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Why You Need CoSchedule

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March 1st, with a partner, I started a contributor based website for parent’s with special needs called Break the Parenting Mold.

It all started easily enough; we had a great idea, a built-in web designer (moi), a built-in editor (my fabulous partner) and a lot of amazing bloggers with even better content.

What we didn’t realize was that as content came in, it would come in with special needs of its own. Posts would need graphics, writers would send bios without images, and Kristi and I would need an effective way to communicate all of that with each other.

And that didn’t even include scheduling posts, sharing them to social media, and having an effective workflow!

Enter CoSchedule.

We had been functioning with about 15 Google Docs, a few Google Sheets, email folders and a lot of IM’s back and forth.

We needed something new. We needed CoSchedule.

I had been hearing about CoSchedule for years. Many bloggers I know, who schedule multiple times a week used it, but it always seemed too robust for what I was doing.

The features I knew about were:

  • Ability to schedule posts and drag and drop them to new locations as needed.
  • Ability to schedule social media sharing from within the scheduled post.
  • Ability to integrate with WordPress.

Well that barely scratches the surface. After watching the CoSchedule Demo I realized that CoSchedule would rock our workflow!

Here is a screen cast I made of how CoSchedule works for us.

 

These are the things I do with CoSchedule:

  • Enter posts
  • Attach Author
  • Attach Categories
  • Schedule posts or put them in unscheduled state
  • THIS PART IS SUPER IMPORTANT – I Create a list of tasks, that are attached to each post that need to be done before a post goes live, and after
  • Schedule social media shares for each post
  • Re-share old posts on social media
  • Create stand alone tasks that need to be done outside of posts
  • Create stand alone notes that tell my partner Kristi things we need to do
  • Create stand alone social media posts that can post to our page OR a group
  • Drag and drop any type of post into a new spot
  • See EVERYTHING in one place!!!!

I would not be exaggerating if I said that CoSchedule has changed our lives. It has helped us organize and saved us hours of work. It has also enabled us to spend more time doing the things that will help us to make our site more productive and all over more excellent!

You can get a 14day free trial for CoSchedule?by clicking here. And I promise you won’t be disappointed, it was the best decision we made.

 

 

This is CoSchedule overview video by CoSchedule, you will learn more about other ways to use it here.

 

*There are affiliate links in this post, only because I LOVE CoSchedule so much. I would never endorse a product I wasn’t 100% behind.

The Best Image Sizes for Social Media

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social_right_size_facebook

Bookmark this page!

You probably already know that social media is the best way to promote your site.

But did you know that each social network has a size it prefers for its images?

Of course they would never make it easy by making sizes universal, so you have to keep a cheat sheet, like I do, of all of the preferred sizes for each site.

You may also wonder how you can use different sized graphics for each post.

Here are some tricks.

  • Facebook and Twitter’s images are very close in size, so you could really use one for both.
  • You can use the Yoast plugin to upload a Facebook and or Twitter specific image.
  • If you have uploaded your Facebook and Twitter image to your Yoast,?in your post, you can choose the featured image as your Pinterest.

Use these tips and all of the relevant images for your blog post will be covered.

Social_sizes_Pinterest

 

Here is a screen cast showing how to use?PicMonkey to create social media images.

As of January 2016, these are the preferred sizes. (Remember they do change!)

  • Facebook ? 1,200 x 628

  • Twitter ? 1,024 x 512

  • LinkedIn ? 800 x 800

  • Google+ ? 800 x 1,200

  • Pinterest ? 735 x 1,102

  • Instagram ? 1,080 x 1,080

Some Resources

 

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know what other tutorials you’d like to see!

6 Easy Steps to Create a Drop-Down List of Categories in Your Main Menu

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For some reason, one of the things WordPress does not make easy, is creating a drop-down list of categories in your main menu.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to do that.

Before we start, make sure you are on your Menu page, by going to Appearances>Menu.

Category_Menu

 

Now here we go!

