How to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide

How to write a blog post

How to write a blog post

How to write a blog post: a step-by-step guide

When you create a blog, you have the opportunity to dive deep into topics you love, highlight your skills, and build a community of readers interested in your work. Whether you want to learn how to build a website and blog from scratch or make blogging part of your business strategy, publishing content online is an effective way to share your knowledge and ideas with the world.

That said, writing a winning entry takes practice. In this A-to-Z guide, you'll learn how to write the perfect blog post—from choosing the right blog topics, to choosing the right format for your articles, to selecting strategic images that generate interest and engagement. 

By the time you're done reading this, you'll have a clearer idea of ​​how to create powerful blog content that effectively communicates your ideas and stands out from other articles on the web, other types of websites, and the blogosphere.

As bloggers ourselves, we've learned a thing or two about writing blog posts over the years. Sharing knowledge and experience with other bloggers is important to us. Blogging can be a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, both for an individual and a business. 

We know how influential it can be and it all starts with blog posts or posts you write. Every blogger writes their posts differently and has a different process for planning and writing them but we have some tips in mind, which can help everyone enter the world of blogging.

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What is a blog post?

A blog post is a piece of content published on a blog, usually consisting of text, images, video or other multimedia elements. Blog posts cover a wide range of topics and can vary in length and format. They are often informal, conversational and engaging, providing blog visitors with information, insight, opinion or entertainment. Blog posts can serve a variety of purposes, including educating, entertaining, motivating, or promoting discussion.

How to write a blog post in 13 steps

Brainstorm blog topics

Refine your topic with keyword research

Define your audience

Create an organized outline

Write engaging content

Create a catchy headline

Choose a blog template

Choose a blog domain name

Choose the relevant image

Implement calls-to-action

Optimize for SEO

Edit and publish your blog posts

Publish the final article

01. Brainstorm blog topics

When writing a blog post, whether you're guest posting for someone else or writing for your own blog, you'll want to cover topics that bring value to your readers and interest them as well as your own. Instead of trying to find the perfect topic right away, start by jotting down different ideas that come to mind.

There are several places you can look to generate new topic ideas:

Browse other blogs in your niche with competitor analysis. If you're starting a travel blog, for example, just Google "travel blog" to see what your competitors are writing.

Use the AI ​​tools at your disposal to generate topic ideas

Use Google Trends to find out what topics are trending

Check current events and latest news related to your field.

Find out what people enjoy learning by browsing online courses on Udemy, Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning.

Once you've got some interesting ideas online, think of unique ways you can make them not only trendy and relevant, but also original and fresh. Consider the different ways you can play with topic ideas. You should also consider making sure your blog posts are up-to-date and include relevant data and statistics on the topic.

Let's say, for example, you want to write about chocolate chip cookies. Here are some different angles you can consider based on your target audience and website traffic potential:

A how-to post that instructs readers how to do something with clearly indicated steps (eg, "How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch")

A curated list that offers a set of recommendations for your readers (eg, "The Top Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes")

A tips and advice post that provides expert guidance and resources. (For example, "Tips for Making Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Extra Gooey")

A definition-based blog post that helps explain the meaning of a term or topic (eg, "What are no-bake chocolate chip cookies?")

A top trending article that highlights what's currently popular (eg, "This year's best chocolate chip cookie recipe")

A personal or business update that lets you unveil something new or previously unknown (eg, "My new chocolate chip cookie recipe is out").

Brainstorm with these best blog ideas, and check out our professional guide on how to create a blog for more helpful tips. You can also consider people close to you for feedback on your ideas, or reach a larger audience and get their thoughts.

Example of a story written on a fashion brand's blog

02. Refine your topic through keyword research

Part of writing a blog post involves keyword research. This important SEO practice is used as a marker to see which terms you can potentially rank high for in certain online searches.

Once you've chosen a direction for your blog post, and before you begin the writing process, you need to figure out its chances of success in search engine results pages - which ultimately drives more attention to your content. To be successful, conduct keyword research to find the most relevant queries for your topic.

You can find keywords for your own articles using various keyword research tools. If you're new to blogging, you'll probably want to start with free tools like Ubersuggest and Google Keyword Planner. After that, you may want to upgrade to more advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.

When conducting keyword research, remember that the more specific the phrase, the more closely it will match your audience's intent. On the other hand, larger keywords have higher search volume—meaning more people search for them each month.

Think about the benefits of choosing a broad phrase like "chocolate chip cookies" over a more specific phrase like "how to make chocolate chip cookies." Choosing the right keywords means striking a balance between high search volume and high intent.

