8 Easy Steps to Crafting Unforgettable Blog Posts
Why even write a blog?
Blogs serve a variety of needs, and there are several reasons why blogs are an asset.
For a professional, a blog is an excellent way to position yourself as an expert in your field.
For example, some bloggers are known for their handy travel tips. By regularly publishing useful information, a professional blogger demonstrates that they know their subject well and that readers will benefit from their advice
For a company, a blog is a great way to build brand awareness and promote products or services.
The blog section of a company's website can generate considerable traffic and optimize performance on Google Analytics.
By referencing other reputable companies or organizations in a blog post and linking their websites, a business can improve its search engine rankings and credibility online.
As a marketing tool, a blog can generate traffic (visits to your website through social networks) when promoted on social media platforms or by including blog content in emails or newsletters.
So, how do you write a catchy blog post in 8 steps?
While a blog has many benefits, in order to be effective, it must follow a certain structure, deal with current topics and target a specific audience.
By following these eight steps, you’ll be able to write eye-catching, optimized blog posts that will not only help establish yourself as an expert but also highlight your products or services.
Step 1: Identify your target audience
Before you even brush your fingers against a keyboard, consider why you’re deciding to write a blog.
Is it to share snippets of life?
Is it to share your expertise in an industry like travel or beauty?
Is it to promote your business and the products or services it has to offer?
Once you've established why you're writing a blog, think about whom you’ll address in your upcoming posts. It's crucial to establish your target audience to find topics that will interest your readers and keep them wanting to read more each week.
Step 2: Focus on hot topics
You'll be able to find a popular topic, or at least one that has people in your circle talking these days, by browsing discussion forums like Reddit, Quora, Yahoo Groups and Google Answers or tools like Answer The Public, Google Trends, and Facebook Audience Insights.
If you have a business and offer products and services in a particular field, search the internet to discover new trends in your industry or issues related to them.
Keep in mind that your topic ought to interest your target audience and address their needs and any questions they may have.
Step 3: Identify the main keyword
Once you have chosen a topic, use a search engine like Google and enter relevant keywords in the search bar.
You'll notice that as the keywords get longer, the information returned becomes more specific.
That's because a long-tail keyword, i.e., one that's at least three words, is more likely to drive targeted traffic than generic keywords that consist of 1 or 2 words. Long-tail keywords are also less competitive, thus ranking well in search results for potential readers.
Find your long-tail keyword by entering the subject of your blog post into the Google search bar and pressing enter — you'll have plenty of options to scroll through.
Pick the option that best and most accurately meets your needs. You can then use a tool like Semrush, Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to check if your chosen keyword is competitive.
Once you’ve found your main keyword, incorporate it into your blog post.
The recommended keyword density is 1-2%.
So, for a 1000-word post, your keyword should appear at least 10 times and 20 times max.
Step 4: Aim for 1500 words
There is truly no real ideal length for a blog post.
However, some experts believe that a certain number of words should be favoured to attain specific objectives.
In fact, the website redacteur.com details how a 275-word text favours engagement and generates a lot of comments, whereas a 2500-word text is preferable to optimize natural referencing.
According to the experts at Buffer, a ~1600-word text, or seven minutes of reading time, is best for increasing shares on social media platforms.
To figure out how long your blog post should be, enter the topic you want to write about on Google and analyze the text length of the first 10 search results that appear on the screen.
Aim for a similar length.
Step 5: Use an SEO-friendly format
It’s important to use a specific format when writing a blog post in order to optimize your ranking online.
This format should include a meta title that contains between 50 and 60 characters. You can always come up with a working title that you can rework after you have crafted your post.
Next, consider writing a meta description of about 160 characters. This tag summarizes the content of your post and will be visible under the title of your blog on search engines.
You’ll want to make sure to use H2 and H3 subheadings. To facilitate reading and maximize referencing, it’s essential to write short sentences and paragraphs.
Per Wix, it's also useful to include quality images and links to other reputable sources or sites, which will contribute to the credibility of your content.
If you do happen to use photos, don't forget to include alternative text.
The alternative text consists of a few words that describe an image that's displayed on a web page. The alt text allows search engines to analyze your content and better index it.
Of course, another important reason for inserting alternative text is accessibility. Visually impaired visitors use screen readers to consume and navigate content online.
Finally, you should create a unique URL for each blog post. A well-thought-out URL helps Google understand what your post is about. Here are a few tips when crafting your URL:
Include your main keyword;
Only reference the content on your page;
Do not include underscores or special characters;
Do not use abbreviations;
Do not use capital letters;
Create a short URL, without redundant or unnecessary words.
Step 6: Include a call to action
Each blog post should end with a call to action to encourage the reader to perform a specific behaviour: subscribe to your blog, download a document, read a similar article, consult a link, etc.
The call to action must align with your marketing objectives and should provide something for the reader in return.
Step 7: Proofread and edit
When it comes to blog posts, high-quality writing is a must.
If you’re not a professional writer, make sure you proofread your post several times and check the grammar, style, typography, and syntax with writing assistance software like Antidote.
To ensure a high-quality final product, don't hesitate to use professional editors, either.
Step 8: Evaluate the results and rework the post
Once your blog post is finally published on your website and shared throughout your social media, it's time to evaluate its performance.
With a tool like Google Analytics, you can see how many people viewed your page, how long they remained, what time of day there’s more traffic, etc.
Based on this information, you can modify your post accordingly and further promote it on your social media platforms.
All things considered, writing a catchy blog post isn’t as easy as it sounds, after all!
It requires fundamental SEO writing skills, an original writing style and commitment.
If you want to create a personal or professional blog but lack the time or the skills to do so, don't hesitate to call on the experts at Branddit, who will be happy to guide you through the process.
