According to data by GrowthBadger, there are more than 3 billion blogs out there on the internet, with anywhere around 8.28 million blogs posted every day!
The reason behind these massive numbers is that blog posts are one of the most critical aspects of content marketing and generating leads and new customers for all kinds of businesses.
This might drive a lot of people to ask “what is a blog post?”, and that’s exactly what this article is all about!
Today, we’ll walk you through a brief guide with everything you need to know about blog posts, their types, and how they should look, in addition to many writing tips to improve the quality of your blogs.
So without further ado, let’s dive in!
- What Is a Blog Post?
- What Is the Difference Between a Blog and a Blog Post?
- Common Types of Blog Posts
- How Long Is a Blog Post?
- What Should a Blog Post Include?
- Benefits of Writing Blogs
- How Do I Write a Blog Post?
- What Do You Write in Your First Blog Post?
- Tips For Writing & Formatting Great Blog Posts
- Wrapping Up
What Is a Blog Post?
A blog post is any article, guide, or news piece that is published on a website with the intent to cover a certain topic or answer a specific query.
Blog posts are usually posted in “blogs”, which are websites dedicated to publishing these types of content (usually focused on a certain topic or niche), but just about any website can have a dedicated blog section where these types of posts are produced.
What Is a Blog Post Used For?
One of the most interesting aspects of blog posts is that they usually have two unique benefits, which establish a healthy “win-win situation” between readers and publishers.
On one hand, blog posts are usually informational in nature, especially when they are posted by experts.
For that reason, they are used to help educate readers and satisfy readers’ queries about certain topics.
On the other hand, posting blogs will educate readers about your products or services while driving more traffic and generating more sales and leads for your brand or business.
What Is the Difference Between a Blog and a Blog Post?
A “blog” is usually used to refer to the website where “blog posts” are published.
Blogs were originally short for a “web log”, which initially described a website or a part of it that is dedicated to keeping a log of events and news on the website.
However, the scope of blog posts has quickly expanded into covering all kinds of dynamic and educational content, giving rise to one of the biggest and most influential forms of content marketing today.
Common Types of Blog Posts
Although blog posts were extremely simple when they were first created back in the mid-90s, they’ve grown into various branches and types.
In this section, we’ll take a quick look at some of the most common types of blog content out there:
1. Informational Articles
These are easily the most popular type of blog posts out there, as they’re mainly constructed to be helpful to readers by answering their queries or teaching them about a certain topic.
One of the simplest examples of an informational article is this post you’re reading, which is classified as one because its main purpose is to educate readers about blog posts and how to write a good one.
Other examples of informational articles would be:
2. How-to Posts
These posts are usually comprehensive or simple tutorials that walk you through the steps of a certain topic in order to achieve it.
This type of post is usually popular on DIY websites, although they can be utilized in other contexts.
There are also many websites that specialize in this guide of content.
A good example here would be:
3. X vs Y Posts
These posts are usually built to educate readers about the difference between two products or services that are usually within the same class.
The topics usually include items that often confuse people, with the intent of helping readers choose the right one for their needs, such as:
4. Roundup Posts & Listicles
As the name suggests, these posts are usually made up of a list of items that round up a certain topic to help you find out more about them.
Here are some examples of listicle-type articles:
- Top 5 Health Benefits of Turmeric
- Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads? 5 Reasons
- 11 Methods for Improving Your Memory
5. Review Posts
A review post is designed to take a closer look at all the various aspects of a certain product or service, showcasing their top features as well as the pros and cons of getting them.
These can be classified into single product reviews and multiple product reviews depending on the topic.
They can also include a lot of helpful information about the process of choosing the item in question, which are usually called “buyer’s guides”.
Here are some examples of review posts:
- Adidas Ultra Boost 20 Review
- The best laptops for blogging in 2022
- BigScoots Review: 8 Pros and 5 Cons After Using it
6. Newsjacking Posts
A newsjacking post is a relatively new type of blog posting where the blogger shares their personal opinions and thoughts about current news stories.
These kinds of blogs are intended to get the author more exposure and help them connect with like-minded readers who might be interested in the kind of services or products they offer.
Here is a brief guide that shows you how to leverage newsjacking for your content.
7. Guest Posts
This one is also known as “guest blogging”, and it involves inviting content creators and bloggers (especially those with a large reader base) from other websites and companies to write in your blog.
This is meant to provide more exposure to your website and brand, which leads to an influx of new leads, backlinks, and visitors. Guest posts can either be free or paid. A popular example of guest posts would be:
How Long Is a Blog Post?
There isn’t a specific limit to how big or small your blog post can be.
However, according to market research and studies on how effective a blog post can be, a typical blog post can be anywhere between 500 to 4,000+ words.
