- Backlinko.com
- matthewwoodward.co.uk
matthewwoodward.co.uk
Rule # 4 – Master The Art Of Curiosity
Part of your success as a blogger and the success of every blog post will depend upon your ability to keep your reader engaged and scrolling down the page.
We’re bombarded by a million things all day long, and every one of those notifications and “really important emails” will conspire to tear your reader away from your content.
It’s your job to keep them on the page and get them to read your article.
They’ll never have that transformative “AHA!” moment if you can’t get them to stay on task.
And if they never have that lightbulb go off in their head… they might never come back, they might never share your post, and they definitely won’t subscribe to your blog or purchase your products.
Here’s a few blog writing tips to keep your readers engaged:
- Master the art of storytelling. People love narrative pieces, they don’t love dry content. Story’s include heroes, villains, comedy, personal transformations, failure, love, hate, and the full range of the human experience. If you can weave a personal transformation story into your post, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting your readers to relate, sympathise, and read on.
- Use great design. Design can be used to engage your readers. A wall of text will only drive people away, so instead use design principles throughout and break-up the text. Use bold headlines, colors, images, and HTML elements that capture wandering readers attention and get them to focus on the important bits.
- Master the art of the cliffhanger. Back to storytelling, are you familiar with cliffhangers? It’s where you tease something upcoming to get your reader or viewer to stay engaged until the end. It’s common with shows, but less common in articles. It’s an awesome tactic to keep people reading all the way through your article to the end.
Rule # 5 – Set Yourself Up For Blogging Success
Set yourself up for blogging success with your blog post early on.
Get to know what kind of content is already working in your niche and get to know your niche and the popular bloggers involved and model their success.
It’s really as simple as that.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Uncover what others are doing, model their success, improve upon their tactics and ideas, and add your own take and angle to it.
Don’t steal content (plagiarize), but DO rework ideas!
Here’s a few simple tactics to set yourself up for blogging success:
- Model your competitors (what’s working now).
- Model high-trafficked, popular blogs in your niche.
- Model content formats and ideas that are already working.
- Find the top 3 posts for your keywords in Google and create better content.
Here’s a few ways to find content in your niche that’s already performing well:
- Google and other search engine SERPs (search engine results pages).
- Pinterest viral pins (look for pins with a ton of shares and research the content).
- BuzzSumo.com (shows viral posts based on keywords).
- YouTube.com (research high ranking videos for ideas to repurpose for a blog)
Here’s how to start a blog fast plus get hosting + a free domain for less than $4/mo: Start My Blog →
Rule # 6 – Always Add Value
Remember earlier when we said that blogging isn’t about you?
It pays to keep this in mind every time you sit down to write.
Of course, there’s times you’ll be writing about yourself, but you’re still writing for your audience.
Posts that are about you, are still about them. You’re sharing your experiences to help others improve, get results, relate to you, etc.
It all comes down to one thing.
Always be adding value with your blog posts.
Aim to help, aim to be useful, aim to provide value and help others overcome hurdles and you’ll set yourself up for blogging success.
That’s why if you look around the web you’ll find that some of the best performing and widely shared blog posts are “how-to guides” or provide real value in some other way.
It could be a case study, a recipe, an ultimate guide, a step-by-step guide, a “Top 10 Best Marketing Campaigns”-type post, or anything else, but make sure you leave the reader with clear takeaways and actionable content.
Blog Writing Format – How Do You Structure A Blog Post?
In this section we’ll cover proper blog writing format and how to structure a blog post because there’s more to a post than just writing the content.
There’s also the structure, format, and design of your blog post to keep in mind.
It’s critical that you format and structure your post and content so it’s actually readable (by people and search engines) and keeps your visitors engaged and interested.
As the web develops it’s become easier and easier to add amazing design to web pages.
You can also add multimedia to your blog like images, video, downloads, HTML elements, content blocks, audio files, or other elements.
It’s not just about the written content.
Remember that people are extremely busy and constantly distracted in the digital age.
That means you need to do everything you can to keep your visitors engaged with your writing.
Structure, design, flow, and content are all critical to the success of your new piece.