1. Make sure you select the correct menu to work on by choosing from the drop-down, if you are not sure which menu is your primary menu, just look closer, it will say next to your menu which is your primary. (After you choose it, don’t forget to hit select!)
2. Then look towards the bottom of the page, and click on the box that says “Custom Links

 

Category_Menu_2

 

3. Place a Pound Sign, inside the box that asks for your URL , and for the Link Text, write Categories (or whatever you want to call this menu item).
Click “Add to Menu.”

Category_menu_3

4. Now choose the categories you want to be included in your drop-down category list.
Click “Add to Menu.”

You don’t have to add all categories, however, you can add categories you would like to have as “sub-categories” to another item, we will talk about that next!

category_menu_4

 

5. Now that you have added your categories to your menu, they will all appear under the category. BUT they aren’t drop-downs yet!
Now you have to drag the categories to the right, just slightly, and they will settle there as “sub-items,” now they are drop-downs!

If you would like a sub-item, of a sub-item. For instance, you have a category called Recipes, but you also have categories called; breakfast, lunch and dinner (and don’t forget dessert!). You can drag the breakdowns of your recipes, underneath the category of recipe, and those will fly out as a sub-item when someone hovers over it!

Menu-Category_5

6. The most important part. Don’t forget to click Save Menu!!!!

I have done it, and when you are creating a category menu, it’s a lot of work! Don’t lose that work, click SAVE!

This is also a good time to make sure you have been working on the correct menu. At the bottom of the page, the box that says “Primary Menu” should be checked.

 

Menu_category_6

 

So there’s the quick and easy tutorial?that gives you 6 easy steps to create a drop-down list of categories in your main menu!

Please feel free to ask any questions! And don’t forget to contact me for a consultation if you need one!

 

[bctt tweet=”The easiest way to add Categories as a drop-down item to your #WordPress menu! “]

 

 

Adding Clickable Images Using Jetpack

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Jetpack is one of the most versatile plugins you can use on your WordPress site.?I?think every blogger can benefit from this plugin.

Jetpack does the work of 10-20 plugins in one. And because it is built by Automattic, the folks who build WordPress, you can be sure that it will be compatible with your site.

One of the great built-in features of Jetpack is the Image widget.

A very popular question I get is how do I put this bio – or image – or website logo into my sidebar?

And the answer, my friends, is the Jetpack Image Widget.

Once you have installed Jetpack, this widget will automatically show up in your widget list when you go to?Appearance>widgets in your dashboard.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to add a clickable image,?that links to anything, in your sidebar. Please read through the whole tutorial before giving it a try!

BBD_jetpack_image

 

  1. Go to your dashboard Appearances > Widgets
  2. Find the widget that says Image (Jetpack)
  3. Drag that widget into your primary sidebar.

 

Next

BBD_Jetpack_image_2

  1. Go to Media>Add New
  2. If you have your image* handy, just drag and drop it in the box. If it’s easier, click “select files” and navigate to the image you want to use.
  3. This is where you will see that your image has uploaded.
  4. You need to click the edit button.

 

This box pops up when you click the edit button.

bbd_jetpackimage_3

 

Put your cursor inside the box that says URL.

Now here’s a little trick. While your cursor is in that box you need to highlight the whole line. I find highlighting in this box a little tricky, so I do this:
Place your cursor anywhere in the line and press Command A, that will automatically highlight the whole line. And from there you can click Command C to copy, or do it the way you are most used to.

In the end, just make sure you have copied that URL.

 

With the URL saved go back to appearances>widgets and open the Image (Jetpack) widget by clicking the little down arrow.

 

bbd_jetpackimage_4

 

  1. Give your widget a title. This isn’t always necessary, some people let the image do the talking. So the title is optional.
  2. This is where you copy the URL from your image. So put your cursor in the box and click paste.
  3. Align your image. There is rarely a case for any other alignment than center, so I always choose center to be on the safe side.
  4. This is where you put the URL you want your image to go to when it’s clicked. In this case I used my Twitter to match the image I chose.
  5. ALWAYS remember to click, “open link in a new window/tab.”

