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How to Write the Perfect Blog Post: My 10,000 Word Journey

Starting a blog was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career. As someone who loves writing and connecting with readers, having an outlet to share my thoughts while potentially helping others has been an incredible experience.

When I first began blogging a few years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing. I would just sit down at my computer whenever inspiration struck and write whatever came to mind. Sometimes I would publish posts without even proofreading them because I was so eager to get my ideas out there.

Looking back now, those early posts were pretty rough. It’s almost cringe-worthy to read some of my early writing. But we all have to start somewhere, right? Even though I made plenty of mistakes (which I’ll detail later in this post), blogging has enabled me to find my voice, create helpful content, and connect with readers from all walks of life.

If you’re thinking about starting a blog but feel intimidated or don’t know where to begin, I want this post to encourage you. You don’t have to have everything figured out on day one. I certainly didn’t! Consider this your kick in the pants to just take that first step and start writing.

And to help you avoid some of the early pitfalls I encountered, I’ll take you through a step-by-step guide to learn how to write a great post, drawing from my own experience as well as expert insights from top bloggers. Get ready to take notes!

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 1: Choosing a Blog Topic and Niche

The first step to writing an amazing blog post that you want to read is choosing a compelling topic. This might seem obvious, but deciding on a specific blog niche and zeroing in on topics and angles within that niche can be tricky.

When I started my blog, I made the mistake of trying to cover too many unrelated topics. From productivity tips to book reviews to travel stories, my blog lacked focus. It felt more like a personal diary than a platform providing value to readers. I also needed to make it easier to read.

I wish I had sat down early on and asked myself:

Who is my target audience?
What topics and questions are they most interested in?
What value can I provide through my blog?

Once I finally took the time to nail down my niche, it became much easier to come up with post ideas and tailor content to what I knew my readers cared about.

So before you start cranking out posts, define your target audience and identify 2–3 core topics your blog will focus on. This will help you establish expertise and authority on those subjects much faster.

As far as choosing which topics to write about, here are a few tips:

Write What You Know and Love While it’s wise to create content based on what your readers want, you should focus on subjects you have personal experience and passion for. When you write about topics you genuinely enjoy, your passion and authenticity will shine through.

For my blog, I focus on topics related to personal development and lifestyle design because those reflect my own interests and experiences. Sure, I could probably write about other blog-worthy subjects, but it wouldn’t feel as meaningful.

How to Write a Blog Post, Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research

One of the best ways to find good blog post ideas is to conduct keyword research to see what terms and questions people are searching for in your niche. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs make this easy.

Look for keywords with moderate-to-high search volume and low competition. These signal topics that readers actively seek information on, while giving you an opportunity to rank well in search engines with your content.

Just be wary of targeting ONLY high search volume keywords. While writing about widely-searched topics can help you gain more organic traffic, ultra high-volume keywords bring lots of competition, making it exponentially harder to rank well.

Audit Competitor Content Spend time browsing blogs in your niche to see what topics they cover. Make a list of popular post categories and subjects so you can get a better sense of what content resonates.

As you audit competitor content, look for gaps where you might be able to provide a unique perspective. For example, if every blogger is writing surface-level posts on Topic X, you could stand out by taking a controversial stance or delving into an unexplored aspect of that topic.

I also like to search related keywords and see what formats and types of content perform well for those terms. For example, some topics lend themselves better to list posts or step-by-step tutorials. This can give you ideas for how to structure your own content.

How I Choose Blog Post Topics

To give you an inside look, here is my personal process for choosing blog post topics:

I start by checking Google Analytics to view my top-performing posts from the previous month. Seeing which posts attracted the most visitors helps me identify content themes and formats my readers respond to.

Next, I head over to my keyword tracking spreadsheet. I use a simple Google Sheet to track blog post keywords and how they perform over time across multiple sites (more on this later). Sorting by monthly search volume, I look for emerging mid-to-long tail keywords in my niche.

