Blog Post Pre-Publish Interactive Checklist

These quick suggestions ensure our target readers will read our blog post when they come across it elsewhere.

The title must describe the content of the blog post.

The title must not be clickbait.

The title needs to tell the purpose or intent of the content.

The title should have engaging words.

Progress: 0%

Good to consider: The title could be optimized for search engines (but not overly optimized).

Follow these suggestions to make sure our blog post introduction is useful for our readers and keeps them reading the rest of the post.

The introduction must emphasize the relevance of the content to the reader.

The introduction must sound like it was written by a human for humans.

The introduction needs to give context or spark curiosity about the topic.

The introduction should have a credibility factor (for topics that need it).

The introduction should be concise (for topics where readers want quick answers).

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

• The introduction could tell a better promise or offer.
• The introduction could be optimized for search engines (but not overly optimized).

Here are some guidelines to make our blog post easy to scan and read by our readers (and search engines).

The blog post must have headings (H1 to H3), which should:

• Only cover one subtopic each
• Describe the subject of the content under each
• Have a consistent style or format
• Use action-oriented words for better engagement (optional)

The blog post must maintain a seamless flow of discussion

The blog post should use bullet points or numbered lists when applicable, such as a replacement for H4 to H6

The blog post should have 1 to 3 sentences per paragraph

The blog post should have no widgets or unrelated media between paragraphs

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

• The blog post should have a summary or conclusion section (only for applicable topics)
• The blog post headings could be optimized for search engines (but not overly optimized)
• The blog post may use schema to perform better in search engines

Answer ‘yes’ to each of the quick questions below, and we can be sure that our unique content will be appreciated by readers.

Does the blog post have unique content? Make sure to include at least one category (but feel free to go beyond the ones listed below).

• Real-life experience
• Personal story
• Opinion
• Fresh perspective
• Ethical judgment
• Non-AI visuals

Does the unique content help readers?

Does the unique content stay relevant to the topic?

Progress: 0%

These questions will help us ensure our readers get a good sense of our brand, creating a personal connection with our blog.

Does the blog post include branding? At least one aspect must be mentioned:

• Values
• Goals
• Vision
• Mission

Does the brand’s voice come through in the post?

Does the branding stay consistent with other posts?

Does the branding appear naturally in the post?

Progress: 0%

Here are some questions to help us ensure our readers feel like they’re reading something genuine, written by a human for humans.

Does the blog post use a conversational tone? Alternatives:

• Does the blog post use common words instead of jargon or overly technical language?
• Does the blog post include human interaction or engagement triggers like questions?

Does the blog post share personal stories and experiences? Alternatives:

• Does the blog post highlight the author’s transparency?
• Does the blog post show the author’s emotions?
• Does the blog post indicate the author’s passion?
• Does the blog post mention social proof, the author’s projects, or anything that proves the author’s existence and legitimacy?

Progress: 0%

Here are some important points to remember about links and our blog’s resources before publishing.

The blog post must include links to related posts within the blog.

The blog post must reference (link to) other parts of the internet.

The contextual links should be relevant to the blog post’s topic.

The contextual links should have anchor text that describes the blog post they point to.

The contextual links should be embedded within a paragraph that provides context to them.

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

• The links need to be tagged properly:
  • rel="follow" for trusted sources,
  • rel="nofollow" for untrusted sources,
  • rel="sponsored" for links related to money,
  • rel="ugc" for links pointing to user-generated content.
• The links may be placed in a references section so readers can easily find them and trust our content.

Here are some tips for checking the post’s length before publishing to make sure it’s a satisfying and manageable to read.

The blog post must cover the topic well and achieve its intended goal without overwhelming the reader.

The blog post must maintain a reasonable length appropriate for its topic and meet readers’ expectations.

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

• The blog post should only include only relevant subtopics that can’t be separated into another blog post.
• The blog post should avoid being so long that it feels like several posts combined.
• The blog post should remain free of unnecessary wordings or “fluff.”
• The blog post needs to use links to clarify terms that don’t need in-depth discussion within the post.

Use these guidelines to ensure our blog post’s excerpt works well for our readers.

The excerpt must be 160 characters long.

The excerpt must reflect what readers can see in the blog post.

The excerpt should tell readers the focus of the blog post.

The excerpt should be inviting for readers to click and read.

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

The excerpt could be optimized for search engines (but not overly optimized).

Here are the key things to check when proofreading our blog post before we publish it.

Grammar

Readability

Tone

Audience Match

Fluency

Engagement

Progress: 0%

Good to consider:

When proofreading a blog post, don’t forget to check also different parts of the blog post aside from the content like the alt-text of the images, captions, URL, meta descriptions, and tags.