Writing a blog post isn’t the easiest task in the world. Once you settle on a topic, do your research and start writing, the real work begins. Do you want to nail that perfect blog post every time? There are a few simple basic points for a well-structured blog post then there are the additional spices that make it perfect.
The basics of a blog post aren’t much different than any other writing piece so let’s quickly go through them then we’ll look into the final touches that draw in the readers as fast as wildfire!
According to PCMag.com digital content creation is “The development of newsworthy, educational and entertainment material for distribution over the Internet or other electronic media.” —
What are the basics of writing a blog post?
- Research before writing. Before you tackle any topic it is important to know all the relevant info needed and check all your facts. Doing research will make your post rich with information which is key to any content.
- A catchy, well-thought title. Choosing your blog post title is the most important step and is preferable to leave until the end when you’ve finished writing. The title should include important keywords and should be simple yet captivating. This is what defines the body of the post so it should be relevant so that it appears first when the readers search for something related to it.
- A clean and organized outline. Your blog post should never be a chunk of endless writing that’s messy and unprofessional. You need to separate your paragraphs into points, steps, tips or sections with headers and sub-headers (these titles are also important to choose wisely). This way the reader can easily read your post without being overwhelmed.
- A hooking intro. Once you’ve drawn the reader in, don’t start to ramble words so that your post is stuffed with jargon. Stay simple and direct. Make quick hints at the start of paragraphs so they’d want to read on.
- Informative, helpful body. When getting into the juicy parts, don’t hold back. Be as helpful and as informative as you can. Remember, your reader wants to come out of this article with something useful so don’t disappoint.
- Proofread your work. Once you’re done with your blog post, you need to polish it. Go over everything and change what needs changing. Carry out efficient spelling, grammar and language checks. This step is what separates the amateurs from the professionals.
Writing daily keeps the wheels lubricated, and even if it’s only 1-2 hours each day, you’ll advance quicker which will make you more excited about what you do. — Susan K Perry Ph.D.
5 Final Ingredients to a Perfect Blog Post
- Categories & Tags
You must always have your post under a specific category to keep things clear. For example, if your blog is about books and your post is about book sales, then you should put it under the sales, prices, or buying category. As for tags, this is where you use all relevant keywords that describe your post. The reader can use these tags to read more about specific points in your post that could be mentioned somewhere else on your blog. Categories and tags help the reader navigate through your blog instead of just read your post and leave.
- Call to Action (CTA)
This part is vital when writing a blog post because it can potentially gain you a subscriber. People are reading your post for a reason; they want to come out of it with something and are waiting for you to tell them what to do next. This part is usually at the end of your post. You can tell them to go to another post for the next step (with the link to another post), you can ask them to share your post with others or subscribe for more useful posts, or you can ask them for their opinion on your post and leave a comment with questions.
- Optimize your Post
Using a good, sufficient amount of keywords in your post is what gets you more readers. The URL for your post should be short and have the main keywords and the headlines. For the body of the post, don’t stuff it with keywords but use them naturally.
Let’s start with the Meta description. This is a small summary of 150-160 words that explain your blog post. This will either encourage or discourage the searcher to click on your post.
Another aspect to optimize is your anchor text which is the words that show within the text that are links to other parts of your blog or other websites. This is included in your keyword ranking and affects your chances of appearing in search engines.
Finally, you need to make sure your blog is mobile-friendly. This is something Google takes very seriously. Up to 90% of users search online from their phones, so if your blog isn’t optimized for mobiles, it may not show up in the searches.
- Personalize your blog post
There are probably hundreds of other bloggers that tackled the same topic you’re taking on, so what makes your post so different?
You need to be sure your blog stands out and this is by putting yourself into your post. Be honest with your readers and use your own style, whether it’s comedic, sassy or loony. Put your own experiences and stories into your writing.
Writing preserves information in a code that must be deciphered by a human receiver. The interpretation of its content may therefore vary between human receivers, or between the same receiver at different stages of his life. — Kate Distin Ph.D.
- Engage with your readers:
Encourage your readers to engage with you on your posts and say their opinions. You can do this through the CTA. Make your topic open for discussion by asking questions or wanting feedback, and always interact with your readers. Whether through emails or comments, this will help you gain your readers’ loyalty.
By following these points, there is nothing that can stop you from creating a hit blog post every single time.