Rather than cramming all your ideas into a single lengthy post, dividing them into a series allows for an in-depth exploration of a topic while keeping your readers engaged.
This approach is known as a post series, and it effectively maintains your audience’s interest, encouraging them to return for subsequent installments.
We have applied this strategy to subjects such as WordPress SEO, security, performance, and maintenance, which has enabled us to share valuable information without overwhelming our readers.
In this article, we will guide you on how to effectively manage your post series in WordPress. With a few straightforward tips, you can keep your content organized and your audience captivated!
Why Should You Create a Post Series in WordPress?
When addressing a complex subject on your WordPress site, it is often more effective to create a series of posts that break the topic into manageable sections rather than writing a single extensive post.
For instance, our comprehensive guide on speeding up WordPress is a compilation of a series of posts that we published, each focusing on different methods to enhance your site’s performance.
When you create a large series of posts like this, it can be challenging to assist your readers in navigating the series and locating all the information in the correct sequence.
Consider adding a brief introduction at the beginning of each post to inform readers that it is part of a series, and include a list of the other posts at the end. However, this requires manual updates for each post whenever you release a new article in the series.
An alternative approach is to establish a custom taxonomy named ‘Series.’ This method, however, involves additional tasks, such as creating or modifying template files.
Fortunately, there is a WordPress plugin designed to assist you in managing a series of articles. We will guide you through the process step-by-step, covering all the essential details in this article.
- Efficiently Managing Post Series in WordPress
- Bonus Tip: Adding a ‘Read More’ Label in WordPress
- Frequently Asked Questions: Managing Post Series in WordPress
- Continue Reading: Guides for WordPress Pages and Posts
Let’s dive in.
Efficiently Managing Post Series in WordPress
The first step is to install and activate the Issues and Series plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our comprehensive guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
There is a premium version available with additional features, but for the purposes of this tutorial, we will focus on the free version of the plugin.
Once the plugin is activated, you can start creating new series and adding posts to them.
Creating a New Series
To start your first series, navigate to the Posts » Manage Series page, which resembles the interface for adding new categories.
Once there, you will find the ‘Manage Series’ table. Since the plugin has just been activated, the table will be empty. You will see an ‘Add New Series’ button instead. Click it to begin.
This action will open the series editor.
In this editor, you will need to enter a name, slug, and description for your series.
After completing the fields, remember to click the ‘Add New Series’ button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
You will see that the new series has been successfully added to the list on the left.
Adding Posts to the Series
Now, it’s time to include some blog posts in the series. You can either create a new post or edit an existing one.
In the settings panel on the right side of the screen, you will notice a new section labeled ‘Series.’ To associate this post with the series you just created, click the button next to the series name.
Don’t forget to click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top of the page to make the post live as part of the series.
Next, you can add any existing posts to the series. Whenever you write new articles, just repeat this process to include them in the series.
How to Customize the Order of Posts in Your Series
By default, your articles will appear in the sequence you added them to the series.
However, you have the option to customize the order of the posts by navigating to thePosts » Publish Seriessection in your WordPress admin dashboard.
In the table, you’ll find all the series you’ve created. The columns indicate the number of published, unpublished, and scheduled articles.
You will also see links to update the post order, publish or unpublish all articles, and view the series.
To modify the order of the posts, click the ‘Update Order’ link. This will display a list of all the posts within that series.
You can rearrange the articles by dragging the post titles up or down the list. As you move a post, the ‘Current Part’ number will automatically update to reflect the new arrangement.
Once you’re satisfied with the post order, be sure to click the ‘Update Order’ button to save your changes.
How to Preview Your Post Series
Visit your WordPress blog to see the appearance of your new post series by viewing a post that belongs to the series.
At the top of the article, you will notice a notification indicating that the post is part of a series. Additionally, a list of all posts in the series will be available, allowing you to navigate easily by clicking the links.
You will also find navigation links at the bottom of the article to move to the next or previous posts in the series.
Bonus Tip: How toAdd a ‘Read More’ Label in WordPress
Incorporating a ‘Read More’ label into your blog series allows readers to preview your content, which can motivate them to click through and continue reading.
Using the built-in More block in WordPress, you can effortlessly add a preview break that displays an excerpt on your blog page, followed by a clickable ‘Read More’ link.
This is a straightforward yet powerful method to enhance readability and increase engagement throughout your post series.
For comprehensive instructions, refer to our guide on how to utilize the More block in WordPress.
FAQs: Managing Post Series in WordPress
At CanadaCreate, we have published numerous articles as part of various series. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about the process.
Is it possible to use WordPress categories or tags to create a series of posts?
While using categories or tags is an option, it is not the most effective method. This approach lacks the navigation and automatic linking features that make it easy for readers to follow a series.
Using a dedicated plugin organizes everything for you, making it much more efficient and user-friendly.
Does creating a post series negatively impact my website’s SEO?
No, when done correctly, a post series can enhance your SEO. It positions your site as an authority on a topic by exploring it in depth.
Properly linking the posts together also improves your internal linking structure, helping search engines better understand your content and keeping users on your site longer. We utilize tools like All in One SEO to optimize all our content.
How many articles should I include in a single series?
A series can consist of as few as two or three posts or extend to ten or more. The key is to divide your topic into manageable sections that are easy for readers to understand, focusing on the natural progression of the subject rather than a specific number of posts.
Continue Reading: WordPress Page and Post Guides
We hope this guide has helped you learn how to effectively manage post series in WordPress. If you found this tutorial useful, you might also be interested in:
Top Plugins for Related Posts in WordPress
How to Showcase Your WordPress Posts in a Grid Format
How to Display Estimated Reading Time for Your WordPress Posts
How to Automatically Tag Your WordPress Posts to Save Time
Beginner’s Guide to Showing Visited Posts in WordPress
How to Incorporate Tabbed Content in WordPress Posts and Pages
How to Add Tooltips to Your WordPress Posts and Pages
How to Create a Child Page in WordPress
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
