![\"HNCK9016\"](\"https:\/\/seo-hacker.net\/tribe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/HNCK9016.jpg\")
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So, you\u2019re about to hit \u2018Publish\u2019 on your latest piece of content.<\/p>\n
Stop!<\/b><\/p>\n
With an increasing pressure to create lengthy, viral, highly-shared content, it\u2019s all too easy to forget a crucial piece of the content puzzle along the way.<\/p>\n
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So before you publish that next piece of content, run it by our helpful 17 point pre-publish checklist. In doing so you\u2019ll ensure your content is the best it can be<\/b>. Giving it the best chance of achieving the kind of sharing success you\u2019re looking for. And in turn? You\u2019ll maximise the SEO and SEM value it provides your website<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Ready to get started? Then re-open that Word .doc, grab your virtual pen, and let\u2019s puts some checks in some digital boxes!<\/p>\n
\u2018Really?<\/i>\u2019 you ask, \u2018How much difference can a spelling error make<\/i>\u2019?<\/p>\n The answer? More than you might think!<\/b><\/p>\n That\u2019s right: grammatical errors do more than just make you look a little silly<\/a>. In fact, studies have shown that 74% of users notice spelling and grammar while browsing a website.<\/p>\n No big deal, right?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the alarming part:<\/p>\n A staggering 59%<\/a> said bad spelling and grammar leave them reconsidering making a purchase!<\/p>\n The odd errant comma? We\u2019re only human after all! But consistently messy content makes a poor first impression. And with users making up their minds in some 2\/10ths of a second<\/a>? You want to be giving them a reason to stick around, not leave!<\/p>\n Image courtesy outbrain.com<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n There\u2019s something you should know about content:<\/p>\n It\u2019s more than just words on a page!<\/b><\/p>\n It\u2019s true: content is no longer constrained to lengthy blog posts. In fact, the format your content takes can ultimately decide just how successful it is.<\/p>\n How so? Because some content is shared on social media<\/a> more than others. Meaning time invested in a content type that doesn\u2019t fit your audience, industry or niche may not offer the return you\u2019re expecting.<\/p>\n The lesson here?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be afraid to experiment!<\/b><\/p>\n From YouTube Videos and Periscope broadcasts, through to Infographics and Slideshare presentations: you have access to more variety now than ever before. So think outside of the content-creating box and you\u2019ll be surprised at the results!<\/p>\n Your content\u2019s structure and formatting directly impacts your content\u2019s readability<\/a>. And given only 20% of users<\/a><\/b> read past the headline? Anything that encourages them to read from start to finish is worth your attention!<\/p>\n Whether you do this with punchy opening lines, visually appealing formatting, or a proven content structure template<\/a>, all of these techniques have one thing in common:<\/p>\n They funnel users down the page.<\/p>\n This is crucial if your content leads into a call to action that encourages users to purchase a product, sign up to a newsletter or subscribe to a service.<\/p>\n If they never reach the bottom? They\u2019ll never know it exists!<\/p>\n When it comes to content, length really does matter.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n Because users are more likely to share lengthy content<\/a>!<\/p>\n And there are a number of reasons for this:<\/p>\n As a result? Lengthy content ranks higher in search engine results<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to get your content shared?<\/p>\n Provide users with practical value!<\/b><\/p>\n So whether you\u2019re answering a question or solving a problem: be practical about it.<\/p>\n Even content that doesn\u2019t lend itself to traditional methods of adding practical value still have room for practical additions<\/b>. A video that explores the topic in further detail, perhaps? Or a list of resources that provides further reading?<\/p>\n No matter the content, there\u2019s always room to add a dash of practicality<\/a>.<\/p>\n As an internet user, chances are you\u2019ve seen headlines like these:<\/p>\n \u201813 Ways To Change Your Life. You Won\u2019t Believe #4!\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n \u2018This Person Did Something Crazy! You\u2019ll Never Guess What!\u2019<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Look familiar? We thought so!<\/p>\n Affectionately referred to as \u2018Clickbait\u2019, these headlines serve a sole purpose: getting you to click via any means possible!<\/p>\n And they\u2019re becoming more prevalent for one main reason:<\/p>\n They work!<\/p>\n Such is the power of an article\u2019s headline.