Once you've selected your keywords, you can use them to structure your content. Google those phrases and spend some time browsing their content to find out which articles have successfully targeted those same keywords. This will give you inspiration for your own article in terms of what to include and how to structure it. Be sure to tap into your own experiences as an entrepreneur or writer when choosing what to write about.

Google asks how to make a chocolate chip cookie

03. Define your audience

Now that you know what you will be writing about, you need to understand who you are writing for. Anticipating who will read your posts will help you create interesting, engaging, relevant and shareable content.

Of course, your audience largely depends on the type of blog you have. If you run a baking blog, you probably write for people who love baking and are looking for recipe inspiration.

Even more specifically, if you run a healthy baking blog, you'll be writing for people who love baking the same way but who want to make their culinary creations healthier. It's important to keep these nuances in mind when creating your content, as your goal is to write articles that resonate strongly with readers.

So, how do you find your audience in the first place? Start by taking another look at other blogs in your field. Consider who they seem to be writing for and what they assume about their readers' interests and lifestyles. For example, you may find that most blogs address a specific gender or age group.

You can use online forums to find the top questions asked by your audience, or visit Facebook groups to read what topics they like or talk about. This will help you create content that piques their interest, piques their curiosity, and answers their questions.

Whether you're starting a book blog, a fashion blog, travel blog, or something else—defining your audience should come first.

04. Create an organized outline

The key to learning how to write a blog post is to do thorough research and planning before you create the article yourself. After deciding on the topic and blog format, you need to create a template for your content. Creating an outline is important, as it ensures that your article will have a strong foundation that you can build upon as you write your blog posts.

Begin by creating subheadings, which are the backbone of an organized outline, under which your paragraphs of text will sit. These small but powerful chunks of content help you break down your article into bite-sized sections, making it easier for you to write and more digestible for people to read.

If it's a step-by-step guide or a list of tips, start your outline by clearly listing all the main points, like in the example below:

Outline: How to Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

1. Gather your ingredients

2. Mix and knead the dough

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

4. Scoop mounds of dough onto baking sheet

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Add bulleted notes within your introduction and under each of your subheadings. This will help you make your main points.

If you find yourself stuck, use one of these blog post templates to guide you through the outline process.

05. Write engaging content

Turning your favorite topics into blog posts and knowing a lot about them is a great strategy for attracting readers: they'll come for the knowledge, but they'll stay for your authentic perspective and first-hand experience.

Hannah Kimmelblatt, blogger and growth marketing expert at Wix

Now that you've sketched out the blog post, you can start typing (or, use AI to write your blog posts). Remember that blog posts, like many other types of writing, typically include three main elements: an introduction, body text, and a conclusion.

Let's start with its introduction. In the first few sentences of your article, you should already have your readers' attention. Start with a relevant quote or statistic, tell a short story or share an interesting fact. Then, set the tone for the article by sharing a brief summary of what you're going to talk about in the body text. It gives your readers a reason to keep going.

Next, fill in the body text. In your outline, these are bullet points under each subheading. This is the meat of your blog post, so it should be clear and compelling. Avoid fluff and repetition and instead provide deep value by sharing your knowledge, research and insights.

A conclusion section isn't always necessary—in fact, our blog rarely uses one—but it can be useful when telling a story or wrapping up a very long article. You can tie your main points together by using a short bulleted list or sharing some concluding thoughts in a few sentences. Regardless, you'll want to end on an engaging note.

At this stage you'll also want to consider your writing style, which is usually determined by your blog's audience. If you're targeting a professional business crowd, you might consider adopting a more formal writing style; If you're writing for the unemployed, light and funny may be the best style.

Consider your tone on blogs, even in formal business, to open communication and inspire conversation. Make sure your tone is relevant to your writing style and audience, but use welcoming and persuasive language where possible.

Other important concepts to consider in your content creation process are:

Viscosity: Basically the ease with which a reader can understand and flow a part of the reader. This is similar to the "fluency" of writing and how easily ideas and information are conveyed to the reader. High writing viscosity indicates that the text is dense, complex and difficult to read, while low viscosity indicates that the text is clear, concise and easy to understand.

Rhythm: Patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, sentence structure, and flow of words that create a musical or melodic quality in text. It is cadence and beat that give writing a sense of movement and can make language more engaging and memorable.

Creativity: The ability to imagine and creatively express oneself through the written word. It involves creating compelling stories, poems, essays or any type of written content using one's unique perspective, original ideas, emotions, pathos and artistic flair. Creative writing allows writers to explore their thoughts, emotions, and observations in creative and expressive ways. Storytelling is a huge part of writing a blog post and should not be neglected.

