Blog Post Checklist
Writing blogs can be a daunting task. Even clients who have had success with blogging in the past often need a little nudge to get the ball rolling again. To make things easier for them and anyone reading this blog I have created a cheat sheet – DNA’s Blog Post Checklist to make sure you remember all the key blogging points.
☑️ Target Audience
By now you should know who you are writing for. You should keep evaluating who your target audience is as it can change slightly over time. Write for them and in a way that they read and understand. No point making your blog overly technical if you know that’s not what your readers are looking for.
☑️ The blog topic
Decide on your topic and pick some keywords and phrases for the topic. If your no sure on keywords a handy place to find them is at the bottom of a Google search results page where the “Related Searches” section is.
Make sure you use the keywords in the blog title and in the blog’s body of text.
Don’t over use them though and use them naturally where possible. There is no minimum or maximum number of times to use the keywords. Write naturally and the keywords will appear where they are meant to.
No keyword stuffing!
☑️ Blog Post Layout
Come up with a catchy title that will appeal and catch the attention of readers. Don’t overdo it though; there is nothing worse then click bait.
Include a strong heading and sub headings to make it easier for readers. Now days a lot of people scan blogs and articles so the easier you can make it for them to find what they are looking for the better.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend a minimum of 300 words. If your audience likes long or shorter blogs accommodate and write for them. You can spread long blogs out over different parts
A lot of online content is now consumed on mobile devices, write shorter paragraphs with 4 to 5 sentences to make it easier to read on a phone. There is nothing worse than looking at a block of text with no line breaks.
Show the personality of your business, and yourself, in your writing. Show that you are an expert in your field and you have the knowledge and experience to back it up. Consider adding an author’s name to each blog, if there is more than one author add a short bio. People love to know more about who is writing. If you are using data or quotes from another website or author don’t forget to credit them.
Make sure to check the blog for any spelling and grammar mistakes. Edit and proof read and then have someone else read it as well. I have someone read all my blogs before they are published and I always miss minor things that need to be corrected.
☑️ Include an Image
Include at least 1 image in your blog. Make sure the image file name has a keyword in it and make sure you add correct Alt text to the image with the keyword in it as well. Blog post infographics, which are very popular right now and can be easily made and shared.
Don’t forget to optimize your images before posting them!
Bonus Image Use Tip
Make sure that the image you select for your blog is not copyrighted. You may be in for a shock when the copyright holder gets in contact with you, and demands payment for use of their image.
☑️ Include a Call to Action
Don’t forget to include a Call to Action in your blog. If you have successfully managed to get someone to read it, now what do you want them to do? Sign up to your newsletter, or subscribe to your blog, or come to your café to try an organic chocolate tea? Ask them to do it.
☑️ Promote your blog post
What’s the point in writing a blog if no one reads it? Share the blog on all your social media accounts. Re-share them on your own private accounts (if you can). Ask people to share them as well, include a share button on the blog to make it easy for people to share your blog if they enjoyed it.
If the blog is special or important consider promoting it on Facebook or LinkedIn to get a larger reach and more potential conversions.
Just Write!
The hardest part of writing is starting. Like anything though the more you do it the better you get at it. Over time you will find it easier to write and your blogs will flow better and you will be able to get your message across to readers.
Writing blogs is one of the hardest things we ask clients to do but to be successful online following “white hat” SEO you need to produce content.
Happy writing.
Do you need help blogging? Contact DNA Web Development to get the ball rolling.
Written by Dave Stansfield - 4 Oct 2017
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