How to Write a Blog Post – The Only Guide You’ll Need

Blogging has emerged as one of the most vital aspects of content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). 

And that’s not all.

It’s also become a very useful way of making money online and can become a side business or a full-time profession too.

This is perhaps the reason why there are over 600 million active blogs out there.

An active and informative blog skyrockets your website traffic and helps strengthen your reputation and authority. 

You can even use blog posts to generate leads, drive conversions, and boost revenue.

In fact, blogs can help you grow your indexed pages by 434% and indexed links by 97%.

What’s more?

You can repurpose them into other content formats such as infographics, presentations, e-books, etc.

Whether you are an aspiring content creator or a thriving entrepreneur, you need a blog to grow your audience. 

Nevertheless, writing a captivating blog post is easier said than done. 

It isn’t as simple as hammering at your keyboard and jotting down your thoughts. 

If you want to write a blog post that will help you accomplish your goals, you must embrace a systematic approach.

So, how to write a blog post that amplifies traffic and drives conversions? 

There isn’t a straightforward one-line answer to this question. 

Instead, you have to follow a series of crucial steps, from preparing a lucid outline to crafting a hypnotic title. 

If you have always wanted to know how to write a great blog post, this article has got you covered.

But let us first take a look at the different types of blog posts available on the internet.

Types of Blog Posts

A blog post is a piece of content that lets you express your thoughts, insights, and opinions on your website. 

You can also share inspiring stories, the latest industry news, and best-practices in your blog posts. 

The key is to ensure that your blog post educates, inspires, or entertains your readers, and compels them to return for more content.

Typically, a blog post uses a combination of text, images, videos, infographics, animation, presentations, etc. 

You must use supporting examples and data to validate your opinions/ideas and add value to your post. 

That said, there are numerous types of blog posts you can write. 

Here are a few common types of blog posts you will find on the internet:

1. Listicles

The term “listicle” is a portmanteau coined from the words “list” and “article”. 

As the name suggests, listicles are list-based blog posts that convey crucial information in the form of a list. 

Such blog posts are great for sharing industry trends and tips as well as outlining the steps of a complex process.

Here is an example:

Image via Tasmai Dave

2. How-to Posts/Guides

These blog posts are usually aimed at helping your readers solve a problem. 

They are also effective tools to educate your readers about using your products/services. 

Moreover, publishing plenty of well-researched and insightful how-to guides strengthens your reputation and authority as an industry expert.

This very blog post that you’re reading is an example of a how-to blog post.

3. Thought Leadership Posts

These blog posts are ideal for showcasing your first-hand experience or expertise on a subject. 

They are often written in the first person and are useful for building authority and credibility.

Additionally, they help you earn your audience’s trust and build a community of loyal readers.

Here is an example:

Image via Neil Patel

4. Newsjacking Posts

Newsjacking is the practice of capitalizing on trending industry news to draw attention to your content. 

In addition to sharing an important piece of news, you can include fresh insights on how it will affect your industry. 

Such blog posts help amplify awareness and position your website as a reliable source of information.

Here is an example:

Image via HubSpot

5. Curated Content Posts

These are a subset of listicles and include a list of real-life examples that have something in common. 

They are useful when you are running out of original ideas but still want to publish an engaging and valuable blog post. 

However, curated content posts require immaculate research.

Image via Convince & Convert

6. Infographic Posts

You can use infographic posts to share crucial information, statistics, and data in a more engaging format. 

They are useful for building awareness and authority. 

That’s not all.

They help you communicate useful information in a crisp and engaging manner.

Moreover, many of your readers will save the infographic and share it in their networks, thus increasing your reach even further. Infographics are also great tools for link building.

Here is an example:

Image via OpenColleges

Now that you have a fair idea of the different types of blog posts, you must be yearning to learn how to write blogs. 

However, there are a few things you should take care of before you get started. 

In the next section, we will discuss the prerequisites for writing an outstanding blog post.

How to Write a Blog Post: The Prerequisites

Here is the thing — writing a blog post isn’t the same as making a diary entry. 

Well, I mean, it could be, but only if it’s a personal blog that’s not meant to achieve any commercial goals.

While your blog gives you a platform to express your thoughts and ideas, you must deliver relevant and meaningful content to your audience. 

Otherwise, even the most well-written blog post will fail to attract readers and drive conversions.

Here are a few essential things you must tend to before writing your first blog post:

1. Build Your Blog

First things first — you need a well-designed and responsive blog to publish your posts. 

Start by selecting an attractive and relevant domain name for your blog. 

Next, register your domain and purchase your hosting plan. Make sure you choose a fast, secure, and reliable hosting provider.

The next step is to design your blog using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress. 

