Type a few hundred words and publish them—voila, a blog post. Doubtful.

Is it a blog post if nobody reads it?

Bloggers are everywhere. Not everyone can write a good book.

This post explains how to write blog posts that get read.

Let’s get started.

Step 1. Find a proven topic

People want to read proven topics.

This shouldn’t be difficult if you know the niche. You probably have many ideas. Google Docs all of them (use a notepad if you prefer analog).

Write about topics people are searching for to find proven topics. If people keep searching for the same topic, it’s likely they want to read about it.

Find these topics:

Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer

Enter a site or niche-related keyword

Report matching terms

Questions tab

Browse for interesting topics. Start with 5 to 10 items.

Traffic potential is ideal. Traffic Potential is the estimated search traffic you can gain if you rank #1 for that topic. TP indicates whether a topic has traffic potential.

Step 2. Decide on the angle of your post

Your blog post must stand out among the 4.4 million published daily. Otherwise, nobody will read it.

Novelty is key.

Julian Shapiro identifies five novelties:

“I didn’t know the world worked that way.”

“Wow, that’s not how the world works!”

“That’s insane.” I didn’t believe it.”

“Beautiful. I couldn’t say it better.”

Feel seen – “Yes! “Exactly!”

See Morgan Housel’s blog post:

He contradicts what most people believe. Best story wins, not best idea or “truth” Finance professionals find this compelling. It’s different from other news-based, fact-driven articles they read.

Morgan always does this. He rarely writes about finance directly, instead using history, biology, anthropology, psychology, and more. His posts are unique, and his articles’ angles stand out.

Must-do. So think of a unique angle for your audience. Start with these questions:

Do you have firsthand knowledge? If you’ve successfully used the keto diet, write about it.

Expert interviews? You can interview a keto expert about the latest research.

Can ideas be crowdsourced? For keto-friendly ice cream recipes, crowdsource.

Can you provide evidence or data? Consider conducting a study or reading scientific papers.

Contrarian? Don’t argue just to argue. If you have a contrary opinion, it can be a good angle.

Step 3. Create an outline

Blank pages are the hardest part of writing. Six hours at a computer can be wasted. We’re all guilty.

Outlining “solves” the issue. You’re not starting from scratch with an outline. You fill its “gaps.”

You don’t even have to start from scratch. Spend enough time online, and you’ll notice that blog post structures are similar.

Use templates freely. For list-style posts, we use this template:

Here are 3 more blog post templates.

When the skeleton is in place, fill in the H2s, H3s, H4s, etc. Some tips:

A. Use your own expertise

Experience and knowledge are invaluable. Use correct procedures to create your outline.

I’ve been breakdancing for 10 years. If I had to write a blog post about the six-step, I wouldn’t need to do any research—I could just write it from my head.

B. Analyze content gaps

If most top-ranking pages cover a subtopic, it’s probably important to readers.

Find subtopics:

Paste your topic’s top URLs into Ahrefs’ Content Gap tool.

Top blank

Click Keywords

Intersection filter 3 and 4

Here, you’ll see subtopics like:

Inbound marketing.

Marketing inbound.

Inbound examples.

Plus

They’re good H2s for a “inbound marketing” blog post.

You shouldn’t rewrite top-ranking pages. Internet is full of boring, generic content.

Use top-ranking pages as inspiration. You can include their points if they’re good. If they’re wrong, correct them.

Step 4. Write your first draft

Now that you have an outline in place, it’s time to fill in the details and create a rough draught.

I primarily write in Google Docs. The ability to convert the headings I’ve created into headings right away is a benefit. Simply select “Styles” from the drop-down menu to make the necessary changes:

Write your first draught using your headers as a guide from this point on. It’s all about “getting it out” at this point. That implies:

preventing any breaks from your writing.

avoiding self-censorship as you go.

not constantly moving things around in your outline to improve the flow.

avoiding repeatedly rewriting the same sentence because it “doesn’t read quite right.”

I am aware that. It’s simpler to say than to do. Still, make an effort to limit interruptions. This stage is all about getting everything down on paper (or a screen), so you have something concrete to work with later. There will be time to edit for perfection. According to author Shannon Hale:

I keep telling myself as I write a first draught that all I’m doing is packing sand into a box so I can later use it to construct castles.

Use of the Pomodoro Technique is one “trick” you might think about. When I’m stuck, sidetracked, or procrastinating, I turn to it.

Basic concept: Start writing as much as you can after setting a timer for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. Repeat after me. To automate your Pomodoros, use a Chrome extension like Marinara.

Step 5. Polish and edit your post

The surprise is that, despite the fact that the action is referred to as “writing,” that is not where the magic lies. The real blog post actually appears during the editing stage.

After finishing your first draught, this phase is all about editing, polishing, trimming, and rewriting.

