Write a Good Blog Post and Stand Out Online

The human attention span is only around eight seconds. That’s one second shorter than a goldfish’s.

That means your blog post writing must capture your readers’ attention in just a few seconds. Otherwise, your content gets lost in the crowd of millions of blogs.

To do so, you must stand out and make a statement with effective blog copy.

Learn how to write a good blog post with these essential blogging tips.

Know Your Topic

If you were told to write a blog post about yourself, you likely could fairly easily. That’s because you know about yourself better than anyone else.

And when writing an effective blog post, you must be able to talk about your topic like an expert.

That might require some research and planning in advance. But more importantly, you need to know how to choose a focused topic. That way, readers know exactly what they’ll gain from your post.

Research keywords and questions people are searching for online. Then, choose one that you can discuss extensively and confidently. This is the basis of what makes a good blog post.

Have an Attention-Grabbing Headline

A strong and clear headline will motivate people to click and read. But a generic headline may encourage readers to scroll past instead.

Keep your headline specific, yet creative. It should be easy to understand, while also appealing to a reader’s unique perspective or experience.

There isn’t one formula for creating attention-grabbing headlines. But you can use a headline generating tool to help get you started. Learn more about these useful tools.

Plan Subheads

Your headline sums up the main point and purpose of your blog post. But the subheads contained within it shouldn’t be forgotten about.

Different writers have different writing styles, but all bloggers should be comfortable with creating organized content. This is key when planning your blog post format.

Even if you prefer a go-with-the-flow writing process, you should have an idea of what your main points will be. Then, those points should be divided and placed under subheads.

Subheads are like secondary titles, making it easy for readers to understand what each section of the post contains. And if they only want to read one particular section, they can scan and quickly find the appropriate spot.

Your subheads can be creative, but they shouldn’t be too mysterious. Use clear language that caters to short attention spans.

Start Off With a Bang

Aside from your headline, the first paragraph is the most important part of your blog post.

If you neglect the beginning, chances are no one will even read on to the middle or end. You must start your post off with a bang.

Think about your topic and why it’s important. Then, communicate that at the start. Show readers exactly why they can’t afford to miss out on your blog post. Introduce a shocking fact, an insightful statistic, or a relatable story.

Then, continue on into your next sections.

Make It Easy to Read

Blogs can be informative and insightful, but they shouldn’t sound like they were written by a stuffy professor.

Your writing style should be easy to understand. If it’s too difficult or wordy, readers will get bored and click away.

You should also try to incorporate bullet points and numbered lists when appropriate. This helps readers gather information at a glance quickly.

You should also keep your paragraphs short (typically just a few sentences is ideal) because long chunks of text can be tiring to follow.

Finally, add some pull quotes or block quotes to your blog post. These are surprising or enticing quotes that communicate an important point from your post.

Edit and Edit Again

A good blog post is one that feels trustworthy. Readers will feel like they’re being educated by an expert while reading your writing. And then, they’ll be excited to share it with others online.

But that all flies out the window if your blog is full of errors.

You don’t need to be a professional writer or a grammar genius. But you should aim to have no typos, incorrect punctuation, or awkward wording.

After writing your blog copy, edit it again and again. Use spell checkers and other online tools to clean up your post. You can even share it with a trusted friend who can help you spot mistakes.

While you may be eager to publish your post quickly, it’s worth it to take the time needed to make edits.

Add Visuals

Did you think blog posts were all about the writing? If so, you’re very wrong.

Online content attracts attention when it has some visual component. And that includes your blog posts too.

You don’t have to be a photographer or graphic designer to add effective visuals.

Many bloggers use stock photos for the pictures in their blog. You should try to find at least one photo for each post. Look for professional, visually striking, and colorful images.

Another way to add visuals to your blog post is with graphs, charts, and infographics. These can summarize some of the statistics and facts in your post in an easy-to-understand way.

How to Write a Good Blog Post From Start to Finish

From a catchy headline to striking images, you now know how to write a good blog post. Use these useful tips to make your next blog post stand out from the crowd, and capture even the shortest attention spans.

For more advice on how to build your blog, read our articles on SEO and technology!