Sitting down to write a great blog post is much easier said than done. There’s a reason the term “writer’s block” is so ubiquitous. Everyone suffers from it at some point. But you don’t want to stay stuck too long.
Instead of wasting hours staring at your screen, try using the following simple, three step recipe for writing a great blog post. The key is to grab your reader’s attention and hold it.
Here’s how to do it:
Step One:
When writing a great blog post, start by choosing a compelling title. Think about it this way: what will your audience gain by reading your post? What will they lose if they don’t?
I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you want to write a post about kid-friendly activities in your local area. Let’s look at two possible blog post titles below:
Title Number One: Fun, Local Kid-Friendly Activities
Title Number Two: Seven Local Kid-Friendly Activities You’ve Never Tried
Number one is okay. You can definitely get the main gist of the post from the title. But, it fails to really stand out.
However, Title number two compels you to want to read the post. You feel like you’re missing out on some top secret information if you don’t read it.
Also, the pronoun “you” makes the title more personal.
Blog Title Generator by SEOPressor is an excellent tool. You just type in your keyword(s) or key phrase and it will generate a list of compelling titles.
See related: How to Start a Blog in Five Easy Steps and How to Pick the Perfect Blog Topic
Step Two:
Posts need structure, so to write a great blog post, start with an outline:
- Opening paragraph: Set the stage for the one central idea of your post. Keeping with our example above, pose a question like “Have you run out of ideas for fun, kid-friendly activities in the local area?” You can also include a statistic, like “A recent study showed that (insert city name) has the largest amount of kid-friendly activities.”
- Supporting paragraphs: The paragraphs underneath your opening paragraph should all support your central idea. If the information in your supporting paragraphs is straying from your central idea, you probably need to break your topics up into two or more blog posts. Items to include in your supporting paragraphs: statistics or studies, personal stories or examples (personal examples draw readers in and make them feel connected to you), and don’t forget about adding humor.
- Conclusion: Your concluding paragraph should tie up your post and make it feel “finished.” Tell your reader what you just told them. For example: “Now you’re in the know about the seven best kept secrets for kid activities in the area. Know of any other little-known, local kid-friendly adventures? Leave us a comment below!
Step Three:
It might sound simple, but to write a great blog post, you need to check your post for typos and grammatical errors. Once done, make sure you optimize the post for it Search Engine Optimization (SEO) score, and readability. For WordPress users, the Yoast SEO plugin is extremely helpful and will rate your blog post, helping you maximize your SEO score and get noticed on google. It provides you a real time list of suggestions at the post of every post. These will help the automated search engines find your posts and link them to search queries.
Regarding readability, make sure your have several quality photos throughout your post. Creating sub-headings can also break up the text and illustrates the main points. Bullets, bold, and italics can further illustrate your main points. Don’t forget to use your SEO keyword and its synonyms throughout the post.
What’s been working for you in terms of making your blog posts shine? Leave a comment below!
New to blogging? Check out similar posts Start a Mom Blog in Five Easy Steps and How to Pick the Perfect Blog Topic.