<\/p>\n So while we\u2019re not asking you to turn your content into a Buzzfeed article. What we are highlighting is just how important your content\u2019s headline can be.<\/p>\n In fact, it can mean the difference between a user deciding whether to click or not.<\/p>\n Crafting the perfect headline<\/a> doesn\u2019t have to be difficult, either. In fact, there are a number of key components that show up in all great headlines that you can use to ensure your headlines grab readers attention.<\/p>\n Modern day content creation creation is founded on a simple philosophy:<\/p>\n Provide value!<\/b><\/p>\n This has seen content creators doubling down on value-driven, worthwhile content that provides something of value to users.<\/p>\n But this philosophy works both ways.<\/p>\n How so?<\/p>\n You shouldn’t forget to provide value for your<\/b> site as well! And by maximising your use of relevant keywords throughout your content? You\u2019ll do just this.<\/p>\n In turn? You\u2019ll turn a great piece of content into a great piece of content that\u2019s guaranteed to help your site\u2019s ranking and online visibility.<\/b><\/p>\n The hype-men of HTML, headings tell Google that the text to follow is both:<\/p>\n And when it comes to your content? You want Google to be excited!<\/b><\/p>\n The benefits don\u2019t end there, either. In fact, their uses are numerous!<\/p>\n Image courtesy contentmarketinginstitute.com<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n Images, video and other media do more than just make your content look good.<\/p>\n In fact, adding points of visual interest<\/a> to your content not only makes it more engaging, interesting and memorable. But it\u2019s been shown that content that includes images receives some 94%<\/a> more views than content that doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Links are what make the world (wide web) go round.<\/p>\n In fact, they\u2019re still one of the biggest ranking factors<\/a> when it comes to Google and your site\u2019s placement within search engine results.<\/p>\n This is why it\u2019s crucial that you maximise your use of links within the content you produce. Otherwise your meticulously crafted content will fail to provide your website with a benefit beyond a pat on the back!<\/p>\n What better way to get users to share your content than giving them a way to do so directly within your content itself<\/b>?<\/p>\n By creating shareable snippets<\/a>, you\u2019ll be able to do just this. Which in turn makes your content that much easier to share. And as an added bonus? You\u2019ll no longer be reliant on users remembering you when they next open their social networks.<\/p>\n In the online world, many users won\u2019t do something unless they\u2019re prompted.<\/p>\n When it comes to your content? They find it, they read it, and they leave.<\/p>\n But you shouldn\u2019t let users go that easily<\/b>!<\/p>\n Your content has already done the heavy lifting: it\u2019s gotten them in the virtual door. Now it\u2019s up to you to direct them as to what they do next!<\/p>\n Enter Calls To Action<\/a>. The perfect way to encourage users to share, sign up to, or download something!<\/p>\n Industry leaders are just that: people within your industry who have worked their way to the top. And along the way? Garnered quite the following!<\/p>\n While you may aspire to reach the same lofty heights one day<\/i><\/b>, there are ways you can effectively engage with industry leaders that can benefit your content today<\/b>.<\/p>\n By simply mentioning these leaders within – and when sharing – your content, you\u2019ll be able to tap into their vast following. Which provides you with:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face facts: attention spans aren\u2019t what they used to be.<\/p>\n In fact, some 55% of visitors<\/a> spend fewer than 15 seconds<\/b> on a website before deciding whether to stick around. While just 16%<\/a> actually read content word-by-word.<\/p>\n With so many users now skim-reading, it\u2019s imperative that your content can still provide value to this time-poor crowd.<\/p>\n Including a summary is the perfect way to do this. Both summarising your post for those with TL:DR<\/i><\/b> at the forefront of their online vocabulary, and providing an end-point for those dedicated few who\u2019ve read top-to-bottom.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always the way: you can write 5,000 words on Soil Pests in a day, but when it comes to a few hundred words about yourself? It can feel like pulling teeth!<\/p>\n Such are the struggles of a little self promotion!<\/p>\n These struggles are worth overcoming<\/b>. In fact, your author bio<\/a> is a key component of any piece of content you create. Whether for your own blog or for others.<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n Because your author bio is your shot at fifteen minutes of internet fame: a place where a little shameless self-promotion is encouraged and a touch of humour is commonplace.