How to Create New Posts in WordPress (Step-by-Step Guide)

Adding content regularly is crucial for any WordPress site. But I know the WordPress post editor can seem overwhelming for beginners.

Not to worry! In this guide, I‘ll walk you through how to use the WordPress post editor like a pro.

After 15+ years as a WordPress expert, I‘ll share all my insider tips to help you create better content faster.

Step 1: Access the Post Editor Screen

Let‘s start from the basics. Here are a few ways to access the post editor:

• Go to Posts > Add New in your WordPress admin menu.
• Hover over Posts and click the Add New submenu.
• Go to your site‘s frontend and click the + Add New button.
• Click the + icon next to Posts on your admin menu.

No matter which option you use, you‘ll see the familiar post editor screen:

Step 2: Craft an Engaging Title

Your title is the first thing readers see. A good title accurately represents your post while being irresistible to click.

Here are tips to write titles that convert:

• Clearly summarize your post topic.
• Use emotional words like "How To" or "Why".
• Include relevant keywords, especially primary and secondary keywords.
• Try using numerals like "10 Ways" or "7 Reasons".
• Ask a question to pique curiosity.

Spend time crafting a compelling title, and place this at the very top of your post edit screen.

Step 3: Optimize the Post Permalink

The permalink is your post‘s URL on your site. By default, WordPress uses your post title to generate a search-friendly permalink.

For example:

yourwebsite.com/sample-post/

To customize your permalink:

1. Click your post title to highlight it.
2. You‘ll see the permalink appear below it.
3. Click Edit.
4. Make changes and click OK to save.

Follow these tips for optimized permalinks:

• Include primary and secondary keywords
• Keep it short and descriptive
• Use hyphens instead of underscores
• Avoid special characters, spaces, and capitalization

Optimized permalinks improve click-through-rates when shared on social media. It also helps with WordPress SEO.

Step 4: Add Content with Blocks

Blocks allow you to add rich content fast in WordPress. All content elements like text, images, videos, etc are wrapped in blocks.

To add a new block, click on the + icon. Or use the / shortcut to search for blocks.

WordPress has blocks for all common content types:

• Paragraph – For text
• Heading – Add H1 to H6 tags
• List – For bullet points
• Quote – Styled blockquotes
• Image – Single images or galleries
• Cover – Full-width image with text overlay
• Video – Embed videos
• Audio – Add audio files
• File – Upload documents
• Table – Insert tables
• Shortcodes – Embed shortcodes from plugins

Select the right block for your content. Writing with blocks is fast and easy!

Step 5: Insert Images and Media

You can easily add media content to make your posts more engaging:

Images

• The Image block lets you upload single images.
• Use the Gallery block to add multiple images in a grid.
• The Media & Text block lets you wrap text around images.

Videos

• Use the Video block to upload videos.
• Or embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, etc by copying the URL.

Audio

• Upload audio files directly with the Audio block.
• Or embed from providers like SoundCloud.

Documents

• The File block allows visitors to download PDFs, Word docs, etc from your posts.

Cover Images

• The Cover block adds a nice full-width visual with text overlay.

Other Media

You can embed tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, Spotify songs, Google Maps locations, and more!

Just copy the URL into your post, and WordPress will embed it automatically.

Step 6: Add Categories and Tags

Adding categories and tags is crucial for WordPress SEO. It also helps visitors find related content.

To assign categories and tags:

1. Find the categories and tags boxes on the right sidebar.
2. Start typing to select existing ones or create new.

Pro tip: Enable the "Advanced Panels" in Screen Options to access nested category fields.

Step 7: Set a Featured Image

Featured images allow you to upload a thumbnail to represent your post. Most WordPress themes will display the featured image prominently.

To add a featured image:

1. Go to the Featured Image panel on the right sidebar.
2. Click Set featured image.
3. Upload or select an image from your media library.
4. Pick something relevant to your post topic.

For best SEO, use high-quality featured images with sizes recommended by your theme.