 

Now save your changes inside the widget, and refresh your blog page. You should see the new image and when you hover over it you should see that it links to another page!

 

*A word about your image.

For best results, please determine what size is the best size for your sidebar. While this widget will size an image down to fit, it cannot make it bigger. Also, by using an image that is bigger than what you need you run the risk of slowing down your site.

 

What other quick tutorials can I help you with? Do you still have questions?

SEO For Bloggers

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seo for bloggers

 

Last month, I went to a fairly hugemongous blogging conference. Besides getting to meet many blogging friends in real life, which was a lot of fun (read getting to see a bunch of middle age folks singing karaoke like no one was watching) the most valuable thing?I got out of the conference was the session I did on SEO by Jessica Woodbury.

The beauty of Jessica’s session was that it reaffirmed what I already knew about SEO for bloggers, and gave me clarity on how to apply it.

The best thing she said? Bloggers are already doing SEO better than anyone else!

So, what is the skinny? What do you need to know?

The most important thing to know is write naturally.

Google is constantly changing the way it reads sites. It’s little spiders are getting smarter and smarter. They know when you are trying to pull the wool over their eyes, and they are not going to like you for it.

So if your goal is to have your post rank higher than someone elses, write naturally and follow these six rules:

  1. Try to make sure your keywords are in your title. I know, duh. But as a blogger, often times, we use pithy titles, metaphorical ones. We rarely say it like it is. So don’t worry! If you can’t put your keywords in your title, then you can, and should, do these next things instead.
  2. Update your permalinks. Caveat*never update permalinks that are already live! If you cannot put your keywords in your title, make sure to put them in your permalinks. For instructions how to do that seem my post on using Yoast SEO.
  3. Change your SEO title using the Yoast SEO plugin. If you can’t have your keywords in your title, and you want your post to rank higher, change the title that will show up in the Google search results by using the Yoast SEO plugin. This will NOT effect how your post looks on your blog.
  4. Make sure your word count is at least 600 words and contains your keywords. (I know you’re like, duh, try and keep me to 600 words)?There’s a lot of info going around that says your post only needs 300 words to make Google happy, well times change, and those little word munchers are hungry. Unless you make your posts 600 words or more, they aren’t going to think you are yummy enough to feature on that first page. And don’t forget the reason they came! They want your keywords! It doesn’t have to be an exact match to make them happy, remember, write naturally, which means make sure your keywords happen organically, don’t force it!
  5. Do some Keyword Research. If you have never done keyword research before, this is probably the time to try. You may be more successful by using a variation of what you were thinking, but wouldn’t know it if you didn’t research it. I found the easiest way to do it was by using the Google Keyword Planner.
  6. Show?Google you are the authority when it comes to this topic. Whether you are writing about divorced cats living in Tasmania, or famous rock bands of the fourth century, the way to tell Google that you are the Boss of This Topic is to use links. Links can come in a few forms.
    • Links to other blogs and websites writing about the same content.
    • Links within your blog back to posts that are about similar content.
    • And most precious, links from other blogs back to your site. (As Jessica mentioned, don’t be afraid to ask for a link. Maybe a blogger you know just wrote a post on divorced dogs from Tasmania and your two posts work well together, linking to each other’s posts helps both of you!)

One more thing.

It’s all about the Bounce. Google doesn’t want to see people show up on your page and then leave right away. I’m pretty sure you don’t want that either. And it’s a multi-edged sword.

Bounce tells Google that although you are trying to prove you are the authority on this matter, the people arriving on your site don’t think so. After a while, they’re gonna take the bouncers word for it.

Make your site user-friendly, make sure that when a visitor arrives they know what to do the minute they get there. That if the post they land on isn’t the one they are looking for it’s easy for them to find something they will like. Make it easy for your readers to stick around, and it’s a win win for your site and your SEO.

