A regularly updated website or web page,

typically one run by an individual or small

group, that is written in an informal
or conversational style.
HOW TO WRITE A BLOG POST IN 13 STEPS

[Link] blog topics

[Link] your topic with keyword research
[Link] your audience
[Link] an organized outline
[Link] engaging content
[Link] an irresistible headline
[Link] a blog template
[Link] a blog domain name
[Link] relevant images
[Link] calls-to-action
[Link] for SEO
[Link] and publish your blog post
[Link] the final article
01. Brainstorm blog topics
When writing a blog post, whether you're guest posting for someone else or writing
for your own blog, you’ll want to cover topics that bring value to your readers and fall
in line with their interests, as well as your own. Rather than trying to find the perfect
topic right away, start by jotting down different ideas that come to mind.
There are several places you can look to spark new topic ideas:
•Browse other blogs within your niche. If you’re starting a travel blog, for example,
simply Google “travel blog” to see what your competitors are writing about.
•Use Google Trends to find out which topics are trending.
•Look for current events and recent news stories related to your field.
•Find out what people enjoy learning about by browsing online courses
Once you find some interesting ideas online, think about the unique ways you can
approach those topics. Consider the various ways you can play around with topic
ideas to come up with something that isn’t only trendy and relevant, but that’s also
original and fresh.

Let’s say, for instance, that you want to write about chocolate chip cookies. There
are a few different angles you might consider taking here:
•A how-to post that instructs readers how to do something with clearly ordered
steps (e.g., “How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch”)
•A curated list that offers a set of recommendations for your readers (e.g., “The Top
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes”)
•A tips and advice post that provides expert guidance and resources. (e.g., “Tips for
Making Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Extra Gooey”)
•A definition-based blog post that helps explain the meaning of a
term or topic (e.g., “What Are No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies?”)
•A top trends article that highlights what’s currently popular
(e.g., “The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes From This Year”)
•A personal or business update that lets you unveil something
fresh or recently unknown (e.g., “My New Chocolate Chip Cookie
Recipe Revealed”)

Get brainstorming with these best blog ideas, and check out our
professional guide on how to start a blog for more helpful tips.
02. Refine your topic with keyword research
Part of writing a blog post involves keyword research. This crucial
SEO practice is used as a marker to see which terms you can
potentially rank high for in certain online searches.
Once you’ve chosen a direction for your blog post, you’ll need to
figure out the chances of its success on search engine result
pages—which ultimately means getting more eyes on your content.
In order to succeed, conduct keyword research to find the most
relevant queries for your topic.
You can find keywords for your own articles by using various keyword
research tools. If you’re new to blogging, you’ll probably want to start
with free tools such as Answer the Public, Ubersuggest and Google
Keyword Planner. Afterwards, you may want to upgrade to more
advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.

While conducting keyword research, keep in mind that the more

specific the phrase, the more closely it will match your audience’s
intent. On the other hand, broader keywords tend to have higher
search volumes—meaning more people are searching for them each
month.
Think about the benefits of opting for a broader phrase, like
“chocolate chip cookies,” over a more precise phrase, like “how
to make chocolate chip cookies.” Choosing the right keywords
means striking a balance between high search volume and high
intent.
Once you’ve selected your keywords, you can use them to shape
the structure of your content. Google those phrases to find out
which articles have successfully targeted those same keywords,
and spend some time browsing their content. This will give you
inspiration for your own article in terms of what to include and
how to structure it.
03. Define your audience
Now that you know what you’ll be writing about, you need to find out
who you’re writing for. Anticipating the kinds of people who will be
reading your posts will help you create content that is interesting,
engaging and shareable.

