15 Steps to Optimize your WordPress Blog Posts

Writing and publishing blogs on your website from time to time is a great SEO strategy. If you can post interesting content on your site on a regular basis, you can build a connection with your readers and eventually convert them into customers. Make sure you add the proper keywords and key phrases so search engines crawling the web can find your postings easily. You can also add images and heighten the appeal of the blogs you present. If you’re using WordPress, you’ll find that it is extremely easy to create and post the blogs by using its various plugins. In fact, this smart content management system can guide you through every step of the way. As you read through this article, you will understand exactly what you need to do. Here’s how.

Step 1 - Create Great Content

Begin by writing a great piece that pertains to the industry where you work. It should be concise, free of fluff and packed with interesting information. Present yourself as a credible source by making sure you take details from authoritative websites and other databases so they are accurate. Eventually, your site can become the go-to site for any kind of information readers need in your specific sphere. You have two ways of creating content. You can either write it on a simple program in your computer that saves documents without formatting like for example, the “Plain Text” format as in Microsoft Word. Copy and paste to WordPress. Or, you could write the content directly on the WordPress page.

Step 2 - Begin Work on the Post

Check the far left column on your WordPress page. You’ll see a button that says, “Posts.” when you hover over it, you’ll see another button, “Add New.” Click on it and you’ll see a new page open up. This page will have two sections. On the top, you’ll see “Enter Title Here.” Copy and paste the title. Then, copy and paste the content onto the section below. If you know how to manage code, you have the option of switching between text and visual mode. The Visual mode shows you what the post will look like, while the text mode lets you check the coding so you can spot and eliminate any formatting issues. Use the WYSIWUG editor to help you along.

Step 3 - Add Links

Adding links is great for SEO. You can choose the appropriate words and phrases and add links to the other posts you have published. This strategy allows readers to jump from one post to another to continue reading related posts that they find interesting. You can also add external links, like for example, to authoritative sites to back up the information you’re presenting. Try to add at least three to five links. If you’re offering a product or a service, you can add the links in the post so readers can be directed to the page they can use for placing their orders. Only make sure the links are working when you publish the post. If they don’t, use the text mode to help you correct them.

Step 4 - Save Your Work as You go Along

At the top right hand column, you’ll see a button that says, “Save Draft.” As you keep working, you can save your post. You’ll also see a “Preview” button. Use it to check how the blog is coming along. It gives you a clear view of what the blog will look like once it is published. You can also use the preview option to make sure the links and videos are working. In addition, if you want to post the blog at a later date, you can pick it out of the “Drafts” section and publish. Remember, WordPress also allows you to schedule the date when you want to publish automatically. Make sure to add a “Call to Action” line at the end of the post to encourage readers to follow up on the read. They should be encouraged to either share the post or place an order.

Step 5 - Add Images

Adding images is a great way to break up a wall of text and make it visually appealing. Copy and pasting images can cause some formatting problems. A better way to add them is to download and save the images you like to your computer. Save them under the title of the blog post. The title you choose will become the Alt Tag of your image, which is another important SEO tool. Check for the image sizes using the Paint Tool in Microsoft. Or, you can choose any of the online tools available to compress images to the proper size. Compressing images shortens the time they take to load so this is an important step. Make sure you use pictures that have high resolution. Upload them to your WordPress library by using the button on top. Add them into the post by using the “Insert Media” button. If you intend to use videos, use the same procedure.

Step 6 - Choose Categories

Check the column on the right. You’ll see a section that allows you to choose categories. If you have a range of topics you’ll be discussing, you can use this section to sort them. Once you add the categories, WordPress will sort your blogs and make managing them easier.

Step 7 - Add Tags

Tags are the perfect way to give your readers a quick idea of what the post is about before they start to read it. You can add the tags in section on the right. You’ll find it below the Categories section. WordPress auto generates the tags for you so you can choose the no index tagged option.

Step 8 - Add the Author

Use this step if you want to talk about yourself as the author. Add a few lines about who you are and what you do. You can also add a bit of background that projects you as a knowledgeable figure who knows what she’s talking about. You’ll find this section as you scroll lower from the content section.

Step 9 - Add a Snippet

This section allows you to pick out an interesting part of your post to present on your home page. It should be short, but enough to evoke instant curiosity so readers are tempted to hit the “Read More” button. Consider it a preview that gives a glimpse but doesn’t give away the essence of the blog.

Step 10 - Make Sure You Have Yoast SEO

Of the many plugins that WordPress offers, Yoast SEO is the most handy for optimizing your website for search engines. Visit the WordPress website and download it from there. Or, you could search for Yoast in the package you have and install it straightaway. Yoast is the ideal plugin that guides you on how to take care of the optimizing. As you scroll down, you will reach the Yoast SEO section. You’ll also see a series of red buttons. Each time you complete an essential part of the optimization, the related button will turn green. Your aim should be to get all of them green. The Yoast checklist makes sure the language you’re using is simple and easy to understand by way of Flesch-Kincaid reading test. You can also check if you have the required number of key phrases and keywords and if they are added in the perfect places in the blog. Each time you edit the blog according to the checklist, the light beside it turns green. When you have all green lights, you’ll know that your blog is perfectly optimized for the search engines.

Step 11 - Add Meta Description and Meta Title

Yoast makes sure you have the meta descriptions and meta title right with the required number of characters. If you have too many, search engines will not display them correctly. Also, make sure to include the prime keyword in both. This is an essential SEO requirement. You’ll also find the section where you can add the prime keyword or key phrase. All you need to do is click on the “Edit Snippet” button and add the content in the correct fields.

Step 12 - Check the Slug

Scroll up and take a look at the section below the title. You will see the permalink of your blog. Know that you can have only a fixed number of characters for your link. If it is longer than that, the link will be displayed only partly on search engines. You can edit the slug to the required number of characters. Use abbreviations and other short forms so that the title of your blog is displayed properly. Remember to include the keyword or key phrase in the URL or permalink.

Step 13 - Managing the Share Button

Having posted your blog, you’ll want it to be visible on your social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. You can leave the section blank, but if you click on Share, you will be overriding the default metadata such as titles and images that the social media sites pull from your post. Unless you intend to create posts specifically for posting on social media pages, it is advisable you leave the section untouched.

Step 14 - Check the H1, H2 Tags

The title you have for your blog is its H1 tag by default. A good SEO tactic is to split your blog into paragraphs with headings. Add your keyword into the headings of the at least the first two paragraphs after your introduction. The H1 tag describes your blog and tells search engines about the information it contains. So, you must make sure it has your keyword.

Step 15 - Publishing and Updating

When you check the top section on the right side column, you’ll see a blue button that says “Publish.” When you click on it, your post will become live for users to find. Read through the blog carefully and make sure you check it for spelling and grammatical errors. Remember, a badly written post does not score very well with search engines. If you do see errors and need to make changes, you can click on the “Edit Page” button on the top bar of the page. Go back to the WordPress page and edit all the errors. Remember to click on “Update” for the changes to become effective. And, that’s it. You have a well-written blog that is perfectly optimized for search engines to find. Of course, there are a bunch of other plugins you can use. For example, the Broken Link checker to pick out broken links or other apps that can edit comments and so on. Choose and use the ones you think will enhance the presentation of your blog.