Article for a category in wordpress

[Diegan]

Hi, I am trying to follow a guide about creating authority sites, and I am a little confused. I would love to be able to use wordpress for my site, but in the guide, they use xsitepro2.

The problem is, the guide counsels you to write a big "main article", for every category, and inside that, the articles for that category (silo structure). For example:

Niche: Cars
Category: Red cars (I would write an article about red cars)
Article 1: Red big cars are fun
Article 2: Red cars are SO much fun...

But in wordpress, I have only articles inside categories, but how could I create a 'main' article for each category?

Thx

[Diegan]

Anybody?

[yukon]

You need to edit the archive.php template.

Hard code the article into the template with plain html.

Backup the site/theme before making any edits.

[Edit}
See a better answer below.

[Diegan]

But if I hardcode, how can I choose which category should have which article?

[yukon]

Ok, I got this!

Forget what I said above, I have an easier way to get a static article/text on your Wordpress Category page.

Follow these steps in this exact order:

1) Backup your WP theme.

2) Add this code inside your Wordpress archive.php template, in the location you want the article to show up (top of the page).

PHP Code:

<?php
         echo category_description();
?>

3) Go to your individual WP Category (example category = videos), you'll find a category Description text box.

Wordpress Admin. --> Posts --> Categories --> videos (the actual category)

Paste your article/text into the category Description text box, & click the UPDATE button.

4) Go to your blog & view the Category (videos) page, you should see your article that you posted in the Description text box.


[Note]
You only have to add the php code once. For every new Category simply add the article/text to the catagories Description text box.

This assumes no seo plugins are adding the category description into the categories META-Description Tag.

[Abledragon]

There are lots of courses that tell you you need to have some big, major articles - sometimes called cornerstone articles. But the implication is that once you have your cornerstone content you can just churn out other stuff.

However, quality will always win the day, particularly now that poor quality articles on your site can negatively affect your site's overall ranking.

So just write good stuff - each one the best you can make it.

WordPress gives you the opportunity to organise your material in the most logical and intuitive way possible - as long as you make full use of the categories and tags.

This article may help:

Optimise WordPress with Categories and Tags | WealthyDragon

Cheers,

Martin.

[katied772]

Maybe I'm not understanding what you are asking.
I would think you would just put your article on the homepage (made static)
Add a main article in each category, make this sticky and link back to the homepage with the homepage main kw within the text, then add supporting articles within the same category. Each supporting article should mention the keyword from it's main article somewhere within the content.
This may be simpler than what you are asking but this is how I do my sites in WP after I moved away from XSite Pro.

[Diegan]

@ katied772

Could you please show me an example, and recommend a theme that would allow you that? Many of the themes I see, would not work well with a "static" webpage. I also don't know how to make static pages... :S

[katied772]

Originally Posted by Diegan

@ katied772

Could you please show me an example, and recommend a theme that would allow you that? Many of the themes I see, would not work well with a "static" webpage. I also don't know how to make static pages... :S

I use Heatmap theme. It is a paid theme. Can't remember what I paid but it wasn't expensive. You can probably do the same thing with free themes, not sure. For the homepage, go to Settings - Reading and the option to make the homepage static will be there.
For posts under categories, after you publish the main post in your category, bring up your post quick edit and the option to make that post sticky will be there on the left.
I make one post sticky in each category with supporting posts under it that are not sticky so they continue to update with the newer posts right under the main sticky post.
I also provide a link back to my main posts from each supporting post.

[Diegan]

Thanks, will look at that theme and try it. Thanks!