As an entrepreneur with a few small businesses, one of the greatest ways I’ve found to manage my time is to use systems. Tools like checklists, reminders, and automations help me streamline my processes, avoid missing anything, and get way more done in less time.
With blogging in particular, I’ve been using a blog checklist for every single post I write. It’s been a life saver! I work in time blocks, with some blocks being assigned to writing a post, and others to prepping it for publication. Every time I need to prep a post, I simply pull up the checklist, and work through the items to make sure everything is taken care of.
My blog checklist took me a while to perfect, so I thought it would be helpful to share with other bloggers.
Want to grab yours (for FREE?) Sign up for my free Resource Library below!
Once you enter your name and email address and submit, you’ll get an email with the link and password to access the Resource Library. Head over there and scroll down to the Business Building section to find your free download! (You’ll also find a bunch of other freebies and printables!)
While the sections are relatively self-explanatory, here’s an overview of some of the key components you’ll see.
Keywords and Title
The checklist starts with this section as it helps lay the foundation for the post. You’ll first create an outline for the post, including key sections to include and points to make. You’ll also choose a keyword you want to rank for, and then write a blog post title that includes it. The checklist also includes some tips on ways to ensure you’re optimizing these elements of your post for SEO.
Content
Once you have an outline, title, and keywords, you’ll begin writing your post. This section encourages you to write a first draft that includes your keyword including related keywords and synonyms.
It also prompts you to add relevant headings and to consider adding a content upgrade or other extra resource that relates to the topic at hand.
Editing
This section is all about ensuring your post reads well and looks good on screen. It also includes some reminders around categories and tags to ensure you’ve classified the post according to your blog’s content structure.
Links
Here, you’ll be encouraged to link to an existing post on your site (which helps with page views and time on site!) as well as an external link. It also has some additional reminders like properly linking affiliate products and ensuring the post you’re working on gets maximum visibility.
Yoast
If you don’t have the Yoast SEO plugin, I highly recommend you download it! It’s a great resource for making sure you’re optimizing your content. The items in this section relate to Yoast-specific requirements.
Graphics
Depending on what social media you use, you may wish to tweak this section. The intention is to choose a primary image for your post, and to then create sharing graphics for your social channels. It also prompts you to add your pin to the post for easy pinning by readers.
Social
This section is to help you remember to schedule and/or share your content to your social channels. It also contains a helpful reminder to mention any companies or brands the posts touch on. For example, if the post you’re working on is a review of a particular company, you’ll want to mention them in your social posts.
Administrative
The last section is administrative, including some helpful reminders about filing away documents, hitting publish, and checking off the post in your editorial calendar.
Whew – there’s a lot to it, but following this checklist will help you consistently optimize your blog posts.
Have you downloaded your checklist yet?
Get yours for free when you sign up for my free Resource Library below!
Once you enter your name and email address and submit, you’ll get an email with the link and password to access the Resource Library. Head over there and scroll down to the Business Building section to find your free download!
By following this checklist, you can ensure every post is optimized, and take the guesswork out of prepping your content.
Did you find this post helpful? Let me know in the comments below!
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How To Make Money With a Blog for Beginners: 4 Ways
13 Free Blogging Tools Every Blogger Should Know About
The Best Blogging Tools I Recommend for Beginners
The Best Way to Start a Blog in 8 Easy Steps
5 Super Smart Ways to Find Blog Content Ideas
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