Try these tips and you’re guaranteed to see an increase in your search engine traffic! Let me know how it works for you, and if you’ve got a question, ask away!

 

3 Easy Steps to Setup Akismet and Eliminate Comment Spam

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setup akismet

I just got back from an amazing blogging conference called Blog U.

I was there in the capacity of “Design Lab,” which?was a brilliant idea by the conference creators to offer?a help desk for bloggers. They could schedule a 20 minute session and discuss any questions they might have.

I have been humbled hearing the feedback from the conference, and I have benefitted as well. I received?a clearer understanding of how many different levels of WordPress knowledge bloggers actually have, it reinforced my “assume nothing” position.

I wanted everyone I spoke to, to understand that it doesn’t matter what level of understanding you have. You are awesome. And it is amazing that you want to know, and you can know! You are so much more than you give yourself credit for!!

I often accuse myself (people can do that you know) of giving my knowledge away for free. But it’s that “teach a man to fish” mentality. There are so many things a blogger can do for her/himself without paying someone, with a uniterrupted hour and a good tutorial, you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish. And if there’s a really big problem, then you can come to me.

For some people getting into the backend of WordPress can be intuitive work, and they just dive in. While other people are unsure what to do, and have heard enough horror stories to make them scared to touch anything. I hope by reading this blog, you?will learn that you don’t have to be worried. And if you have backups of all your work, you are always good to go!

While at BlogU I noticed more sites than I would have thought, without active Akismet accounts. ?Some of those sites had turned their comments off because they had so much comment spam.

Akismet is probably the most important plugin you can have. This is the single most effective plugin for blocking comment spam. It is so perfect, it comes pre-installed with Jetpack*.

[bctt tweet=”Akismet is probably the most important plugin you can have. Take the time to make sure it’s activated!”]

But it doesn’t come pre-setup. So I am going to help you set it up if you haven’t already.

This is what you will see if you haven’t activated your Akismet:

setup Akismet

 

 

Akismet is one of those plugins that is purposefully?setup to integrate nicely with Jetpack and WordPress. To that end, you can locate it by clicking on Jetpack>Akismet.

setup akismet

 

It will open up this page:

akismet setup

 

WordPress, as Jetpack, already knows who you are. You should continue your login using the email that pops up unless you have a very good reason not to.

When you click on this link you will go to Akismet’s setup page.

It will ask you what type of plan you would like, choose “Basic.” Now here, you are lead to believe that you have to pay for Akismet. There is a sliding scale, you may slide it to $0 if you choose.

However, because they created this amazing and wonderful plugin that you cannot live without and will save you hours of heartache and strife, how about giving them a $1.00?

Once you enter the amount?you will be given an API key.

Your Akismet should now be automatically active!

If for some reason it isn’t, all you need to do is go back to where you should have Akismet open in your dashboard (or go back to your dashboard and click Jetpack>Akismet) and enter the API key, click Use This Key, and you are good to go!

*If you don’t use Jetpack, you can install Akismet, by going to Plugins>Add Plugin, it will show up right there at the top of the list. Install it and activate it,?from now on you will find it in Settings>Akismet. And then follow the same directions!

As always, I am here to help! If you have any questions?don’t ever be afraid to ask!

 

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3 Easy Steps To Secure Your Blog

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3 easy steps to secure your blog

One of my favorite jobs, is tweaking and fixing people’s blogs. I love to dig into the code, pick things apart, isolate the problem and then fix it.

I love it so much that sometimes I get lost in the looking and the researching and the fixing.

But one thing stops me cold every. single. time. I pop on someone’s blog and they have no security.

Look. I get it. You’re a small blog, or you think you are. You think no one would bother hacking you. You are dead wrong.

The best blogs to hack are the little ones, you know why? They have no security.

It’s no skin off your back to lock up your site, and I’m going to make it easy for you. How about instead of giving you choices I just tell you what I do?

