A Blogger’s Checklist: 15 Blogging Tips every Blogger Should Know before they Publish!

Greetings, everyone! ♥

If you’re reading this post chances are you have a website or are in the process of creating one. Perhaps you’re still on the fence. If so, I hope this tutorial encourages you to make the leap. Welcome aboard the grand adventure!

Owning a website is a liberating experience. Our thoughts, our work, our designs have a home and we’re eager to share it with the world. Cheers to that! ♥

Realistically speaking, though, it can feel a little intimidating and sometimes daunting trying to figure out the ins and outs of it all. I hear ya. I’ve been there, too.

Fast forward a few years and now I have the absolute pleasure of helping others create and manage their own websites. Creating a website that we’re proud to own is one thing, managing it to maximize reach and outcomes is just as critical, perhaps more so.

If you’re just joining me, this is part six of my series ~ Blogging to Success with WordPress! Warmest welcome to all.

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After six years of blogging, I thought I’d put together A Blogger’s Checklist that highlights the key elements every blogger should be aware of before they publish. I use this checklist and I’d like to share it in hopes that it may prove helpful to fellow bloggers – newbies and/or not-so-newbies alike. After all, we’re always learning in this form of engagement. ♥

Ultimately, it’s all about finding a process that works for you.

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Blog Post Title

This may sound like a no-brainer, but I see it way too often. I receive an email notification for a new post and the Blog Title is just a number (ie. 12345). Say it ain’t so! I know, right?

Bloggers, we can’t forget to title our post! It’s our billboard on the web’s freeway!

This is why a pre-pub checklist comes in handy. It’s a shame to spend so much time crafting an engaging blog post and then forget to give it an enticing title. Without a blog title, WordPress, by default, will use the number assigned to it.

Also, a well-crafted Blog Title can help boost our SEO (Search Engine Optimization), as search engines value and use our keywords and phrasing.

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The Value of Images, Especially our Featured Image!

Images are an essential element to successful blogging. Ideally, we’ll have them incorporated into our blog content as they are valuable tools that provide visual cues and context to our written content. Choosing images isn’t a complicated or costly process. We have extensive access to free resources via sources, such as ~ Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, and Pikwizard.

Depending on the source, attribution may be required. This isn’t a tedious task, and it’s always a kind gesture regardless of the requirement.

With every blog post, we have an amazing opportunity to immediately grab our reader’s attention via our Featured Image. Are we maximizing its effectiveness with an eye-catching image that includes the blog title? How about descriptive text?

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Our Featured Image is the image visible when we publish our post and share via social media. It matters. But with a few added steps, we can fully optimize it.

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TIP: To optimize every Featured Image for SEO and accessibility, we can edit the descriptive text included with each image.

When we add an image to our Media Library, we can edit/add Alt Text, Title, Caption, and Description.

Alt Text is the description available to visually impaired readers who use tools and devices that dictate web content.

Also, adding descriptive text helps with SEO as Google uses this information. An image uploaded with a file name of picture1234.jpeg, for example, is a missed SEO opportunity.

In the image below, you can see I added relevant, descriptive information. We can easily do this by clicking on the image file via our media library. This will open the side window to edit/add image text.

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*Disclosure: These are resources I personally use and value highly. So much so, I became an Affiliate member. As an Affiliate, I endorse the products and services I use and love. If you see the value in these products and choose to purchase via my referral links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. ♥

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Adding Social Media Sharing Icons

You crafted a fabulous blog post, but can your readers share it?

Adding social media sharing icons is a quick and simple means to increase blog traffic and circulate content. A couple of steps and a few clicks is all that’s required. 

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If you’re not sure how to add social media sharing icons, please feel free to pop by my blog post ~ Increase blog traffic and maximize reach by adding and customizing social media sharing options in WordPress!

I use Jetpack for seamless access to additional features, as displayed in the image below.

• WordPress.com Users ~ The versatility of Jetpack is included with your hosting.
• WordPress.org Users ~ If you’re self-hosted (ie. Bluehost), you can add the Jetpack Plugin for free. Additional features are available via their paid plans.

Jetpack offers features to help optimize blog reach and engagement.

