The Anatomy of a Page and Post: Content, Images, SEO + Checklist!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just throw some text on a page or in a blog post, hit Publish, and be done? Then, the readers – and clients – would just start flowing in! How awesome would that be?

Well, it takes a little more than just throwing some text on a page or post, and this post will break down all the different elements you need to maximize your website to ensure a quality, search-friendly, and user-friendly experience for all.

Here are some best practices to follow:

• • In addition to a well thought out title and great content, you also want to make sure you’ve added a Custom Title Tag and Meta Description for search engine optimization (SEO).
  • Next, you’ll want to make sure your blog posts and pages look good! No one wants to read a long page or blog post with nothing bolded or highlighted in any way. Break it up to make it easier and more appealing for your readers. Add headings, bolds, italics, Click to Tweets, bullet points, etc. If we build your site, we’ll style your headings and other special sections to match your brand and provide you with a customized Website Style Guide so you’ll be able to use those styles when creating new pages or posts!

• Nice graphics are a must! From a featured image that appears on your main Blog page and at the beginning of your full post to images within the post (or page), they all help draw attention to the material, keep readers engaged, and give readers something visually appealing to share on social media. Whether you create your own graphics (via PicMonkey, Canva, Illustrator, or PhotoShop), hire someone to do so, or simply use attractive, post-appropriate photos, they can all help keep your posts interesting and visually appealing. Be sure to keep it legal and only use images and graphics you have the right to use.
• Close out your blog posts with your signature for a more personal approach. Want to make sure your signature looks the same on all your posts? No problem! Depending on the WordPress theme installed on your website, you may be able to add in a signature as an image or add it as text and then style it. If you aren’t sure how to do either one, let us know…we can help! Another option is to use a plugin that inserts the signature at the bottom of your posts, which is especially helpful if your theme doesn’t have an option for this or you aren’t sure how to insert it.
• The last piece of anatomy is the opt-in (well, ALMOST the last piece). There’s a good chance that most of the people reading your posts or pages aren’t actually on your email list. They may have seen your post on social media or had a friend send it to them. Having an opt-in area right below your post is a great way to capture readers before they leave your site. Give people an opportunity (or, multiple opportunities around your site) to sign up for your list so they can receive your posts and other important information – delivered straight to their inbox.

Sharing + SEO

When you’ve written, edited, styled, added graphics, taken care of your SEO title and descriptions, signed it and added your email opt-in to a new blog post, it’s time to share it! Again, if your goal is for people to read your blog posts (which is probably the case for most people who actually have a blog), then you’re going to want to send it out. That’s where having an email newsletter comes in.

If you have an email list (i.e. in MailChimp), simply put together a nice email “campaign” for your subscribers and send them your blog post. You can put the whole post in the email or just a small portion with a “click here to read more” link. Just like with your posts, you can make your newsletters look however you want them to look. They can be short and sweet, they can include content exclusively for your subscribers, or they can just be a way to let people know you have a new post ready for them to read.

Are your pages/posts optimized? #shineonline #websitetips Click To Tweet

Finally, if you want to make it easy for readers to share your posts, make sure you have sharing buttons at the bottom and/or top of your posts. Add shareable icons for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media platforms you and/or your clients use.

BONUS SEO: Each time you publish a new post or page, that post or page is indexed by Google. That means, your helpful information will increase your organic SEO. When your readers show you some love through sharing, that helps too! Learn more about the importance of blogging and sharing here.