Understand The Basics Of HTML, Formatting, & How Search Engines “See” Your Blog Content
When a search engine scans your page in order to understand what it’s about, they only “see” text in the form of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (and other code).
That same code is what let’s a browser display your post in the way that you want it to render for your visitors.
Without that code, your pretty post wouldn’t look like much.
If you have a basic understanding of how HTML works on a blog (at the very least), you’ll understand what search engines and browsers are actually seeing, and knowing that gives you clarity on structuring your blog posts in the best way for search engines, humans, and browsers.
You need to use HTML tags if you want browsers and search engines to understand the hierarchy of your content and what your content is actually about.
Fortunately, most modern WYSIWYG content editors (like WordPress) handle all the code for you in a visual editor so you don’t have to write the code yourself.
And if you’re using a WP visual editing tool like Thrive Architect to edit your posts, you’ll have a vast array of beautiful HTML blocks ready to drop into your page with a single click.
But it still pays to know how to format and structure your post to give it the best hierarchical structure:
When structuring your post at the very least aim for using an H1 heading, H2 heading, numbered and bullet lists, paragraphs, and a mix of multimedia files like images, videos, or audio files.
Craft An Irresistible Blog Post Title – 7 Blog Titles Ideas
Your blog posts title (AKA the headline) is without a doubt the most important piece of content to get right on your post.
Your title will make or break your post, with a bad one resulting in lackluster performance, and a good (or great) headline resulting in traffic and engaged readers.
The title is your chance to deliver an awesome “First Impression” of the article and it had better be good.
It’s the first thing a reader will see on or off your site, it’s the thing that will draw them into the body of the post, or turn them away.
In this section we’ll be going over 7 simple blog titles ideas to help you craft the perfect, compelling blog post title to attract new readers, shares, and fans.
Blog Titles Idea #1 – Don’t reinvent the wheel.
The great thing about headlines and titles is all the great ones have already been written. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Find what’s already working in your niche, and model that. Model the pros. Model successful headline formats that are proven to work.
Pro tip: It helps to keep a swipe file of blog titles ideas and examples in your niche so you always have references nearby.
Blog Titles Idea #2 – No clickbait.
Clickbait titles are the worst of the web. It may help some sites to generate traffic, but you’ll pay for it in lost trust and high bounce rates. You can create plenty of curiosity and get people to click (see rule #4) without crossing into dangerous clickbait territory.
Blog Titles Idea #3 – Use emotional titles.
This is a tactic best reserved for personal journey blog posts, promotional posts, launch posts, etc.
If you’re writing a review post about your favorite email marketing tool, this isn’t the time or place for using words like “heartbreaking,” but the truth is, strong emotional elements can evoke sympathy and get people to pay attention.
Use this tactic sparingly and remember to deliver on your headline!
Blog Titles Idea #4 – Use curiosity in your titles.
Using curiosity to drive interest doesn’t automatically mean you’re using clickbait, but you can’t give away the farm in your article, or why would anyone read it?
For example, “10 Simple Tactics To Get More Blog Traffic,” is using curiosity to get clicks, and if you don’t deliver, it’s clickbait plain and simple, but if you do, it’s going to be an awesome post that adds a ton of value and that will result in new fans and goodwill from your readers.
Blog Titles Idea #5 – Keep it short and sweet
Blog post headlines need to be short, like under 80 characters short. Search engines will truncate headlines in SERPs (search engine results pages), so nobody will see anything past 80 characters anyways.
Blog Titles Idea #6 – Don’t oversell your content.
As I said above, aim to deliver on the promise of your headlines and marketing or your readers will leave disgruntled and disappointed.
Don’t oversell your content with your headline. If your “How-to” post doesn’t actually show someone “How To Balance A Rhinoceros On The Tip of A Pencil,” then don’t use that headline.
Be real, be truthful, and deliver real value and you’ll build a loyal fanbase of readers.
Blog Titles Idea #7 – Speak to your audience.
Is your audience part of a specific group of people (a tribe) like welders, mechanics, bloggers, social media managers, etc.? If so, they probably have their own lingo. Make sure you know how they communicate with other members of their tribe, and use that same language in your headlines and content.