Step 8: Add an Excerpt

Excerpts allow you to create a summary of your post content.

They are shown on:

• Archive pages
• Search results
• Front page in some themes

To add an excerpt:

1. Enable the Excerpt panel in Screen Options.
2. An excerpt box will now appear.
3. Enter a short 1-4 sentence summary of your post.

Writing a custom excerpt gives you more control over how your post appears in Google search snippets.

Step 9: Configure Discussion Options

By default, WordPress allows comments on posts and pages. You can disable them for each piece of content.

To change discussion settings:

1. Go to the Discussion panel in the right sidebar.
2. Uncheck ‘Allow Comments‘ to turn them off.
3. Uncheck trackbacks and pingbacks to disable.

For static pages, it‘s best to keep comments disabled.

Step 10: Manage Publishing and Visibility

The Publish panel allows you to control publishing options:

• Publish – Make your post live.
• Visibility – Public, private, or password protected.
• Publish date – Publish immediately or schedule it.
• Discussion – Toggle comments on/off.
• Move to trash – Delete the post draft.

See our guide on WordPress post visibility for more details.

Step 11: Review Post Revisions

As you edit, WordPress saves each version as a separate revision.

To view revisions:

1. Go to the Document panel in the right sidebar.
2. Switch to the Revisions tab.
3. Click a revision date to preview or restore it.

Revisions allow you to experiment during drafting without worrying about losing your changes.

Step 12: Use Advanced Panels

WordPress has a few advanced panels for SEO, custom fields, etc.

To enable them:

1. Click Screen Options.
2. Check the boxes next to ones you want to add.

Some useful panels include:

• Excerpt – Lets you add a custom excerpt.
• Discussion – Change comment settings.
• SEO – Optimize SEO meta fields.
• Custom Fields – Add custom metadata.

Step 13: Publish and Promote Your Post

Once your content is ready, click Publish to go live. Now share your published post:

• Share on social media. Automate this with a social media plugin.
• Email subscribers to notify them about the new post. ConvertKit and Mailchimp make it easy.
• Join relevant Facebook Groups and Subreddits to share it. Provide value to the community.
• Notify influencers in your niche. They may share it if the content is great.
• Use SEO plugins like Yoast SEO to optimize your post for search traffic.

Promoting your content in the right places is crucial for driving more organic traffic. Don‘t just set it and forget it!

Here are some final tips to level up your WordPress content game:

Analyze Competitor Content

Study what works for competitors in your niche:

• What topics get shared and discussed often?
• How frequently do they publish?
• What type of content do they avoid?
• How long are their posts usually?

This provides ideas for proven content formats and topics.

Optimize for SEO

Follow our complete WordPress SEO guide to optimize your site and content.

Some key tips:

• Include focus keywords in title, content, URL, alt text, etc.
• Improve site speed with optimized images.
• Include links to authority sites when relevant.
• Format content with headings, lists, etc for better readability.
• Publish long-form, in-depth content. Include data and quotes.

Promote User Engagement

More user engagement signals value to search engines:

• Ask open-ended questions to spark discussion.
• Encourage sharing with social media buttons.
• Create engaging polls, quizzes, contests, etc.
• Use call-to-action plugins to collect emails, get shares, etc.
• Make scannable content with enough headers, images, videos, etc.

Get Early Feedback

Before publishing, get some early feedback:

• Send your draft to email subscribers and existing audience.
• Join Facebook groups and subreddits to share it there.
• Ask colleagues in your industry for a review.
• Hire an editor on Upwork or Fiverr for a professional edit.

Early feedback allows you to identify gaps and opportunities in your content before it‘s live.

Conclusion

Learning how to publish WordPress posts is the first step for any blogger or site owner. Mastering the WordPress post editor will help you work faster and be more productive.

Implement the tips from my 15+ years as a WordPress expert, and you‘ll be ready to start publishing high-value content in no time!

Just remember, your website is only as good as the content you create. Put your heart and soul into providing value for your readers.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help WordPress beginners succeed.