Have you ever tried to write a blog post with a blank screen and gotten hypnotized by the blinking cursor? Sometimes I swear it seems like it’s laughing at you. Starting from scratch can be a challenge. Even the best writers can struggle without some sort of framework to start with. This is why I’ve created this blog post template.
I follow this exact blog post template to create my blog posts. It helps:
- eliminate’s writer’s block.
- ensure that I have all the pieces that I need to re-purpose my post
- gives me plenty of content to create posts for my social media channels without doing a lot of extra work.
If you want to save time on your next blog post, give this blog post template a try. You could write your next post from scratch. You might be missing out on some key steps to increase SEO, make it easy to promote your post, and get more traffic.
Table of contents
- Blog Post Template Tip – Start With an Eye Catching Keyword Rich Headline
- Remember to Find Keywords that Will Get You Traffic
- Blog Post Template Tip – Get Your Audience Through the Door With An Introduction That Explains Why They Should Read Your Post
- Blog Post Template Tip – Remember to Use H Tags in Your Posts
- Write Longer Blog Posts That Tie to Other Posts
- Blog Post Template Tip: Link to Other Posts on Your Blog AND to Excellent Content Elsewhere to Add Value
- Blog Post Template Tip: Add Images Every Few Paragraphs to Break Up the Text
- Types of Images that Add Value to Your Blog Posts
- Blog Post Template Tip: After The Body, Remember to Write a Good Conclusion
- Blog Post Template Tip: Finish up With A Compelling Call to Action
- One Final Note
Blog Post Template Tip – Start With an Eye-Catching Keyword Rich Headline
First of all, start out with keyword research. You will need to make sure to choose keywords that your audience is actually looking for. We’ve all made the mistake of writing the blog post that we have on our hearts only to find that no one reads it. Your first priority should be creating quality content that speaks to your readers. This is why your audience comes back time and time again. They love your voice, your message, and your content. You stand a better chance of being found in the first place if you create content that your audience is looking for.
Remember to Find Keywords that Will Get You Traffic
Pick a keyword and sub keywords that have a good amount of search traffic and aren’t competitive. One of the ways that I like to do this is by using Ubersuggest’s keyword ideas search. It shows the trend for the keyword, the average number of searches per month, and competition.
Tip: Choose Keywords with High Search Numbers, but Less Competition
If you don’t want to bother with numbers, you can use the color code. Each keyword is color-coded red, yellow, or green. This shows if it’s uncompetitive, moderately competitive, or competitive.
For Example: “Brownie Recipe” Keyword Research
If I wanted to rank on Google for a brownie recipe. It might be tempting to use “brownie recipe” which has 246,000 searches per month. The competition is pretty steep. Yet, “brownie recipe easy” or “brownie recipe from scratch” has MUCH less competition. This means I’m more likely to rank for it and actually get in the top search results.
Once You’ve chosen your keyword, you will want to craft an eye-catching headline. Something that will make the person who is looking for your keyword want to click on the link. Headlines tell the person on the other end of the Google search if the post is going to solve their problem.
Tip: Use a Headline Template or Generator
Headline templates abound on the internet. Some of my favorites are the How to blank (outcome) by (insert tactic). I like question blog posts as well. Another great headline is (Number of Ways) to (Solve a common problem that your niche has.) If you are really stuck, try the Blog Title Generator by Impact Plus. They have lots of formulas that are great at eliminating writer’s block.Another great writer’s block busting tool is Portent’s Idea Generator.
If nothing else, it might give you a good laugh. I tried entering blog coaches. The headline idea was “19 Things Your Kids Don’t Want You to Know About Blog Coaches.” I’m not really sure where you go from there…
Want a few more headline templates? How About 23
Guide Post Title Ideas
The Ultimate Guide to __________
A Comprehensive Guide to __________
The Complete Guide to __________
The Only Guide You Will Ever Need To _________
List Post Title Templates
______ Easy Ways to _____________
_______ Convincing Reasons You Need __________
Top 10 List of ___________
_________ Effective Tips for ________
________ Insanely Simple Tricks to ___________
Reviews and Round-ups
My Top Favorite Books About _________
The Best ______for Beginner ________
________ vs _________ the Results Might Surprise You
Top Podcasts to Help You _____________
Problem Solving/How to Post Title Templates
How to Succeed at _______ Even if You’ve Never ____________
How to _________ in X Easy Steps
How to Get More ________ in X Easy Steps
How I Got ________for $________
How we _________ in Less Than One Year
Blog Post Titles That Make People Curious
_____ Things ________Doesn’t Want You to Know About _________
The Best Solutions for ________ that __________Never Told You About
The Number One Belief About ________ That is Keeping You From _________
The Unfiltered Truth About __________
Why ________ is Not a Dirty Word
Tip: Once you’ve got a headline test it out and give it more pizzaz with CoSchedule’s Headline Studio.
This handy tool gives you a ranking on your proposed title. You can use the suggestions to give it more life and re-test it until you find something you like.A ranking over 70 is generally pretty good.
Blog Post Template Tip – Write An Introduction That Explains Why They Should Read Your Post
If the title of your post is the front door, the introduction of the post is the welcome mat. It tells the reader if your post will answer their question or provide new information?
A Three-Step Formula to Follow for Introductions
- Present the problem that you are solving.
- Explain what the post is about (give an overview of the solution)
- Explain why it’s important to know this information
Tip: Make sure to include your keyword phrase in the introduction (and the title).
This tells your readers (and search engines) that this post is about the topic that they searched for.
