How to Write a Blog Post that People Actually Want to Read

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If you consider yourself a bad writer but you really want to be a kick-ass blogger that writes great posts, don’t fret.

It’s a skill that you can learn and hone, and plus, it’s really not as complicated as you think.

That’s right, you too can write up a SEO winning blog post that stands out from the crowd and one that your readers will love.

It just takes a little practise and repetition.

And I’m going to guide you through it, step by step.

We will be focusing on two objectives in this guide: how to structure a blog post properly and how to write stellar content.

 

HOW TO STRUCTURE THE PERFECT BLOG POST EVERYTIME

Now that you have made the decision to start a blog, it’s time to fill it up with quality content.

When done correctly, a well-structured post can improve your blog’s on-page SEO and help your website rank HIGHER in search engines.

In addition, it also makes your post easier to read and therefore, enhances user experience.

There IS a basic structure that should be followed.

Here is a template you can quickly refer to, so that you structure your blog post perfectly every time.

 

Title

The title is often the first thing that people see, so it is VERY important for it to be clear, catchy and interesting.

It needs to be attention-grabbing so that it entices people to click and read your post.

It also needs to let people know what solution to what problem you are solving.

Your blog post title should be formatted with the H1 header. This is usually coded into your theme.

You should only have ONE H1 header per post.

 

Introduction

This is your chance to draw readers further into your post.

It is where you introduce your reader to the topic, let them know how this post will benefit them and summarizes what the blog post is about.

You need to use this opportunity to stimulate the reader’s interest and lure them in, without being too wordy.

Try to keep your introduction short and sweet (no more than 8 sentences). You want to write efficiently – you don’t want to overwhelm (or bore) the reader from the get-go.

Here are some ideas for crafting a captivating introduction:

• Ask a question (This helps evoke an emotional response from your reader and gets them thinking. They will then be tempted to keep reading to find the solution to the problem you presented)
• Be relatable (Readers love it when they feel like the writer understands exactly what they are going through. So show some empathy, show them that you “get it” and share a personal story)
• Keep sentences short (It’s easier to read and helps lure readers in)
• Hint at a promise (Hook the reader in and keep them on their toes by hinting the destination that your post promises to take them. Be careful not to give them the answer in the introduction though!)

 

Body

It’s now time to give readers the solution to the problem and to deliver what you promised.

To avoid overwhelming your readers with a big block of text, break up the body of your post with headers (H3 header), interesting images and bullet points. This will help keep your content organized and it will also make it easier for readers who like to scan.

Make sure you have a good amount of valuable content between the headers.

Also, try to keep the format and layout consistent.

This will help improve the reader’s experience as they will have an idea of what to expect.

 

Conclusion

After giving out such valuable content, you really need to end this thing with a BANG!

Do a quick summary of the important points or any messages you really want the reader to take away.

Remember to avoid adding any new tips or information!

This is also the time for you to encourage and motivate your readers to achieve the promised goal with the solution that you presented in your post.

Let them know that you believe in them and that they need to take action NOW.

After all, the readers who stick around until the end are the ones that like you. They trust you and want you to tell them what to do next.

That brings us to the final section of your blog post…

 

Call-to-Action

So now that the readers are ready for more, give it to them!

They want to know what to do next.

A call-to-action is basically all about explicitly asking the reader to do a particular thing.

Don’t be too over the top or pushy about it, but don’t be afraid to do it either. If you have provided value in your post, your readers will respond.

It could be simply asking them to share your post, leave a comment or subscribe to your email list.

You could also put some links to your other useful blog posts down here for them to check out.

There you have it!

That’s the basic structure of a blog post you should follow if you want to publish reader-friendly and smooth-flowing content.

 

Some useful tips to note:

• It is ideal for your blog post to be at least 1,000 words. Longer posts usually get ranked better in search engines.
• A blog post is not like an essay you would write in your English class. Keep your paragraphs short (think one or two sentences each) to help make your post more readable and scannable.
• Break up the monotonous text with images, bullet lists and numbered lists! Trust me, it makes a world of difference for the reader.
• Bold some words or phrases to help readers identify what to take note of, especially when they are scanning.
• Include an image for Pinterest.
• Make sure you put links within your post to your other posts (helps your bounce rate and SEO) as well as other people’s posts.

