The process of post creation is divided into several steps. Here's how to go ahead with it.Pick a Killer (Alluring) Post Title
This is one of the most important steps towards creating—a great blog post. Post title plays an important role when it comes to attracting visitors from search engines.While crafting a post title, make sure it is enticing, arouses curiosity, and persuades a potential visitor to see what the post has on offer. This is a sure shot method to pull truckloads of organic traffic from search engine result pages. See an example below.
As you can see in the image above, there's a sharp difference between the first post title and the rest of the 3 titles. The first one is definitely alluring when compared with the other three.The length of the post title is also vital. A long post title—no matter how good it is—will be displayed partially in the search results. Therefore, try to keep the length of the post title around 75 characters (+/- 5 characters either side) to get the best results.
Start With an Engaging Introduction
The opening paragraph of a blog post is where you start the engagement with your readers. Once the visitor lands on the post, it's up to the introduction paragraph to retain him on the page. Following things must be taken care of while writing the opening paragraph.- Do not write a very long opening.
- Define the problem or a topic in a crisp and clear manner.
- Do not include more than one links (if any) in the introduction.
- Assure readers about the upcoming solution in the following sections.
- Conclude with inviting readers to read the entire post.
Use Bullet Points and Lists
You can notice the use of bullet points in the previous section. Lists and bullet points not only allows you to put forward the important information in a clear and concise way but are also easy to grasp and understand from the reader's perspective.If the points to be listed are part of a linear process, use an ordered list else always go ahead with an unordered list. Make sure you're not including nested lists within the post which unnecessarily complicates the content structure.
The length of the list shouldn't be too long. If the list is really long, segregate the points into categories and create a shorter list for each category.
Liberally Use Images and Illustrations
Now this one is quite obvious, isn't it so?Images not only convey the message across, instantly but also makes the content more appealing and scannable. Take a look at the example shown below. Content syndication is explained through a simple graphics which is much better than long boring paragraphs.
While using the images on your blog, make sure you're uploading the optimized version and not the raw bulky images. Liberal use of images within content also helps in pulling traffic from image search queries.You can see some examples of using images in a blog post here and here.
Link to External Authority Content
No blog post is complete in itself unless it is linking to relevant, useful, and popular content published on external authority websites.Linking to external quality content not only enriches your post but also increases its score (from SEO perspective) for better presence on search engines.
Linking to external websites has one more advantage. The sites you're linking to notice it and there is a high probability they'll reciprocate in future. While linking to external content, follow these simple guidelines.- Do not link just for the sake of linking. Assess, analyze, and determine the need before going ahead with the linking process.
- Choose anchor text wisely and avoid deliberate stuffing of keywords.
- Do not overwhelm the post with dozens of links.
- Avoid linking to websites with thin or filler content.
Avoid Writing Long Paragraphs
I've already mentioned earlier that writing long paragraphs should be avoided at any cost. These long text blocks are boring and uninteresting for an average reader.You can notice right in this post that apart from the opening paragraph, I've not written a medium-sized or a long paragraph throughout this post. Another advantage of dividing a long paragraph into smaller chunks is that it introduces the necessary white space (for better legibility) and structure.
And last but not the least, this additional white space effectively lengthens the post giving the illusion of a long blog post.
Support Claims With Data Tables, Charts, and Graphics
Apart from including regular images and illustrations, there's another subtype of the same to take your blog post to—another level.If you're discussing something in the post that involves data—numbers—and statistics, the best way to present them is the inclusion of tables and charts. That's how an average reader can easily grasp and understand the raw and unprocessed data.
These charts and tables can be either embedded in the form of images or in the form of interactive HTML markup. The latter format is the recommended one as readers love it—to the core.If you struggle to create charts and tables for your blog posts, there are several powerful and easy-to-use solutions to generate rich and interactive charts without messing the hands with code.
Cite Quotes/Statements of Influencers
An excellent way to add weight to your blog posts is to add citations for the key statements made within the content to justify and add credibility to the expressed views.Needless to say, quotes from influencers and experts should be given preference over general statements made by the peers or by the people at the bottom of the popularity ladder.
While citing, make sure you're mentioning the full name and the primary skill of the quoted expert. Avoid anonymous quotes at all costs if vital data or statistics are in question. Here's an example.Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it's decoration.
- Jeffrey Zeldman (Designer & Author)
You can also link to the influencer's website right within the citation which is only going to validate and certify the quoted statement. Do not forget to give an appropriate style to the
<blockquote> HTML tag to make the quotes—stand out within the content.Present Yourself as an Authority/Expert
Newbies, no matter how much knowledgeable in their domain, often struggle and hesitate in putting forward their views strongly in a clear and concise way.The same phenomenon applies to the blogging too. Blog content—written by beginners—often exhibit a hint of reluctance and hesitation. Things get worse if the post receives a couple of critical comments.
The best way to tackle this situation is to write with absolute confidence. As mentioned earlier, support your views with concrete data and citations. Once you get hold of this process, you'll pile up an archive of excellent content testifying your authority on the subject.The bigger is your archive, the more easily you can cross-link your posts adding more depth to the content which in turn helps you in establishing yourself—as an expert.
Conclude With Facts, Findings, and Solutions
No blog post is complete without a concluding section that summarizes the juice of the entire post. Do not hesitate in using a bullet point list for the same.If there is a scope, you can also mention the facts and figures in the form of a comparison table. This applies specifically to the posts discussing multiple solutions for the same problem.
Here I must warn you about the same old point. Do not get tempted to write a lengthy concluding section. Keep it short and to the point. Few types of posts do not require a concluding section—for example—an interview blog post.Finish With Inviting Readers' for Comments/Views/Suggestions
And last but not the least is an important exercise of finishing the concluding section with an invite for the readers to share their views about the post and to add more to it.This invite should be the last part of the concluding section. You can entice the readers by asking a few relevant questions about the subject discussed in the post.
So, this wraps up this guide about writing blog posts—in a correct way. We learned about the key sections of a typical blog post and also saw how we can add more weight to it—making it more interesting—for the readers.If you're a blogger, how do you go ahead with the post writing process? We'd love to know what additional tactics you're using to make your blog content—exceptional.