When you’re just starting a blog, all of the details can be overwhelming. There is so much to learn, from SEO research to prose, and it seems like it’s always changing. But blogging is a skill just like any other, and if you’re passionate about writing and sharing information, then you can certainly learn blogging.
To some people, creating a blog post comes easily, and others may have to work harder or longer to produce good quality blog posts. While it may seem like other bloggers have all the tips and tricks to create buzz-worthy content quickly and easily, they’ve probably worked at it for years to gain such efficient and productive skills.
But you can too!
If you’re a true newbie, then welcome! You may want to check out two other blogs before you dive into this one. Hope on over to What is a blog? And How to plan your blog posts, then join us back here to start your first blog post. We cover the basics, including how to choose your topics.
Choosing topics for blogs gets down to the core of who you are as a blogger, business or brand, and what you write about dictates who you attract to your website. Ultimately, you want to connect with those people looking for exactly what you have to offer.
That’s why choosing the right keywords is so critically important.
If you read on, we assume that you have done some SEO research and have chosen your topic in a wise and informed way, based on that research. Yes? Let’s go.
Ping’s tips for writing great blog posts
Create an outline for your blog
Your outline is a lifeline to keep you focused and on track. If you write an outline for your blog, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of your content structure, so you can more easily see what might be missing, or what information has been repeated.
Your outline can be just a simple doc or note that lists your headings and any notes on what you’ll be writing, including sources. It should be a short list of the points you want to cover.
In general, if you’re creating a blog that’s 800 – 1200 words, you’ll want to include 5 – 8 headers as your main points, but this can vary. The most important thing is that you write unique, high-quality content.
You don’t have to finish your outline in order to start writing. As you continue to research your subject, you’ll fill in your outline and might even begin your writing at the same time.
You can open a second doc to start your draft and toggle back and forth between that and your outline, or you can just start writing your blog right under your outline, scrolling up to grab the next section, then expanding it underneath.
Choose your blog’s title and headers
Choose 10 keywords from your list that best align with your chosen topic.
You’ve chosen your topic from your SEO research. That keyword phrase should be low competition and have at least 500 searches per month.
Now it’s time to choose your title and headers. And you can guess where those will come from – your SEO research.
Choose the 10 keywords from your list that best represent your topic. These 10 keywords will be included in your headings. Add them to your outline by creating phrases that include them.
These are the keywords you imagine someone searching for when they’re looking for your blog. Be as specific as possible – you’re looking for the closest thing to exact matches.
That way, when people search them, your blog will directly answer their questions and provide the information they’re looking for. This is noted by google by where they visit and how long they spend on your page, and you’re rewarded for quickly and accurately answering these queries.
If you can’t find 10 keywords on your list, take your topic keyword and do a little more research on just that phrase. Add those keywords to your list, and use them for your headers.
Writing blog posts is much less about journaling and much more about attracting organic search traffic. The search engines are your friends and partners in getting people to your blog. Much like a marquis, your SEO keywords are lighting up the internet and drawing people in.
That doesn’t mean you can’t write creatively or tell stories or focus on your craft instead of SEO, but you have to get people there in the first place before they can read your writing.
How to research your blog post
You’ve thought about your audience and put together your SEO research. You’ve decided on your subject and chosen your title and headers. It’s time for research!
Unless you’re an expert on your subject, or you’re writing about your own experience, you probably need to do research.
One of the trickiest parts about being a content writer is separating what you think you know from the actual facts, but it’s extremely important that your blogs are not only entertaining and informative, but that they’re accurate as well. Your reputation as a writer depends on it
Ping’s tips for great blog research
- Choose well-respected, well-known sources. Don’t spread sketchy studies, half-baked claims or unsourced data round any further. Take your time and make sure you’re providing the most accurate information you can find, backed up by good organizations.
- Take good notes and copy links to add as sources or just for your own reference.
- Compare 3 – 5 different sources if you want to confirm accuracy.
- Use the most current sources – articles, news items, videos and blogs that are current will give you the most accurate information.
- Interviews are still relevant. If you’re writing a bio or about a person, a one-on-one interview via video, phone or over coffee is not only thorough, but it’s efficient. You’ll take advantage of this window to ask all of your questions at one time.
What competition does your blog post have?
