Before you hit publish on your new blog post there are a few things you should double check. These tips and tricks will help to avoid publishing the post and having to delete it because of errors and mistakes. They will also help to improve search engine optimization and make your posts user-friendly.
- 1. Post Title: Did you name your blog post something that will catch your reader’s eye? Make sure you name your post something that will engage and captivate your audience but is still relevant to the post.
- 2. Permalink: Always remember to shorten your permalinks and make them relevant to the post by including the title. For example a default permalink may be http://example.com/?p12 and you can improve it by changing it to http://example.com/post-name/ .
- 3. Paragraphs: A blog post that is not sectioned into paragraphs is not only difficult to read, but can also cause your readers to not read the post. Always divide the post into short segments.
- 4. Headings: For long blog posts using subheadings will help your readers keep track of the information and keep the post organized. Divide the content into sections using H2, H3, ect.
- 5. Lists: If the post includes a list make sure to number the list or use bullets to make the content scannable and easy to read.
- 6. Links: Include links to your website and social media to encourage traffic to your other sites. Also linking other content on your site will encourage readers to stay on your blog.
- 7. Images: Your blog posts should have a featured image, don’t forget to upload and set a relevant image for each blog posting. All images should have ALT text, a caption and a link.
- 8. Category: Depending on the style of blog you may have blog categories. Did you remember to select a category that best fits the post? Having categories helps to keep your blog organized and makes it easy for your readers to find what they are looking for.
- 9. Tags: Including relevant tags on each post helps to increase search engine optimization. Remember that all tags must be connected to the content with appropriate tags.
- 10. Meta Title/ Description: Before you post double check that you have reviewed and edited the title that search engines will use. Always include a Meta description of the post that is descriptive and captivating.
- 11. Spell Check: This is a very important step before you hit publish. Check the entire post for proper spelling and grammar. The last thing you want is to find an error after the post has already been published.
- 12. Scheduling: If you do not want the post to be published immediately you can schedule the post for another time. Double check that the date and time is the correct time before you hit post.
Hope these tips and tricks help you to become a better blogger!
References:
https://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Permalinks
http://dandelionwebdesign.com/blogger-checklist/