Sentence and Clause Structure: The basic elements of grammar that govern the way sentences are structured in the English language. They determine the order of words (verbs, adjectives), phrases and clauses to convey meaning and ensure clarity in communication. Understanding sentences and sentence structure is crucial to effective writing and communication.

06. Create a catchy title

When writing a blog post, you don't just need strong content; You'll also want a strong title. A great title entices readers and enhances your blog design, ensuring they click on your article first.

Learning to write an interesting blog title does not have to be difficult. All you need to do is keep the following points in mind: clarity, specificity and providing an answer or solution.

Writing a good headline also depends on how well you position yourself in front of your audience. Use the title to promise readers that your blog post will provide valuable insight that will satisfy their intellectual curiosity, teach them something new, or help them solve a problem.

This will make them more likely to click on your article and read it. Just don't go overboard and be sure to avoid clickbait, which is writing a hyperbole headline just to get clicks on an article.

To give you a general idea of ​​your own content, here are some examples of titles we're quite proud of:

Create a powerful free landing page in under an hour

20 Best Time Management Apps to Organize Your Life

How to Design an A+ School Website (with Examples)

Make a Change: Using Photography as a Tool to Raise Awareness

If you're looking for inspiration to get started, try this blog post title generator.

07. Choose a blog template

Writing your blog post may be your first priority, but you'll want to package it in an interesting way. Having an article with strong visual appeal is crucial to striking the right chord with your readers. The best way to customize your blog's design is to start with a free blog template.

All of these blog layouts are created by professional designers and are fully customizable to reflect the messaging and tone of your blog. For inspiration, check out these blog examples to see how others have transformed these templates into beautiful, content-rich powerhouses.

If you're writing a blog about organic ingredients, for example, using a natural color palette on your site will set the right tone for what you write. This same color palette should be used on your blog logo as well as on your social media platforms

Example of a travel blog that uses a modern blog template

08. Choose a blog domain name

How to write a blog post, You should host your well-made blog on your domain site address for readers to discover it. When it comes to naming your blog, you can gather ideas from a blog name generator and see if domain names are available.

Spend time thinking about how your blog and domain name will fit the blog post topics you will cover. Make sure your name reflects your blog's personality, topic and niche.

Once you've finalized your name, choose your domain name (also referred to as a URL, for example, www.wix.com). Typically, your domain name will be the same or at least similar to your blog name

09. Select the relevant image

Similarly, you should enhance your blog post with some great images that illustrate your main points. It's important that your images add value to the subject rather than serving as placeholders

Pay extra attention to your featured image—this will be the main visual below your blog's header and what readers will see when they browse your articles from your blog's homepage. It's also great to insert infographics into blog posts to reinforce key points or key statistics.

Also consider embedding videos in your blog posts, the best ones you create to match the topic and intent of the video, but you can also use third-party ones to improve user experience and engagement rates in your articles.

With Wix, you can add a professional photo gallery to individual posts and embed your own images within your articles. You can choose from an array of media content from Wix, Shutterstock and Unsplash right within your site's editor.

10. Implement calls-to-action

Just as a blog is meant to inform people about specific topics, it can also be used as an important tool that motivates readers to take a specific action. This includes everything from subscribing to your blog to making purchases.

This element is referred to as a CTA, or call-to-action, and is presented as an embedded link or button that communicates your purpose in an enticing way. Some common call-to-action examples for blogs include "subscribe," "download our e-book," or "sign up."

By using CTAs you can help convert your website traffic into engagement and ultimately profits. While your immediate goal is to get more readers, you may eventually want to monetize your blog further down the road.

11. Optimize for SEO

How to write a blog post, When it comes to SEO for bloggers, a strong SEO plan includes optimizing your content both before and after writing blog posts. Not only does this include doing keyword research before the outline phase (mentioned in Step 3), but it also includes using those keywords to polish your final piece.

It starts with sprinkling relevant keywords throughout your articles. Let's say you choose to target the keyword "business strategy". Use this exact phrase in your headline, throughout the body text, and naturally in one to two subheadings if appropriate.

Next, include this keyword in your metadata. This is the preview text you'll see for every article on Google and includes a title (known as the meta title) and short description (meta description). You'll want to add keywords to your article URL as well as the alt text of your blog post image. Finally, use these SEO features to boost your blog's overall performance and make sure you know how long a blog post should be for your post to rank best.

