A Blog Post Outline Guaranteed To Boost Traffic

Say it with me, I will create quality blog posts that people want to read. Coming up with content is hard, especially as a beginner blogger. Your niche might inspire you to post, post, post then when it’s time to start typing your mind is blank. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone in needing assistance with creating a blog post outline. Allow this article to serve as a template to refer to when you’re struggling to draft a blog post. Here you will find helpful pro tips, specific examples, and detailed explanations on how to drive traffic to your blog. Now let’s get into it!

Determine The Blog Post Topic

First things first, brainstorm a topic for your content. If you don’t have a list of possible topics, you can pull inspiration from multiple other sources. These include, considering current events, analyzing what your competitors are posting, or surveying your target audience. Regardless of how you choose your topic, the goal is to add value by answering a question the reader has. In other words, each article should be serving the reader as opposed to posting a virtual diary entry/opinion.

Pro tip: create the title and subheadings before drafting the entirety of the blog post. These can be changed before publishing so don’t overthink! Additionally, subheadings are a great way to break apart large paragraphs and provide context of what information comes next. This will help you when you begin drafting content and assist your reader as they navigate your article.  For example, I’ve separated this post with beginner friendly sections so the reader can use this outline for future content.

Conduct Keyword Research

After deciding on a blog post topic it is crucial to conduct keyword research. This can be done using formal sites like google trends or semrush. Or you can utilize social media like quora, reddit, and twitter to see what people are searching and how these questions are phrased. The reason keyword research is conducted is to ensure your content is using phrases that people are searching. It’s way easier to gain an audience when you create blog posts related to what readers are curious about.

Pro tip: don’t over saturate posts with keywords, be authentic yet informative. Although you want to ensure you’re using keywords you need to balance that with using your own voice. What separates your blog from an AI generated response is your ability to humanize your content.

Provide External And Internal Links

The next step in your outline is finding external links to include in your text. External links are sources of credibility which elevate your content from an opinion to verifiable information. Depending on your topic, you might add a link to a research article or a more popular website. Moreover, it is important to choose sites you would not out rank such as The Washington Post or Forbes. In contrast, if you link to another blog, don’t put yourself at a disadvantage by giving your competition free promo. This practice is remaining mindful of where your blog post might appear in a search engine result.

Next, add internal links to your template. The link can be to a previous blog post that relates to the one you are currently drafting. For example, I’m linking this post to my article about creating a blog business plan. Beginner bloggers won’t have much content but forming this habit early in your career will set you up for success. The reason we use internal links is to keep people on your blog longer therefore increasing engagement time.

Begin Drafting Your Blog Post

Now that the template is created, it’s time to begin writing. Allow your headers, sources, personal knowledge, keywords, and audience analysis to guide you. Consider things like sentence length, transition words, and tone to make your blog post stand out.

Keys To Outline An Excellent Blog Post:

• Include an introductory paragraph that explains the purpose of your post.
• Make the post AT LEAST 1,000 words.
• Vary your style with bold fonts, different text sizes, and underlining when appropriate.
• Conclude with a summary which means no introducing new information.

Add Images To Your Blog Post

No blog post is complete without a cover image. This will be displayed at the top of your post and often appear when shared on social media. You want the image to add to the text, never take away from the reader’s experience! Another great option is adding video whether it’s your own YouTube clip or a short tutorial for a “How To” post.

Pro tip: if possible, include an image of yourself in your text. This can add authenticity that relates to the brand you’re trying to build and connect to your audience.

Edit For Search Engine Optimization

Finally, we’re at the home stretch. In this final portion of editing we will go back and review the content to optimize where necessary. At this point, we are specifically looking to boost the aspects that search engines like to see in blog posts. That means…

• Edit the URL. Try to keep it short and sweet rather than using the entire title.
• Add a meta description. This will help search engines identify what your post is about.
• Review title and subheadings. Make sure you’ve included keywords or synonyms here as well as throughout the text.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a complex game of navigating algorithms. It’s okay if you are not a tech specialist but as your blog grows, you will improve your SEO skills. And just like that, you’re ready to publish!

Promote Your Blog Post

Now that you’ve sent your post out to the internet, it’s time to gain viewership. As a beginner blogger, you likely have a small audience. That does not mean you shouldn’t be spreading the word when you drop new content. Try advertising your blog on sites such as pinterest, facebook, and twitter. Of course, you also can’t go wrong with sending the post to friends and family to spread the word.

Refer back to this article whenever you need an outline for your next blog post. We all have the same goal to share knowledge and experiences so together we can produce excellent content! As a reminder, the perfect blog post template requires a topic, keyword research, outbound links, images, SEO, and promo. Good luck on your blogging journey and leave a comment if you have any questions!