No matter what type of website you have, you need to publish content regularly if you want to rank in search engines. Posting blogs frequently gives your website more indexed pages, which leads to more opportunities to show up in search results.
However, when creating blogs, you can’t just put a few sentences together and call it a day. You need to carefully craft each blog post so that it delivers unique, valuable content to your users. Even if you are using blogs to help you rank in organic searches, you still need to be mindful of the humans at the other end of the screen who are reading your content.
Make your content interesting to readers, and they’ll be more likely to share your articles and keep coming back for more.
How to Write a Blog Post People Want to Read
So, how do you write a great blog post that will help you rank and be interesting for users? This quick guide will break down the anatomy of a blog post step-by-step to help you deliver exceptional content every time you hit “publish.”
Do Some Keyword Research
If you want to rank in search results, you have to do some search engine optimization (SEO) research. Use tools like Google Adwords’ keyword planner, Moz, or SEMRush to see what people are searching for in your industry. Break it down by country or region if you are trying to write for a specific geographic area.
SEO research will help you optimize your posts based on the keywords people use when they type into their search bar. Use keywords naturally in the text instead of trying to stuff them in randomly.
Create an Interesting Headline
Once you have your topic ready, it’s time to craft the perfect headline, which is the title of your blog post. Because it’s what people see first, your blog post’s headline will play a significant factor in whether or not they continue to read. Studies indicate that around 60 percent of people will share an article based on the headline alone, without ever reading it.
As an experiment, the website The Science Post published an article in 2018 with the headline “Study: 70% of Facebook users only read the headline of science stories before commenting.” However, if you click the link to the article, you will see that it is not an article at all but a one-paragraph description of a fake study, followed by a series of lorem ipsum paragraphs.
The point is to create an interesting headline that will get people to click and share your article. Keep them to around 8 – 14 words. Then, use a tool like SEOMofo to see how the headline will appear in search results before publishing it.
Get to the Point in Your Introduction
Readers hate clickbait. Assure them that your blog post is, in fact, relevant to the headline in a short introduction. Use engaging language that encourages your readers to want to keep reading your blog post.
Keep your sentences and paragraphs short in the introduction and throughout your blog post. Remember that most people tend to skim articles rather than read them in-depth. Also, concise sentences and paragraphs are easier to read on the go, even for the most intelligent readers.
Use Images to Break Up Text
Images can supplement your content, providing additional context than you can express using words alone. They are also easy on the eyes and can help break up your text.
Never steal images. If you don’t have access to original images, use a stock image website like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, or EyeEm.
Choose Your Length
There’s not a strict rule about how long your blog posts should be, although it’s considered good SEO practice to have at least 300 words on a page. A good rule of thumb is to write enough to cover the topic without adding unnecessary fluff.
HubSpot recommends writing posts that are at least 1,000 words, depending on your purpose. For example, a pillar post, which is an all-encompassing post on a specific topic that links out to several other posts on related issues, should be around 4,000 words. In contrast, informational posts, or “what is” posts, can be under 1,000 words.
Add Interesting Facts and Data Points
Anytime there’s an opportunity to add a helpful data point, do so! Just make sure to link to the original source. For example, if you’re citing a study, link to the original research, not to a website that talks about the study.
Citing data adds credibility to your blog post and value to your readers, who will be more convinced of your argument when you have facts to back it up.
Wrap It Up with an Encouraging Conclusion
Give your readers some motivation and encouragement when they reach the end of your article. Add a call to action (CTA) that gives them something to do.
For example, suppose you’re a SaaS company, and your article is about how automated software can improve workflow and productivity. In that case, your conclusion should include a CTA for readers to schedule a demo or start a free trial.
Sometimes, the CTA can direct readers to another useful resource on your page. It doesn’t need to be the same every time; it just needs to add value and give readers direction.
Useful Tools to Help You Write Blog Posts
Coming up with new topics and then finding the time to write and edit blog posts can feel overwhelming. Use these tools to help you with every step.
HubSpot Blog Topic Generator
Does the idea of coming up with new topics feel daunting? Then, use HubSpot’s free blog topic generator to get unique ideas for every day of the year!
Grammarly
Even professional writers make grammar mistakes now and then. Grammarly is an AI-powered grammar and spell checker that can improve your word choice and help you develop more powerful sentences.
Google Trends
Find out if your blog topic ideas are popular using Google Trends. This free tool shows you how popular topics are in different parts of the world, which can help you optimize your posts for different regions.
Bottom Line
Follow these steps to be successful with your blog in 2021. As you come up with topics and write your blog, remember that your primary goal is to deliver valuable content for the end-user.
If you create content that helps readers solve their problems or become better in their fields, you will have been successful. The results will speak for themselves as your content gets shared and your website starts to rank higher in search results.