The type of blog and how comprehensive it is play a major role in deciding its size.
For example, a pillar informational blog post is usually between 1,500 to 4,000 words while how-to posts are usually between 1,700 to 2,100 words.
According to data from WiX and HubSpot, the ideal (and most effective) length of an average blog post should be anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 words.
What Should a Blog Post Include?
The content of a blog post can vary depending on the topic you’re discussing.
However, there are some rough outlines that most blog posts out there would incorporate, as they proved to be the most successful when it comes to generating leads and keeping the content helpful, organized, and easy to read:
1. Blog Post Format
The primary aspect that makes for an effective blog post is proper formatting.
In the following section, we’ll take a closer look at the different elements that will help you constitute a decent blog post:
Title
The title is the first thing that invites a potential lead to read your content, so it should always be crafted with care.
Ideally, a good blog post title should be attractive, easy to read, and explains the main scope of the blog post.
A good blog post title should be around 40 to 60 characters long and include the main keyword of the topic.
Meta Data
Meta data includes some information that isn’t visible to the readers (although they’re still accessible) but search engines have access to them.
This information helps search engines and algorithms to better understand what your content is about. These usually include:
- Publish Date: The date on which the article was published online or the date it was last updated.
- Author: The person who wrote the article, whether it is a specific writer or a collective effort of the editorial team.
- Post Category: This helps in establishing hierarchy in your blog and makes it easier for both search engines and readers to find your content.
Introduction
The introduction is the first few paragraphs of a blog post, which is usually around 50 to 150 words.
They help you introduce the topic to the readers, what to expect in the post, and establish why it is important for them to keep on reading.
Body Content
The body content is the bread and butter of your blog post, as it makes up the vast majority of the content provided in the article.
This includes the main points of a blog post, which are often broken into various headings and subheadings to make the content more organized, and easier to understand.
The body content is often supported with several images and other forms of media that make it easier to follow through, including infographics, videos, etc.
Conclusion
The conclusion is usually the final part of your blog post.
This is usually a small section that is anywhere between 60 to 200 words where you briefly summarize all the main points that you’ve mentioned in the article.
It is also a perfect spot to recommend other valuable topics that the reader might be interested in finding out more about.
Call to Action
The call to action is not a specific section of the blog post but rather a critical component when it comes to generating leads and conversions after reading your article.
A call to action can take a variety of forms, as it depends on the objective of the post, whether it is subscribing to a certain service, buying a certain product, or connecting on social media.
Comments Section
This is a section that is usually added at the bottom of a blog post where users can easily comment after reading the article.
Although comment sections are optional, we highly recommend incorporating one in your blog because it is an excellent way to engage with your audience on a personal level, which helps in generating more leads and makes your article more effective.
2. On-Page SEO Elements
Composing an article to post on your blog post is only half the process, as you also want to make sure that your content reaches as many readers as possible.
In order to make the most out of your blog post, you need to get it to rank high in search engines, as the vast majority of any website’s traffic is derived from search engines.
This is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which are tactics that are used to improve the quality of your content and make it more likely to rank high on search engines based on their algorithms.
While there are tons of small elements that can have an impact on your blog post’s SEO performance, here is a quick look at some of the major elements that you can easily optimize while formatting your content:
Simple Slug (Permalink)
Since each blog post is a page on your website, it will have its own URL.
One of the easiest ways to make your content more SEO-friendly is by editing and adjusting your permalink to include the main keyword of the post.
The link should also be relatively simple and short, allowing the reader to learn more about what your article has to offer, and therefore, increase the chances of them visiting it.
Meta Description
A meta description is a simple tag that includes a relevant summary of what your particular blog post is all about, which encourages them to click the page and find out more about what you’re discussing.
In most popular search engines, the Meta Description of each post is displayed right under the search result.
For that reason, featuring a unique and interesting one that includes the main keyword will give you a significant SEO boost!
Keywords in Title Tag and Body Content
The keywords are the main search intent that readers type in while searching for help online.
Ideally, keywords are classified into primary and secondary keywords, which are usually relevant to a specific topic.
SEO engines measure the relevance of your content by checking the quantity and quality of your keyword volume.
One of the best ways to instantly boost your blog post’s SEO performance is by including the main keyword in the title tag as well as the body content, especially in the introduction or the first few paragraphs.
Pro Tip: Use a Plugin Like SEO or Rank Math for Optimization
As previously established, search engines use tons of automated algorithms in order to evaluate each search result online and rank them depending on their relevance and value to the readers.
As a result, most search engines will use hundreds of algorithms that are constantly updated to improve their filtering and ranking process.
In fact, Google updated its search engine more than 4,500 times in 2020 alone!