Of course, your audience largely depends on your type of blog. If you

run a baking blog, you’ll probably be writing for an audience of people
who love baking and are seeking recipe inspiration. Even more
specifically, if you run a healthy baking blog, you’ll be writing for people
who similarly love baking but who want to make their culinary
creations healthier. It’s important to keep these nuances in mind when
crafting your content, since your goal is to write articles that resonate
strongly with readers.
So, how do you figure out your audience in the first place? Start by taking
another look at the other blogs in your field. Consider who they seem to
be writing for, and the kinds of assumptions they’re making about their
readers’ interests and lifestyles. For example, you might find that most of
the blogs address a particular gender or age group.

You can also use online forums to find the main questions asked by your
audience, or visit Facebook groups to read what topics they like or talk
about. This will help you create content that piques their interest, sparks
their curiosity and answers their questions.

Whether you're starting a book blog, a fashion blog, travel blog or

something else—defining your audience should come first.
04. Create an organized outline

The key to learning how to write a blog post is doing thorough research
and planning before you create the article itself. After deciding on the
topic and blog format, you’ll need to build the mold for your content.
Creating an outline is critical, as it ensures your article will have a strong
foundation that you can build on as you write your blog post.
Start by creating subheadings, which are the backbone of an organized
outline. These small but mighty pieces of content help you break down
your article into bite-sized sections, making it easier for you to write and
more digestible for people to read.
Start by creating subheadings, which are the backbone of an organized
outline. These small but mighty pieces of content help you break down
your article into bite-sized sections, making it easier for you to write and
more digestible for people to read.

If it’s a step-by-step guide or a list of tips, start building your outline by

listing out all the main points clearly, as in the example below:
Outline: How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch
•1. Gather your ingredients
•2. Mix and knead the dough
•3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
•4. Scoop mounds of dough onto baking sheet
•5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Add bulleted notes within your introduction and under each
of your subheadings. This will help you formulate your main
points.

If you find yourself getting stuck, use one of these blog post
templates to guide you through the outline process.
05. Write engaging content

Now that you’ve sketched out the blog post, you can begin typing away. Keep in
mind that blog posts, like many other types of writing, typically include three main
elements: an introduction, the body text and a conclusion.
Let’s start with the introduction. In the first few sentences of your article, you
should already grab your readers’ attention. Begin with a relevant quote or statistic,
tell a short story, or share an interesting fact. Then, set the tone for the article by
sharing a brief summary of what you’re going to talk about in the body text. This
gives your readers a reason to keep going.

Next, fill in the body text. In your outline, these are the bullet points beneath each
subheading. This is the meat of your blog post, so it should be clear and compelling.
Avoid fluff and repetition, and instead offer deep value by sharing your knowledge,
research, and insights.
A concluding section isn’t always necessary—in fact,
our blog rarely uses one—but it can be useful in the
case of storytelling or when wrapping up a very
extensive article. You can tie your main points together
using a short bulleted list, or by sharing some closing
thoughts in a few sentences. No matter the case, you’ll
want to end on an engaging note.
06. Craft an irresistible headline
When writing a blog post, you don’t only need strong content; you’ll also want
a powerful headline. A great headline entices readers and enhances your blog
design, ensuring that they actually click on your article in the first place.
Learning how to write a catchy blog title doesn’t have to be hard. All you need
to do is keep the following points in mind: clarity, specificity and offering an
answer or solution.

Writing a good headline also depends on how well you put yourself in the shoes
of your audience. Use the title to promise readers that your blog post will
provide valuable insight that will benefit them in some way, whether by
satisfying their intellectual curiosity, teaching them something new or helping
them solve a problem. This will increase the chances that they’ll click on your
article and read it.
07. Choose a blog template

Writing your blog post may be your first priority, but you’ll also want to package it
in an appealing way. Having an article with strong visual appeal is crucial for
striking the right chord with your readers. The best way to customize your blog's
design is by starting with a free blog template.

