What is a good checklist before you publish on your blog? I’m preparing some learning modules for a content marketing presentation and came up with this checklist of 10 items. Tell me what you think.
Here’s what happens, usually. You’re in a hurry, you write up a short post (300 words), hit publish, and then realize you’ve forgotten to write the headline… or select tags… or add any links or images!
Well, it’s easy to go back in and update your post… but what if the phone rings, you have a crises, you get distracted (this is my world)… and you’re stuck with an incomplete blog post.
Reminds me of going out of the house with your zipper undone…
So here’s my handy-dandy checklist to whip out before you hit publish…
- Pick the topic, find a hook, tip, trend
- Write 350-600 words (educate, entertain, engage, enrich readers)
- Format post (bulleted lists, etc.)
- Write headline (compelling yet clear, keywords)
- Add image
- Add links, including to your own previous posts
- Check grammar, typos
- Identify tags, categories
- Search Optimization, (use Scribe SEO, All-in-One SEO Pack, YARPP)
- Connect with social sites (use Sexy Bookmarks, etc.)I think if you can run through a list like this before you publish you’ll end up saving yourself time in the long run.
Many bloggers concentrate so much on writing quality content that they ignore the final steps, such as checking for common grammar errors (there/their; hear/here; your/you’re).
Or, they forget that keywords must be in place (especially in first paragraph), or, you should include at least one hyperlink per 120 words.
Or, they don’t bother formatting the post into short paragraphs, with keywords bolded, with bulleted lists, and add links to their previous posts.
These are all little things that make a big difference in the look and feel of your blog, and also make search engines work more smoothly to index your page.
What else needs to be on this list?
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