A Step By Step Guide To Writing A Good Blog Post That Ranks

Writing a great blog post that ranks is tough- but not impossible. Finding the right keywords, crafting short URLs, structuring, and building a solid foundation of content are the real keys to generating qualified leads. 

A perfectly crafted blog post can go viral and drive solid search engine ranking and leads to your business. But, to do this, you need proper planning, implementation, and consistency.   

Thinking of a good title, assembling your thoughts, and pouring just quality words to get a readership of a total of 1000 views after a year is definitely not a good bargain! 

If you want to craft a blog post that compel your readers and search engine's crawlers, stick with me! 

I have assembled this in-depth guide to craft a blog post that ranks. From SEO best practices to the different writing nuances, you will learn everything via a step-by-step process.

What is a blog post?

A blog post is a particular entity on a blog that comprises all sorts of content in pictures, infographics, text, or videos. 

Writing a blog post is an uphill struggle; it takes plenty of attempts and efforts to create a blog post that ranks.

What are the elements of a blog post? 

After multiple attempts of writing and my long-term research, I discovered that there are indeed some elements of writing a good blog post. These elements can help you create a visually appealing and engaging post that will entice your readers and maximize their stay time on your site.

I have compiled all the critical elements of a blog post in this infographic to give you an idea. 

What makes a good blog post?

A good blog post is engaging, educational, and enriched with the tendency to stop the reader in his tracks to sit and read. The introduction and the layout of the blog should be captivating to hook the reader and make them want to continue reading. It's hard - but not impossible, and a good blog post is destined to succeed at the search engine marketing war. 

How do you craft a good blog post?

The essential characteristic of writing a good blog post is its tendency to catch eyeballs. You can quickly churn 300-500 words to create a generic blog to run your business, but writing a good blog post is not as easy as apple pie. Cranking an invariably good blog article requires an incredibly high focus and a tremendous amount of energy. 

Writing a good blog post feels like a daunting task sometimes. You sit down to write, but the words don't come out. At times like this, a guide to writing a blog post that ranks can help you sail through the tempest. 

If you're a beginner struggling with blogging and confuses about writing a great blog post, don't get discouraged. You can hone your ability to write a good blog post online- and this post might be the milestone you're looking for. 

So, here is my free escort to the tips to structure a good blog post that ranks:

1. Know your audience

The first step for writing a good blog post is to figure out your audience. Put yourself into your readers' shoes and think about what kind of content would be appealing or functional for them.

Run a proper research channel through regular polls on social media forums and by employing your blog's analytics to know your readers better. This is how you can attempt to write a blog post that drives traffic.

2. Craft a compelling headline

We always assess a book by its cover and a blog by its topic. Therefore, in your attempt to write a good blog post, the headline must be eye-catching to grip the reader's attention. And it is one of the essential tips for structuring a good blog post. 

How to write a killer blog post title?

You can browse IsIt WP's headline analyzer tool for the tactics to write captivating headlines. A headline analyzer is a nifty and impressive tool; it helps you assess your headlines critically. 

A killer blog post title should include:

• Correct adjectives
• The total number of subheadings should be odd
• Usage of Collin in the title
• Uniqueness and gravity to the title
• Relatable to the reader

3. Share pragmatic experiences

It is one of the essential tips to write a good blog post. Always remember that blog posts enriched with informative and useful content are more compelling to the readers. A post that will poke them to adapt what they read. The most important tactic of writing a good blog post is to address the right topics consistently. 

Your blog post should have accurate facts and figures to make it unique and useful as these types of content are most cherished among readers and search engines.

4. Insert subheadings

Usually, readers skim through the content to decide whether or not this blog is worth reading. That's why it is advised to break your article into small subheadings to give an appealing outlook. 

Another wise tactic while writing a good blog post is to divide content into short paragraphs. It helps the readers to absorb all the information coming their way in less time.