We can share our blog posts automatically via our social media accounts. I have my Twitter handle connected. We can easily connect other accounts by clicking on Connect an Account. When we publish our blog post, it will automatically be posted to any connected accounts.

We can further customize our title/message, as well. I added two relevant hashtags ~ #BloggingTips and #Bloggers. This is the title that will be shared via Twitter when I publish my blog post.

We can also turn on/off the Show Likes and Show Sharing Buttons.

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Follow/Notifications Enabled

Have you enabled the subscribe/follow options? This is an easy, ideal way to turn readers into subscribers. When a reader subscribes, they will receive an email notification for new comments or/and blog posts.

TIP: To optimize email notifications that translate into blog views, configure your WordPress Dashboard via Settings > Reading > and select Summary Text.

We can also customize our Greeting Text for comments. Personalizing our Greeting Text is a fabulous opportunity to invite readers to leave a comment. It’s an invitation to engage; let’s make it personal and inviting.

For more tips and practical suggestions to optimize your Dashboard Settings, feel free to stop by the first post in this Blogging to Success series ~ A Blogger’s Guide: Blogging to Success with Dashboard Settings in WordPress.

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Optimized WordPress Profile/Gravatar

If we’re blogging to share content and build connections, we have this amazing feature to help us do just that ~ Gravatars. Once you’ve been blogging for a while you’ll appreciate the friendly faces you’ll see and the connections you’ll make.

Our WordPress Profile is our WordPress Gravatar. It’s an important feature to fully optimize as a blogger. We can edit/manage via the WordPress Toolbar.

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Our Gravatar displays next to our name whenever we post a comment in WordPress, and this information is displayed publicly on our profile and in Gravatar Hovercards, as displayed in the image below.

For tips and suggestions on optimizing Gravatars in WordPress, please feel free to drop by my blog post ~ How to build a blogging community with Gravatar Hovercards ~ a win-win strategy for bloggers!

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Categories

We can add Categories or choose from existing Categories. Categories are essential for organizing our website content so readers can easily find what they’re looking for.

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In the image below, you can see my Categories displayed in my sidebar.

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For more information regarding Categories and their ease-of-use feel free to pop by my blog post ~ A Blogger’s Guide: How to create a Blog Post and maximize engagement in WordPress!

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Tags

WordPress Bloggers, have you optimized your blog post with relevant Tags?

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With every blog post, we can add relevant Tags. Tags are fantastic for helping other bloggers/readers find our content via the WordPress Reader.

Tags are an essential element for successful blogging, especially in WordPress. Some articles will state that Tags do very little for SEO. While that may be true, it’s not where I’m going with this.

In the image below, you’ll notice Tags on the left-side panel. When we add Tags to our blog posts, anyone following that Tag (ie. BloggingTips) will see all blog posts containing that Tag in their WordPress Reader. In other words, our blog post can be viewed by people following a Tag, even if they’re not following our blog. It’s a fantastic way to extend our reach as well as connect with fellow bloggers who share similar content. It’s a win-win!

• Adding Tags to our blog post to extend its reach.
• Adding Tags via our Reader profile to follow and find other content of interest.

We can easily add Tags to follow via the WordPress Reader, as displayed in the image below.

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Hyperlinks

Adding Hyperlinks is a must in blogging. We want to create links to other relevant content on our site and/or to respected outside (re)sources.

When creating a hyperlink, it’s important to change the settings to Open in New Tab so readers will stay on our site, but are able to open links in a new window. 

You may have noticed my reference to other blog posts and external (re)sources. This is hyperlinking. If you’re not sure how to create a hyperlink, please feel free to pop by my blog post ~ Getting Started with Gutenberg – A How-To Guide for Creating Engaging Blog Posts with Gutenberg.

See what I did there? ♥

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Translate Website Option

A great tool to further enhance our blog/website is having a Translate Option available for our readers. It’s super easy to set up. Jetpack offers a free Translate Widget.

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I simply added it to my sidebar.

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Again, a few clicks are all that’s required to set it up.

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Author Profile

Do you display an Author Profile at the end of every blog post? If not, I encourage you to consider doing so.

