Where do you start when it comes to writing for your website? Is it the layout or the engagement, or the content? In this guide to writing a good blog post, we will go over all of the points needed to not only write but to do it over and over.
Have you found yourself sitting in front of your computer in a daze? What do you write? How do you begin to write a blog post?
Or maybe you have walked away because the task is too daunting. Not anymore. I have ideas and a plan to help get you rolling into one post after another. By following these steps and doing them repeatedly, your blog posts will make a difference for your website, your readers and be worth the effort. Even if you are not a writer.
Why Is It Hard To Write?
Very few people are born to write. The rest of us have to learn and practice to become good blog post writers. Some of the reasons it is difficult to put a blog post down on your computer are:
- Lack of confidence – if you have not done much writing you probably lack confidence in your ability. Maybe it is perfectionism that creates no confidence, however you can put that aside and start writing. Put anything that comes to your head down on paper or your computer.
- Comparison – When people compare themselves to others they will always fall short. Maybe you looked at a post on the internet and was in awww of the writers ability. That person is not you! You will develop your style and do very well once we go through this guide to writing a good blog post.
- Fear of failure – what if you writing a blog post and it doesn’t rank? Is it a waste of time? Did you fail? No it isn’t and no you didn’t. Every string of words you put together will move you toward a stronger ability to write. You never fail when you take action. You only learn.
- Fear of success – what if you write a blog post and it does rank on page one of google? Oh no everyone will see it and your confidence is low. So why try? You are successful when you complete a project no matter if it ranks or not. And if Google puts it on page one they must think you did a great job.
Groundwork For Value
We will first set the groundwork. You can use what we do here for every post you write. Here is a list of the groundwork for beginners:
- Find a quiet place to write your blog post – pick a room where you can close the door and put up a “do not disturb” sign. Distaractions will cripple a train of thought. I will be in a thought process and writing like mad when my husband interepts. My thoughts go out the window and that whole thread is lost.
- Turn off your devices – cell phones and iPads will inevitably ding or distract you at the most inoportune time. Either keep your enviroment quiet or put on some music that helps you generate clear thoughts.
- Close out all social media – if social media is open one can’t help but check it to see if what pops up is important. In time you will not even hear the dings or calls that can interrupt your work. I will start writing and 2 hours later remember that I heard a ding on my phone. It is OK to not answer right away if it is not children.
Tools Needed To Write
It will take some tools to write properly.
- Grammar checker – I use Grammarly to spell check, grammar check and check for plagarism on all of my blog posts. I do pay for the premium because a gramatically correct post will draw in readers. If a person can skim your words to find the important parts they will stay on your site longer. Proper grammar helps the words flow.
- Keyword research tool – This is a 100% must. There are ways to find keywords without a checker but they are not always reliable and they do not give the information needed. If you want to rank then a keyword research tool is imperative. I use Jaaxy to research my keywords.
Purpose
What is your purpose for writing? Is it to convey information, make money, help someone, or maybe get something off your chest. First, determine what kind of blog post you are writing.
If you are writing for yourself, you will never have the courage to publish the post. Pick an imaginary person sitting beside you and write to them. Write like you are helping them solve a problem and having a conversation with that person. Did you explain the subject so your imaginary friend can understand it?
Groundwork Of Information As A Guide To Writing A Good Blog Post
The groundwork of information is the longest step and the most important one. Without the proper foundation, you will get stuck in the middle of your post and never go back to it. So take your time, even if it feels like it is taking forever. Once this step is completed, you will roll right through your post.
- Trigger ideas
- Find a keyword
- Write your title
- Build an outline
Trigger Ideas
To write a good blog post, one needs information and ideas. If you don’t have any ideas, you can trigger your mind with magazines or Google searches. These are ideas, not a copy of what you see. Never copy the work of another person.
Go to Google and put in words that relate to your niche. Suppose it is cats, then put in cats and see what comes up. Read the headings and the meta descriptions to get ideas.
Find Keywords
Next, go to Jaaxy, a keyword research tool or your favorite one, and brainstorm keywords. I believe setting up your title first is important. I have written a post in its entirety and then searched for a title. It was a mess because once I found keywords that would rank, I had to change most of the posts to match the title.
I suggested Jaaxy as a research tool because it has an area where you can brainstorm and develop different keywords that will work. See my Jaaxy review for the information on how to use the tool properly.
Write Your Title
Once you find keywords that will rank, then write your title around those words. Now you have a title and an idea of what to write about. Again go to Google and look up specific parts you want to talk about. With cats, let’s say you are writing about how to train a cat. Search for cat training or any words that come to mind. Look at what you find and plan your post.
Build An Outline
Set up an outline with headings only. Your outline of headings will organize your post. Start with the broad information and move on through to the intricate information. For example, your outline may look like this for a niche in cats.
- Title For Cats
- First heading can be “information on felines”
- Next may be “why train cats”
- next “what kind of cats train well”
- “Different ways to train a cat”
- H3 list different ways with info on each one
- then “tools to train cats”
- H3 list the tools.
- Summary
You now have an entire blog post lined out and ready to go as you go through the headings research each one. Read a bunch of information and use the ideas, not the text. You may be writing on a subject that many others are writing about. There is not always fresh information available, but you can have a fresh take on the information.
You are different than anyone in the world. So your view will be the fresh take. Your design will be a fresh take. Your thoughts are a fresh take.
Guide To Writing A Good Blog Post
So far, we have talked about the groundwork for value and information behind a good blog post. Now let’s talk about how to write a good blog with the whos and whats and helping your readers understand what you want to convey.
Ask yourself some questions.
- Who are you writing this post for? Is your new post for cat lovers or the elderly or a younger generation. It is important to have a targeted audience in mind. Look at what your outline is about and decide who it is you are writing this blog post for. Keep them in mind while you write.
- What is your end goal? Is your post strictly informational or are you selling products? Sometimes you will want to give your readers all information and not sell anything. This builds trust. When your readers trust you they will come back again and again.
- Who are you writing to? This is different than writing for. Pick one person you are writing to. This is so important it warrants mentioning twice. If you write to the air you will get lost in the story. But if you write to that one imaginary person what you say will make more sense.
- What do you have to offer that will help your readers? Everyone who searches for something on the internet has a problem they want to solve. When they find your blog post you want your information to be the solution to their problem.
How To Help Your Readers Understand Your Words
When you begin your blog post writing, it may be in pieces because you are putting down thoughts that may be fragmented. I know mine was when I began blogging. I suggest that you write and then go back and reread it. Will your reader understand exactly what you mean?
Write it again; only this time expand on each thought. In addition, give explanations to give a deeper understanding of the subject. Then go to preview mode in WordPress and reread it. Use your Grammarly to check it and reread it.
When you are finished, it will flow and make sense all at the same time.
Summary – A Recap On A Guide To Writing A Good Blog Post
When you follow all of these steps repeatedly, you will be able to sit down and write a post that ranks in 3-4 hours.
What Are The Steps Again?
- Build your confidence, don’t compare yourself to others and throw fear out the window.
- Cut out all distractions to set yourself up for success
- Prepare the tools you will need to write your blog post
- Research, search, research some more and again
- Find your keywords and write a blog post title
- Write your outline in H2 and H3 headings
- Ask yourself the 4 who and what questions and write down the answers
- Now write your blog post
- Reread your words and write until it makes sense
- Grammar check it and reread it.
- Rinse and repeat because practice is the key to writing and publishing each post
Your work does not have to be perfect. The more you do, the more you will improve.
