If you’re new at blogging, you might be wondering how to add a new post in WordPress. It’s much easier to show you with screenshots than it is to type everything out, so follow this step by step tutorial and be sure to leave any questions you have in the comments!
When you first switch to WordPress, even simple things like adding a new post can seem complicated – but it doesn’t have to be!
In this post, I’m covering a few things at a very basic level:
— how to add a new post in WordPress
— how to add categories/tags
— how to add new media/images
— how to SEO a post
— how to add a link and set it to open in a new tab
How to Add a New Post in WordPress
For this tutorial, you’ll need WordPress.org installed for your blog, and you’ll also need WordPress SEO by Yoast installed (it’s free). Once you have those squared away, come back and start from step 1:
First, log into your WordPress dashboard. Then, hover over “Posts”, and click “Add New”.
Add your title, then type your post. Add your photos by clicking “Add Media”, and add Categories and Tags. Then, make sure your post is SEO’d properly before publishing.
If you aren’t sure how to add new photos, see the above image. Be sure to fill in the image title and alt text so it matches your title. On the right hand side, scroll down to change the image size if you need to.
After your photos are added, go to Add Media, then Set Featured Image to choose which image shows up when your posts are previewed.
Select your Categories, then add tags.
While writing your post, you’ll be adding links. Be sure your links are set to “open in a new tab” by checking the box.
If you haven’t already, you need to install Yoast. It’s an SEO plugin that makes things super simple! Plus, it’s free. Anyway, install it then come back to this tutorial. :)
On a very basic level, I SEO my posts. You can do it more in-depth later, but right now you’re just learning how to post so I’m keeping it simple. When you’re ready to dive deeper, click on “Page Analysis” in your Yoast settings. Read: how to SEO a post with Yoast.
A few things I keep in mind when SEOing a post:
— make sure post is at least 300 words long
— your post has at least one image with title and alt tags
— your post title matches your heading
— you use your keyword phrase in your post at least twice
— green is best – turn the SEO button green if at all possible
When you’ve completed the steps above, proofread and then click “Publish”. It’s the button to the right (it’s green in my posts, might be another color depending on your dashboard theme), above the Categories section.
Have you published your first post? Share it with me in the comments!
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my blogging tips!
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