Looking for a Little More Inspiration? Try This Mad Lib Style Exercise
It’s not perfect. You’ll need to tweak the language to ensure that it makes sense, but it does help.
Have you ever tried to ____________? If so, you are probably familiar with the feeling of ________ that comes with _____ right?What can you do in this situation? I’m going to give you a few quick tips to help ________________ and get you back on track without __________. You could _____________ without this, but it could take way more ________.
Blog Post Template Tip – Remember to Use H Tags in Your Posts
Remember to create headings (using heading tags) for the sections of your text. Think of them as a sort of road map for your blog post. These are the signs that tell people where you are going. They are also handy for people who skim blog posts and don’t read the whole thing. (I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this.)
Make your Main Points Using the H2 Tag
Make your main points using the H2 tag. (Your title is H1). Then if you have sections under your main point you can use smaller H3 and H4 tags too. Why are these tags important? They make it easier for your audience to read and provide a road map for Search Engines. Without them, your readers have a tougher time consuming your content.
Tip: Focus on your readers when creating headers
According to Moz, you should focus more on your readers when creating headings in your post. This is what they had to say. “Although what you choose to put in your header tags can be used by search engines to evaluate and rank your page, it’s important to avoid inflating their importance. Header tags are one among many on-page SEO factors, and typically would not move the needle like quality backlinks and content would, so focus on your site visitors when crafting your headings.”
| Header Tag Type | Use for Tag | |
| H1 | Title of Blog Post | |
| H2 | Section Headings | |
| H3 | Sub-sections found under main section (H2) | |
| H4 (and beyond) | Sub-sections found under the H3 section and beyond | |
A Good Format to Follow in Your Body Paragraphs
- Your most critical point
- Lead with why
- Paint a pretty picture of the outcome
- If relevant, include a data point
- Give an example
- Finally, give an action step
You don’t have to include all of these, but a few of them will help to make a great paragraph. Your readers will want to take action and isn’t that what you want?
Write Longer Blog Posts That Tie to Other Posts
The jury is still out on exactly how many words to write in a blog post for good SEO. It seems that a good rule of thumb is over 2,000 words per post. If you want to get more shares and better SEO, aim for 2330 according to HubSpot. I’ve seen several other studies that back this up. This will get you more backlinks, social shares, and search engine traffic.
In the past, I’ve had clients who asked me to keep blog posts that I wrote for them under 1,000 words. They weren’t getting the most bang for their buck. In fact, it would have been better for them to pay me to research and write longer posts to improve website traffic. Plus, longer posts give you plenty of content to break up for shorter social media posts
Tip: Create Pillar Posts that are 4,000 words or longer
I love to help clients create pillar posts for their blogs. These are longer big topic posts that are evergreen. The information in them doesn’t change much from year to year. Plus, you can link to shorter posts that go into more detail on specific topics. Also, link from the shorter post, back to the pillar post.
Want to learn more about pillar posts? Watch this video on topic clusters/pillar posts. This strategy is genius! It makes it easy to create internal links. It helps keep readers on your blog. This leads me to my next Blog Post Template Tip..
Blog Post Template Tip: Link to Other Posts on Your Blog AND to Excellent Content Elsewhere to Add Value
Be sure to link to other content on your blog that you’ve written. This keeps your readers on your blog longer. Plus, it helps them to learn more about the topic that they are searching for in the first place.
Make sure to link to outside sources too. You can’t be the subject matter expert on EVERYTHING in your niche. You can add value for your readers by linking to outside content.
Tip: Set up your links to open in a separate tab to make it easy for readers to get back to your post.
Blog Post Template Tip: Add Images Every Few Paragraphs to Break Up the Text
This might seem like a no-brainer, but add images every few paragraphs to break up the text. I like to use a mix of horizontal and vertical images. They are easily repurposed for social media posts and Pinterest. I usually focus on the following graphics. They are easily pulled from the post to be reshared on social media. Also, readers are more likely to share them and save them. This bosts your engagement on social media.
Types of Images that Add Value to Your Blog Posts
- Infographics
- Edugraphics
- Quotes
- Tips from the blog post itself
- Steps to do something
- Images that show a concept
- Screenshots
Tip: Create shareable, saveable images for your blog post. Re-use them for your social media channels.
Blog Post Template Tip: After The Body, Remember to Write a Good Conclusion
Conclusions are a great way to wrap everything up with a nice bow. You don’t need to be super formal. Ex. In conclusion….. You could go with something like this. There you have it. With those ____ simple steps of 1. _____ 2. _____ 3. ____ 4. ____ etc. you can quickly and easily transform your _________(problem you solved.) Is this something that you’ve struggled with? If so, _____________ (insert call to action here.)
Blog Post Template Tip: Finish up With A Compelling Call to Action
I always thought of the Call to Action (or CTA) as a sleazy sort of term. It sounds like a high-pressure sales technique. I’m not selling people in my blog posts, Here’s the deal. It really is about helping your audience with the next step to solve their problem. What should they do AFTER they read your post? Is there another post that goes deeper on the topic? Do you have a free template that they can download?
It’s also a great opportunity to start a conversation with your community. Do you want them to tell you about their experience with the topic that you discussed? Tell you how it went when they tried the advice in your post? Ask if there is more you could add or if they have questions. It’s all up to you.
One Final Note
This blog post template is not the end-all and be-all of blog templates. There are lots of tips and templates out there to help you create amazing blog content. Tweak and improve your blog template(s) until they work well for you. You definitely don’t want to copy this word for word on every post. Search engines will penalize you for writing duplicate content. It is a starting point to get you going on a great post and make sure that you don’t forget anything.
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