<\/p>\n It\u2019s here that you get your opportunity to shout to the world who you are, what you do, and what you\u2019re about. As well as why users should be listening to you!<\/b><\/p>\n It\u2019s a fact: Most people don\u2019t trust what they read online.<\/p>\n \u2018How many?\u2019 you might ask? A staggering 98%<\/a>!<\/p>\n The truth of the matter is that no one is going to trust your wild claims or outlandish theories just because you said so<\/b>. Rather, users are looking for something tangible. That is, cold hard facts<\/b>.<\/p>\n By including stats, figures, and supporting works within your content, you\u2019ll be able to provide weight to your claims. In turn building trust with users, and increasing your credibility within your given industry.<\/p>\n Content written. Layout finalised. It can be all too tempting to hit \u2018Publish<\/i>\u2019 and call it a day.<\/p>\n But this practice could be harming your content\u2019s chances of being seen<\/b>.<\/p>\n How so?<\/p>\n Because users\u2019 browsing habits see them online at varying hours of both night and day.<\/p>\n Posting your content when they\u2019re sleeping? Or celebrating a public holiday with the family? You\u2019re unlikely to garner much of a response!<\/p>\n In fact, when you post and share your content to social media<\/a> often directly correlates to just how successful it is. Which can impact its views, comments and shares.<\/p>\n So, you\u2019re about to hit \u2018Publish\u2019 on your latest piece of content. Stop! With an increasing pressure to create lengthy, viral, highly-shared content, it\u2019s all too easy to forget a crucial piece of the content puzzle along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wl_entities_gutenberg":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[101508],"tags":[101492,101493,102145,102146,102107,102144],"wl_entity_type":[102583],"class_list":["post-110542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-strategy","tag-content-marketing","tag-content-strategy","tag-pre-publish","tag-publish-checklist","tag-seo","tag-seo-checklist","wl_entity_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/SEO-Check-Spelling-and-Grammar-1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSpelling & Grammar Checklist<\/h3>\n
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\nTip!<\/b> Use appropriate US or UK spelling depending on your target audience and their location.<\/i><\/li>\n2. Content Type<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nContent Type Checklist<\/h3>\n
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3. Structure & Formatting<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nStructure & Formatting Checklist<\/h3>\n
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4. Content Length<\/h2>\n
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Content Length Checklist<\/h3>\n
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5. Practical Value<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPractical Value Checklist<\/h3>\n
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6. Headline<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nHeadline Checklist<\/h3>\n
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7. Keyword Usage<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nKeyword Usage Checklist<\/h3>\n
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8. H1-H6 Headings<\/h2>\n
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H1-H6 Headings Checklist<\/h3>\n
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9. Visual Interest<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nVisual Interest Checklist<\/h3>\n
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10. Internal & External Links<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nInternal & External Links Checklist<\/h3>\n
For Your Site\u2019s Content<\/h4>\n
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For Guest Posts<\/h4>\n
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11. Sharing Functionality<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSharing Functionality Checklist<\/h3>\n
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12. Calls To Action<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nCalls To Action Checklist<\/h3>\n
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13. Mention Industry Leaders<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Industry Leaders Checklist<\/h3>\n
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14. Content Summary<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nContent Summary Checklist<\/h3>\n
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15. Author Bio<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nAuthor Bio Checklist<\/h3>\n
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16. Credibility<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nCredibility Checklist<\/h3>\n
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17. Timing<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTiming Checklist<\/h3>\n
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