A Framework for Blog Writing

Writing a blog is an amazing way to share your heart and ideas with the world. But, do you know how to create an effective blog post? The good news is Google wants to share your relevant information with those searching. First, you need to help Google understand the purpose of your post. 

As you think through your blog, consider why you’re writing. What is the purpose of your blog? Who’s your audience? What sort of subjects will your blog focus on?

Take away: When you write a blog, focus on sharing helpful information, not selling a product.

Effective Blog Post Set Up

Blog posts work like mini stories. The first line should draw a reader in while presenting a problem. The next two paragraphs should help solve the problem. Use the final paragraph to tie the post together while giving the reader an opportunity to go deeper.

Most blog posts will follow this standard organization:

Paragraph 1: There’s a problem
Paragraph 2: Good news, there’s a solution (paragraph 2 can sometimes be combined with 1)
Paragraph 3: Here’s the solution (could be multiple paragraphs)
Paragraph 4: Summary and Application (can direct back to product or service)

Take away: Think of a blog post like a simple story you’re trying to tell.  

Blog SEO

An effective blog post will be optimized for search engines. This is what gives a post power to build web traffic and can boost rankings in Google. Good search engine optimization begins with a keyword. This is the word or phrase you use to inform Google on the focus of your blog post.

The keyword should be found in a few places within every blog post:

• The blog title
• The first paragraph of the post
• One paragraph heading
• 2-3 times throughout the blog  

Other important blog writing tips to keep in mind:

• An ideal blog should be around 300 words
• Include a few links to the website and other websites
• Include a picture with the same keyword as the blog

Take away: Keep a keyword in mind while writing a blog.

Other Helpful Effective Blog Post Hints

Yoast

If your blog is hosted on WordPress, make sure to add in the free plug-in Yoast. This plug-in allows you to enter in your keyword or keyword phrase and then gives you suggestions for how to improve your blog post for effectiveness.

Pixabay

Pixabay is a website offering free images you can use on your blog. Typically, you should use caution when using photos from the internet. Bloggers can get sued for copyright infringement if using a copyrighted photo without permission. You can read more here. But, to sum it up, when searching for a photo on Google, look for those “labeled for reuse” under tools. If using Flickr, look for “creative commons”. Pictures are important. When posting a picture, make sure to change the “alt text” of the picture to your keyword. This way Google will also see that picture as connected to your blog post’s keyword.

Takeaway

I’m still learning about how to write effective blog posts. But, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned along the way.