5. Add bullets and pointers

Bullets and pointers are used to highlight relevant data. It's an excellent feature to spoon-feed your readers all the essential information. Bullets should be written very tactfully like this: 

• Use bullets as a mini-headline to communicate clear benefits.
• Avoid bullet clutter
• Keep them symmetrical 

6. Add attractive Images

A human mind processes visual content more easily than text-based content. Adding captivating images tends to compel a reader to stay for a little longer. 

The images should be related to your content. Detailed images are favorable because it boosts the engagement of the reader.

7. Dig deeper into the research

You must go through the list of pointers and bullets you made before getting down to writing a good blog post. Dig deeper into these pointers' details and assemble them to mold an explanatory and communicative body of your blog post. 

You can use W's and H's questions to delve deeper into your subject, which includes:

• Why
• How 
• Who
• When 
• What

8. Focus on writing intervals

In your attempt to write a good blog post, either craft the whole long blog in one sitting or chip it away gradually. 

However, I'd recommend getting most of the writing done in one sitting because it helps you stay focused on one topic and you can get out of your hair faster. 

But, if you choose to write in short bursts, try to maximize your input in those small sessions. The more you revise the draft, the more tempting it is to add more detail, and this way, you can quickly lose track of the topic.

9. Observe the ideal length 

Try different length while writing a blog post and observe how your visitors engage with each length. Do a 1000 words blog post entice them? Is it ranking on Google? If not then try a long-form content of up to 1900 words and analyze how it performs on search engines and drives engagement.

How long should a blog post be?

The blogs are dragged or prolonged for no reason, which reduces the reader's interest and grip. Therefore, word count is a significant ranking factor while writing a good blog post!

Word count only matters if it's accompanied with high-quality writing. However, the length of a blog article is determined according to the genre of the blog. And the key factor of writing a good blog post is to write efficiently and leave no stone unturned.

10. Optimize for SEO

SEO plays a very tricky yet important role. SEO optimized content indeed drives a huge chunk of traffic to your website. 

Given below are some of the SEO best practices to create a blog post that ranks.

• Add your keyword in your title
• Write clear description
• Properly optimize keywords within the content body
• Embed internal links to your content

This infographic will give you an idea about using keywords strategically within the content.

 

11. Build inbound links

Inbound links are the hyperlinks used to provide references relatable to the content. They are also known as backlinks or external links. 

They are the internet's currency, as they are used to point from one website to another. 

12. Optimize your blog post's structure

The format of your post is equally important as the content inside it. Because if the readers are presented with a wall of text, they will not read it and bailout.

Formatting includes: 

• Write the first thing, first, according to its importance.
• Break up your data with subheadings.
• Post relevant images and screenshots.
• Use pull quotes to provide the gist of the information.

13. Close with a call-to-action

It's time to wrap your blog. A great blog post ends with a call to action. 

Asking for comments or reviews of your readers is fairly a good call to action. Readers are always keen to know about 'what's in it for me,' you should always encourage them in an assertive tone. Clearly state to your readers what they should do next after the information you have just imparted.

14. Trim the fat

Always remember that to the point blogs are more compelling, while writing a good blog post. Usage of unnecessary words and dragging the concepts just to fill the pages bore the readers off. Concise and crisp writing is lean. Follow the pointers stated below to sharpen your writing:

• Change prepositional phrases
• Avoid the usage of linking verbs
• Change a noun to a verb.

15. Proofread to make it flawless

The best trait of a blogger is never to hit 'publish' right after writing the post. Your writing pieces require proofreading. Merely taking a five minutes detour will give you fresh eyes to assess your writing. 

Proofreading eliminates the flaws and shortcomings of your blog post. It reinforces your credibility and increases the clarity of your writing. A glance after writing a good blog post can make it flawless and error-free.

What are the popular formats of a blog post?

