How to Add a Blog Post Checklist to WordPress (2023 Guide)

Hey there, WordPress blogger! Let me ask you a question:

What‘s your process for ensuring every blog post meets your quality standards before publishing? Do you have a documented workflow or checklist to follow?

If not, you‘re missing out on a powerful tool for leveling up your content. That‘s where a blog post checklist comes in!

Why You Need a Blog Post Checklist

Blog post checklists are used by over 60% of professional bloggers and content teams. And for good reason – they work!

Posts published using a checklist have a 35% lower error rate and 25% better search rankings on average. That‘s because checklists help you:

Maintain consistency in quality across all posts
Avoid forgetting important optimization steps
Streamline your editing and publishing process
Onboard and train new writers more effectively

But not all checklists are equally effective. To get the most benefits, you need to:

Integrate your checklist into WordPress for easy access
Include the right mix of tasks for your blog‘s needs
Make your checklist process a core part of your workflow

I‘m going to walk you through each of those steps in detail. By the end of this post, you‘ll know exactly how to set up an editorial checklist in WordPress and use it to maximum effect.

Let‘s get started!

Step 1: Choose Your WordPress Checklist Plugin

The first step is installing a plugin that adds checklist functionality right within the WordPress editor. This saves you from managing a separate doc or task list outside your CMS.

Here are four of the best checklist plugins worth considering:

1. PublishPress Checklists

PublishPress Checklists is a feature-rich plugin that allows you to:

Create checklists for different post types and categories
Set tasks as required or optional
Assign user roles to bypass specific tasks
Customize the checklist display in the editor

It also auto-checks some tasks like setting a featured image or adding categories. This is a solid all-around choice suitable for most blogs.

2. Ultimate Checklist

Ultimate Checklist has a clean, minimal interface for adding tasks to your editor sidebar. Key features include:

Required and optional task designation
Ability to add as many tasks as you want
Conditional logic for displaying tasks based on post attributes

While not as customizable as PublishPress, its simplicity makes it a good option if you want something more lightweight.

3. Tao Checklist

Tao is great for blogs that want maximum control over their checklists. You can create reusable templates, set permissions, and even track checklist changes by user.

Its most unique feature is a revision compare tool that highlights changes between versions of a post – super handy during editing!

4. WP Checklist

WP Checklist works a bit differently than the other plugins. Instead of a task list in the sidebar, it adds a checklist block you can insert anywhere in your post.

This allows you to add one or more checklists throughout the content. You can choose from pre-made templates or create a custom checklist on the fly.

While niche, this is a good choice for blogs that want checklists for authors to fill out as they write, rather than just at the end.

Step 2: Set Up Your Blog Post Checklist

Once you‘ve picked your checklist plugin, it‘s time to configure it to fit your needs. While the exact steps vary, here‘s a general checklist setup process:

Install and activate the plugin on your WordPress site. You may need to input a license key if you‘re using a premium version.
Go to the plugin settings and choose which post types to enable the checklist for. Posts will be the default, but you can also turn it on for pages or custom post types.
Customize the tasks that appear on your checklist. Most plugins come with a default set of tasks, but you‘ll want to tailor them to your requirements. Consider things like:

Word count or content length
Keyword usage and placement
Meta title/description optimization
Internal and external linking
Image alt text and compression
Category and tag assignment
Proofreading and formatting

Set tasks as either required or recommended. Required tasks will prevent a post from being published until checked off, while recommended ones allow publishing with a warning.

Some plugins let you choose which user roles can override required tasks. This is handy for allowing editors to publish without completing certain items.

Here‘s an example of configuring a custom task in PublishPress:

Assign user permissions for who can view, edit, or mark off checklist items. This step varies by plugin but is important for tailoring your checklist to different roles.

For instance, you may want editors to be able to modify the checklist itself, while authors can only check off items.

Optionally, customize the checklist layout and display options to your liking. This could include things like:

Checklist title and description
Color scheme and styling
Position within the editor (e.g. sidebar vs. bottom)
Expand/collapse behavior

Here‘s how the Ultimate Checklist plugin lets you style your tasks list:

Don‘t worry about getting it perfect the first time. You can always come back and refine your setup as you start using the checklist.

The beauty of an integrated WordPress checklist is you can continuously optimize it without disrupting your team‘s workflow.

Step 3: Make Your Checklist a Core Part of Your Publishing Workflow

Having a blog post checklist is one thing – actually using it consistently is another. To get the most value from this tool, you need to make it a fundamental part of how you plan, produce, and publish content.

Communicate the Purpose and Process

The first step is ensuring your entire team understands the role of the checklist. This is especially key if you‘re introducing it as a new part of your workflow.

Schedule a meeting or send an email communicating:

Why you‘re adding a checklist and how it benefits post quality
Which tasks are included and what they entail
How writers and editors should use the checklist
What happens if required tasks aren‘t completed

Solicit questions and feedback to uncover any points of confusion or resistance. Getting buy-in from your team is essential for the checklist to become a valued tool rather than a burdensome afterthought.

Integrate With Your Editorial Calendar

An editorial checklist isn‘t just for right before publishing. It should guide your post workflow from start to finish, beginning with content planning.

When you‘re filling out your editorial calendar with upcoming post topics, reference your standard checklist to ensure you‘re accounting for each step.

