectively into your blog posts, you not only improve user experience but also contribute positively to SEO efforts by creating a well-structured piece of content that search engines favorably rank.

Remember that while adding internal and external links is crucial for enhancing both reader experience and SEO performance, it’s essential not to overdo it; maintaining a balance is key.

7. Optimize images in the article

Linking to relevant internal pages within your blog post not only enhances site structure but also aids user navigation, encouraging them to explore more of your content. Including authoritative external links from reputable sources can significantly boost your content’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Using descriptive anchor text for both internal and external links is crucial for providing clear context to users and search engines about the linked content. This practice contributes to a better user experience and helps search engines understand the relevance of the linked pages.

By optimizing blog post images with descriptive file names, alt tags, and appropriate sizes, you can improve accessibility for visually impaired users and enhance SEO by providing relevant information about the image content. Compressing images without compromising quality ensures faster page load times, contributing to a better overall user experience.

Incorporating these strategies into your blogging routine not only benefits your readers but also signals expertise and authority in your niche to search engines. As a result, this can lead to improved organic visibility and higher rankings for your blog posts.

Remember that while optimizing images is essential for SEO purposes, it’s equally important to maintain a balance between image optimization and preserving visual appeal on your blog.

8. Proofread Your Post Thoroughly

To enhance your blog post before publishing, optimizing images is crucial for improving page load speed. Compressing images not only ensures faster loading times but also contributes to a better user experience.

Using descriptive file names and alt tags with relevant keywords can improve the visibility of your images on search engines, potentially driving more traffic to your blog. For instance, instead of naming an image “IMG001,” consider a descriptive name like “best-chocolate-cake-recipe.”

Moreover, ensure that the selected images are visually appealing and directly relevant to the content they accompany. This practice not only engages readers but also reinforces the message you aim to convey through your blog post.

9. Make sure it looks good on mobile

Ensuring your blog post looks good on mobile is crucial for engaging with a wider audience. Here’s how to do it:

  • Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors: Errors can detract from the professionalism of your content and may turn users away.
  • Verify factual accuracy and consistency in tone: It’s important that your content is factually correct and maintains a consistent tone throughout.
  • Consider using proofreading tools or seeking feedback from others: Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help catch errors, while getting feedback from peers can provide valuable insights into how readers might perceive your post.

10. Add a Clear Call-To-Action (CTA)

Testing the post’s layout and functionality on different mobile devices is crucial for ensuring an optimal user experience. With over half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s essential to make sure that your blog post looks great and functions seamlessly across various screen sizes.

Responsive design elements play a significant role in providing a smooth viewing experience for mobile users. By incorporating responsive design, you can ensure that your CTA buttons and other important elements are easily accessible and visually appealing on smaller screens.

Optimizing loading speed for mobile users is paramount. Research shows that 53% of mobile site visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. Therefore, optimizing your blog post for faster loading times on mobile devices can significantly impact user engagement and conversion rates.

For instance, consider using compressed images, minimizing unnecessary scripts or plugins, and leveraging browser caching to enhance loading speed.

Final Remarks

You’ve done the groundwork and optimized your blog post for success. Now, it’s time to hit that publish button and share your insights with the world. Remember, the key to a successful blog post isn’t just about ticking off items on a checklist; it’s about connecting with your audience. So, as you take these final steps, envision yourself inviting readers into a conversation rather than just broadcasting information. Your blog post is your chance to engage, inspire, and leave a lasting impression.

Now go ahead, polish up those final details, and unleash your masterpiece into the digital realm. Your audience is waiting to be captivated by your words!

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Team Digital Shiksha
Digital Shiksha is the leading online and interactive digital marketing training institute in India. We offer professional certification courses in Digital Marketing, which will help you create effective digital marketing strategies. Our students have access to the latest tools and techniques used in online marketing, including social networking, mobile marketing, online communities, viral marketing, wikis, and blogs. With a career in online, interactive, and digital marketing, you can progress into roles such as campaign planning and brand development. At Digital Shiksha we are committed to supporting and educating our students to reach their full potential in the field of digital marketing.

About the author, Team Digital Shiksha

Digital Shiksha is the leading online and interactive digital marketing training institute in India. We offer professional certification courses in Digital Marketing, which will help you create effective digital marketing strategies. Our students have access to the latest tools and techniques used in online marketing, including social networking, mobile marketing, online communities, viral marketing, wikis, and blogs. With a career in online, interactive, and digital marketing, you can progress into roles such as campaign planning and brand development. At Digital Shiksha we are committed to supporting and educating our students to reach their full potential in the field of digital marketing.

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