How to Blog on WordPress: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide
WordPress is a popular content management system used to create a website or blog. You don’t need prior experience or technical skills like SEO to get going with WordPress. You can start blogging on WordPress like a pro with just a little guidance.
What Is WordPress, and why should you use it for blogging?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that helps you create and manage your website or blog. Bloggers choose WordPress because it is easy to use and has a lot of features that make blogging easier, such as:
- The ability to create and manage posts and pages
- A wide selection of themes and plugins
- An intuitive interface
- Frequent updates and security enhancements
If you’re new to blogging, WordPress is a great platform. It’s user-friendly and has a low learning curve, so you can get up and running quickly.
How to Get WordPress
There are two ways to get WordPress. You can install it on a web server or sign up for a wordpress.org account.
If you want full control over your blog (meaning you can install plugins, customize your theme, etc.), you’ll need to install WordPress yourself. This process is known as a self-hosted WordPress installation.
You’ll need to purchase web hosting and a domain name to do this. A domain name is the address of your website (e.g., www.example.com). Once you have a domain name and web hosting, you can install WordPress using these instructions.
You can hire a WordPress web developer if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of setting up WordPress. This option is ideal if you don’t have the time or technical know-how to set up WordPress.
Here are a few components of WordPress you’ll need to know:
Themes: A theme is a set of templates that determine the look and feel of your website. WordPress comes with a few default themes, but thousands of themes are available for purchase or download.
Plugins: Plugins are add-ons that extend the functionality of WordPress. There are plugins for almost everything, from social media integration to security enhancements.
Widgets: Widgets are small modules that can be added to the sidebars or footers of your website. They provide a way to display dynamic content, such as recent posts or social media buttons.
Your User Profile
Take a minute to set up your user profile. This is your “author byline” that will appear next to your posts. Go to Users > Your Profile in the WordPress admin area to set up your user profile.
From here, you can add a profile picture, fill out your biographical information, and specify your contact details. Be sure to click the “Save Changes” button when you’re finished.
WordPress Posts, Categories, and Tags
In WordPress, your content is organized into two types: posts and pages. Posts are typically used for blog articles, while pages are used for static content, such as your About or Contact page.
You can also organize your posts using categories and tags. Categories are like broad topics, while tags are more specific keywords that describe the content of your post.
For example, if you have a blog about travel, you might have a category for each country you’ve visited. Within each category, you would have several tags for different aspects of that country, such as its food, culture, and attractions.
Creating Your First WordPress Post
Now that you’re familiar with the basics of WordPress, it’s time to create your first blog post.
To do this, log into your WordPress dashboard and click on the “Posts” link in the left-hand sidebar. This will take you to the Posts section of your dashboard, where you can manage all of your blog posts.
Next, click the “Add New” button to create a new blog post.
The WordPress Editor
You will now be taken to the WordPress editor, where you can add the title and content of your blog post.
The WordPress editor is similar to a word processor, with a few additional features for adding media and formatting your text.
You can easily add images, videos, and other multimedia content to your blog post using Gutenberg blocks. You can also use blocks to create columns, tables, and other layouts.
Formatting your blog post is easy with the WordPress editor. You can use the toolbar to add headings, apply bold or italic formatting, create lists, and more.
Adding Links to Your Post
Now that you know how to add and format text in the WordPress editor, it’s time to add some internal and external links.
To create a link, highlight the text you want to link and click on the “Link” button in the toolbar.
This will open a popup window where you can enter the URL of the page you want to link to. You can also add a title for your link, which will be displayed when someone hovers over it.
If you want to link to another page on your website, you can start typing in the name of your blog (just a word or two is enough), and WordPress will automatically generate a list of matching pages.
Once you’ve added the URL and title for your link, click on the “Add Link” button to insert it into your blog post.
Adding a Featured Image
Every WordPress blog post should have a featured image. This is the image that will be displayed at the top of your post, as well as in the RSS feed and on social media.
To add a featured image, scroll down to the “Featured Image” section of the WordPress editor and click on the “Set Featured Image” link.
This will open the WordPress media library, where you can upload or select an image from your computer. Once you’ve selected an image, click the “Set Featured Image” button to add it to your post.
You can find copyright-free images at Canva, Unsplash, and Pixabay.
Your Meta description and Excerpt
Your meta description summarizes your blog post that appears in the search results. It should be no more than 160 characters long and should include your focus keyword.
To add a meta description, scroll down to the “Meta Description” section of the WordPress editor and enter your summary into the text box.
Your excerpt is a shorter version of your blog post that can be used in place of the full text. It’s often used in RSS feeds and on social media.
To add an excerpt, scroll down to the “Excerpt” section of the WordPress editor and enter your summary into the text box.
Publishing Your Blog Post
When you’re finished writing your blog post, it’s time to publish it. You can save it in draft form to finish and publish later, publish immediately, or schedule it to publish at a specific date and time in the future.
To publish your blog post, click on the “Publish” button in the right-hand sidebar.
You will see a message confirming that your post has been published. You can now view it on your website by clicking on the “View Post” button.
Congratulations! You’ve just published your first WordPress blog post.
That’s it! You now know the basics of creating and publishing a blog post in WordPress. Be sure to experiment with the different features of the editor, and keep an eye out for our upcoming tutorials on more advanced topics like adding multimedia content and using blocks to create custom layouts.