15 things to do before and after you hit publish on a blog post
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You’ve done the hard work of writing a blog. Now it’s time to get eyes on your article! In this post I’m sharing 15 things to do before and after you hit publish on a blog post.
As content creators we recognize that writing a post is only half of the work. I love the feeling of creating a well crafted post and hitting the publish button! If you’re like me, you love creating amazing content for your readers. Beyond writing the post we want to make sure it gets seen and read!
Before you ever hit publish there are some key elements to put in place in your blog post. Be sure to read to the end and grab my free blog post publishing checklist.
15 things to do before and after you hit publish on a blog post
Before you hit publish on a blog post
Before you ever hit publish on a post there’s a few key details to pay attention to. From writing a powerful headline to including CTA’s, I walking you through my process from start to finish.
Start with a powerful headline
There are a couple key factors to consider when writing a compelling blog post title. Is it searchable and does it make someone want to read the post. You can write an absolutely amazing post, but it’s the headline that will convince a reader to check it out.
The first factor I consider is how someone would actually search for the topic of my blog post. Stay clear of confusing titles that may sound clever but aren’t searchable. You want to get into the mind of your reader and write a title that is going to come up in their search for it.
For example the title to this post is extremely straightforward. It’s exactly what I used in Google search when researching this post. It also contains my long-tail keyword which is important for good SEO.
The second factor to consider is, does it compel the reader to click through? A great headline creates interest in your post. A great headline also truthfully represents the content of your post. Don’t overpromise or create clickbait. Do communicate value.
Two fantastic tools to help you write powerful headlines are Sharethrough and CoSchedule.
According to CoSchedule 8 out of 10 people will read a headline while only 2 out of 10 will click on. Don’t undervalue the importance of writing a killer headline. CoSchedule has a great article all about how to write amazing headlines.
Write a compelling meta description
Secondary to a really great headline, a clear meta description has the power to convince a reader to read your post. A meta description is a short description of your post that shows up under the headline and url in search engine results. It gives the reader a quick snapshot of what the post is about. Beyond a powerful headline, the meta description is an additional opportunity to convince a reader to click through to your post.
Your meta description can be the difference between a reader choosing your post over another post in a search engine result. If you search a topic and are given a page with similar headline results, a clear meta description can lead a reader to choosing your posts over other results.
Treat your meta description as a tagline. Provide key information that communicates the value of the post to your potential reader. In this article, SemRush shares, “In terms of your search result, your meta description has the most real estate (two lines of text compared to one line for the title and one line for URL), so take advantage of the opportunity to sell your website with a meaningful message to searchers.”
Crush your Search Engine Optimization
Learn everything you can about SEO and be sure to apply it to every post you write. SEO can be somewhat daunting in the beginning. Having a system for your website and blog post SEO will save you time and help you quickly identify strong keywords.
Start with Google Keyword Planner. One of the best free options for keyword research is using Google itself. Google Ads has a keyword planner that helps you identify average monthly searches and competition.
Check out BiQ SEO Suite. BiQ is a search engine optimization suite that helps you find and analyze keywords for your posts and so much more. BiQ’s SEO intelligence tools are amazing.
- Keyword Intelligence: Utilize this tool for keyword research. BiQ provides information on related keywords, content ideas, popular questions about your keyword and trending searches related to your keyword.
- Content Intelligence: My favorite of the intelligence tools, use this component to fully evaluate your post. Content Intelligence will analyze your post content and grade it. It will suggest improvements and related keywords or long-tail keyword paragraph by paragraph. This tool is pure gold!
- Rank Intelligence: Want to know how your individual posts are ranking? Enter your url and rank intelligence will give your your google search ranking. It will let you know if your post is the number 1 result or the 100th result based on keyword searches. For example if you search for “glow stick lantern craft,” I have a post ranking in the number 2 position. This is super valuable information!
- Rank Tracking: Enter your url and set keywords to see how your posts are tracking for that keyword. This is a great way to monitor a keyword over time to see if your ranking is going up or down.
BiQ SEO Suite is incredibly comprehensive and will provide you with tons of information to identify a strong keyword or long-tail keyword for your post.
I also use the plugin Rank Math. This plugin acts as a guide to optimizing your post for search engines. Which is key when it comes to being found when people are searching for content. Rank Math will help you track your keyword through out your post, if you’ve included internal and external links, word count and so more more.
