Writing your first blog post and trying to get readers can be exciting, daunting, or even challenging. It’s an exciting endeavor that sets the tone for your entire blogging journey. Whether you’re establishing a personal blog or a professional website, writing an engaging post will set the tone. Here are a few tips on how to get started and write like a pro.
Nobody knows precisely what they are doing when they start a blog. It usually begins with an idea or a desire to share information with a general audience. Your blog/website will evolve based on your readers’ feedback, and this process can take several months to complete.
Anyone can make a blog/website happen; the only requisite is patience!
Sometimes we can start with a niche, such as cakes only, but the majority of your readers have started asking for something totally different. What do you do? Ignore them or cater to them. This was the case for one of our websites. This is called evolving, and catering to your audience is perfectly okay.
Before beginning, we’re assuming you’ve already bought your hosting and domain. If not, check out this article, Critical Tips for Acquiring The Perfect Domain Name, and our resources for other great tips.
Grabbing Readers Attention
Just like in baking, having a post-formula (or recipe) to follow can save you time and headaches.
Start by listing a few articles within a specific category that pair and perhaps link, e.g., desserts, chocolate desserts, creamy desserts, etc. To give you an even better example, this article about writing your first blog post is linked to other articles in our blogging resources category.
Your first post should grab your readers’ attention and cover a topic related to your niche and your audience’s interests. It also needs to be what you’re passionate about and resonate with your target audience. It should be something you’re knowledgeable about and eager to share.
Ask yourself some questions:
What is the purpose of your blog post?
Clarify the purpose of your post and what you aim to achieve. Will it inform, entertain, inspire, or persuade?
Who is my target audience?
Define your target audience’s characteristics, including their demographics, psychographics, interests, preferences, and pain points. Use this information to tailor your content to meet their needs.
What research do you need to do?
Determine which information, data, or examples are required to support your arguments or claims. Where can you find trustworthy sources and evidence to support your points?
What format or structure will you use?
Organize your blog post in a format that engages and captivates readers, such as a listicle, how-to guide, case study, or personal story. Sometimes this might mean revisiting old posts and revamping their structure. We’ve done it, and other bloggers do it too. The critical point is that you start with something.
What tone and style will you use?
Consider the tone and style that will resonate with your audience and align with your brand voice. Will your tone be formal or informal, serious or lighthearted? How can you inject personality into your writing?
By asking yourself these questions before you start writing, you can ensure that your blog post is well-planned, focused, and effectively communicates your message to your audience.
Interlinking Posts
What makes a blog and its posts successful is being able to interlink to ensure a natural flow from one post to another. When you have a lot of posts, interlinking is incredibly important. Your readers will then be able to navigate through your blog effortlessly, and of course, Google loves that too.
Brainstorming Keywords
Brainstorming and searching for keywords using Google’s free tools go hand-in-hand. For the best results, you need to brainstorm using the tools.
Start with Seed Keywords
Before writing a blog post, it’s recommended that you create a list of seed keywords related to your topic. These keywords should be broad terms or phrases that encapsulate the central theme of your post. For example, if you are writing about “digital marketing,” your seed keywords could include “SEO,” “social media marketing,” and “content marketing.”
Consider Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volumes but higher conversion rates. Incorporate long-tail keywords into your blog post to attract more targeted traffic. For example, instead of targeting “digital marketing,” you could target “best digital marketing strategies for small businesses.”
Refine Your Keyword List
When creating a blog post, refine your list of potential keywords to select the most relevant, high-performing options. Consider factors such as search volume, competition, and relevance to your topic.
Free Keywords Using Google
Finding keywords for your blog post involves using tools and techniques to identify relevant terms and phrases that people search for. I’m sure you’ve heard of the term ‘if it’s free, then it’s for me.’ Well, your luck is in. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to find keywords for free using Google’s tools:
Use Google’s Autocomplete Feature
Type your seed keywords into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions, which reveal popular search queries related to your keywords. Jot down any relevant phrases that you hadn’t considered.
Explore Related Searches
Scroll to the bottom of the Google search results page to find the “Searches related to…” section. This section displays additional search queries that are related to your original keyword. Review these suggestions to uncover more keyword ideas.
Use Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a tool offered for free by Google Ads that helps advertisers find relevant keywords for their campaigns. This tool can also be helpful for bloggers. Simply sign in to Google Ads and navigate to the Keyword Planner section to use it. Here, you can enter your seed keywords to generate ideas on keywords and obtain information on search volume data and competition levels.
Utilize Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to explore the popularity of specific search terms over time. Enter your seed keywords into Google Trends to see how their search volume has fluctuated. This can help you identify trending topics and seasonal keywords that are currently popular.
These tools are a great way to accumulate free keywords. Use them all, or whichever one suits you best. We love Google Trends and Google’s Autocomplete Feature.
Some paid versions of finding keywords, such as SEMrush and Ahrefs, provide keyword difficulty metrics that indicate how challenging it would be to rank for a particular keyword. It’s a matter of personal preference whether you use them or not. We have never used them because we’ve found Google’s tools to be sufficient.
techniques for Writing A Blog Post
We all have our own techniques for writing posts. Some prefer to write right away with little or no research, while others prefer to think out their writing beforehand. As our objective is to obtain as much traffic as possible, we fall into the latter category, along with Google Trends and Google’s Autocomplete Feature.
This means that we need to conduct some research to determine the terms we should use in our post and the kinds of queries we should address. If you are reading this post, we assume that you are hoping for similar outcomes—a large number of visitors to your blog so that you can work on it full-time.