I am already going to assume you have an airtight password, if you don’t please go read this post on how to create a Bulletproof Password.?And that you are keeping your plugins updated, if not, read this post about updating your plugins.

[bctt tweet=”Forget the choices. I’ll just tell you how to secure your #WordPress site?in?3 easy steps.”]

3 Easy Steps to Secure Your Blog

 

1) Install WordFence

Wordfence is the #1 free security plugin on WordPress and there is a reason for that.

You don’t have to understand anything to use it. Out of the box it will do its job.?But it doesn’t hurt to run through the tutorial and change a few settings. Just grab a cup of coffee or tea, plan to sit in front of the computer for 20 minutes and get her done.

The best thing is the Wordfence scan. WordFence automatically runs a scan of your site. It will find any malicious code or possible breaches. And when it does, guess what? It’s also going to tell you what to do about it. Can it be any easier?

 

2) Install Login Lockdown

Login Lockdown does just what you think. It locks someone out who tries to login too many times.

The #1 way hackers try to get in to your site is by running a program that adds /wp-admin to the end of a URL, when it happens upon a WordPress site it just starts hammering it with passwords until it gets in.

Login Lockdown says “You did not just try to login to this site 20 times, you are outta here!” I suggest changing the attempts to 5, unless you run a forum, because I’m pretty sure you won’t forget your password 20 times in a row.

 

3) Install a backup plugin.

Because when all else fails, you’re still okay if you have a backup.

If you’re going for free ones, may I suggest Updraft Plus Backup and Restoration?

I have noticed a lot of blogs are running WP DB Backup, in your plugin menu it will read WordPress Database Backup by Austin Matzko, please, please delete it and either use Updraft or the “real” WordPress Database Backup.?The one by Austin Matzko has not been updated in over two years and poses a HUGE security risk.

 

My advice? Don’t say I’ll do this later, do it now. If you know me, my broken record is my favorite hobby blog got hacked when it was getting 60 page views a day, it was teeny. In the end, it was pay thousands of dollars, or shut it down. I shut it down.

It’s better to never have to even have that conversation.

And remember, I am always around for a free 30 minutes, even if you want to use it to get some help installing these plugins.

There is also the Plugin Checkup that has saved a lot of bloggers quite a few headaches, I also throw in a page speed analysis with suggestions on how to fix it.

I’m always here, my mission is to help bloggers while staying in their budget. Let’s talk.

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The Easiest WordPress Yoast SEO Plugin Tutorial for Bloggers

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easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

As a blogger, you?hear a lot of talk about SEO, sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t. (If you don’t, it’s Search Engine Optimization – getting the search engine crawlers to see what you want them to see, determine you are an expert in your field and to stick you up there towards the top when someone does a Google search.)

Sometimes you do get it, but you don’t know what to do about it. When it comes to SEO and websites, Meta tags are a thing of the past. Google no longer cares, or looks for them. What you need now is a WordPress plugin.

While there are a few to choose from, the best option out there, that is now fully endorsed and integrated with WordPress itself, is Yoast?SEO.

The great thing about WP SEO is, it is basically plug and play. It also eliminates the need for any XML sitemaps, so if you are using a plugin for that, you MUST deactivate it. WP SEO automatically sends out a new sitemap every time you make a change to your blog. Yea!

Now before you think, “Oh NOOOOZZZZ another plugin?! I don’t want to have to figure out another plugin!” I’m gonna?make this real easy for you. (sorry, I just heard a banjo twang in the distance, did you hear that?)

[bctt tweet=”I’m gonna make installing and setting up WordPress SEO by Yoast, really easy for you. #WordPress #SEO”]

In your dashboard, go to plugins > click on Add New > in the search box type WordPress SEO and install and activate.

Here is your easy WordPress SEO tutorial for blogs!

Since originally publishing this post, I have created a screencast for installing and setting up this plugin. If you love screencasts, here you go!

Otherwise see the directions below.

 

And here is the video on how to use Yoast in your posts. (that rhymes!)

