Beginner's Blog Writing: Essential Tips for Engaging and Optimized Content

There seems to be someone writing on everything imaginable, and in fact, blogs for pets, video games, and other topics are more popular than ever. While writing blogs with new perspectives and even evergreen content to gain visibility is important, you want to give your reader an engaging experience. If you're a blog or business owner, you want readers to spend as much time on your website as possible, sign up for a newsletter, click on your affiliate links, or become new customers or clients.

While many people think this is easier said than done, the right combination of personal experience and storytelling along with best blog writing practices goes a very long way in the eyes of your readers, and those of Google & Bing.

We're going to give you a brief overview of the best practices to consider when creating blog posts including SEO considerations, how to format your blog posts, connecting interlinking pages as well as the best ways to utilize images. We'll also give you some examples of how to choose topics for your personal and business websites. All of these topics are important to understand when you are creating an article meant to build a specific audience and draw them in to not just your blog post, but to explore your website  and turn them into potential subscribers or clients.

Essential SEO Knowledge for Your Blogs & Your Site

‍SEO is a very complex web of settings, phrases, and tags. However, there are some very simple elements of SEO to keep in mind when writing a blog article. When you create a heading, you can assign it a number (H1, H2, H3, etc.). These numbers should be looked at as rankings of importance for your heading.

SEO is a very complex web of settings, phrases, and tags. However, there are some very simple elements of SEO to keep in mind when writing a blog article.

Understanding Heading Tags and Their Importance in SEO

Effective use of heading tags is essential for both user experience and search engine optimization (SEO). Heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help structure your content, making it easier for readers to navigate and for search engines to understand the hierarchy and importance of the information on your page. Here’s a detailed guide on how to use heading tags properly:

Hierarchy of Heading Tags

Heading tags create a structured outline of your content, highlighting the main points and subpoints. Here's how to use them effectively:

1. H1 Tag: The Primary Heading
   • Purpose: The H1 tag is the most important heading tag and should be used only once per page. It represents the main topic or title of the page.
   • Usage: Ensure that your H1 tag accurately reflects the overall content of the page. For example, if you are writing a blog post on "How to Write an Optimal Blog Post for Your Website," this would be your H1 tag.
2. H2 Tags: Secondary Headings
   • Purpose: H2 tags are used for major sections within your content. They help break down your article into manageable chunks and should summarize the key points of each section.
   • Usage: Each major section of your article should start with an H2 tag. For instance, in a blog post about blog writing, you might use H2 tags for sections like "SEO Considerations," "Formatting Your Blog Post," and "Using Images Effectively."
3. H3 Tags: Subsections within H2 Sections
   • Purpose: H3 tags further divide the content within each H2 section, providing additional detail and structure.
   • Usage: Use H3 tags to introduce subtopics that fall under the broader H2 section. For example, under the H2 tag "SEO Considerations," you might have H3 tags for "Keyword Research," "Meta Descriptions," and "Internal Linking."
4. H4, H5, and H6 Tags: Additional Sublevels
   • Purpose: These tags are used for further nested subtopics within H3 sections. While less common, they can be useful for very detailed content.
   • Usage: Use these tags sparingly and only when necessary to provide additional granularity. For example, under an H3 tag for "Internal Linking," you might use an H4 tag for "Benefits of Internal Linking" and an H5 tag for "Best Practices."

Best Practices for Using Heading Tags

1. Maintain a Clear Hierarchy:
   • Always start with an H1 tag for your main title, followed by H2, H3, and so on. Do not skip levels (e.g., jumping from H2 to H4) as it can confuse both readers and search engines.
2. Be Descriptive and Relevant:
   • Make sure your headings are descriptive and relevant to the content they introduce. This helps readers quickly understand what each section is about and improves the chances of search engines ranking your page for relevant queries.
3. Use Keywords Wisely:
   • Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your headings. This can improve your SEO by signaling to search engines what your content is about. However, avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your SEO.
4. Keep Headings Concise:
   • While being descriptive, also keep your headings concise. Long headings can be cumbersome and may not display well on all devices.
5. Enhance Readability:
   • Use headings to break up long paragraphs of text, making your content more readable and engaging. This can help reduce bounce rates and keep readers on your site longer.