If you’re struggling to think of title ideas for blog posts and need to generate some blog title examples, try using a headline generator tool to get a list of ideas.
How To Write A Blog Post Introduction
The introduction (after the headline) is one of the most important pieces of your blog post and critical to its success.
Without it readers will feel confused and uncertain if they’re in the right place and leave.
Think of the intro to your blog post as the concierge to a fancy hotel.
They’re there to reassure their guests who are checking in that they’re in the right place, getting a great deal, getting the room they purchased, are going to have a great stay, and so on.
Similarly, your intro is there to “welcome” your readers and let them know they’re in the right place and are going to have an awesome experience and get the content they came for.
Consider the context: people can arrive at your post from a million different ways, but usually the minimum they know (before clicking on the link to your post) is the title, maybe an excerpt, maybe an image, and maybe a bit of additional context.
They’re only clicking because of that minimal information found off your website.
If they don’t get what they came for, they’re going to leave, because they’re not on your site for anything else.
Make sure your intro let’s them know the basics of what they’re going to learn and confirms for them everything they think they are there for.
Here’s how to start a blog fast plus get hosting + a free domain for less than $4/mo: Start My Blog →
Why Subheadings Are Important To Your Blog Post (And Readers)
Let’s talk about subheadings in your blog posts for a minute.
And why they matter so much.
Subheadings are similar to headings, they’re meant to be like sign posts in your content, steering readers to their desired destination and telling them what individual sections are about.
If your post is a wall of paragraph text, no one will know how to navigate your content, and let’s face it, in the mobile/digital-era, nobody really reads from top-to-bottom anymore.
People typically scan a web page quickly before diving in to make sure they’re going to get what they came for, and that’s why subheads are so important, to catch those “scanners” and tease the content enough for them to dive in.
Aim to add subheadings (H2, H3, H4, etc.) at least every few paragraphs and treat them like your main headline (see headline rules above).
Make Your Content “Flow”
Remember that part of the goal of your post is to keep your readers engaged.
And the best way to lose their focus?
Notice that most paragraphs in this post are a single sentence, maybe two at most.
That’s not accidental or some quirk of my personality, it’s a strategy to get people to keep reading.
By giving your readers small chunks of bite-sized information to consume at a time (hence the single-sentence paragraphs) you’ll be doing them (and yourself) a huge favor…
… by making your content readable!
Blog writing is NOT essay writing, we’re not being graded by a professor (at least not usually), we’re trying to relate to other humans, not satisfy proper grammar and essay formats learned in high school.
That’s why a conversational tone and format is so important.
Also take into consideration the context of mobile devices. On a small screen even a single long sentence can take up the entire viewport.
Breaking up text with white space, headings, HTML elements, images, etc. will help your readers digest your content.
Here are more resources for blog post formatting:
Blog Post Examples – Find A Successful Blog Post Template To Model
In this section we’ll cover a few popular blog post examples.
The great news is that there’s already a slew of awesome blog writing examples and blog post templates out there on the web so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Modeling successful blog post formats by using a blog post template is one of the best ways to engineer success and save time.
Let’s dive into a few examples of successful blog post styles that get reused and repurposed all across the blog-o-sphere.
Blog Post Example #1: The How-To Post
Probably the most recognizable blog post template because it’s so common and if done right it can provide tremendous value and hopefully tangible results to your audience.
How-to guides can create enormous goodwill with your readers.
If you help them solve a problem or learn a new skill or get a desired result, you’ll have them as a loyal fan for life.
Take a look at the example below:
If you’ve already read Rule # 1 (Know Your Audience) above, then you should have a clear idea of your audience’s needs and problems.
Create how-to guides to solve those problems and you’ll be golden.
Blog Post Example #2: The List Post (AKA The Listicle)
Another blog-o-sphere favorite, the Listicle has been done to death, and shows no sign of slowing down.
That’s because people love lists, they’re easy to scan and easy to get quick information from.
The Listicle post is our #2 choice of best blog post templates any blogger can use.
Listicle posts are also great for bloggers because they’re super easy to write. They take less brain-power to create than massive how-to guides (like this one, phew!).
List posts are also great because people love to share them, which means more traffic and more pageviews.