 

First! Don’t touch anything!! Ok, you can touch something….. if you are feeling particularly adventurous, and I highly recommend this adventure, go through the tour that WP SEO is going to keep offering you until you say. “Hey! Ok! I get it already!!!”

Either way, you?will now notice, there is a new item in your dashboard called SEO, with what looks like a devil in a speech bubble. (I am sure it’s not a devil, but the dude is from the Netherlands, and maybe there the devil looks different.)

Alrighty. If you don’t already have it open, click on SEO and then click on Social. This is the only place you really need to touch anything.

See the little tab that says accounts? Go ahead and enter any of the accounts you actively use?and Save Changes.

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

You may ignore all of the other tabs UNLESS……

  • Facebook Tab
    • If you use Facebook Insights you will enter all of that information here. If you want to change the default image that shows up on EVERY FACEBOOK POST you will upload one here where it says “Default Image.”
  • Twitter Tab
    • If you would like to use Twitter Cards, this is where you do that.
  • Pinterest Tab
    • If your site is not already verified on Pinterest, this is where you would do that.
  • Google Tab
    • If you have a Google Page for business, not a personal page like most of us do. This is where you would attach that.

 

Now your WordPress SEO is all set up for your blog! But wait!!!

The amazing thing about WordPress SEO is not that it sends all of your information out to all of the popular search engines, it is not that it generates a new XML sitemap every time you update your blog, it’s this; you get to identify the best SEO for each of your blog posts.

 

How to make sure the SEO for your blog post rocks!

Here’s a video I made on this part

Now that you’ve installed WP SEO, you will notice that there is something new at the bottom of your post and page drafts:

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

 

 

In order to have EXCELLENT SEO you will need to fill out a few things, but don’t worry! WordPress SEO will tell you if you’re on the right track.

There are two ways you can go.

  • Decide what your keyword or keyword phrase will be before you write your title and post.
    • I often choose this route because I feel like it’s easier to manipulate the keywords.
  • Decide what your keyword or keyword phrase will be after you write your post.
    • Sometimes it is easier to write the post first, then figure out what it’s all about, and how you feel someone would search for it. That is what I wound up doing with this post.

 

For this example, we are going to choose our key phrase first, with the increase of SEO aware websites, it has become best practice to choose a key phrase (not just a key word), and try to make it the least obvious of your obvious choices.

For instance. Setting up WordPress SEO could have been my key phrase, but I thought, “Let’s step one down from totally obvious and go with Setting up WordPress SEO for blogs.”

The first thing you want to do is incorporate your key phrase into your title.

Sometimes, when you’re snarky or poignant or like listicles, it’s not always easy to incorporate your key phrase into your title, in that case, just make sure your key phrase is in your permalink.

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

To change your permalink, you just need to click the little “edit” button, next to your permalink. The box will open up and allow you to edit. Just make sure your key phrase is in there, with each word separated by a dash.

*Occasionally WordPress will change your permalink and it won’t actually match your title exactly, so always check your permalink to make sure your key phrase is, in actuality, in there.

Now, stick your Key Phrase into the WordPress SEO by Yoast box on the bottom of your post in the section marked “Focus Keyword:” Go back to the top of your post and hit “Save Draft.”

Go back down to your WP SEO box, you will see something like this:

 

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

Don’t worry if you still have a red “no” here and there. You’ve only just started, but now you know what you need to work on.

  • Article Heading – This is your blog post’s title.
  • Page Title – See the box called SEO Title? If your post title does not have your key phrase in it, this will automatically default to the same title (without your key phrase in it). This is the title that will display in the Google feed when someone searches. If you don’t care if the title is the same, and you would rather have a title that incorporates your key phrase show up in the Google feed, feel free to type in a new title. (I never do, it will not make or break your SEO)
  • Page URL – This is your permalink. It should be a “Yes” if not, go back up a step and change your permalink.
  • Content – This is your blog content, if you haven’t written anything yet it will say “no.” Make sure when you do write your content to use your key phrase at least two times. Then when you?save draft it will change to “yes.” (If for some reason it doesn’t, check that your wording is exactly the same.)
  • Meta Description – Don’t blow this one off. This is the description of your post that will show up under the Google listing of your headline. It’s got to be short but sweet. It has to use your key phrase and make people want to click. I often find the most impressive sentence in my post that includes the key phrase and copy and paste it into my post. If it’s a little long that’s ok, as long as the key phrase shows up in the beginning part. (word of note, this will become your default Facebook text unless you change it. See the last part of this post for instructions on how to do that.)