Who are you ranking against? Who is stealing the #1 spot in Google search results? Checking out your competition is an important step in maintaining a professional lead when it comes to content.
A great way to stay aware of what they’re up to is to Google them. Use the list of keywords you’ve developed for your blog, and see what pops up for each one. See which websites and writers has written blogs and articles on the subject you’re working with.
Try to find articles directly related to the one you’re writing. Also check out other sources like online magazines, wikipedia pages, news and social media.
Take a look at their titles and headings, and ask yourself these questions:
What keywords are they trying to rank for?
What information did they include that you may have forgotten?
What types of images are they using?
How long is their content?
What are they linking to?
By looking at your competition, get all sorts of ideas that will make your blog better. List them out and incorporate them into your plan.
Ping’s tips for high-quality writing
Use the right voice.
As you’ve read in How to plan your blog posts, your audience is the core of your content plan. Think of your audience now, as you begin to write, and try to write in a voice that resonates with them and their search.
Are you selling home security systems? Is your audience coming to you in fear, nervous and anxious about security? If so, a comforting, authoritative voice would be soothing and get their attention.
Are you selling fun beach shoes? Then your tone would be bubbly, trendy and upbeat.
Are you selling real estate in an upscale community? If so, you’ll want to sound sophisticated, cultured, enticing , informed and elevated.
As you can see, these are very different pitches for very different audiences.
Write with musicality.
Are your sentences easy and flowing, or are they complicated, full of mixed ideas and flowery words? Musicality in writing is about listening beyond the words, to the way the words flow and land. And also like music, listen to the spaces, the pauses you create.
Regardless of the voice, you always want your writing to be musical. It should always have a rhythm. Think about the beat of your words, and the way they move the reader’s eyes along the page, or how they roll off the tongue when spoken.
If you’re a good writer, you’ll develop musicality in your writing. It’s a skill that can be developed over time. For now, just begin to take notice and practice.
Storytelling helps convey your points
When writing a blog, it can be helpful to pull an example out of your pocket for everyone to relate to. This is storytelling. Create a scenario to explain your point, paint a picture for everyone to understand.
Storytelling creates compelling and interesting sections of your blog that are a small reprieve from all of the “facts” that you might be laying out.
Storytelling can be simple. In fact, simple is far more effective. There is no need to get complex or create epic visions for your readers. Simply illustrate your point in an impactful way that they can relate to, without getting too caught up, and move on. The goal is to be direct and to catch them emotionally.
Let’s say you’re writing a blog about the importance of renter’s insurance. Simply stating that every renter should have insurance because of a possible looming disaster is “just more information,” and lands on their ears like every other bit of information they take in.
But painting the picture for your readers can put them right in the scenario, feeling the feelings, understanding the urgency on a whole new, more real level. That’s much more motivational.
Use data and examples beyond stories
Another way to prove your point is by showing graphs, charts and citing data from reliable sources. You can also include images and links to tools you’re discussing. Let’s say you’re writing a blog on the best way to lose weight, and you’re working on the section that talks about tracking calories. Including an image of a calorie counter can convey how easy the tool is to use.
Watch your grammar and spelling
Nothing bugs readers quite like typos and grammatical errors. Far from trivial, these highly criminal offenses (according to other writers, anyway) turn off readers and make you look unprofessional. Always proofread carefully, and use spell checkers if needed.
Keeping your blog shiny and polished like a trophy, gleaming with no grammatical or spelling errors, will breed trust among your readers. It implies that you care about their experience and that you pay attention to detail.
Pros don’t leave spelling errors or awkward sentences to live on their websites indefinitely. They prune their words and weed around their sentences until there is nothing left but perfection. Which brings us to our next point.
Edit until you love it.
Editing. Sometimes it’s a quick process, and sometimes your entire article transforms three times before you get it right. Keep trying. It gets easier with time and practice.
Online tools like Grammarly are fantastic when you’re learning how to write blogs. Even a seasoned writer can benefit from running their blog through Grammarly. It can be a good reminder to simplify and shorten sentences, or re-word a section for clarity. But don’t forget two important points: keep your voice your own, and make your words flow – never sacrifice the music.
Starting a blog is an exciting and creative adventure! Approach it like any other business, and you’ll be successful.