In WordPress, the first step to publishing starts with creating a new page or post by selecting the blocks you’ll need for the kind of content you plan to include. The editor comes with a set of default blocks for adding basic elements such as text, headers, and images.
You’re well on your way to publishing your WordPress site if you’ve chosen a great theme and added some key plugins to help optimize your website. Now you are ready to start creating content to get your site ready to share with the world.
Posts are meant to hold time-based content, whether that’s breaking news or an annual report. While posts can be sorted into categories and tags, Pages are a good place to write more topical information where the publishing time isn’t very relevant, such as an about page or restaurant menu.
WordPress Pages
The first step you’ll take after creating your WordPress account is creating an “About,” page for your site. Your “About,” page should reflect the tone of your site and inform visitors everything they need to know about your brand or business.
You’ll navigate to pages in your dashboard and select “Add New.” Then you can add a page name and title it “About Us.” This page can help build trust and connect with audiences who come to your site.
Once you complete this page, don’t forget to click “Save Draft,” when you are done. The editor has several options you can add to your page before you publish it to your site.
Pages differ from posts both in form and in function. Website pages are generally static. While they can be freely updated as often as necessary, they typically provide a stable framework that allows visitors to access important information about the site at any time. Essential pages on a typical website might include home, about, policies, general site information, and resources. WordPress also allows users to create special page types for specific needs, such as landing pages for online sales or portfolio pages for showcasing art or other creative work.
Pages follow a hierarchical structure so that a top-level, or Parent page can have any number of subpages that are linked to it. For example, a business site might have a main page that introduces its employees and, along with it, a set of subpages that includes individual pages with information about each of them. In the same way, a company’s “About,” page might include subpages about the company’s history, its founders, or mission statement.
Because pages are the foundation of a site’s content, each page could leverage a different template so they all look different and this isn’t a hard requirement. To make that possible, many WordPress themes include a Page Template feature in the Pages content editor. Page Template allows users to create templates for different sets of pages and apply them as needed when creating a new page. Templates are automatically saved as part of the theme and can be selected from the Page Template drop-down menu.
WordPress Posts
WordPress posts are made for blogging or posting other timely content such as announcements, events, or breaking news. The post feature is designed to support regular, frequent publishing of new content and sharing it widely. Unlike pages, posts are designed for social sharing, commenting, and search engine optimization, and they can be syndicated through an RSS feed so that readers are notified of new updates.
Posts appear on the site in reverse chronological order (newest first), and past posts are archived so that they can always be accessed. Posts have no hierarchy, but they can be grouped according to category pages, dates, or tags to help readers find specific topics. There’s no limit to the number of articles or posts you can create on a WordPress site.
To create your first post:
Click on “Add New,” under “Posts,” in the WordPress dashboard.
2. Once the new post appears, click the (+ )to select the desired block type from the “Add Block,” menu to begin creating content specific to the block type.
Once a block is selected, it appears in the editor, ready to be filled. Selecting a block opens all the available tools related to the block. You’ll see editing tools for header or paragraph blocks, and sizing and placement options for images added to image blocks either from external sources or from the Media Library.
After you select your block, you can start creating content that is specific to that block type. When you drag your cursor over the selected block it will also specify the block type you are using for reference.
The versatility of the editor also allows you to insert, add, delete, and change the block type before you publish your post.
Because posts are designed for sharing, users can install a WordPress plugin like Jetpack that offers social sharing button that can easily be added to your theme, and other plugins offer granular control. Sharing buttons for many social networks are available, but try to limit to 3-5 networks that are popular with your target audience. Other plugin varieties are available to optimize posts for keywords and searchability or to crosspost the content to other sites.
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