If you are new to blogging and just getting started, you might be wondering how to go about writing a blog post. This guide will give you the perfect blog post outline that will keep readers engaged and interested in your blog posts!
Blog post writing is its own being. There isn’t anything else like it! It is different than writing a book, an essay, a journal, or anything else!
This is because there are certain components to a blog post that don’t really work in writing anywhere else.
This post will guide you through these components: what are they, what to include in each one, and why they are important.
While the layout of your blog post is super important, you will also want to read up on SEO, including where to put keywords in a blog post.
This guide, coupled with adding keywords in the right places, will set you off on the right foot to a blog post that is successful!
Additionally, check out these blog organization strategies to help you keep all your blogging stuff organized and easily accessible.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE blog post planner to help you write blog posts faster and easier!
Blog Post Outline: The Title
The very first part of writing a blog post is coming up with the title! This makes sense because you can’t really write a post without knowing what you are going to write about!
The best way to do this is to choose a solid keyword that will guide what your post is about. To do so, I suggest using Keysearch (this is the tool I use, and I love it!) Plus, you can get 20% off when you use code KSDISC!
Choosing a keyword that has a low difficulty score and high search volume is essential to the success of your blog post. This is because you won’t be able to rank for a keyword that is too difficult, and you won’t get any page views if the search volume is too low!
You can read more about choosing a keyword here!
Once you have selected a keyword, it is time to create a title for your post. This will be your H1, or Heading 1. There should only ever be ONE H1 per post. WordPress automatically makes your title your H1, so you won’t need to worry about that.
ALWAYS use your keyword in your title. Your title should also be catchy enough that people will want to read it! You can view a list of catchy headline templates here!
Writing a Blog Post Introduction
Part of any good blog post outline includes an introduction! This is always the most difficult part for me because I want to just get straight into writing!
Just like when writing an essay or paper for school, blog posts should have an introduction. The introduction to a blog post has a couple of purposes:
- Gives the reader an immediate understanding of what the post will be about and what to expect
- Tells search engine crawlers what the post is about (ALWAYS include your keyword in the first paragraph or first 100 words)
- Adds length to your post. You want readers to stay on your page as long as possible. If you start writing without an introduction, the reader gets their answer right away, which means they have no reason to scroll down or stay on your page.
- Adding length also provides more space for advertisements. More advertisements equal more money in your wallet! This is why you often have to scroll really far down on a page to find your answer- they want you to stay on the page longer and keep scrolling! You can monetize your blog without ads though!
Besides just introducing your concept, there are some other things you should include in your introduction:
- Background information that the reader might find helpful related to the topic- like a quick story
- Include an internal link to another one of your posts that relate to the current post.
- Add an affiliate disclaimer if you are using affiliates in your blog post. You can see mine above- feel free to steal it if you want!
Blog Post outline: In between introduction & Content
The next part of a blog post comes after the introduction but before the actual content. This section includes two things:
- Include a pin image. This entices readers to pin your post on their Pinterest page, which helps improve your impressions and clicks! I typically adjust the size of this image to 400×600, which you can edit after uploading the image to your page. Additionally, make sure you have a pin it plugin, which you can find in the WordPress plugins section!
- Include your email opt-in. Email marketing is super important for bloggers, as you can get a more personal level of communication with your readers, send them free stuff, and eventually make sales!
Having both of these things at the beginning of the blog post is important because you want your readers to both pin your page and subscribe to your newsletter!
Plus, this adds more length to your blog post, which we discussed in the introduction section!
Writing a Blog Post: Content section
The next part of your blog post outline includes the actual content. This is the main part of your blog post, so it will definitely be the longest and most in-depth.
Depending on what your post is about, you might have different numbers of sections. For example, if your post is a list of products or a round-up post, you might have 10 or more sections or headlines. However, if your post is more informative, you might only have a handful of sections (like this post).
When writing the content, think of it as your body paragraphs of an essay. Here are some other tips to keep in mind:
- Continue to use your keyword throughout each section. Because your post is about the keyword, this shouldn’t be too difficult or sound forced.
- Include internal links within your content. If you write something and think, ‘Hey, I have a post all about that concept’, make sure you add a link to it!
- Include some external links as well. Think of these like references or sources when writing a paper- you want them to be high-quality sources!
- Paragraphs should be no longer than 3-4 sentences. White space adds length to your post and makes your post more readable and scannable. No one wants to read a huge paragraph on a screen.
- Include affiliate links when appropriate. Referencing a product? Add your affiliate link to it! Try to make these natural so your reader trusts you.
- Add bolding, underlines, and different colors. I like the make my internal and affiliate links pink and underlined, as to draw attention to them. If they look the same as all the other text, they are going to get lost, and no one will click on them.
- Add pictures: You don’t need images for each section, but a few help keeps your readers interested! Plus, they add length to your post.
Blog Post Outline: The Conclusion
The last part of your blog post outline should include a conclusion. Just like a paper, essay, or basically anything else you read, the conclusion is just as important as anything else.
Once the reader finishes reading your post, you should direct them to do something else. Without this section, you risk them just closing your blog post without any other engagement.
Here are some ideas of what to include in your conclusion:
- Wrap up the blog post. Some bloggers include some bullets of the main points discussed in the post.
- Encourage your readers to leave a comment below, or share your page (give them your Pinterest pin image again, or some sharing buttons)
- Provide a few of your posts you think your reader might be interested in reading. This helps keep readers on your page.
- Include your email opt-in once again, and encourage them to subscribe- tell your readers why they should subscribe, and what they will get.
- Include a link to a product: either your own product like a course or printable or an affiliate product
Not everyone will get to this section. Many readers will close your page before they get to the bottom- they might find the answer they were looking for and leave, or they are just not interested in your post.
Those who do make it to the bottom are going to be your most loyal readers. Because you held their attention for so long, you definitely want to try to persuade them to make another action like the bullets above! These readers are most likely to engage with your page further, so take advantage!
Want More?
Now that you have a blog post outline designed to keep readers on your page for longer, it is time to get writing! You may also need to update old blog posts to fit this outline!
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Great concise summary, very impactful! Brilliant read, Erika!