# How to Add WooCommerce Products as Blog Posts: A Beginner’s Guide
Want to boost your blog’s engagement and subtly promote your WooCommerce products? Integrating products directly into your blog posts is a fantastic strategy. This guide will show you how, even if you’re a complete newbie to WordPress and WooCommerce. We’ll explore various methods, explaining the pros and cons of each, so you can choose the best approach for your needs.
Why Add WooCommerce Products to Your Blog Posts?
Before diving into the “how,” let’s understand the “why.” Adding products to your blog posts offers several key advantages:
- Increased Engagement: Readers are more likely to interact with your content when it includes visually appealing products relevant to the topic.
- Improved SEO: Strategically adding products can improve your search engine rankings, as it increases the keyword relevance and content richness of your posts.
- Natural Product Promotion: It’s a far less intrusive way to promote your products than typical advertising. It feels more organic and less “salesy.”
- Enhanced User Experience: By showcasing products directly within the blog post, you simplify the purchasing process for interested readers. They don’t have to navigate away from your article.
- How to do it: In your blog post editor, simply use the shortcode `[product id=”YOUR_PRODUCT_ID”]`, replacing `YOUR_PRODUCT_ID` with the actual ID of your WooCommerce product. You can find the product ID in the product’s edit page in your WooCommerce dashboard.
- How to do it: Similar to the previous method, use a shortcode, but this one’s a bit more complex. You can use shortcodes like `[products category=”espresso-beans”]` to display products from the “espresso-beans” category. Consult your WooCommerce documentation for the complete list of available attributes.
Think of it like this: you’re writing a blog post about “The Best Coffee Beans for Espresso.” Wouldn’t it be helpful (and persuasive!) to showcase your own espresso bean options right within the article?
Methods for Adding WooCommerce Products to Blog Posts
There are several ways to add WooCommerce products to your blog posts, ranging from simple to more advanced techniques.
1. Using the “Add Product” Button (Easiest Method)
This is the simplest method. WooCommerce, by default, provides a shortcode that allows you to display a single product. This is great for highlighting a specific item relevant to your blog post.
Example: If your product ID is 123, the shortcode would be `[product id=”123″]`.
Pros: Easy to implement.
Cons: Only displays one product at a time. Not ideal for showcasing multiple products.
2. Using WooCommerce Product Gallery Shortcode (For Multiple Products)
For showcasing multiple products, the product gallery shortcode is a better option. This allows you to display a selection of products based on various criteria.
Example: `[products columns=”3″ category=”espresso-beans”]` displays products from the “espresso-beans” category in three columns.
Pros: Can display multiple products. More versatile than the single product shortcode.
Cons: Requires understanding WooCommerce shortcodes and attributes.
3. Using a WooCommerce Product Widget (For Sidebars)
You can also add a product widget to your sidebar or other widget areas. This allows you to showcase products in a dedicated area, complementing your blog post content.
Pros: Provides a consistent product promotion area across multiple posts.
Cons: Not directly integrated into the blog post content itself.
4. Advanced Methods (Custom Code/Plugins)
For more complex requirements, you might consider using custom code (PHP) or specialized WooCommerce plugins. This allows for highly customized product displays, but requires more technical expertise.
Example (PHP – requires caution and understanding of WordPress’s theme structure; use this only if you are comfortable with coding):
// Add this code to your theme's functions.php file (BACK UP YOUR THEME FIRST!)
function display_related_products() {
//This is a very basic example and needs more robust error handling and customization.
$related_products = wc_get_products(array(
'category' => 'related-category',
'limit' => 3
));
if ($related_products) {
echo ‘
‘;
}
}
add_shortcode(‘related_products’, ‘display_related_products’);
// Use the shortcode [related_products] in your blog post.
Pros: Highly customizable.
Cons: Requires advanced coding skills. Incorrectly implemented code can break your website.
Conclusion
Adding WooCommerce products to your blog posts is a powerful technique for boosting engagement and sales. Choose the method that best aligns with your technical skills and desired level of integration. Start with the simple shortcode methods, and as you gain experience, explore more advanced options. Remember to always back up your website before making any code changes!
