In 7 steps, write a blog that is quickly read and found

Here’s the translation of the 7 steps to writing a blog that is well-read and found:

1. Choose/Research a Topic
If you’ve followed our advice, you already have an extensive list of topics. If you don’t, consider looking through your website’s statistics (what are people reading), using Google’s Keyword tool, or selecting a topic that came up in your recent customer conversations. Once you have your topic, try a few different searches on Google to see what’s already out there. Write down important keywords.

2. Write the Title
The title determines whether your blog will be read and is essential for SEO. A title should be inviting and have stopping power, perhaps by asking a question or even going against the reader’s expectations. By thinking about the title, you force yourself to answer the question, “What will the reader take away after reading this piece?” Include the two or three most important keywords in your title. In a future blog post, we’ll specifically focus on writing titles.

3. The First Line
If the first line is dull or disappointing, there’s a high chance the reader will leave the rest unread. Where the title hooks the reader, the first line must hold their attention. The trick is to surprise or intrigue the reader, making them curious about the rest of the piece. For example, say something unexpected/controversial or directly address a need or question of the reader.

4. The Introduction
In the rest of the introduction, you should specifically state what the reader will have achieved or learned by the end of the piece. Keywords you found should be central here. Since people often skim the introduction by reading the first and last lines, ending with a big promise works well. For example: “After reading this piece, you’ll be able to publish a well-read and well-found article on your website within just 1.5 hours!” Who wouldn’t be curious about that?

5. The Article
The ideal blog post isn’t too long, so you have room for 2 or 3 paragraphs. Use the first paragraph for a bit of context or background and then address the core of what you want to convey. Use the second paragraph for nuance and explanation. Make sure not to stray too far from your topic and promise. Any text that doesn’t contribute to the promise is too much. However, wandering off-topic also serves a purpose; these are probably excellent topics for a future article!

6. The Conclusion
The first step in a conclusion is emphasizing your main point. What must the reader take away or feel? Next, establish a direct link with the introduction; this makes the piece feel ‘complete’ to the reader. Finally, ensure that the reader can and wants to take action. Should the reader contact you, take action themselves, read further, or share your article? The reader should at least be able to do something with your information!

7. Fine-Tuning
An image is worth a thousand words. So, choose an image that grabs attention and invites engagement. You can find commercially usable images through Google Image search, for example. Then, go through the entire piece for language errors. Once the post is ready, add some links to other (your own) content, make text bold or italicized for added emphasis, and ensure you have a good meta description that includes the keywords.

Content Inspiration

If you follow these 7 steps, you’ll be able to quickly write an engaging and discoverable news article for your website in just 1.5 hours. You’ll also notice that you’ll become better and faster at it with practice. You can start right away! If you need some inspiration for topics, consider reading “Good Resolution? More than 8 Blog Ideas for the New Year!” or “5 Articles for Your Business Blog.”

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