You can choose from a wide array of awesome-looking mobile-responsive website themes depending on your niche. 

Additionally, you can customize the color palette, typography, etc. and add your logo and header. 

Also, make sure you add the “About”, “Contact Us”, and “Products/Services” pages to your blog.

2. Set Clear Goals

Whether you are publishing your first blog post or the hundredth one, you must know why you are writing it. 

In other words, you must have a clear idea of what action you want the readers to take after reading your blog post.

But why?

It’s because your end goal will influence various aspects of your blog post including its type, length, and tone.

3. Understand Your Audience

You can’t write an engaging and high-converting blog post without knowing who is going to read it. 

If you don’t know who’s going to read your post, you’ll never be able to write it such that they understand it. 

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

That’s why it is crucial to have a deep understanding of your target audience including their ambitions and struggles. 

This, in turn, helps you identify topics and themes that will resonate with your readers. 

It is also recommended that you create distinct buyer personas for different audience segments.

For instance, my audience for this blog post are people who want to learn content writing or blogging. 

That’s why this post explains everything right from scratch as it’s meant for people who’re beginners.

4. Know Your Keywords

Writing a blog post without optimizing it for search engines is like shooting in the dark. 

If you judiciously optimize your blog post for the right keywords, it will likely climb to the top of relevant search engine results. 

Otherwise, even the most well-researched blog post may never see the light of the day on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Keyword research also helps you identify topics that will hit the right chord with your audience.

How can you conduct keyword research?

To do keyword research, you can use keyword research tools like SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, Site Explorer by Ahrefs, etc. 

These can help you identify trending and relevant keywords in your niche. 

You can also use Google Trends to identify popular and emerging keywords. 

Once you have selected a target keyword, run a Google search to find relevant variations and long-tail keywords.

Image via Google

5. List Your Ideas

Laslty, you can’t build a successful blog without unique, relevant, and valuable ideas for blog posts.

Create a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and jot down all the subjects/themes/titles that will appeal to your readers. 

Keep adding new topics to the list as they pop in your head. This list will come in handy when you are scouring for ideas to write your next blog post.

It also helps to create topic clusters to identify and club similar topics together.

So, have you designed a visually attractive blog and built a repository of content ideas already? 

It is now time for you to learn how to write a blog post on WordPress or any other CMS.

How to Write a Great Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide

There was a time when internet users perceived blogging as a medium of self-expression. 

It was all about sharing your ideas with the world and connecting with like-minded individuals. 

However, the art of blogging has significantly evolved in recent years. It’s become a way through which brands or even individuals can educate online audiences. For instance, see how I’m putting out guides to help you write and market better. 

But to do this right, you need to develop a robust content strategy and define your goals before you start writing a blog post. 

You must ensure that content aligns with your marketing objectives and is optimized using the right keywords. 

So, without further ado, let us discuss how to write a blog post from scratch.

1. Select a Topic

The first step is to identify a relevant, popular, and meaningful topic that will resonate with your readers. 

If you’ve already performed thorough keyword research, you will likely have a clear idea of potential topics. 

You should also delve deeper into your audience’s minds and identify the questions they want to ask or the problems they face. 

But what if you’re still confused?

You can use a free tool like AnswerThePublic for this purpose.

Image via AnswerThePublic

At this stage, it is also crucial to watch out for any emerging content trends in your niche.

Additionally, you should carefully evaluate your goals and identify a topic that lets you accomplish them. 

What’s more?

It’s essential to select the type of blog post (listicle, how-to guide, thought leadership post, etc.) you want to write.

Let me explain with an example. 

Let’s say you run a travel blog and are looking for blog post ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The first thing you should consider is that your readers can’t go for long holidays to exotic destinations right now. 

Instead, they are likely looking for ideas to travel in their backyard. 

They might even be interested in offbeat road trips or camping ideas.

Here are a few possible topics you could write about:

• One-day road trips
• Camping trip essentials
• Explore your backyard

Once you have a few potential topics, you should validate them using a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or KWFinder. 

This helps you determine whether these topics will garner traction.

2. Develop a Working Title

If you are a novice blogger, you will feel the urge to commence writing as soon as you have picked the topic. 

However, in the absence of a well-defined title, you will lose focus and fail to steer your content in the right direction. 

While you don’t need to finalize the title just yet, you should articulate a lucid working title.

This will help you determine the sub-topics, references, examples, etc. you want to include in your blog post.

Let’s go back to the previous example and assume that you picked “exploring your backyard” as the topic. Here are a few potential working titles:

• How to be a tourist in your own backyard
• Tips/Ideas for exploring your backyard and making the most of it
• Finding an adventure in your own backyard
• Why traveling in your backyard can be fun and rewarding

None of these titles are irresistibly eye-catching. 