Now that you have a list of topics and questions to focus on, it’s time to start writing your blog post! To ensure a smooth reading experience for your audience, follow these guidelines as you begin.
Outlining Your Post
Create an outline to structure your post, including an introduction, main points, supporting details, and a conclusion for coherence and flow.
Craft a Compelling Introduction
Begin your post with an enticing hook, providing context and setting clear expectations for readers.
Writing Short Paragraphs
Short paragraphs are best because most readers prefer to skim rather than read. Moreover, it is gentler on the eyes.
Writing With Tone
Write your posts for 10-year-olds; if you write for much older than that, you’ll lose your readers.
Grammatical Errors
These have the potential to make you appear amateurish to readers and to Google, whose algorithm may detect these mistakes and harm your content. You can be the brainiest person on the planet, but your brains get tired and need help. To settle this, we use Grammarly and Quillbot.
Paragraphs
Try keeping your paragraphs short, which means 2-3 short sentences. If your paragraphs are long, people will tire quickly and leave.
Keywords in Titles
Gone are the days of using keywords in titles other than your entry title (h1); Google now stipulates short and sweet. You’ll see on our website that all our titles are short and to the point. This actually makes writing a blog much more accessible.
Using H2 for Titles
Gone are the days of using the sequencing of H2, then H3, then H4, and so on. Google stipulates using H2. Again, this makes blogging so much easier.
End with a Call to Action
End your post with a clear call to action that encourages reader engagement. For example, you could invite readers to share the post on social media, leave a comment, or subscribe to your blog.
Edit and Proofread
Before publishing, it is essential to carefully edit and proofread your post for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ensure your writing is clear, coherent, and free of typos or inconsistencies.
Remember that your first blog post is just the beginning of your blogging journey. Stay consistent with your posting schedule, engage with your audience, and continue to refine your writing skills as you grow your blog.
Lastly, don’t overthink your posts. Just write. You can re-read and perfect it another day. Posting your content is just as important as writing it. Long-term procrastination rarely produces fruitful outcomes and may lead to feelings of inferiority toward your work. So, ignore that self-destructive voice and hit the publish button! You’re doing great.
What About Visuals?
Sometimes, you’ll come across a post that’s interesting but with zero images. If you’re like us, you probably wonder how it’s ranking. The truth is, we don’t know. We do know that if you don’t have images or graphics on your post, it’s hard to keep people actively interested.
Adding visuals, such as images, videos, or infographics, makes a post more engaging for your audience, breaks up the text, and makes it easier to read. Visuals can help illustrate your points and make your post more visually appealing. They also break up the page and entice users to scroll down. Here are a few pointers to consider:
NOTE: Not all websites need the Regenerate Thumbnails Advanced plugin, but you’ll soon know if you need it because your images will be out of proportion and blurry.
Publishing Your Post
Once satisfied with your post, publish it on your blog platform and promote it to your audience. To increase its visibility and reach, share it on social media, in relevant online communities, and through email newsletters.
Now that your post is live, it’s time to tell everyone about it!
Social Media
To promote your website, it is recommended that you share your link on all the social media platforms you use. Using your website’s name and logo, you can create accounts on popular platforms such as Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and Linkedin.
Your social media URLs should include your website name, e.g., /glamsydesigns. Start sharing your new post as soon as possible, and of course, always share older content.
This platform is excellent for promoting your website. It will provide the majority of your traffic for most websites, especially food blogs. A Pinterest pin is 100 times more spreadable than a tweet or a Facebook share.
Your images and graphics are continuously shared on Pinterest, resulting in a steady flow of traffic. When you compare this to the short lifespan of a tweet (25 minutes) or a Facebook post (2 hours), it becomes evident that Pinterest should be a vital component of any marketing strategy.
Tailwind
Is a social media and email scheduling platform for generating engagement. With Tailwind, you can easily double or even triple your traffic! Watch your traffic improve in a matter of weeks and become a champion. It gives you easy-to-use email marketing tools multi-networking, and scheduling tools for social.
When email and social marketing work together, they’re more effective — email marketing increases your social following, and social marketing grows your list. You can simplify your workflow, work faster than ever, and cut down on all the tab switching.
Social Plugins
Allow your readers to share your posts and like and subscribe to your social media platforms; it’s literally free advertising. We use the Hubbub Pro plugin because it’s incredibly lightweight and doesn’t slow down your website. The free version is available from your WordPress dashboard.
Sharing
Share your posts and videos with family and friends. Ask them to share them with all their family and friends, too.
Indexing
Submitting your blog to Bing and Google to be indexed immediately after publishing guarantees your post will be listed on their search pages sooner rather than later. This can be done in your Webmaster and Google Console. Or, a quicker alternative is to use the Yoast SEO Plugin; they have a site feature called Index Now—just enable it, and it’ll do all the dirty work for you!
What To Do After Publishing
After publishing your blog post, monitor its performance in terms of search rankings, traffic, and engagement. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your chosen keywords and make adjustments as needed to optimize your content for better results.
It’s also good practice to revisit your live posts once in a while to read them through and perfect them. Depending on your chosen niche, posts, and images, blog posts can grow old quickly.
About Sharna & The Team
Sharna is a WordPress website designer. For over twenty-plus years, she and her team have helped many business owners launch scroll-stopping websites. Her passion is creating high-quality, high-performing websites, whatever their size.
Want a draw-dropping great design? Checkout our Services to Hire Us to get started.