12. Edit and publish your blog post

With so many common blogging mistakes out there, you need to thoroughly check your article for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, repetition, and any other unprofessional content. Additionally, make sure your ideas flow coherently in each section, signaling a clear and objective message to readers. You can read about other essential aspects of blogging in this comprehensive blog post checklist.

As part of your proofreading and fact-checking process before publishing, we recommend asking a friend or colleague to take a look at your blog article before it goes live. Please point them to any inconsistencies or ambiguities. It's also important to emphasize quality over quantity to keep your readers interested and establish your credibility. Then, once you're happy with your written work, it's time to publish it.

13. Publish the final article

How to write a blog post, Once you've written and published the blog post, take the necessary steps to ensure it gets read. Two of the most effective ways to promote your blog post and get readers are email marketing and social media marketing.

Email is one of the most reliable platforms for marketing, as it allows for a direct communication channel between you and your audience. This highly effective digital marketing strategy involves sending customized emails aimed at converting potential users into loyal fans. If you're interested in getting started, this powerful email marketing service can help you send custom newsletters for your blog

Beyond email, sharing your article on social media can also go a long way. For example, if you want to gain a wider audience, promote your blog on Facebook or Instagram, which have the largest and most diverse user base.

Whichever channels you choose, making sure to actively engage with followers on a daily basis will ensure that you not only write a great blog post, but also get people to read your articles.

Looking to really get your blog off the ground? Check out our Create Your Own Blog online course to get you started.

A book blog is an example of a newsletter promotion

How to structure a blog post checklist

Headlines: Clear, catchy and relevant, with relevant keywords for SEO

Introduction: Hooks the reader, answers the search intent where relevant, outlines the purpose and main topic of the blog.

Subheading: Organizes content into digestible and readable sections that follow a logical flow

Body: Provides valuable information while supporting points in a conversational tone with examples, statistics, and other evidence

Visuals: Include relevant images, infographics or videos that increase understanding and reader engagement

Engagement: Encourages reader interaction (comments, shares)

Edit: Check for grammar and spelling errors, edited for consistency and style, fact checked

SEO: Naturally include relevant keywords, answering search intent

Readability: Use consistent fonts and layouts, short sentences

Links: Includes internal and external links for additional context

Social Sharing: Includes social sharing buttons and shareable information snippets

Review: Read the post one last time before publishing and after publishing

How to write a blog post FAQ

How to write my first blog post?

Writing your first blog post can be an exciting but difficult task. Follow these basic steps to make it easy – choose an interesting topic, plan your post, attract readers with a killer intro, provide meaningful content, improve your conversational style and include visuals wherever you can.

What are the 5 easy steps to writing a blog post?

1. Choose a topic 2. Outline your post. 3. Write your introduction. 4. Expand on each of your points. 5. Summary and Conclusion.

How to write a blog post with AI?

AI can be a valuable asset throughout the content production process, from generating topic ideas to serving as a proofreader. AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard can help brainstorm blog topics, provide research insights, outlines and even drafts.

However, it's crucial to review and refine AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, relevance and loyalty to your brand voice. Additionally, grammar checkers such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid can assist with proofreading, but their suggestions should be carefully considered to avoid altering creative writing style.

How to write a blog post as a beginner?

How to write a blog post, Start with a catchy headline to grab attention. Introduce your topic in the opening paragraph, addressing the reader's pain point or curiosity. Organize your thoughts into clear categories with sub-headings. Use concise, engaging language. Include visuals for impact. End with a strong call-to-action or thought-provoking conclusion. Edit for clarity and brevity.

What is an example of a blog post?

A blog post is a piece of content published on a blog that usually provides information, insight, opinion or entertainment on a specific topic. An example of a blog post might be a "how-to" for cooking a particular recipe, a "bucket list" highlighting the top 10 travel destinations, or a "product review" discussing the pros and cons of a new gadget.

What is the blog writing format?

A blog writing format usually includes the following elements:

title

Introduction

the body

Subtitle

Image or multimedia

Conclusion

Biography of the author

What are some tools that can help with writer's block when planning a blog post?

There are several AI-powered tools that can help with this. You can opt for an AI blog assistant like the Wix editor; Or use a tool like ChatGPT for inspiration. You can use SEO research tools like Ahref to come up with new ideas, or consult community forums and discussions in your niche for new blog post ideas.

How do I make sure my blog posts resonate with my audience?

To make your blog posts resonate with your audience, research their interests and pain points then format and organize it so it's easy to read with clear headings and visuals. Using a conversational tone will help