How to Write a Blog: 10 Do's & Dont's for the Best Articles
Blogging isn’t an easy task, but knowing what to do and not do helps. From getting traffic to your blog to engaging your audience, understanding how to write a blog that drives results can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be.
I’ve written over a thousand blog articles and am sharing the top do’s and don’ts of how to write a blog post.
When you know how to blog well, you can reach your target market and boost conversions without paid ads and social media hustling. So let’s get to it!
How to write a blog: what to do
With blog writing tips all over the internet, it can be hard to decipher which ones are most important.
By consistently following these 5 do’s, I’ve helped many people grow their blog success. Use these strategies to increase your traffic, keep your audience in the loop, and generate strong leads.
Blog Do’s
Use blogging resources.
Optimize for SEO.
Engage your audience.
Add visuals.
Proofread outloud.
1. Use blogging resources
There are so many resources out there for blogging, many of which are free. So why not use them?
Blogging can be challenging enough, so don’t go at it alone. Free blogging tools like AnswerThePublic and Hemingway make it much easier to write successful blog posts that are meaningful to your audience.
2. Optimize for SEO
Unless this is your first time thinking about a blog, you’ve probably heard of SEO (search engine optimization). Blog SEO is essential because it’s how you reach more people and grow your success.
Quick tips for optimizing your blog articles for SEO:
Do keyword research using something like Keysearch (my favorite). Use code KSDISC for 20% off.
Use your keywords in about 1-2% of your content.
Naturally link to other pages on your website.
Optimize your photos by reducing the image size and adding alt text with your main keyword.
Make the content reader-friendly. You can do this by spacing out content (short paragraphs are key), incorporating lists, and using headers.
Check your website’s speed on PageSpeed Insights.
Provide a clear call to action so your reader knows what steps to take when they’re finished reading.
3. Engage your audience
Make sure your audience feels like you’re speaking to them when they’re reading your blog article.
The best way to do this is to identify who your intended audience is and what their pain points may be. Use ‘you’ as much as possible, ask questions, and write content that can specifically help your reader.
Identify your audience and speak to them when writing a blog post.
4. Add visuals
People are visual and have short attention spans. Adding images, charts, and videos is a simple way to engage your audience.
Break up your text with 3+ visuals per article.
Get visuals for articles from:
Screenshots - when writing about online resources and tools
Stock images - from sites like Unsplash and Pixabay
Canva - to create graphics
YouTube - to embed videos
5. Proofread out loud
When you proofread aloud, it’s easier to catch mistakes. It also lets you see how readers will read your content.
If you don’t want to read the article out loud yourself, you can use NaturalReaders.com and have it read to you.
How to write a blog: what not to do
I read a lot of blogs, and I see these issues too often. The good news? They’re easy to avoid.
Blog Don’ts
6. Don’t disregard the title.
7. Don’t copy your competitors.
8. Don’t forget about the article.
9. Don’t write a college essay.
10. Don’t forget a call to action.
6. Don’t disregard the title
Once you know your topic, it can be easy to type out a quick title and move on to the article’s content. But don’t do this.
The title, or headline, is the first thing the reader will see. Make it stand out!
I love using Sharethrough Headline Analyzer to ensure my headline is strong enough. In fact, I use it for every blog article. It’s also good to make sure your titles don’t all sound the same and bore your readers.
Use Sharethrough Headline Analyzer to score how engaging your titles are.
7. Don’t copy your competitors
While it’s okay to know who your competition is and look to see what they’re doing, don’t copy them. Be original.
The idea is that you want your blog to stand out from your competition. Create a catchier headline, give more useful information, and show your personality in your blog posts.
8. Don’t forget about the article
It feels so rewarding to finish a blog article and hit publish. But don’t let that be the end of it.
Check analytics to see how your blog posts are performing and make updates as needed.
You can connect your site to Google Search Console (my favorite!) to track organic search traffic. You can also use your website’s analytics feature.
How can you update your blog articles in the future?
Do keyword research again to see if related phrases have a higher search volume. If so, incorporate them into your post.
Include links to newer blog articles.
Increase the word count with more useful information.
Change up the call to action as your goals change. What can your audience do next to help you reach a goal?
Use Google Search Console to track your blog performance.
9. Don’t write a college essay
Blogs aren’t college essays. They’re informative pieces that help a target audience.
In school, we learned to write formal essays. Blog articles are more laid-back and reader-friendly.
Steer clear of college essay vibes by:
Letting your brand’s personality shine through
Providing valuable information
Engaging your audience
Keeping sentences and paragraphs short and to the point
Including heeaders
10. Don’t forget a call to action
Don’t leave your reader to twiddle their thumbs. If they’ve made it to the end of your article, whether they read all the way through or skimmed, that’s valuable. So share a call to action, and give them something to do next.
A call to action might be reading another article, booking a service, or downloading a lead magnet freebie.
How to write a blog: conclusion
I hope these blog writing do’s and don’ts have you ready to write your next blog post.
Just remember: it’s all about helping your audience, SEO is important, and it’s okay to show some personality.
To learn more about how to write blogs, check out this blogging course with a free preview. In less than one hour, you can learn everything you need to know about writing results-driven blogs with confidence.