However, each title clearly conveys what your blog post should be about. 

The title you finally select will depend on your goals and target keywords.

3. Start Your Research

If you want to learn how to write a blog post, you must first understand the importance of thorough research. 

In fact, I spend more time on research than actually writing the blog post. 

But why?

A shallow article that merely touches upon the chosen topic will fail to engage your readers. It simply doesn’t provide value.

That’s why you should read about the topic from various reputable and authoritative sources before you start writing. 

Start by running a Google search for the selected topic and going through the topmost organic listings.

Don’t forget to watch out for gaps in existing blog posts, e-books, and other resources related to the topic. 

You should also look for meaningful examples, data, and case studies from credible sources.

What’s more?

You should find relevant and high-quality images that you can include to support or enhance your text. 

Lastly, if you have any personal experience that you can share with your readers, make sure you add it to your post.

4. Prepare an Outline

You can’t write a captivating and memorable blog post without first preparing a concrete outline.

So, how can you create an outline?

Firstly, determine a tentative length for your blog post depending on the topic and niche.

Next, divide the topic into meaningful sub-topics and assign an approximate word count to each section. 

Make sure each section and its content aligns with the working title.

Let’s say you have selected “How to be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard” as the working title.

Here is a sample outline for your blog post:

But why should you create an outline?

Is it really necessary?

The prime goal behind creating an outline for your content is that you can articulate your content better through it.

When you create an outline, you can manage the flow of your content better and also cover the topics thoroughly. 

You’ll easily be able to identify if you’ve missed out on some important topic.

What’s more?

If you’re writing long-form content to the tune of 3000+ words (which I regularly do) it’s highly recommended that you create an outline.

Doing so can help you split up your topic into various sub-topics. 

You can then cover each topic at a time. This will help you write an in-depth post with ease.

5. Start Writing

This is the most exciting step of publishing a blog post. 

If you have performed extensive research and created a lucid outline, writing your blog post will be fairly straightforward. 

Make sure you keep your content factual, concise, and to-the-point. 

Additionally, you should uplift the quality of your content with meaningful statistics and examples.

Here are a few more useful tips to help you write an outstanding blog post:

• Hypnotize with the introduction – Make your first sentence the best to hook your readers from the outset. 
  
  Keep the introduction snappy and ensure that it clearly conveys what the blog post is about.
  
  It should also highlight the problem your blog post will solve or the questions it will answer.

• Use short sentences – Make sure the sentences don’t exceed 20-30 words. This makes it easier for your readers to understand them.
  
• Shorten your paragraphs – Restrict the length of each paragraph to 3 or 4 sentences.

• Include subheadings – Group related paragraphs under meaningful subheadings to aid scannability and amplify engagement.

• Use lists – Break the monotony of text with bulleted lists.

• Include media – Add relevant images, videos, infographics, etc. to support your ideas/claims/opinions. Don’t forget to credit the sources.
  
• Wrap things up with a memorable conclusion – Make sure the conclusion offers valuable takeaways for your readers.
  
• Add links – Whenever you use an example, data, or case study, don’t forget to include a link to the original source. 
  
  Make sure you use valid and relevant anchor texts as well.

• Optimize – Try to include your target keywords in the introduction, conclusion, image alt texts, and subheadings. 
  
  You should also try to integrate it into your content whenever it is an organic fit.
  
  However, you should avoid stuffing your blog post with too many keywords.

6. Edit & Format

Once you complete the first draft of your blog post, you should read it multiple times and analyze whether it is making sense. 

You may have to rewrite certain sentences or paragraphs. 

Additionally, you should identify and remove sections that digress from the working title. 

After all, your content needs to be free of fluff.

You could also ask your friends or colleagues to give it a read and offer an objective opinion.

This is also a good time to make your blog post visually appealing. 

You can use bold and italicized words to highlight important points. 

Likewise, you should insert images and graphics to prevent your blog from becoming an unending wall of text. 

If you are writing your blog on WordPress, you can also add quotes to break the visual monotony. (Just the way I’ve done it here. )

7. Proofread Your Blog Post

There is nothing more embarrassing than publishing a blog post only to realize that your content is laden with spelling and grammatical errors. 

Even the most prolific content writers and bloggers are prone to make a few mistakes while writing. 

That’s why you must proofread your content to identify misspelling as well as incorrect grammar and punctuation. 

You can also use content proofreading tools like Grammarly to detect additional readability issues and understand how to rectify them.

Image via Grammarly

8. Write a Meaningful Meta Description

A meta description is the snippet of text that appears below the title of your blog post in Google search results. 

