Web content determines the success of a website. But what determines the success of a blog post? There are several objectives that, if kept in mind, boost the success of a blog. Incorporating these by making a checklist before you write and publish a blog on WordPress can help in the success of your blog.
In March 2019, over 4.4 million blog posts were published every day. Over 409 million people read more than 20 billion pages on WordPress each month in 2020. In 2020, 71% of all content on WordPress was in English and there were 488.1 million blogs on Tumblr in January 2020, says an article published on TechJury.
Below, we have carefully come up with a checklist followed by WordPress Development companies and websites which post blogs on WordPress. This checklist should be kept in mind before you hit publish within WordPress. So, let’s get started!
1. Keywords are the key
Before you start with your blog, you must research the keywords related to that topic. This will help you in writing SEO friendly content. Keywords help in ranking content better and gaining more views. While researching keywords keep in mind the phrases related to your topic that are mostly searched by readers.
2. Go for a catchy title
The first thing that will attract your target audience is the title. And, it is undeniable because all of us click on blogs that sound attractive. This is why your blog title must be very catchy and to the point. It should define the purpose of the blog, which means the claim must be related to the content.
3. SEO title must be short
If you are using a SEO title, make sure it is less than 60 characters. This is because if it is not short, then it will not be displayed entirely on the screen, and the reader might not click on it.
4. Meta Description is your friend
Having a meta description for your WordPress blog will again help in gaining views. To those who are newbies, the meta description is the short description that is displayed below the blog title on search engines and social platforms. Writing your own custom meta description is a good habit otherwise the search engines will grab the first few sentences of your content and display them as meta descriptions.
5. Focus on a focus keyword
Before you hit publish on your WordPress blog, you must ensure that your focus keyword is present in the title of your blog, the description of your blog as well as in the body of your blog. This will help in ranking your WordPress blog.
6. Interlinks will help
Using interlinks in your blog can help you in increasing page views and reducing bounce rates. Try to interlink 1-2 of your previous articles in your blog. You may find it to be difficult at the start, but once you have a collection of articles, it will get easier.
7. Open external links externally i.e. in a New window
External links help users in gaining more information about that topic but, at the same time, divert users from your site to the external links you provide. This will increase the bounce rate on your content. To avoid this, provide external links that open in a new window or tab.
8. Be Original
Plagiarism has a negative impact on your blog. WordPress also stands against plagiarism. This may lead to the deletion of your content from the website. To prevent this, make sure your content is 100% original. If you are picking some stats or info from an external source, do give it as a reference.
9. Image credits are must
If you are selecting an image from Google, make sure you provide proper source information in your blog.
Another thing you can do is design your own image or modify the downloaded image.
10. Alt text for images is a SEO booster
Writing Alt text for your image will boost image SEO and accessibility. So, make sure all your pictures have Alt text.
11. Increase the readability of your content
Writing good content is challenging, but publishing good content is even more difficult. There are many writers who write very well but when they post they do not take care of the things that make content readable. Content becomes readable by implementing sections like Heading 1, Heading 2, bold etc.
12. Proofread before you hit Publish
Read, read and re-read your content until it’s grammatically perfect, unplagiarized and higher authority external links are present. This will save you from embarrassment as well as save you the effort of editing a published blog.
13. Call to Action
If the purpose of your WordPress blog is to divert traffic to your website then make sure you give a clear CTA which is a Call To Action. CTAs are generally placed at the end of the blog which encourages the reader to complete an action. For instance, “Buy Now,” or “Sign Up,” etc.
14. Preview before Publish
Before you publish your WordPress blog, preview it, and see how it will look on your website. Check all the links to ensure they work correctly. Also, see if all the images are correct, and the formatting of the blog is as you desired. Once everything seems perfect to you, hit publish.
Summing Up
The above checklist is planned and designed in such a way that if you follow it correctly, it will help in boosting your WordPress blog traffic. But, if you are unable to follow this checklist, get a WordPress Checklist Plugin designed by this Software development company. The plugin will cover all the points noted above before you publish.