Internally link to posts on your site
Be sure to link any relevant posts on your site to your new post. This can be done subtly or you can call attention to them as related posts.
Internally linking directs your audience to relevant content on your site and builds up your site wide SEO. Links to posts on a site communicate value to Google. The more a post gets linked to the more valuable it appears to Google, even internal links on your own site.
Yoast puts it this way, “By adding the right internal links, you make sure Google understands, the relevance of pages; the relationship between pages; and the value of pages.”
Since your reader is interested in the post they are reading, it makes sense to linked to related posts as they will probably be interested in those posts as well. This is also helpful for your bounce rate as it keeps readers on your site longer.
A bounce as defined by Google is, “a single-page session on your site.” The longer your audience stays on a page and on your site, the lower your bounce rate.
For example, let’s take a look at some relevant posts on my blog that could be shared in this post:
- How to Repurpose Content for Multiple Uses
- How to Update Old Blog Posts and Increase Traffic
- The 19 Best Blogging Tools To Start Using Immediately
The above mentioned posts are similar in topic to this post making them relevant to you as the reader. By including them in my post I’m letting you know about other valuable articles I’ve written that may be of interest to you.
Working these links into this post could look something like this:
Once you’ve published your post go through it and look for ways to repurpose the content. Writing great content takes a lot of work. Get the most out of your post by using it to create spin off content like social media captions, YouTube videos, content upgrades and so much more.
At the same time by internally linking posts within my site I’m increasing this posts SEO!
Add sharable images to your post
Create images for your post in Canva or Tailwind Create that are formatted to be easily shared on social media.
This post is a good example of how I layer sharable images throughout my blog posts.
- Start with a Facebook header image near the top of your post
- Midway through include an Instagram square image with a 1:1 ratio or 4:5 ratio
- Add an image gallery at the bottom with three Pinterest images
By including images optimized for social media sharing, you’ll have images ready for you to share and for your readers to share!
Tailwind recently added an amazing feature to Tailwind Create allowing you to create multiple social media images in moments! Turn one photo into an optimized and engaging design for Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook – all in one place. Get started with Tailwind Create today!
You can also grab my 20 Beautiful Free Canva Templates for Pinterest for easy pin image creation in Canva!
Include Alt text on all your images
Including Alt text on your images serves two important reasons. It improves SEO by attaching your keywords to your images for search engines. Secondly, it defines your images for screen readers and helps keep your site ADA compliant. Making sure your site is ADA compliant is essential.
According to Forbes,
People without accessibility needs are also able to enjoy the usability benefits of access features like automatic door openers, and in the digital space, accessibility features such as ARIA labeling, semantic HTML and alt text make it easier for everyone to navigate websites via keyboards.
Forbes
End your post with a CTA
Every single post you write should include a Call To Action. Readers are far more likely to take the next step if you tell them exactly what their next step should be. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to continue the conversation with a CTA.
Examples of Calls To Action you can use in your posts:
- Ask a question
- Invite them to sign up for your email list
- Spark a debate
- Ask them to share to social media
- Invite them to follow you on social media
- Ask them to leave a comment
- Share a link to a related post
Be sure to proof read your post
This one may seem obvious, but before you hit the publish button, proof read your post one more time! No matter how well I think I have proof read my post I always find more mistakes. You can also use a tool like Hemingway Editor or Grammarly as a second eye to review your posts for spelling and grammar mistakes.
Hemingway Editor is one of my all-time favorite blog editing tools. You can type your text onto the webpage or paste it in. Then the editor evaluates your text. It tells you if you are overusing adverbs, passive voice, and if your sentences are too hard to read. It also tells you your readability grade level and gives you a word count.
Hemingway Editor keeps my sentences straightforward and to the point. If my words are too complex it suggests simpler words to use. It also helps me cut down my run-on sentences and cut filler words.
Schedule your post for consistency
Once your post is ready to be published, schedule it for consistency. Build trust with your audience publishing your posts on the same day and time.
A routine publishing schedule means your audience (and Google) knows when you are going to show up for them. As your readership grows and people know when to expect your posts, they will come looking for them.
My site traffic always has a boost on Tuesdays because that is the day that I consistently publish my blog posts.
