How To Write a Blog Post in WordPress

This article will show you exactly how to write a post in WordPress using the current Gutenberg editor with Content Blocks. This method works the same way for pages on your WordPress Website. The only variation will be in the sidebar options. [Watch the Video]

WordPress Theme

This blog was created using the Essence Pro Theme for WordPress. It’s available from Studiopress on the Genesis Framework.

23 Steps To A Successful Blog Post

1. Click NEW (or add a post)
2. Title your Blog
3. Create a short intro
4. Copy this intro over to your excerpt (side column) and Meta description
5. Embed a Video or featured image [Video Tutorial]
6. Include a button or call to action [Check out LeadPages for Buttons]
7. Include your Table of Contents [Video tutorial]
8. Create your Paragraphs using Headings (H2)
9. Put a space between multiple sentences
10. Use images, sound bites, embed, a video where appropriate
11. Use a separator or Shortcode divider with back to top
12. Use the styling options to use lists, quotes, verses, and change the color background and sizes of fonts
13. Use transition words
14. Use the WordPress Gutenberg related Posts Block to suggest posts in the same category
15. Use the Structured Data blocks from Yoast SEO to create FAQs or How-To
16. Use SEOpress to optimize your blog post for SEO
17. Using the Right Column, choose an SEO Friendly Slug
18. Choose your blog category
19. Add in any tags that may be appropriate (these would be something that would describe your blog post and not the same as any category. A tag would be something worth a mention.
20. Add a Featured Image and optimize your image for SEO.
21. If you want to, pick up Social Snap to repeat the steps I showed you in the video and enhance your social share structure.
22. Suggestion: Use Canva to design your featured image, Pinterest template, and brand kit. Take a look at Creative Market.

Start A New Post

To start a new post in WordPress, you can find the +New at the top of your WordPress dashboard navigation or on the left column by clicking posts and then Add New. [Watch the Video]

Add a Title

You’ll see an obvious field for your Title. This is the title of your blog. If you are focused at all on Blog SEO, you’ll want to consider your focus Keyword and if natural, place toward the front of the title in the first half. A good title would be around 60 characters.

In addition, if you are using an SEO plugin like YOAST, you can actually create an seo title in addition to your blog title if you want to keep your blog title more “catchy” and your SEO title more search engine friendly.

Gutenberg Content Blocks

WordPress has always offered a WYSIWYG (this stands for what you see is what you get) editor that is favored among bloggers. This means, without knowing any HTML code, you can write a blog.

WordPress Gutenberg introduced Content blocks. These blocks allow us to drop in a new element for our blog in just 1 click of a button.

These elements include lists, headings, images, embed codes, HTML blocks, columns, quotes, and so much more.

What’s more, is that you can save a block as reusable to use in the future. This is one of my favorite features as an avid blogger.

If you don’t see the small + sign appearing on your blog post, you may need to activate WordPress Gutenberg which is generally in your settings, reading, and then toggle to content blocks. You may also need to update your WordPress to the newest version.

Learn more about how to use WordPress Gutenberg Content Blocks here.

Creating a Paragraph

Your blog will essentially be a collection of sequential paragraphs. It’s a best practice to use plenty of spacing between sentences rather than putting one long paragraph in a single block of text.

Adding a space after a sentence or between 3 or 4 sentences will offer white space creating a more natural flow for your reader.

while paragraphs might be easy to read on a laptop or desktop computer, on a smartphone, the visitor may become frustrated and bounce off your page and back to the search engines to perform a new search.

Your paragraph can be formatted using the menu that appears above your paragraph. Let’s take a look at what these items can do for your paragraph styling.

[Read more about search engine optimization on this blog about Blog SEO]

Headings

Headings are similar to an outline when taking notes. Your first heading, the largest and most important, also referred to as H1 is your page title. You won’t use any other H1 headings on your blog post.

While Heading 2 (H2) is the most popular and the most frequently used, it’s typically the heading used when starting a new thought.

Therefore, You’ll see these headings above paragraphs introducing a new section or idea. Headings can also be used to create lists or a table of contents.

For example, this blog post has a table of contents at the top of the post. The TOC was created automatically, actually, using a table of contents plugin (such as ‘table of contents plus’ or ‘easy table of contents’).

The Plugin settings require it to post the Headings as a table of contents.

Generally, I will use Heading 2 and Heading 3 and rarely heading 4 when blogging.

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Blog Summary

Using the i that is circled in the top navigation of your WordPress Dashboard, you can get the details on your blog that include word count, total paragraphs, headings, and blocks.

FAQS