Writing a successful blog isn’t just about creating readable content, it’s rather more important to add value to the reader’s life. With over 2 Million blog posts published on a daily basis, your reader has an array of options to choose from. So what makes your blog post stand out? Is it the content, the style of writing, or is it just the structure of the blog? After analyzing some of the top performing blog posts in our industry, we have finally put together what we believe are the best components of a blog post.
Components of a Blog post
1. Headline
If you want to grab the reader’s attention, then you will need to write a compelling headline that will push the reader to click and read more. As we all know, the attention span of humans is shorter than a goldfish, and hence the headline becomes the most critical element of your blog post. There are many ways you can structure your headlines, let’s take a look at some of the different types of headlines using the goldfish and the attention span as an example
- Ten reasons why goldfish have better attention spans than humans (list-always works!)
- Do Goldfish have better attention span than humans? Let’s find out (curiosity)
No matter what article you intend to write, you can always brainstorm to find the ideal headline. Always remember to test a few titles with your colleagues to understand which one peaks their attention the most.
Another important aspect of the blog headline is to have the main keyword in the headline. You can do your keyword research by using tools like Google Keyword Planner that will help you determine what your readers are searching for. ‘Goldfish’ might be a broader search term but, ‘Goldfish Attention Span’ will have a lower search volume and will be targeted to the audience you want to talk to.
You might also want to keep in mind the length of your title as it may not be visible in the Google Search Results. Use SEOMOFO to see how the Headline looks in the google search results.
2. Featured Image
This image sits on top of the actual blog content and works well along with the headline to draw the attention of your readers. A featured image needs to tell your reader more about what your blog post is all about. Also, when a blog post gets shared on social media, the first thing that others see, is the image, so it is crucial to select a relevant picture. You can use free stock photos from Pexels and Pixabay as your featured images but make sure to keep it relevant to your post.
3. Introduction
If a headline grabs your reader’s attention, an introduction works as a hook to convince them to read the rest of your blog. Make sure your introduction talks precisely what your headline promises or else the reader is going to hit the back button. Think of introduction as the second layer of the funnel; you keep the reader interested with facts, humor or curiosity and slowly move him to the next part of the blog.
4. Subheadings
Another critical element of a blog post is the subheadings because it highlights the main aspects of the content. Subheadings break up your post into multiple sections thus making it easier for your reader to consume the content. You can make use of H2 tags to write the subheadings, and it is also recommended to use keywords that you’re targeting in the post.
5. Main Body
This section of the blog is where most of the crucial information on the topic is discussed. It is in the main body that you can elaborate on your argument or facts. If you do want to showcase any complex data, try to do it with the help of graphs or pie charts. These elements will make it easy for the reader to consume the information. If you are using data from an alternate source, then don’t forget to mention the source to prove it’s credibility. Remember to break the main body into subheadings too.
6. Media
Blog posts with only texts can get super dull and difficult to read. Using multimedia like images, video or interactive widgets can make it easier for any reader to focus on the content more easily. As mentioned in the previous subheading, graphs or pie charts are great to break down complex data into easily consumable information.
7. Conclusion
Here is where you summarize the entire blog post. Concluding a blog post with a call to action is also advisable depending on the kind of blog(personal or professional) that you are writing. Leave an open argument or question for the reader to respond to in the comments section; this is proof that your reader has consumed your content and is eager to interact with you.
Do you have a blueprint for a Perfect Blog Post? Share with us in the comments section below.