Related: The number one thing you need to build trust with your audience
Enjoying this post? Pin it! ⬆️
After you hit publish on a blog post
Now that you’ve shared your amazing post, it’s time to get eyes on it!
Once you’ve hit publish on your new post, share it to all your social media accounts. Create images for your post in Canva or Tailwind Create that are formatted to be easily shared on social media.
Canva is filled with thousands of easy to use templates that you can edit to fit your brand and aesthetic. Create Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest images and more.
If you are new to Canva, I wrote a whole post about the platform just for you!
Create 3-5 images for your post with Tailwind Create. Easily creating new images for social media takes moments in Tailwind Create! Tailwind Create will generate matching Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook images to promote your new blog post. You can customize the colors, text and fonts to match your site’s branding and aesthetic.
Have a Pinterest Strategy
Having a strong Pinterest strategy is very important as a blogger. There are entire courses devoted to pinning strategies! I personally purchased Pinterest with Ell and learned so much from it.
Like most platforms Pinterest has evolved over the years and continues to evolve. Unfortunately there’s no cookie cutter strategy for Pinterest. The point is to have a strategy and employ it.
Here’s a quick look into my current Pinterest strategy once I publish a blog post.
- Step one: Immediately share and Pin to Pinterest
- Step two: Schedule a Pin in Pinterest to post the next day
- Step three: Schedule a Pin in Pinterest to post in 7 days
Here’s where creating 3-4 pinable images and using them in your post comes in very handy. Not only do I have images to create visual appeal in my post, I’ve created them as highly pinable images that are formatted for Pinterest.
For even more insight into creating a powerful pinning strategy I highly recommend checking out Pinterest with Ell.
Schedule Pins in Tailwind
Once I’ve shared my blog post to Pinterest and scheduled a couple future pins, I schedule several more in Tailwind. One of the reasons I love Tailwind so much is because I can schedule months in advance. This means I don’t have to remember to go back to a post and share it to Pinterest again months later.
For Tailwind I like to create a separate set of pins that are different from the ones I have used in the blog post. This way when they get shared to Pinterest I am sharing fresh “new” pins instead of just reusing the pins I’ve already shared.
Here’s a quick look into my current Tailwind strategy once I publish a blog post.
- Step one: Schedule a Pin in Tailwind to post in 30 days
- Step two: Schedule a Pin in Tailwind to post in 3 months
- Step three: Schedule a Pin in Tailwind to post in 6 months
- Step four: Schedule a Pin in Tailwind to post in a year
Get started with Tailwind today for free! No credit card needed.
Consistently emailing your list is as important as consistently posting to your blog. Everyone has to decide how often they can post, but consistency in communicating is important in building a trust relationship with your audience.
Use publishing a new blog post as an opportunity to reach out to your email list. I like to write a unique email that supports the content in my blog post as well as link to it if they want to read more.
This means taking an extra step to speak exclusively to your list, but also lets them know there’s new content on the blog!
Don’t have an email list yet? Today is the best day to start one. Read my post on why I wish I’d started mine sooner and how to start your own ASAP. And join my email list now to stay up to date on all my best blogging and Canva tips.
Add your new link to old blog posts
Link. Link. Link!
Pull up any relevant or similar posts you’ve written and add a link to your new blog post. As I mentioned in the first half of this post internal linking makes your audience aware of relevant content on your site and helps with site wide SEO.
Index on Google Search Console
Let Google know you’ve published a new post! I wish I knew about this tip sooner. Your post will get indexed eventually, but asking Google to index ASAP is key in driving traffic sooner.
It takes Google a little bit of time to know you’ve published new content. You can however go to Google Search Console and ask Google to index your content.
Answer questions on Quora
Answer questions related to your blog post on Quora and then include a link to your new post for more in depth information on the topic.
Do not simply copy and paste text from your post. Be sure to write an original and valuable answer that leads readers to want to read more on your blog.
Wrapping up the 15 things to do before and after you hit publish on a blog post:
From preparing your post to be published to getting eyes on it once it is published writing a post is only half of the work. I love the feeling of creating a well crafted post and hitting the publish button! If you’re like me, you love creating amazing content for your readers.
You’ve done the hard work of writing a blog. Now it’s time to get eyes on your article!
Grab your free blog post publishing checklist!
Did you learn something new from my list of 15 things to do before and after you hit publish on a blog post? Leave a comment and let me know what surprised you.
xoxo Naomi