An effective meta description is one that compels your target audience to click on the page title. 

What’s more?

Google also highlights the keywords used for search in the meta description.

So, how can you write a meta description?

The meta description should outline what the blog post will cover, why it is valuable, and how the reader will benefit. 

Keep it short (under 160-165 characters) and try to include the target keywords (if they fit organically).

Here is an example:

Image via Google

9. Optimize the URL

It won’t be fair to discuss how to write a blog post on WordPress without mentioning the URL. 

But why?

URLs are often one of the most overlooked aspects of publishing a blog post. 

Most content management systems (CMS) and blogging platforms automatically generate a URL for every blog post.

However, you should take it up a notch and ensure that the URL is concise and meaningful.

Always create a custom URL.

It can be instrumental in improving the click-through rate (CTR) of your blog post in search engine results. 

It also helps search engine spiders understand what your blog post is about and positively impacts your SEO. 

Try to include the target keyword or its variation, if possible.

However, make sure that the URL should be as short as possible. Shorter URLs are easier to remember for your readers.

Take a look at the following example:

Image via Tasmai Dave

10. Add a Featured Image

A featured image is the image that appears at the top of your blog post. 

It is also the image that is automatically included when you share your blog post on social media platforms. 

Therefore, it’s crucial to find or design a high-quality image that gives a glimpse of what the blog post covers. 

If you don’t have any original images, you can always use stock photographs and graphics from the internet.

But if you do so, make sure that you always credit the images to the photographers, designers, or the website from which you take the image.

You can do this by adding an “Image via [websitename]” below the image. You can then link that to the original image.

But guess what?

You don’t need to stick to static images. You can get creative with your approach. I use GIFs as featured images for many of my blog posts.

These tend to be more attractive as they’re dynamic.

Note how I’ve put up a GIF banner image for my post on the best tips for content writing.

11. Craft an Irresistible Title

The title of your blog post is the first point of contact between your content and target audience. 

If it doesn’t immediately grab a reader’s attention, they won’t scroll further down. 

That’s why you must develop a powerful title that compels them to read the content.

The title should give them a glimpse of what the blog post includes. 

However, it should also be interesting enough to pique the reader’s curiosity. 

I advise you to use phrases like “how to”, “did you know,” etc. to make it more engaging. 

But why?

The idea is to tug at a reader’s heartstring and stir an emotion that immediately motivates them to find out more.

If you have already created a working title, you can use it as a reference to finalize the title.

Keep it short and avoid over-promising. 

Try to include your target keyword or its variation in it too. 

I recommend using a tool like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer to find out whether the title is effective and how to improve it.

Image via CoSchedule

12. Don’t Forget the CTA

A remarkably written blog post without a powerful call-to-action (CTA) will fail to drive conversions or yield the desired results. 

That’s why you must clearly specify what action you want your readers to take after reading your blog post. 

You can ask them to download an e-book, register for a webinar, listen to your latest podcast episode, and much more.

If you intend to monetize your blog through affiliate marketing, you might need to add multiple such CTAs throughout your post which ask your readers to check out your partner’s website.

Here is an example:

Image via HubSpot

13. Add Internal Links

Internal links are extremely useful in uplifting audience engagement. 

When your readers find good related content on your website, they’ll dwell on it for longer. This can positively impact your SEO.

What’s more?

They also help search engines navigate your website and index new blog posts. 

You should scan your blog post and identify opportunities to link to other relevant web pages on your blog. 

Make sure you use meaningful anchor texts that convey what the hyperlinked page contains.

However, don’t try to over-optimize the anchor text. 

14. Publish & Promote

The final step is to publish your blog post after giving it a thorough read one last time.

But remember, publishing a post is only half the job. 

You need to promote it well to ensure that it attracts readers.

For this, it’s essential to know how to grow your blog. 

Some of the ways through which you can grow its reach are:

• SEO
• Social Media Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Paid Advertising 
• Guest Posting

Start Writing Your First Blog Post

In today’s internet-driven age, every brand and content creator wants to try their hands at blogging.

In fact, blogs play a major role in brand building online. 

However, making your blog posts stand out from the crowd requires meticulous planning and research. 

You must have a deep understanding of your readers’ aspirations and pain points.

Additionally, you should have a clear idea of your goals and target keywords.

It is also crucial to select an eye-catching topic and draft a captivating title. 

Once you have written the first draft, you must format your blog post to make it visually appealing by adding visual elements. 

Lastly, make sure you optimize the content using relevant keywords naturally throughout the content and add a suitable call-to-action (CTA).

Do you have any questions about how to write a blog post? Ask them in the comments section below and I’ll try my best to answer them all.