From there, I search those keywords and closely analyze the types of posts ranking on page one. I take note of common themes, formats, and angles. This helps spark ideas for how I might cover those topics in a unique way.

Finally, I browse popular forums and communities related to my niche. Seeing the types of questions people ask helps me identify knowledge gaps to fill through my writing.

I compile all my observations and ideas into a Trello board where I manage my editorial calendar and content pipeline. As I come across new topics, I create cards detailing post titles, angles, keywords to target, and other helpful context.

This process allows me to constantly add new post ideas into the mix so I never run out of compelling content to create. I try to revisit this topic selection ritual at least once per week.

Even if you don’t take as formalized an approach, I recommend having some type of system or framework for generating ideas and logging them for future use. This ensures you always have a bank of fresh concepts when it comes time to write your next post.

How to Write the Perfect Blog Post Title

Once you’ve settled on a topic, the next step is crafting an attention-grabbing yet descriptive title. Some people recommend writing the title first before drafting any content. Others suggest finalizing your title after writing the entire piece.

I tend to land somewhere in the middle: I like to have a working title in mind to guide the shape of the post, which often gets tweaked by the end as the piece evolves.

No matter when you settle on a final title, it plays a huge role in whether people will click on your content. So make it count!

Here are my top tips for writing a great blog post title:

Incorporate Keywords This is an on-page SEO no-brainer. Work your target keyword(s) into your title organically. This signals search engines what your content focuses on and boosts click-through rate from SERPs.

Just don’t over-optimize! Keyword stuffing looks spammy. Use keywords in a natural, conversational way.

Keep It Under 70 Characters I know, this feels crazy short. But anything over 60–70 characters risks getting cut off in search results. Keep your titles tight.

Use Numbers and Lists Blog post titles starting with numbers or containing lists consistently perform well. For example:

“7 Common Mistakes Beginner Bloggers Make” “10 Tips for Writing Catchy Blog Titles”

Aim for an odd number like 3, 5, 7, etc. Even numbers feel less specific for some reason.

Ask Questions Turning your title into a question is another way to pique reader curiosity. For example:

“Is Blogging Really Worth It? My Honest Take” “Are You Making These 5 Fatal Blogging Mistakes?”

Use Brackets and Parentheses

Enclosing supplemental information in brackets or parentheses allows you to include extra context while keeping titles clean. For example:

“How to Start a Blog [in 9 Super Simple Steps]” “5 Blogging Tips for Beginners (From a Full-Time Blogger)”

I also use this technique to incorporate keywords and related terminology.

Keep Testing Titles Don’t get too attached to any one title, even if you think it’s perfect. The great thing about blogging is you can change post titles anytime and see how they perform.

Try split testing a few options both before and after publishing to see which drives more traffic and engagement. Over time, you’ll get better at predicting which titles work well.

My Favorite Blog Post Title Formulas

When I first started out, I would agonize for hours over post titles. Now I rely on a handful of repeatable frameworks I know perform consistently well.

Here are a few of my favorite blog post title formulas you can model:

“X Easy Ways to [accomplish something]”

Examples:

• 5 Easy Ways to Start a Successful Blog
• 7 Easy Ways to Overcome Blogger’s Block
• “How to X in X [time period/steps]”

Examples:

• How to Start a Blog in 10 Easy Steps
• How to Write a Blog Post in Under 1 Hour

“X [Common problems] with [niche topic] and How to Fix Them”

Examples:

• 5 Common Blogging Mistakes and How to Fix Them
• 3 Big Issues Beginning Bloggers Face and How to Overcome Them

“Why X is the [superlative]”

Examples:

• Why Blogging is the Best Thing I’ve Ever Done
• Why WordPress is the Best Blogging Platform

“The Beginner’s Guide to [niche topic]”

Examples:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Food Blogging
• The Beginner’s Guide to Making Money Blogging

You’ll notice these frameworks allow me to plug in endless combinations of keywords, topics, and angles. Once you identify a few reliable title formulas, you’ll speed up the process of headline writing significantly.

This is me in a very bad hat in the wilds of Canada.