Examples of Proper Heading Structure

Let's take an example of a blog post about SEO best practices:

• H1: Understanding SEO Best Practices for Blogs
  • H2: Introduction to SEO
    • H3: What is SEO?
    • H3: Why SEO is Important
  • H2: On-Page SEO Techniques
    • H3: Keyword Research
      • H4: Tools for Keyword Research
    • H3: Meta Descriptions
  • H2: Off-Page SEO Strategies
    • H3: Building Backlinks
    • H3: Social Media Integration

In this structure:

• The H1 tag clearly defines the main topic.
• H2 tags break down the content into major sections.
• H3 tags introduce specific subtopics within each H2 section.
• H4 tags provide even more detailed information within the H3 subsections.

By following these guidelines, you can create well-structured, easy-to-read content that is both user-friendly and optimized for search engines. Proper use of heading tags not only enhances the readability of your blog posts but also helps improve your site's SEO performance, leading to better visibility and higher rankings in search results.

The Significance of Meta Descriptions in Blog Writing

Providing a meta description is a crucial element of your blog article writing. A meta description is a concise summary of your article's content, typically around 150-160 characters, that appears beneath your page's title in search engine results. This brief snippet plays a significant role in determining whether users will click on your link and visit your site.

Crafting an Effective Meta Description

1. Be Original and Concise:
   • Your meta description should be an original, very short summary of what is covered in the article. It needs to be concise yet informative, giving users a clear idea of what to expect from your content.
2. Incorporate Relevant Keywords:
   • Since this description will be read by Google and other search engines, incorporating your heading tags and other Google-ready phrases is an easy way to ensure you are getting the most out of it. Keywords should be used naturally within the description to improve SEO and attract the right audience.
3. Engage the Reader:
   • This description is as important, or even more important, than the article itself. It is the first thing users will read when your page appears in search results. Therefore, it should be engaging and compelling, encouraging users to click on your link. Use action-oriented language and address the user's intent to make the description more appealing.
4. Avoid Generic and Auto-Filled Descriptions:
   • Without an engaging description, or even worse, no description, search engines may autofill what they think the page is about. In these instances, Google often pulls data from the Navbar, footer, or random text on the page as replacement text. This can lead to unappealing and irrelevant snippets that do not accurately represent your content, reducing the likelihood of clicks.

Importance of Meta Descriptions for SEO

Meta descriptions are not just for user engagement; they are also a critical component of SEO. Here’s why:

1. Improving Click-Through Rates (CTR):
   • An effective meta description can significantly improve your click-through rates. When users find your description relevant and appealing, they are more likely to click on your link. Higher CTRs can lead to better rankings in search engine results, as they indicate to search engines that your page is valuable and relevant to users.
2. Enhancing Search Engine Understanding:
   • Meta descriptions help search engines understand the content of your page. While they may not directly impact rankings, they provide context that can influence how your page is indexed and displayed in search results.
3. Supporting Social Media Sharing:
   • When your blog posts are shared on social media platforms, the meta description often appears as the default snippet. A well-crafted meta description can enhance the visibility and attractiveness of your content on social media, driving more traffic to your site.

Best Practices for Writing Meta Descriptions

1. Length and Structure:
   • Keep your meta descriptions between 150-160 characters to ensure they are not truncated in search results. Make sure they are structured to provide the most important information first.
2. Include a Call to Action:
   • Phrases like "Learn more," "Discover how," or "Find out" can motivate users to click on your link. Including a call to action can make your meta description more engaging and actionable.
3. Reflect the Content Accurately:
   • Ensure that your meta description accurately reflects the content of your article. Misleading descriptions can lead to high bounce rates, as users will leave your site if they do not find what they were expecting.
4. Test and Optimize:
   • Regularly review and update your meta descriptions based on performance. Use tools like Google Search Console to track how your pages are performing in search results and make adjustments to improve CTR.

Example of an Effective Meta Description

For an article titled "How to Write an Optimal Blog Post for Your Website," an effective meta description might be:

"Learn the essential tips for writing engaging and SEO-friendly blog posts. Discover how to format your content, use headings, and optimize images to attract more readers."

Following these guidelines and best practices, you can create compelling meta descriptions that not only attract more visitors to your site but also enhance your overall SEO strategy. Meta descriptions are a small yet powerful tool in your blog writing arsenal, playing a pivotal role in driving traffic and engaging your audience.