Blog Post Example #3: The Roundup Post
A Roundup blog post is great for getting traffic and backlinks.
You’re basically “rounding up” a group of… something.
A collection of expert quotes, tools, favorite plugins, apps, etc.
If you create an awesome roundup of expert advice, you can easily send that over to the experts you mentioned and if you’re lucky they’ll share it with their audience and link back to it from their site.
Check out this Roundup blog post example:
People love to share roundups because they’re packed with value.
Blog Post Example #4: The Trendjacking Post
Trendjacking, AKA “Newsjacking,” is when you ride the early wave of a new trend or news story.
It’s easy to get momentum with these types of posts because if done right there’s less competition on the web.
The downside to these posts is they’re less evergreen, meaning they usually only have momentum during the trends upcycle, and can fizzle out as the trend dies.
On the other hand, if you identify a long-term trend, your posts can bring in traffic for years to come.
As an example, let’s say a new product is released in your niche by a well known reputable brand with lots of marketing clout and a heavy hitting PR team.
During the product launch they’re going to generate a ton of buzz and online searches around that new product, and that’s your opportunity to “trendjack” right to the top of the SERPs.
Here are more resources for blog post examples and templates:
Here’s how to start a blog fast plus get hosting + a free domain for less than $4/mo: Start My Blog →
Getting Started On Your Post – 6 Things To Do Before You Write a Single Word
If you want your blog post to be successful, it pays to be prepared and to have a plan in place, so in this section we’re going to go over how to start writing a blog post the right way.
That includes doing the research necessary to craft the best post possible, get search engine traffic, and “wow” your readers.
Who Is The Post Really For?
In section 1, Rule # 1 (Know Your Audience), we went over how important it really is to know your audience.
Before you start your new post, make sure you’ve got this down, and make sure you know exactly who you’re writing to in this specific post as opposed to your more general customer avatar (audience).
Is it for “single dads that are learning programming,” or is it for, “single dads that are learning programming but already have some technical background?”
Dial this down before you write your post so you can write the best post possible.
What Problem Will You Solve
Before you start writing, make sure you have a handle on the specific problem you’re trying to solve with your post.
If you know exactly what issue(s) you’re helping your audience with, it will influence your research and outlining and help you create content focused on your audience’s needs.
Most people are reading blog articles looking for a solution to their problems, help with something they’re learning, or help deciding on a product to buy.
There’s a million other reasons they’re reading things online, but you get the idea.
They’re here to satisfy some need.
Know what those problems are in advance, and solve for them in your post and you’ll create lifelong fans and readers.
If we’re using the example above, and writing a post for single dads that are learning programming but already have a technical background, what problem are you solving for them specifically and how will your post address their unique needs?
Blogging Keyword Research
Keyword research (researching search phrases people use in search engines) is extremely important to the success of your post.
If you don’t know what people are searching for how can you get your post in front of them?
You don’t need to be an SEO to do this, and there’s plenty of free keyword research tools out there to help you get started.
You can use Google Keyword Planner (you need a free Google Ads account), Ubersuggest.io (Neil Patel’s App), and the search engines themselves to research keywords and find new ideas.
Aim for at least having one main search term that the post will be optimized around, and related terms (called LSI keywords) that you can add into the post to round it out.
If you don’t have a high authority site, look for “long tail keywords,” those are longer search phrases that are easier to rank for.
As an example, it would be really hard to rank for “WordPress,” but you might stand a chance ranking for “Best WordPress Security Plugins.”
Competitive Research
Researching your competition may be the most important aspect to writing your blog post.
Don’t skip this exercise.
Now that you know your keywords, start searching for them on Google and other search engines like YouTube and review the content that is at the top of the search results.
These articles and videos are at the top of the SERPs for a reason.
They were the most valuable and most useful posts related to those keywords in the eyes of the search engine, and they’re the posts that get the most traffic.
You want to research these extensively.
How can you improve upon them? How can you make them better? How can you update them for current events?
Here’s a few places you can research your competition:
- Search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo.
- Video search engines like YouTube.
- Content monitoring platforms like BuzzSumo.com
- Image search engines like Pinterest.com.
And if you want to research competitor keywords, you can try:
Now go research your competition!