A perfect way to keep up with these changes and make sure that your content is always optimized for search engines, you should consider using a plugin like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, HubSpot, etc.
Benefits of Writing Blogs
Writing blogs comes with a lot of benefits on a personal and professional level.
These include:
- Drives a lot of traffic to your website and improves lead conversion rates
- Increases the trust level of your website by establishing authority in your niche
- Helps in developing your personal brand and encourages visitors to engage with your social media
- Encourages websites to link back to your website, increasing your audience
- Allows readers to find out more about the product or service you offer
- Provides immense value to the readers with long-term effectiveness
How Do I Write a Blog Post?
To help you with the process of writing a good blog on your website, here’s a simple tutorial with an overview of the main steps to write a blog post:
1. Understand Your Audience
Before thinking about a topic that you would like to write about, you should always start by researching and understanding your potential audience, what they’re looking for, and the kind of value you can provide to them through your blog.
2. Define an Objective
We’ve previously discussed that blogs can have a wide range of objectives depending on the type of content you want to present, the product or service your offer, and the forecasted outcome of investing in blogging.
Defining your goals early will have an impact on both the research and writing processes, making it easier to achieve the intended results.
3. Do Keyword Research
A great tip here is to always research the most common keywords and queries that people in that niche are wondering about.
This allows you to better target your audience and will also help you get a brief insight into the type of market you’re competing in.
4. Settle On a Blog Post Format
Although perfecting your blog post format might take some time, it’s important that you start with clear guidelines on the kind of format you want to post in.
This includes choosing the elements like:
- Picking a title
- Including a table of content
- Tone of speech
- Topics you would like to discuss
- Fonts and Links
- Highlighting your call to action
- Picking visuals and style
5. Write Your Content
Now that you know what you want to talk about, it’s time to compose your article and answer all the inquiries and questions that readers should find answers to within your post.
6. Optimize Your Content
Although it’s important that you optimize your content as you write it, it’s also essential that you give the entire text another round of optimization when you’re finished.
Using dedicated tools and plugins for SEO optimization won’t only save you a lot of time in that step, but it will help you improve your results dramatically!
7. Publish Your Blog Post
Lastly, when everything is ready to go, post and publish your content on your website and make sure that you check the comments and engage with the audience to increase your leads and improve the overall quality of your post.
In fact, some comments can be an eye-opener to some great topics that you can discuss!
What Do You Write in Your First Blog Post?
One of the most curious questions that new bloggers often think about is the content of their first blog.
Although there are some bloggers who prefer to get down to business right away, it is always best to make your first blog post a little special if you want to nurture a loyal audience who is willing to read your content.
Ideally, your first blog post should be a brief introductory one.
This type of blog post is a personal post that includes some or all of the following points:
- A brief introduction of who you are as well as your interests
- Your qualifications and life experiences regarding the niche your blog is about
- Why you decided to establish the blog
- Why people should read the blog and trust your advice
- Showcase some of your older projects, whether they are things you’ve built, articles you’ve written
- Any related content that you might want to share with the readers to pique their interest in your content.
Tips For Writing & Formatting Great Blog Posts
Now that you know more about blog posts as well as all the elements that make up a good one, here are some additional tips to help you write an excellent piece!
1. Nail The Search Intent
A search intent defines the purpose of your research and plays a major role in deciding what you’re going to include in your content.
One of the best ways to nail the search intent is by trying to cover all the questions that may cross the reader’s mind while reading your blog post and making sure that your content has answers to all these queries.
A good trick to improve your research performance is to study the content that is ranking in related keywords and understand why they’re highly valued.
2. Include Subheadings to Break Up the Text
Readers are hardwired to ignore large walls of text, so make sure that you always break up your content by using cascading H2/3/4 subheadings to make the whole thing easier to read and navigate through.
3. Center Your Images
The placement of your visuals greatly matters to the readability of your content.
According to market research by Impact Plus, proper visual alignment of your content makes your blog post more inviting to read and even makes an emotional impact on the reader that compels them to engage more with your content.
4. Use Short, Yet Concise Sentences
According to data by Research-Based User Experience NN Group, users will typically round around 28% of the content you write.
For that reason, you have to adjust your content so that it’s not too long with run-on sentences that are difficult to grasp.
Instead, focus on using simple language and utilize formatting techniques to make your content easier to read, such as bolding, italics, bullet points, tables, etc.
Wrapping Up
There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through the different types and forms of blogs that you can utilize to generate leads for your website and grow your business!
As you can see, posting helpful and relevant blogs is the most popular and successful content marketing strategy for all kinds of businesses and websites out there.
We hope that this guide has helped you find out more about the different forms and styles and blog posts, so make sure that you comment down below if you have any questions or queries!
