How Do I Display A WordPress Page Content

If you’ve embarked on the journey of creating a website using WordPress, you’re in good company. WordPress powers nearly 40% of all websites on the internet, thanks to its user-friendly interface and vast customization options. One fundamental aspect of building a WordPress website is learning how to display page content effectively. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore various methods to display WordPress page content, ranging from the basic to the more advanced, all while keeping SEO in mind.

Understanding WordPress Page Content

Before diving into the methods of displaying WordPress page content, let’s first clarify what “page content” means in the context of WordPress. Page content refers to the textual and multimedia elements that make up the main body of a page. This can include text, images, videos, and any other media you want to showcase to your website visitors.

WordPress utilizes a content management system (CMS) that stores and manages this page content, making it easy for users to create and edit web pages without needing to know how to code. To display this content on your website, you have several options, each with its own advantages and use cases.

Method 1: Using the Block Editor

WordPress introduced the Block Editor (formerly known as Gutenberg) as the default editor in version 5.0. It revolutionized the way content is created and displayed in WordPress. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1: Create or Edit a Page

Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the “Pages” section. Choose an existing page to edit or create a new one.

Step 2: Add Blocks

Click on the “+ New Block” button to start adding content blocks. You can choose from various block types like Paragraph, Image, Video, and more.

Step 3: Customize and Arrange Blocks

Edit the content within each block as needed. You can also drag and drop blocks to arrange them in your desired order.

Step 4: Preview and Publish

Once you’ve added and customized your content blocks, click the “Preview” button to see how your page will look. If you’re satisfied, hit “Publish” to make the changes live.

The Block Editor is not only user-friendly but also great for SEO. It allows you to optimize content easily by using H2 and H3 tags within your blocks to structure your content logically.

Method 2: Using Page Templates

Page templates are pre-designed layouts for specific types of pages on your website. They can be particularly useful when you want to maintain a consistent look and feel across multiple pages, such as your homepage, contact page, or blog posts.

Step 1: Create a New Page

In your WordPress dashboard, go to “Pages” and click “Add New” to create a new page.

Step 2: Choose a Page Template

On the right-hand side of the page editor, you’ll find a “Page Attributes” section. Here, you can select a page template from the available options.

Step 3: Customize Content

Once you’ve chosen a template, you can start customizing the page content as needed. This typically involves adding text, images, and other elements specific to your content.

Step 4: Publish Your Page

After you’ve added and customized the content, click the “Publish” button to make the page live.

Using page templates helps with SEO because it ensures a consistent structure and design across related pages on your site. This consistency can improve user experience and search engine rankings.

Method 3: Custom Page Templates

While WordPress provides several default page templates, you might have unique requirements that these templates don’t fulfill. In such cases, you can create custom page templates.

Step 1: Create a Custom Template File

To create a custom page template, you’ll need to edit your theme’s files. Access your WordPress installation via FTP or use the built-in theme editor. Then, create a new PHP file in your theme’s directory, such as “custom-template.php.”

Step 2: Add Template Header

At the beginning of your custom template file, add the following code:

<?php
/*
Template Name: Custom Template
*/
?>

Replace “Custom Template” with the name you want to give your template.

Step 3: Build Your Template

Within the custom template file, you can use HTML, CSS, and PHP to create a unique page layout. You can include WordPress functions to display page content dynamically.

Step 4: Assign the Template

When you create or edit a page, you can select your custom template from the “Page Attributes” section.

Custom page templates offer complete control over the page’s layout and design, making them valuable for SEO when you need to create specialized pages with specific content structures.

Method 4: Shortcodes

Shortcodes are small pieces of code enclosed in square brackets that you can insert directly into your page’s content to display dynamic elements or execute specific functions.

Step 1: Find Suitable Shortcodes

Many plugins and themes provide their own shortcodes. You can also find plugins that offer a wide range of shortcodes for various purposes.

Step 2: Insert Shortcodes

Edit your page, and wherever you want to display specific content or functionality, insert the shortcode within your content.

Step 3: Preview and Publish

Preview your page to ensure the shortcodes are working as intended. Once satisfied, publish your page.

Shortcodes can be a convenient way to enhance your content with dynamic elements. However, be cautious when using them, as too many shortcodes can clutter your content and affect SEO negatively.

Method 5: Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

Advanced Custom Fields is a powerful plugin that allows you to create custom fields and display them on your pages. It’s particularly useful for creating content-rich and highly customizable pages.

Step 1: Install and Activate ACF

Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins,” and install the Advanced Custom Fields plugin. Activate it once it’s installed.

Step 2: Create Custom Fields

In the ACF settings, you can define custom fields with various field types, such as text, image, WYSIWYG editor, and more.

Step 3: Add Custom Fields to Pages

Edit the page where you want to display custom fields, and you’ll find the ACF field groups available for that page. Add the relevant fields to your page.

Step 4: Display Custom Fields

Within your page template, use PHP code to fetch and display the custom fields where you want them to appear in your content.

ACF is an excellent tool for creating structured and highly customized content, which can be beneficial for SEO when used judiciously.

SEO Best Practices for Displaying WordPress Page Content

Now that we’ve explored various methods to display WordPress page content, let’s discuss some SEO best practices to ensure your content ranks well in search engine results:

1. Use Descriptive Headings

Utilize H1, H2, and H3 tags to structure your content logically. Your H1 tag should represent the main topic of the page, while H2 and H3 tags can be used for subsections and subtopics. This helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your content.

2. Optimize Images

If your content includes images, ensure they

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the content of a specific WordPress page on my website?

To display the content of a specific WordPress page, you can use the get_page or get_post function in your theme’s template file. For example, to display the content of a page with the ID of 5, you can use the following code:

   $page = get_page(5);
   echo apply_filters('the_content', $page->post_content);

Can I display a WordPress page’s content in a widget area or sidebar?

Yes, you can display a WordPress page’s content in a widget area or sidebar using a text widget. Simply add a text widget to your widgetized area and use the same code mentioned above to fetch and display the page content.

How can I display the content of the current page in WordPress?

To display the content of the current page in WordPress, you can use the following code within your page template:

   <?php
   if (have_posts()) :
      while (have_posts()) :
         the_post();
         the_content();
      endwhile;
   endif;
   ?>

This code will automatically display the content of the page you are currently viewing.

Is there a way to display only a specific part of a page’s content in WordPress?

Yes, you can display a specific part of a page’s content by using the get_the_content function along with custom WordPress filters or regular PHP string manipulation. For example, you can use get_the_content to retrieve the entire content and then use PHP functions to extract and display only the portion you want.

How can I customize the appearance of the displayed WordPress page content?

You can customize the appearance of the displayed page content by applying CSS styles to the HTML elements containing the content. You can do this by adding custom CSS rules to your theme’s stylesheet (usually style.css) or by using a custom CSS plugin. Additionally, you can wrap the content in HTML elements with specific classes or IDs to target them with CSS for more precise styling.

Remember to make any changes to your theme files or use custom code in a child theme to ensure that your modifications are not lost during theme updates.