 

HOW TO WRITE STELLAR CONTENT

Now that you know how to structure your blog post, let’s talk about how to actually write a blog post that people want to read.

 

Do keyword research to come up with an attractive topic

Doing keyword research is a very important part of writing a blog post.

Why?

Because it will help you come up with a topic that people will want to read.

Also, weaving in keywords in your post will help your post to rank higher in search engines. This is referred to as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

The two search engines that you may want to focus on, is Google and Pinterest.

The more you include your keyword in your post, the better optimized your post will be for that keyword.

Be careful though,  you want to include the keywords within your post in a natural and understandable way so as not to disrupt the reader experience.

For SEO purposes, you should focus on including your keywords in the following areas:

• Page title
• Meta description
• Subheadings
• Content (use main keyword in the first couple of sentences, and use that keyword and variations of it throughout the rest of your content in a natural manner)
• Images (use keywords in file name, image titles and alt text)
• URL

The bottom line: you don’t want to over-do it or else you would be “keyword stuffing” and you could be penalized for it. Write for your readers first.

There are software/plug-ins, such as YOAST SEO, that can help make the process optimizing your post with keywords easier.

 

Know your reader

An important aspect of writing a great blog post is to know who your ideal reader is.

Create a theoretical persona of your reader and focus on writing quality content aimed at them.  Think about who they are and what they would want to know from you.

By doing so, it will help you craft the perfect blog post for that reader.

They will be able to relate to what you’ve written and find the content relevant and useful.

As a result, you are more likely to attract a more engaged audience.

 

Solve a problem

It is important that you write a blog post with the intent to help readers solve a problem.

In order for your blog post to be truly successful, it needs to be full of practical and actionable advice.

Not only are readers drawn to posts that are relevant and useful, they also yearn for a little motivation and inspiration to encourage them to implement the advice you have provided them in the post.

 

Write with a conversational feel (Write as if you are speaking directly to the reader)

A blog post is not meant to be like the essay you did in English Literature class. You don’t want to sound too academic either.

Your post needs to have more of a conversational feel to it.

The best way to convey your message or ideas across to your intended reader in a blog post is to write as if you are speaking directly to the reader.

You need to come across as though you are having a conversation and giving advice to that reader, and that reader only.

That way, you’ll be able to connect with the reader without overwhelming them or being too boring.

Although you want to be relatable, try to be yourself and avoid going too over the top.

 

Proofread and edit like crazy 

It is uncommon for ANY blogger to be able to write out a polished perfect post in their first draft.

Often times, there will be spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

If you publish your post without correcting these, you will seem unprofessional, careless and it will disrupt the reader’s experience.

That’s why it is important for you to look over your work before publishing!

My favorite trick is to read my blog post out loud rather than in my head.

It’s also always helpful if you have a second pair of eyes to read over your work, but if you don’t have another person to do so, a really helpful tool I use is Grammarly.

I always write with the Grammarly extension running because it picks up my spelling and grammar mistakes on the go. It honestly saves me so much time and gives me the confidence that I haven’t missed anything.

It’s FREE for me to use anyway, so why not?

 

 

Keep it consistent

Consistency is a big part of the blogging world.

You don’t want to be posting a whole bunch of posts and then not publishing for months on end.

There’s no magic number of how many times you should be posting. You need to figure out what you are comfortable with and commit to that posting schedule!

Posting once a week is a great start for beginners.

 

CONCLUSION

Writing and publishing your very first blog post can be a nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience.

It’s normal to feel like your writing may not be good enough or that no one will care about what you have to say.

However, trust me when I say that it WILL get easier over time.

You just need to press that publish button!

If you follow the structure and implement the tips I mentioned above, I’m sure it won’t be too bad!

Go on, now that you know how to write a blog post, give it a go!

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Which part of writing a blog post do you struggle with most?

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