As a reader, I know I connect more with content when I know something about the author. There are widgets and plugins that can be used with ease to create an author profile.

One of my favourite WordPress Plugins is Kadence Blocks. I use this Plugin and its numerous blocks/features when developing blog content. I used the Testimonial Block to design my author profile and saved it as a reusable block.

If you’re not sure how to add a Reuseable Block in Gutenberg, you’re most welcome to pop by my blog post ~ Getting Started with Gutenberg ~ A How-To Guide for Creating Engaging Blog Posts with Gutenberg.

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I created my testimonial layout.

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This is what it looks like. I add it to every blog post prior to publishing.

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Search Option

Another easy addition to further enhance our website/blog for our readers is having a Search option. Depending on your Theme, this option may vary.

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I added it to my sidebar and customized the Title text to Quick and Easy Search!

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Comments

As a blogger, I love comments and engaging with readers. I’m also cognizant of ensuring the process of commenting is simple and efficient for readers. This process will vary, of course, depending on a blogger’s Theme, hosting method, and personal preference.

In the image below, you can see I checked the option Let visitors use a WordPress.com, Twitter, or Facebook account to comment. This can be done via our Dashboard Settings > Discussion.

Finding a process that works for you AND your readers is key. I fully understand the frustration and consequence of spamming, etc. but we have tools to combat this, such as Plugins like Jetpack or Askimet Anti-Spam.

As bloggers, though, if we’re expecting readers to fill in all their contact details and prove they’re not a robot, then we’re most likely missing out on engagement opportunities.

For tips on moderating comments, you’re most welcome to pop by my blog post ~ A Blogger’s Guide: Blogging to Success with Dashboard Settings in WordPress

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Protecting your Blog!

1 ~ Privacy Policy

If you’re a blogger or website owner that collects any form of information from visitors, you should be aware of the importance of having a Privacy Policy page on your website. This privacy policy is a document required by law that discloses how/when we collect information about visitors on our website.

Creating and adding a Privacy Policy to our website is not a daunting task, and WordPress makes this process a little easier. You can find the details under Settings > Privacy Settings. Jetpack offers a Privacy Policy Helper.

2 ~ Cookies & Consents Banner

Jetpack also offers a Cookies and Consents Banner widget that website owners can easily customize and incorporate into our website.

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In the image below, you can see my Cookies and Consent Banner, as it displays on my website. I have this linked to my Privacy Policy.

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3 ~ Copyright

As a blogger creating content, you may also want to consider adding a Copyright or Terms of Use page/reference to protect your work.

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Blog Subscription Option

If you’re blogging, ideally you’ll have a Blog Subscription option located on your site. This enables readers to follow our blog via email. ♥

If you’re self-hosted, the Jetpack Plugin is free to use and it includes a Blog Subscription Widget.

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This is how the widget is displayed in the sidebar on my site.

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If you’re not sure how to add and customize the Blog Subscription Widget, you’re most welcome to pop by my blog post ~ A Blogger’s Guide: How to create a user profile, manage comments, view stats, and add widgets in WordPress.

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

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Keywords & Phrasing

The final step in creating a blog post is maximizing it for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). There are a number of Addons and Plugins to help with this. Yoast, for example, is a Plugin used for SEO.

I use the Genisis Framework. In the image below, you can see I added keywords and phrasing to maximize this post for SEO. The structure and its use will vary depending on the tool/resource we use.

SEO is an important element for successful blogging. Let’s optimize our work for maximum reach!

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Permalinks ~ URL Slug

We can edit the URL Slug (last part of the URL) before we publish a blog post. After we Publish, this cannot be changed or it will result in a 404 error.

The URL Slug feature is useful to remove unnecessary words from the URL text that is created based on our post title. I sometimes remove filler words to focus on and maximize keywords and phrases for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

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And that’s a wrap!

I hope this tutorial series ~ Blogging to Success in WordPress proves helpful for your blogging journey. Creating a website that we’re proud to own is an exciting venture. Managing it to maximize reach and outcomes doesn’t have to be a complicated process. A few tips are all that’s needed.

Have a tip you’d like to share? A question, perhaps? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

Until next time … happy blogging, my friends! ♥

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