Write and publish a blog post
From a blank draft to a published post in the Block Editor: headings, paragraphs and an image, then the featured image, category, excerpt and search engine title, a preview and a final check.
TL;DR
Write the post as a draft, break it up with headings, and add one picture that helps. Then set the featured image (with alt text), choose one category, write a short excerpt and fill in the SEOPress title and description. Preview it on your phone and your computer, publish it, and open the live post to check it.
What you need
- A login that can publish posts (Editor or Administrator)
- Your words, ideally written somewhere else first
- One landscape picture for the featured image, about 1200 pixels wide, with a clear file name
- SEOPress installed (the free plugin is enough for this recipe)
Steps
Start a new post
Go to Posts, then Add New Post. Posts are for news and articles with a date on them. Pages are for things that stay put, like About and Contact. The editor works the same way for both.
Watch: Add New Post
Type the title
Click Add title and type the headline. WordPress makes the web address from it, so keep it short and plain. You can tidy the address later in the post settings.
Watch: Add New Page
Write in paragraphs
Click under the title and start typing. Each time you press Enter you get a new Paragraph block. If you paste from Word or Google Docs, check the result: pasted text sometimes brings in odd spacing.
Watch: Paragraph Block
Add headings every few paragraphs
Type / then heading, or press the + and choose Heading. Use H2 for each main section and H3 for a point inside one. Never use H1, because the title already is one. Headings help readers skim and help Google understand the post.
Watch: Heading Block
Add a picture where it helps
Add an Image block where a picture explains something better than words. Fill in the alt text in the block settings: one sentence describing what's in the picture, for people who can't see it.
Watch: Image Block
Set the featured image
Open the post settings on the right and click Set featured image. This is the picture shown on your blog page, in search results and when someone shares the post. Choose it, give it alt text, then click Set featured image again.
Watch: Featured Image
Choose one category
In the post settings, open Categories and tick one. One category per post keeps your blog tidy. If none fits, add a new one there, but check you're not making a second name for one you already have.
Watch: Categories
Write the excerpt
In the post settings, open Excerpt and write one or two sentences that make someone want to read on. Many themes show it under the title on the blog page. Without it, WordPress chops off the first few lines, often mid-sentence.
Watch: The Excerpt
Fill in the SEOPress title and description
Scroll below the post to the SEO box. In Title settings, write the title Google should show (under about 60 characters) and a meta description (about 150 to 160 characters) that says what the reader gets. Put the words people would search for near the start of both.
Preview it
Click Save draft, then Preview. Look at it on your computer, then open the preview link on your phone. Check that the headings break it up, the picture isn't too big and no paragraph runs on for a whole screen.
Publish
Click Publish, check the settings it shows you, then click Publish again. To publish later, click the date next to Publish first and pick a day and time. The button then says Schedule.
Check it worked
- Open the live post in a private window (logged out). It shows the title, headings and picture the way you saw them in the preview.
- Open your blog page. The new post is at the top with its featured image and excerpt.
- The address bar shows a short, readable web address for the post.
- Click the category under the post. It opens a list that includes your new post.
- Not seeing a change? Your site or browser may be showing a saved copy. Wait a minute and reload, or try a private window.
An example from North Star Rocketry
North Star Rocketry is the made-up rocket company we use in every Website Manual video. Here’s how one of its blog posts could be laid out using the steps above.
- Title: Polaris flies again: our first launch of the year
- H2: What we launched
- H2: How the day went
- H3: Weather and the launch window
- H3: Lift-off and orbit
- H2: What’s next
- Picture: the rocket on the pad, alt text “Polaris rocket on the launch pad at dawn”
- Featured image: the same photo, cropped landscape
- Category: Launch news
- Excerpt: “Polaris put two university satellites into orbit on Saturday. Here’s how the day went and what we’re launching next.”
- SEOPress title: Polaris launch report: two satellites in orbit | North Star Rocketry
- Meta description: “Polaris launched two university satellites from Western Australia on Saturday. Read how the day went, from the weather to orbit, and what’s next.”
Before you start
Write the post somewhere else first, in Word, Google Docs or a notes app, where there are no menus in the way. Then paste it in and spend your time in WordPress on the layout.
Give your featured image a clear file name before you upload it, like polaris-launch-pad-dawn.jpg rather than IMG_4821.jpg. Search engines read file names, and so will you when you’re hunting for it in the Media Library.
Questions
Should this be a post or a page?
A post if it's news, an article or anything with a date that matters. A page if it should stay where it is for years, like your services or contact details. Posts appear on your blog page automatically. Pages have to be added to your menu.
Do I need SEOPress Pro for this?
No. The free SEOPress plugin has the title and meta description boxes used in this recipe. Pro adds extras such as more structured data and redirects, which you can do without for a basic blog.
How long should a blog post be?
Answer the question properly, then stop. Most small business posts don't need more than about a thousand words, and readers drift off when a post wanders.
Can I change a post after it's published?
Yes. Open it, make the change and click Update. Try not to change the web address once the post has been shared, because old links to it will stop working.