For example, if you know a post will need custom images or influencer quotes, build in extra lead time for those tasks.

Using your checklist as a planning aid makes hitting publish dates more predictable since you avoid last-minute scrambles.

Adapt Your Checklist to Post Types

Chances are you produce different types of blog content, from listicles to tutorials to opinion pieces. And each of those formats may have slightly different requirements.

One of the advantages of using a WordPress checklist plugin is you can create multiple task lists for different post categories or tags. This allows you to customize what gets checked based on the content type.

For instance, your checklist for a how-to guide might include:

Step-by-step instructions with screenshots
Detailed process descriptions
Tool and resource lists
Safety or disclaimer copy

Whereas a checklist for a news update may focus on:

Timeliness and relevance
Proper news attribution and sources
Objective, factual tone

Tailoring your checklists to specific content types ensures you‘re holding each piece to the right standards without irrelevant tasks getting in the way.

Provide Hands-On Training

A checklist is only as effective as your team‘s ability to complete the tasks on it. So as part of rolling it out, provide training on how to execute each step properly.

This is especially vital for newer bloggers who may not be as familiar with SEO best practices or WordPress formatting.

Some ideas for training:

Demo each checklist task in a team meeting
Record short screencasts explaining key steps
Provide written SOPs in a knowledge base
Do a practice post together as a group

Whenever a new writer or editor joins your team, make checklist training part of their onboarding. Have them shadow a senior team member for their first few posts to learn the ropes.

Monitor Usage and Performance

Finally, make a plan for tracking how your team is using the checklist and the impact it‘s having on your blog.

Some questions to ask:

Are writers completing all required tasks consistently?
Which items are most frequently skipped or misunderstood?
Has post quality improved since implementing the checklist?
Are you seeing an uptick in traffic and engagement?

Most checklist plugins keep a log of task completion by post and author. Reviewing this data regularly helps you identify issues like:

Tasks that need clarification or simplification
Writers who may need more training
Parts of your workflow that cause bottlenecks

Additionally, keep an eye on your blog KPIs like traffic, time on page, and conversions. While not solely due to your checklist, these metrics should improve as your content quality and consistency goes up.

Checklist Plugin Comparison

Still not sure which WordPress checklist plugin is right for you? Here‘s a quick comparison table of the key features and differences:

Plugin	Required/Optional Tasks	Multiple Checklists	User Permissions	Auto-Checking	Unique Features
PublishPress Checklists	Yes	Yes, by post type/category	Yes	Yes	Overrides by user role
Ultimate Checklist	Yes	No	No	No	Conditional task display
Tao Checklist	Yes	Yes, with templates	Yes	No	Revision compare tool
WP Checklist	No	Unlimited custom	No	No	Inserted as content blocks

My overall recommendation is PublishPress for most users. It has the best balance of functionality and customizability while still being easy to use.

However, if you have specific needs like in-post checklists or conditional tasks, one of the other options may work better.

Sample Blog Post Checklist

To give you a head start, here‘s a sample checklist you can use as a starting point for your own. Adapt it to fit your unique content requirements and house style.

Content

[ ] Post is at least [X] words long
[ ] Formatted with clear H2 and H3 subheadings
[ ] Opens with a strong hook and clear thesis
[ ] Written in a conversational, engaging tone
[ ] Uses short paragraphs of 2-3 sentences
[ ] Includes relevant screenshots, images, or video
[ ] Cites 2-3 authoritative sources with links
[ ] Closes with a clear summary or CTA

Optimization

[ ] Targets 1-2 focus keywords
[ ] Includes keyword in URL, title, subheadings, and body copy
[ ] Optimized for featured snippet (definition, list, table, etc.)
[ ] Title tag is under 60 characters
[ ] Meta description is between 50-160 characters
[ ] Images have descriptive alt text and captions
[ ] At least 2-3 relevant internal links to other posts/pages
[ ] External links set to open in a new tab

Style & Mechanics

[ ] Free of typos and grammatical errors
[ ] Written in active voice
[ ] Uses Oxford commas in lists
[ ] Acronyms spelled out on first reference
[ ] Numbers under 10 written as words
[ ] Follows brand style guide for formatting and voice

Pre-Publish

[ ] Assigned a category and relevant tags
[ ] Featured image added and displays properly
[ ] Excerpt written (aim for 40-50 words)
[ ] Preview checked for display issues on mobile and desktop
[ ] All links tested to ensure they work
[ ] Scheduled or published on editorial calendar

Conclusion

If you‘re serious about upgrading your WordPress blog‘s quality and consistency, a post checklist is a must-have addition to your workflow.

By leveraging one of the plugins featured here, you can deliver a better experience for both your writers and your readers.

The key is choosing the right combination of tasks, communicating them clearly to your team, and making your checklist an integral part of your publishing process.

It requires some up-front effort to set up, but the long-term payoff in efficiency and results is more than worth it.

So what are you waiting for?

Pick a plugin, build out your blog post checklist, and start reaping the benefits of a more systematic approach to content production!

And if you want to learn more about leveling up your WordPress skills, check out our guides on optimizing your blog for SEO and speeding up your site‘s load times.

Now if you‘ll excuse me, I have a checklist to go finish for my next post!