We\u2019ve broken down the entire process. To help you achieve your content marketing goals and become a better writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t already, create buyer personas like the one below. To gain a better understanding of your target readers. And what type of content they\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ask your audience what they want to read about (on social media or via email surveys)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those marked green are already covered on your site. While those with a flame icon are trending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Difficulty: The subtopic\u2019s keyword difficulty score , which measures how hard it is to rank highly for that keyword<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip: For a more strategic approach to content production, create a content plan . This details all the content you\u2019ll create over the coming weeks or months. Including blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is important because adding keywords to your blog post can help your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Meaning you rank higher in relevant search engine results pages (SERPs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, keyword research lets you identify topics with the biggest SEO potential. Which is important if you\u2019re using blog posts to increase organic traffic (unpaid search engine traffic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter a word or phrase to base your research around. Then, choose your country and click \u201c Search .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To find relevant keywords for your blog post, focus on search intent \u2014i.e., what the user is looking for when they perform this search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The type of search intent is listed in the \u201cIntent\u201d column. Here\u2019s a breakdown of each:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get a better understanding of a keyword\u2019s search intent, perform a quick SERP analysis :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the SERP for \u201cwhy a 29er mountain bike\u201d is dominated by 29er bike guides. So, publishers trying to rank should create a similar kind of blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that it may be appropriate to target multiple keywords on the same page (i.e., do keyword clustering ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, \u201cwhy a 29er mountain bike,\u201d \u201cwhat is a 29 mountain bike,\u201d and \u201cwhat is a 29er bike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In these cases, pick a primary keyword\u2014the main keyword you want to rank for\u2014to focus the blog post on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip: Perform keyword research with the Keyword Gap tool, too. This tells you keywords competitors rank for but you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating a blog post outline helps you plan your content effectively. So you can streamline the writing process and create a better post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t already, analyze similar content that\u2019s performing well. To work out what searchers want\u2014and how you can stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the top Google results for \u201cwhy a 29er mountain bike\u201d are all guides. With sections for the definition, benefits, and history of 29er bikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But to outrank these rivals, you need to add value. To make your guide the best version out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For help planning different types of blog posts (such as how-to guides and listicles), check out our blog post templates . You can also get inspiration from our blog post examples .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If blog SEO is your priority , get recommendations from Alien Road SEO Content Template tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tool analyzes your top 10 rivals in Google results based on your target keywords, location, and device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, it shows how competitors use your target keywords. So you can optimize your content more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recommend saving the introduction, conclusion, and headline until last. So you can make sure they accurately reflect the body of your article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s a good idea to approach the other sections in order. So you can ensure flow between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, write the bottom line up front (BLUF) in the first paragraph. In other words, provide an immediate answer or explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the diverse world of mountain biking, where wheel sizes and frame geometries can vary greatly, the term \u201829er bike\u2019 has carved out its own unique niche.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simply import a brief from the SEO Content Template tool. Or generate a new template based on your keywords and target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the first line to a 29er mountain bike guide should read something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis guide will explain what a 29er mountain bike is and whether it\u2019s right for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cImagine a world where the trails seem smoother, obstacles appear less daunting, and every turn in the path beckons with an allure of adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the right approach depends on the topic. And where readers are in the marketing funnel .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, it makes sense to promote your mountain bike range at the end of a buying guide. But this could be overly salesy in other contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The headline is one of the most important parts of your blog post. It impacts how many people read your content. And whether they\u2019re satisfied with what they find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should establish the tone upfront and set the right expectations for your readers. Otherwise, they\u2019ll end up disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or enter your blog post topic into the Free Title Generator . And click \u201c Get my titles .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now you know how to write a great blog post draft. But let\u2019s go through some other essential steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If possible, wait a day or so after finishing your first draft. Then, come back and review it with fresh eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re part of a team, consider asking someone else to read your draft. And provide constructive feedback and edits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tip: Tools like Grammarly and Hemingway App can help you proofread your blog posts. And become a better writer .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it\u2019s time to publish the blog post via your content management system (CMS) or blogging platform. Or schedule it to publish later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This will help you maintain a regular publishing schedule. And align with other marketing activities or real-world events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before going live, make sure your blog post is formatted correctly. (Things can go wrong during the upload process.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URL slug : The unique part of the URL. This is usually auto-generated based on your headline, but you might want to customize it. It should be short, descriptive, and future-proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Title tag : The title that appears in search engine results and the user\u2019s browser tab. This should be the same as or similar to your headline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meta description : The short description that can appear in search engine results. This should let searchers know what to expect from your blog post. And encourage them to click through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alt text : The image descriptions used by search engines and screen readers. These improve your page\u2019s accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open Graph tags : The title, description, and image displayed on social platforms like Facebook when your article is shared<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Email outreach : Contact relevant influencers and convince them to share or link to your post<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This allows for greater success on other platforms. And helps you reach audiences with different needs and preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose and track performance metrics based on your blog posts\u2019 goals. So you can measure their success objectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Google Analytics (or a Google Analytics alternative ), you can monitor user behavior and engagement metrics. Including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After setting up, head to the \u201c Pages \u201d tab to see which blog posts perform best:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ContentShake AI is a content writing tool that helps with every step of the blogging process.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Learn how to write a blog post that attracts and engages your target audience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31590,"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31314\/revisions\/31590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alienroad.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}