Professional designers have created all these blog layouts, and they're fully
customizable to reflect your blog's messaging and tone. For inspiration, check out
these blog examples to see how others have transformed these templates into
beautiful, content-rich powerhouses.
If you’re writing a blog about organic ingredients, for instance, using a natural
color palette on your site will set the right tone for the type of topics you’ll be
writing about. This same color palette should also be used for your blog logo, as
well as on your social media platforms..
08. Select a blog domain name

You should host your well-crafted blog on your domain site address in
order for readers to discover it. When it comes to naming your blog, you
can gather ideas from a blog name generator and see if the domain name
is available.

Spend time thinking about how your blog and domain name fit in with the
blog post topics you will cover. Make sure that your name reflects your
blog’s persona, topic and niche.

Once you have finalized your name, choose your domain name (also
referred to as a URL, for example, [Link]). Typically, your domain
name will be the same as, or at least similar to the name of your blog.
09. Pick relevant images

Likewise, you should also enhance your blog post with a

few great images that illustrate your main points. It’s
important that your pictures add value to the subject,
rather than serving as placeholders. Pay extra attention
to your featured image—this will be the main visual
below your blog’s title, and it’s what readers will see
when they browse your articles from your blog’s
homepage.
10. Implement calls-to-action

In the same way a blog is meant to inform people about specific topics, it
can also be used as an important tool that motivates readers to take a
certain action. This includes everything from subscribing to your blog to
making a purchase.
This element is referred to as CTA, or call-to-action, and is presented as an
embedded link or button that states your objective in an alluring manner.
Some of the most common call-to-action examples for blogs include
“Subscribe,” “Download our e-book” or “Sign up.”
Using CTAs can help you transform your website traffic into engagement
and, eventually, profit. While your immediate goal is to get more readers,
you may eventually want to monetize your blog further down the road.
11. Optimize for SEO

When it comes to SEO for bloggers, a strong SEO plan involves optimizing your content
both before and after writing the blog post. Not only does this include doing keyword
research prior to the outline phase (mentioned in step 3), but it also includes using
those keywords to polish your final piece.

This begins with sprinkling relevant keywords throughout your article. Let’s say you’ve
chosen to target the keyword “business strategies.” Use this exact phrase in your
headline, throughout the body text and one to two subheadings if it’s a natural fit.
Next, include this keyword in your metadata. This is the preview text you’ll see for
every article on Google, and it includes a title (known as the meta title) and short
description (the meta description). You’ll also want to add the keywords to the URL of
your article, as well as in the alt text of your blog post’s images. Use these SEO features
to give your blog an overall performance boost. Lastly, and make sure you know exactly
how long a blog post should be to best rank your post.
12. Edit and publish your blog post

With so many common blogging mistakes out there, you’ll need to

thoroughly check your article for grammatical errors, repetition and any
other unprofessional content. Furthermore, make sure your ideas flow
coherently throughout each section, signaling a clear and purposeful
message to readers. You can read about other essential aspects of
blogging in this comprehensive blog post checklist.

We recommend asking a friend or colleague to give your blog article a

once over before it goes live. Direct them to look for any discrepancies or
ambiguity. It’s also important to emphasize quality over quantity in order
to keep your readers interested. Then, once you’re happy with your
written work, it’s time to hit publish.
13. Promote the final article
Once you’ve written and published the blog post, take the necessary steps to make sure it gets
read. Two of the most effective ways to promote your blog post and get readers are email
marketing and social media marketing.
Email remains one of the most reliable platforms for marketing, as it allows for a direct
communication channel between you and your audience. This highly effective digital marketing
strategy involves sending out customized emails to prospective users with the aim of converting
them into loyal fans. If you’re interested in getting started, this powerful email marketing service
can help you send custom newsletters for your blog.

Beyond emails, sharing your article on social media can also go a long way. For example, if you
want to accrue a wide audience, promote your blog on Facebook or Instagram, which have one of
the largest and most diverse user bases.

Whichever channels you choose, make sure to actively engage with followers on a day-to-day
basis. This will ensure that you not only write a great blog post, but that you get people reading
your article, too.