Editing should only be done after one or two days have passed, in my opinion. Why? because when you first finish drafting, you’re too emotionally invested. It will be beneficial to remove this attachment after some time has passed so that you can edit honestly.

Here are some things you can do while editing:

Use Grammarly to check for errors in grammar.

Read your draught aloud to identify any areas where the flow is off.

Long sentences should be broken up into shorter, more impactful ones instead of using endless “ands” and “thats.”

Where appropriate, add formatting to make your writing easier to read. Examples include adding images, GIFs, bullets, numbered lists, bold type, and italics.

Sprinkle in “flow” – Whenever the chance presents itself, think about including transitional phrases and cliffhangers to keep the pace of your post from becoming monotonous.

Additionally, you should pay special attention to your introduction because that is where your reader will decide whether or not to keep reading.

After you’ve finished editing yourself, ask someone else for their opinion. It’s great if you can show your draught to an editor. Otherwise, a friend or coworker is a perfect substitute.

Getting an objective set of eyes to review your work is crucial in this situation.

It’s likely that a third party will be able to identify issues like logical flaws and awkward transitions that you won’t be able to identify on your own.

Every blog post at Ahrefs receives this treatment. We even “name and shame” the authors:

Include their suggestions where appropriate once they’re finished. To create the best piece of work possible, build on their suggestions and viewpoints.

Consider each argument that was made in detail. Put your ego aside and try to see things objectively. Which points do you agree with, which do you disagree with without a doubt, and which do you strongly disagree with?

Make changes based on the suggestions you support and omit the things you strongly disagree with (but be sure to have a logical explanation for doing this). It all depends on how much you trust the person giving you feedback if you’re on the fence.

Additionally, take care to avoid unintentionally adopting another person’s writing style, especially if they provide lengthy feedback or if you are incorporating many of their suggestions. Once more, if at all possible, stop drafting and focus on something else. When you return to it, try to rewrite the section using your own words and a different style.

Now is the time to rewrite sentences until they “sound right” or repeatedly rearrange your points to make them flow as naturally as possible.

You should keep getting input and revising your draught until you are satisfied with the result.

Step 6. Create an amazing headline

One of the most crucial elements of your blog post is the headline. Whether or not someone chooses to click through and read depends on it. Therefore, take your time and make it compelling by polishing it.

Don’t stop with your first headline. Try out a few and decide which one looks the best. For each article it published, the viral website Upworthy notoriously created 25 headlines.

I’m not requesting that you come up with similar clickbait headlines. However, the exercise might be worthwhile. It helps to clear the wastewater from the faucet, to paraphrase singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran.

Following are some guidelines for creating stronger headlines:

Use “power words” – Expressions like “remarkable” and “noteworthy” can evoke strong feelings. Your headlines can be more engaging by adding one or two.

Parentheses strengthen your title tag by serving as the “icing on the cake,” so add them.

Step 7. Sprinkle on your on-page SEO

You’ll want search engines like Google to find and rank your post even if you’re not blogging with SEO in mind. After all, one of the main methods for finding new online content to read is still through Google searches.

You should adhere to basic SEO best practises when writing new blog posts. On a fundamental level, you should:

Include the topic in the title – You probably thought of this naturally when you were coming up with headlines. It’s hard to avoid mentioning intermittent fasting when writing about it, after all. If you haven’t, don’t worry; a close equivalent will do.

Create a compelling meta description for your article. Although this isn’t a Google ranking factor, it does help your article “sell” itself in the search results.

Use succinct, descriptive URLs – These URLs help searchers quickly understand the topic of your post. Making the slug your topic is the simplest strategy.

Add alt text to your images so that Google can understand them. For each image you use, create one that is succinct but accurate.

External and internal resource links Cite sources when appropriate. Additionally, it is beneficial for readers who wish to learn more.

Installing plugins like Yoast or RankMath for a content management system (CMS) like WordPress can make accomplishing all of this a breeze.

Step 8. Publish your post

You’re prepared to publish your post at last!

Post your article to your CMS. Or, if you use WordPress and have some money to spare, think about using Wordable. You can now upload content from Google Docs directly into WordPress with just one click. really simple

Then quickly check it again to ensure everything is in order. Lastly, click “publish”!

Step 9. Promote your post

Finally, your post is ready for publication!

Upload your post to your CMS. Or, if you already use WordPress and have some money to spare, think about using Wordable. This enables a single-click upload from Google Docs to WordPress. incredibly simple.

Then, quickly inspect it again to ensure that everything is in order. Finally, click “publish”!

Final thoughts

Hopefully, this post has shown you that it’s easy to write a blog post that readers will enjoy. You too can succeed.

Start writing that blog post right away; it won’t write itself.