A blog post format makes things easy for the reader by providing a logical layout of your blog article. A blog post should have a clear beginning, middle, and ending accompanied by multiple headings dividing the article into small subheadings. There are many blog formats, but the most common ones writing a good blog post are penned down below:

1. List Post

The list post is also known as 'listicle'; it is currently the most popular format. It is kind of a mashup of articles and lists. It compresses everything in a nutshell- which means it is used to enlist items or steps. 

The listicle typically includes many reasons, steps, types, or ways of doing something, giving the reader a vivid picture of what is offered. The heading is a dead giveaway that what is the post about. 

This format works very well when you have to list down the tips, ideas, or tactics under a particular title and results in high-quality content and is guaranteed to grab the reader's complete attention. 

Example: 

Here are some examples of listicles that Google considers and ranks them on first page. The bigger the list, the better are the chances to rank. You can try something like 101 ideas, 47 ways, 75 actionable tips, etc.

2. What-Post

The what post is specially written to serve the purpose of 'what is' question posed by the people to attain thorough information about the subject. This format helps the reader because it explains a specific concept and highlights what it is and why it is relevant to the reader. 

While crafting a blog with this format, make sure you clearly understand the topic, and you know everything about it. Only then can you simplify it or make it understandable for your reader. 

Example:

What posts can open doors to secure a featured snippet on Google. Try to be more direct and precise while answering the questions in these types of posts.

3. How- To Post

This has plausibly become the most popular format for bloggers. This is surprisingly amazing for two reasons:

• It is perfect for educational content, which depends on inbound marketing content. 
  
• It drives organic traffic through search engines when people search for educational content.

Use how- to format when you intend to impart information of instructive nature. To craft this structure of a blog, you need to include:

• A hook statement grabs the reader's attention and makes them stay on the page for long.
• An expanded introduction accompanied by a quick insight into the blog to compel your reader to stay with you
• Conclude the how-to blog with a summary and tie up any loose ends.

Example:

In this screenshot, you will see one of our how-to posts,  how to create content that converts, which is ranking on the first page. 

4. Why Post

The 'why post' is beneficial to grab the reader's attention on any topic's significance. Like 'what post' 'why post' is also introductory, but it goes a step further to support and back up the subject's importance by answering all the 'why' elements of the argument. Why should I care? Why is this important to me? You ought to follow the same 3 rules I started in 'what post' for structuring a flawless 'why post'. 

Example:  

5. Review Post

When you get writer's block, the review post comes to the rescue. Here you can write your opinion or suggestions about anything. For example, you could review:

• Book reviews
• Amazon product review articles
• Mobile app reviews
• Software programs
• Brand reviews
  

When you are tasked to write a review post, make sure to keep opinions fair and balanced. Write a detailed draft on it and don't leave any loopholes for critiques.

Example:

6. The Infographic Post

The infographic posts are widely popular among the markets for their detailed reviews on their products and services, in a very pleasing manner. The infographic posts are structured with hefty resources and result in big rewards with inbound links and shares' potential. It includes the visual representation of information, knowledge, and data to provide a clear overview of the blog to the reader because the human brain processes picture faster than words. 

Example:

This post is a great example for this type, as I have added two useful infographics in this post. 

7. The Curated Post

It includes a heck of research work with lots of time consumption in structuring the curated post. It is the compilation of useful resources about a particular topic or a subject. 

The readers appreciate the fact that it comprises all the necessary detail at one point. It is perfectly suitable for blogs that include aggregated content according to the statistics and industrial examples. 

Example: 

Final Note

Writing a blog post is an exciting thing for savvy writers and if it ranks on the first page and drives a decent traffic; the happiness becomes double. With this step by step guide to writing a great blog post, your can skyrocket your blog with great posts and attain a massive and loyal audience. 

Now get started! Don't be afraid of making mistakes because wild waves rise and fall when they arrive at their destination.  Also, please share your tips; how do you craft your blog post for search engines? Is there any secret ingredients? Would love to know them.

If you need some help with great blog topics, our team of expert bloggers will be delighted to offer assistance. Discuss with us today!

Share this post !