{"id":14173,"date":"2015-08-04T15:40:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-04T22:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rosalindgardner.com\/blog\/?p=14173"},"modified":"2022-11-27T17:05:01","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T01:05:01","slug":"blogging-tips-before-you-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rosalindgardner.com\/blog\/blogging-tips-before-you-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Blogging Tips: 12 Things to Do Before You Hit ‘Publish’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"12<\/p>\n

You've just spent all day writing your best blog post ever and are just itching to click that ‘Publish' button so you can get to cracking a bubbly pop in celebration.<\/p>\n

Before<\/em> you make your post public however, here is a list of 12 things you can and should<\/em> do to reach a wider audience and get more traffic to your blog.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Add an Image<\/h2>\n

    Every article you post to your blog should include a captivating image that can be clicked and pinned to Pinterest.<\/p>\n

    I use the Pinterest “Pin it Button” plugin<\/a> for WordPress to make it easier for my readers to pin my graphics.<\/p>\n

    Adding the title of your post onto the image inspires more readers to pin the image.<\/p>\n

    For the image to show up in Google's Image search results, be sure to add a title and alt text to the image as well.<\/p>\n

    Both the Pin It button and the image title show up when readers scroll over the image.<\/p>\n

    The alt text will also appear as the caption on Pinterest.<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Confirm the Category<\/h2>\n

    Have you placed the post in the most relevant category(ies)? My default category is ‘News' and during a recent review of past posts, I found it amazing how many were categorized only<\/em> under ‘News'. UGH.<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Check the Formatting<\/h2>\n

    Any post is visually enhanced with Heading tags, such as <h1> to <h6>. Heading tags draw the reader's attention to the important points you've made and also allow them to quickly assess what is of most interest \/ value to them.<\/p>\n

    Search engines use your headings to index the structure and content of your web pages. <h1> headings are automatically coded into your blog post's title, so start by using an <h2> tag for the most important sub-headings, then <h3> and so forth.<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Use a Social Media \/ Bookmarking Plugin<\/h2>\n

    To encourage your readers to share your post on social media and bookmarking sites, make sure you've installed a social media plugin. I'm using Social Share & Locker PRO on this blog.<\/p>\n

    \"Social<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    Use a Related Posts Plugin<\/h2>\n

    Installing a related posts plugin<\/a> such as YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin), will keep more visitors on your site longer, which Google Analytics notes in both lengthier session durations and lower bounce rates.<\/p>\n

    \"Google<\/li>\n

  6. \n

    Check and Test Your Links<\/h2>\n

    Few things are more frustrating than discovering (far too late) that you've forgotten to include the affiliate link for the product about which you wrote a long review. Here are a few more link checks to do:<\/p>\n