Now Go Write Your Post!

When you are finished writing, hit save draft. Assuming 80% of the items from the “General” tab now say yes, hit the “Page Analysis Tab.”

You will see something close to this. Your goal is to have as few red lights as possible.

 

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

 

Aha! We never talked about images!!! Look at that red arrow, up there! “The images on this page do not have alt tags containing your keyword/phrase.”

If you know what an “alt tag” is, then you’re good. If you don’t, no worries!

*Update, using alt tags is no longer a good thing. Google is not reading images anymore because people were using them to increase SEO and Google doesn’t like to be tricked.?

They are now only using them to update Google Image Searches, and as bloggers, we all know what people do with Image Searches. They steal your images.

 

Now, click save draft, and check your page analysis again. Mine looks like this now, I still have a red light. BUT according to WordPress SEO, the big picture is A-OK. I now have a green light for SEO. (I’ll show you where that is in a sec.)

The great thing about Page Analysis is, it tells you what to do. As long as you only have one or two red lights, you are good to go. But if you want to be totally OCD go for it and try to turn all those lights green!

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

 

You may have noticed the last time you hit save draft, a green light in your publish box showed up. That green light is your SEO check. As long as it’s green, you’re good to go! Every time you make a change to your SEO, either in the “General Tab” or on your post, hit save draft and check the light. Once the light is green, you can stop trying so hard and get publishing!

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

Wait! One more thing.

Some of you wish that you could change how your post appears on Facebook. Well, here’s your White Knight!

Click on the “Social” tab of WordPress SEO by Yoast at the bottom of your post.

Yours will be blank. This is the gist. You can change all of these elements for each specific post.

  • Facebook Title – Say when this gets posted to Facebook you want the title to be more catchy, or you want it to get straight to the point, change it here. (Leave it blank and it will use your post title.)
  • Facebook Description – Yup, just what you think. Right now, WP SEO is going to pick up your Meta Description for Facebook, but if you want it to say something different, more descriptive, stick it in here.
  • Facebook Image – Some themes default to a weird image, even if you choose a “Featured Image” for your post. This is where you can stick an image to guarantee you get the image you want attached to your Facebook post.

Rinse and repeat if you want to change the same information for Google+.

 

easy wordpress seo tutorial for blogs

 

One more little tidbit; Search Engines LOVE back links. Back links are links in your post that go back to a previous post about a similar topic. Many of my clients say they don’t like back links because they seem so obvious.

This is my advice, your back links don’t need to look obvious. Here’s an example:

When you are trying to think of blog post titles that incorporate your key phrase, make sure the title still has some pizzazz. A high-ranking post isn’t any good if no one wants to click on your boring words.

Notice how blog post titles is a link? It’s a link back to my post about rocking blog post titles. But is it obvious? No. The words occurred naturally in my post and I chose to link them back. Be creative, fudge it if you have to, let it be loosely associated with the topic. But try to have at least one back link in your post.

How’d I do?

I tried to make this an easy WordPress SEO tutorial for blogs. Before I learned tech and was a blogger myself, so many pieces of the puzzle were, well, puzzling. The?tutorials out there in the “real world” were?difficult for your average blogger to understand. And when I didn’t understand I was often afraid to ask.

I hope that I have made this easier for you, and please, as always I welcome questions! Please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation, or leave a comment with any question you may have! I also have a Facebook group just for Blog Tech Help. Keep in touch!

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