In the vast ocean of content on the internet, keeping your visitors engaged and on your website is a constant challenge. One effective way to do this is by adding related posts to your WordPress website. Related posts offer your readers more content they might find interesting, keeping them on your site longer and improving their overall experience. In this article, we will explore two simple ways to add related posts to your WordPress website.

  1. Using a Plugin – The Effortless Approach

One of the easiest and most popular ways to add related posts to your WordPress site is by using a plugin. WordPress offers a wide range of plugins for various functionalities, and related posts are no exception. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Install and Activate a Related Posts Plugin

  • Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  • Navigate to the “Plugins” section and click “Add New.”
  • In the search bar, type “related posts.”
  • Browse through the available options and choose a plugin that suits your needs. Some popular choices include “YARPP – Yet Another Related Posts Plugin,” “Jetpack,” and “Related Posts for WordPress.”
  • Click “Install” and then “Activate” to activate your chosen plugin.

Step 2: Configure the Plugin Settings

  • After activation, most related posts plugins will have a dedicated settings page in your WordPress dashboard. Go to the plugin’s settings, usually found in the “Settings” or “Appearance” menu.
  • Configure the settings according to your preferences. You can usually customize the appearance, number of related posts displayed, and how related posts are chosen (by category, tags, or content similarity).
  • Save your settings.

Step 3: Add the Related Posts Widget or Block to Your Content

  • Depending on the plugin you’ve chosen, you can typically add related posts to your content using a widget or a block.
  • To use a widget, go to “Appearance” > “Widgets,” and drag the related posts widget to your desired widget area.
  • To use a block, edit the post or page where you want to display related posts, and insert the related posts block provided by your plugin.

Step 4: Preview and Publish

  • Preview your post or page to ensure that the related posts section is displaying correctly.
  • If everything looks good, click “Publish” to make your changes live.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully added related posts to your WordPress website using a plugin.

  1. Manual Implementation – Total Control

If you prefer a more hands-on approach and want complete control over how related posts are displayed, you can manually implement them in your WordPress theme. Here’s how:

Step 1: Backup Your Website

  • Before making any changes to your theme, it’s essential to back up your website. This ensures that you can revert to a previous state if anything goes wrong.

Step 2: Edit Your Theme Files

  • Access your WordPress theme files through an FTP client or your hosting provider’s file manager.
  • Locate the template file where you want to display related posts. This is typically the single post template (single.php).
  • Create a child theme if you haven’t already. This helps prevent your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
  • Edit the template file and add code to query and display related posts. You can use WordPress functions like WP_Query to retrieve related posts based on categories, tags, or content similarity.
  • Style the related posts section to match your website’s design.

Step 3: Test and Fine-Tune

  • Save your changes and test your website to ensure that related posts are displayed correctly and as intended.
  • Fine-tune the code and styling as needed until you achieve the desired result.

Step 4: Monitor and Update

  • Regularly monitor the performance of your related posts section and update it as your content evolves.

Conclusion:

Adding related posts to your WordPress website can significantly enhance user engagement, increase page views, and keep your visitors exploring your content. Whether you prefer the simplicity of a plugin or the control of manual implementation, these two methods offer you effective ways to keep your audience connected and satisfied. Choose the method that best suits your needs and start reaping the benefits of related posts on your WordPress site today.