How to Format a Blog Post

When you've decided on a topic, you will need to settle on your format. While there is always room for customization, the most basic blog format is very simple. At the start of your page, you will give a two or three-sentence breakdown of what the entire article will cover, including a direct reference to the questions you will answer or the topics you will cover. This is important because it is the first thing users see and is often used as a preview when your article is linked on Facebook and other social media. Below that intro, you can include simple headers that break up each section of your article. These headers should be drawn directly from Google-able topics and avoid overly-general language as well as overly-specific language. For example, if an attorney were writing an article trying to inform potential clients about issues relating to a potential divorce in Illinois, I would include headers answering questions such as “What grounds must be met to file for divorce in Illinois?" You wouldn't include too general phrasing such as “custody” however you're able to make a keyword-rich article with terms such as parenting time agreements, spousal maintenance, and other relevant information surrounding your keyword topic for your article. Managing these headers is the most important element of the entire body of your article as they will be what Google prioritizes over the rest of your blog’s content when deciding what pages to show as results. This report is formatted like a typical blog post as well, so you may want to use it as an example. You may also benefit from bullet points as they are easy ways to fill space and provide an excuse for heading tags.

Why are Internal Links Important to You?

Linking internally to other pages on your website is important for several reasons. The most obvious is that it tells users where to go next and helps keep them on your site, taking them one step closer to using your services. However, these internal links also help with Google's performance. A site that links to several of its own pages regularly will rank higher than a site with disconnected pages as it reads as more professional.

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That article you made on Illinois Child Custody Laws you just made is pretty good. Now, you're the attorney that wrote the article and you get someone who is searching for information related to parenting, custody, or child support to read your article, what do you want them to do next? You want to convert them into a potential client who schedules a consultation, however, in any profession, you need to build trust with that potential client.

This is where internal linking can "show off" your other blog posts like the one you wrote on What To Expect in Paternity Cases in Illinois or Determining Custody in Illinois Divorce and Paternity Cases. Wherever relevant, you want to give your users more options and things to do on your site to build initial trust. Whether you're an attorney looking for potential clients or a blog owner looking internal linking is one of the best ways to spur engagement & lower your bounce rate, especially when users are interested in your brand but looking to learn more.

Your “bounce rate”, which is how many people view your site on only one page before “bouncing off” also affects your Google ranking. A lower bounce rate, meaning more people stay within your site longer, will boost your presence on Google. These internal links may be links to your services, links to other blog articles, or any other link that keeps the user within your domain.

External Links from Your Blog

External or outside links are also important. These are links that send your users to other websites. External links on your site, and external links from other sites that send to you, significantly help boost your height on Google results as well. External links are very important to give credit to the original articles of blogs that you use for reference for your articles. It's usually recommended to have around 3 internal links on every page of your site but to limit your external links to avoid losing your visitors.

Add Images to Your Blog Article

Relevant and vibrant images are significant, psychologically, in maintaining your visitor's attention and drawing their eye down the page. A visitor is much more likely to click off a page if it has no images, even if they do not know that is why they are doing it. Images are also a gold mine for Search Engine Optimization as every single image on a site can be given an alt-tag, which will be read by Google as part of your page.

Often, people use alt-tags inefficiently by just titling the image the file name they saved it as or a random name entirely. Catering your alt tags to the Google-friendly topics we discussed earlier is one of the most important steps you can take that will make the difference between a site that does and does not draw in wide traffic. It is also important to not use images or logos that are owned by someone else. You can avoid this by using images you already own, or by using one of several royalty-free websites such as PixaBay, Shutterstock, or others that provide 100% free images for websites. Using copyrighted images can result in significant legal and financial consequences for your website and will almost always result in a temporary shutdown of your site.

Things to Consider When Adding Images to Your Blogs

Adding relevant pictures with proper alt attributions is important for every article you produce but the size of those images that you're going to display with your blog post can have a detriment to the speed of your site. Anything over 60-100 kilobytes and even less when you have multiple images can slow down the load speed of your page, potentially losing potential visitors and clients who are too frustrated or impatient to wait until your page loads. Always review your posts and how the images you add look before you launch your blog post, especially when you have an RSS feed releasing your blog to aggregate sites or auto-publish through Zapier, if you mess up, more people may see your mistakes.

The Importance of Alt Text in Blog Images

Alt text, or alternative text, is a crucial element in blog images that serves multiple purposes, significantly impacting both user experience and search engine optimization (SEO). Here’s why alt text is important and how to effectively use it in your blog posts:

Enhancing Accessibility

Alt text is essential for making your content accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. Screen readers use alt text to describe images to users who cannot see them, ensuring that everyone can understand and engage with your content. By providing clear and descriptive alt text, you help create an inclusive experience for all your visitors.

Improving SEO

Search engines cannot "see" images, but they can read alt text. When you include descriptive alt text for your images, you provide search engines with more information about your content, helping to improve your blog's SEO. This can increase your visibility in search results, driving more traffic to your site. Ensure your alt text includes relevant keywords naturally, as this can further enhance your SEO efforts.

Enhancing User Experience

Well-written alt text can enhance the overall user experience by providing context and additional information about the images on your blog. This is particularly important if an image fails to load; the alt text will appear in its place, helping users understand the missing visual content.

Best Practices for Writing Alt Text

1. Be Descriptive and Concise: Describe the image as accurately as possible in a few words. Include key details that are relevant to the context of the blog post.
2. Use Keywords Appropriately: Incorporate relevant keywords into your alt text, but avoid keyword stuffing. The primary goal is to describe the image, with SEO benefits as a secondary consideration.
3. Avoid Redundancy: If the image is purely decorative and does not add meaningful content, it’s better to leave the alt text blank or use a brief descriptor like "decorative image" to avoid cluttering the screen reader experience.
4. Focus on the Function: Consider the purpose of the image within the context of your blog post. If it is meant to convey specific information or support the text, ensure your alt text reflects that function.

Examples of Effective Alt Text

• For an image of a lawyer consulting with a client: "Lawyer providing legal consultation to a client in an office."
• For an image of a bowl of fresh fruit: "A bowl filled with a variety of fresh fruits, including apples, bananas, and grapes."
• For a decorative image of abstract art: "Blue and white abstract geometric design."

By following these best practices, you can make your blog more accessible, improve your SEO, and enhance the overall user experience for your readers. Alt text is a small detail that can make a significant difference in how your content is perceived and accessed by a wider audience.

What are the Best Topics to Blog About?

First, you cannot have a blog article without a topic to blog about. When your blog is connected to a specific business with services, it is good to blog about something that is being provided by your business. In our example above, we explained the approach of Serritella Law. Their blog posts are meant to only draw in traffic that is specifically related to a service they provide rather than just any area of law. Several programs can be used to determine what is being talked about, most notably Google AdWords. TO get access to Google Adwords now however, you must have a Google Ads account.

Google Adwords allows you to enter topics and phrases and see what is being Googled about those topics about content is available covering those topics. However, you can also simply Google topics you are interested in covering and see what questions or phrases Google suggests for you. Providing an article that directly addresses Google searches that are on the rise and also do not have a large amount of competition is a major step in making sure your blog rises quickly.

Another great website with free website tools and keyword research is the Hoth. If you're looking to write blogs on a wide variety of topics to spur interest in your portfolio or blog website, you have a much broader base of content to draw from. When you write on topics that you're unfamiliar with, you need to own it. you need to dedicate your efforts to not only appealing to potential readers, but giving them new information, and perspectives or helping them decide to work with you. From pets and entertainment to business-related topics, blogs are one of the best methods to increase your digital efforts across the web.

Additional Considerations for Successful Blogging

To make your blog even more engaging and valuable, consider these additional tips:

1. Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and engage with your readers. This builds a community around your blog and encourages repeat visits.
2. Use Analytics: Monitor your blog's performance using tools like Google Analytics. Understand which posts perform well and why, then replicate that success in future posts.
3. Regular Updates: Keep your content fresh and relevant. Regular updates to your blog help maintain reader interest and improve your SEO rankings.
4. Guest Posts: Invite guest bloggers to contribute. This can bring new perspectives to your blog and help you reach a wider audience.
5. Email Subscriptions: Encourage readers to subscribe to your blog. This helps you build a loyal readership and keep them informed about new content.

Incorporating these strategies will not only help you create compelling blog posts but also ensure that your blog continues to grow and attract a dedicated audience.