Anatomy of a Blog Post [How to Create the Best Content to Rank #1]

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By Steve Allen

Last updated: October 10, 2023

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If you’re asking “how do you structure a blog post?” then you’re in luck.

Because in this post, I will explain the anatomy of a blog post in fine detail.

By the end of this post, you’ll know how to structure and write your quality content, fast!

These are the types of blog posts that:

Get organic traffic
Keep people reading
Convert readers into leads (and sales)
Drive affiliate commissions
Turn strangers into raving fans
And more

So let’s get right to it.

The Blog Headline

Marketers who write ad copy say this is the most important part, and the same is true for blog posts.

In fact, an interesting statistic states that 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest.

So, if you want to get your readers’ attention, you can’t afford to get this wrong.

Using a blog post title generator might help, but here are a few example formulas to get you started:

How to [Achieve Something Specific] without [Objection]
How [I/We/Someone] [Achieved Something] in [Time Frame]
The [Adjective] Guide to [Topic]
[Number] [Topic] Mistakes That [State Problem]

Introduction

If the headline is the most important piece of a great blog post, the intro is a close second.

It has to entice the reader enough to get them reading the meat of the content.

Effective use of copywriting for blogs will compel your target audience to stay on the page, so make it short and sweet and to the point.

There’s no need to go on for 10 paragraphs, unless you’re a seasoned storyteller.

The sooner the reader gets to the body, the sooner they will take action, whether that’s clicking other articles, signing up to a newsletter, or buying a product.

An effective intro often follows this structure:

Do you want to [Highlight Problem they Want to Solve]?

In this article, you’re going to learn [Outcome of the Article].

By the end, you know exactly how to:

Benefit one
Benefit two
Benefit three

Let’s dive in.

Simple, right? Try it and watch your time on page increase.

Relevant Keywords

Do you want to increase blog traffic as well as engage the reader?

Adding relevant keywords is a must when optimizing for search engines, but it can also give the reader a better experience.

Here’s the deal.

When you expand the reader’s perspective, you make the content more enjoyable to read.

And you can do this by adding a variety of related keywords.

This will provide more context and help people understand what you’re talking about.

It also helps you come across as an expert in your field, because it displays topical depth.

Instead of repeating the same primary keyword over and over, try adding synonyms that get the message across.

Your readers will appreciate the effort you put in and Google will recognize your blog having *topical relevance*.

Consider using a tool for keyword research such as as the Keyword Surfer plugin.

Check Out the Keyword Surfer Plugin

Subheadings

Subheadings are a key component of any blog post and form the outline of the article.

Without an outline, readers will get overwhelmed and find it hard to break the information down in their heads.

Subheadings provide structure and keep people reading for longer, even if they scan the page.

They can also help with SEO.

If you didn’t know, the title of your blog article is the Headline, which is formatted using the H1 tag. Then subheadings are formatted with H2, H3, up to H6.

You can define these inside of WordPress, either using the dropdown menu or heading block in Gutenberg.

These HTML tags help Google determine the subtopics of your article and to help it rank better.

Featured Image

We’ve all heard the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and this makes the featured image so important.

It helps attract attention when your visitors are browsing through your site, but also paints an idea of what the article is about.

In WordPress, the featured image will usually display somewhere on the page automatically, but if your theme supports it, you can often choose different locations.

Also, it’s not just for visual effect. Adding a featured image is beneficial for SEO. Just make sure you add alt and title text and a caption for best results.

Pro tip: Try to use keywords in the alt text, title text, caption, and even the filename of the image.

To find images for your blog, use a creative commons site like Pexels or Pixabay.

The Body Text

Once you’ve got your headline, intro, and outline done, it’s time to fill in the blanks with the main body text.

Here are a few pointers to follow:

1. Use short paragraphs

Shorter paragraphs are easier on the eyes and allow people to absorb the content faster.

Try to keep your paragraphs to a maximum of four lines and don’t be afraid to use single-line paragraphs.

2. Get to the point quickly

Keep the reader engaged by getting to the main point quickly and leaving out the fluff.

3. Use a conversational tone

The best articles online read like you’re having a conversation with someone.

Write like you would if you were talking to a friend. It helps you write faster and your reader connect with you.

4. Hint at what’s coming

Also known as open loops, this strategy comes from Hollywood movies to build suspense.

Here’s the deal.

People like closure, but they also like drama.

Using an open loop by hinting what’s to come builds curiosity, while getting the reader excited about closing the loop.

Bullet Points

This formatting tip helps break up the text and slows the reader down.

Most people skim articles so a list of bulleted words will get the reader to pause and take it in.

You can use bullets in different ways.

To highlight benefits
Emphasize details
Point out facts
And so on

Links

Adding links to your articles provides your readers with more content to read, without having to go searching for it themselves.

It adds more value to your blog posts.

Whether you link to other blogs or internally to your own articles, links provide depth of knowledge on a topic which portrays trust and expertise.

They are also a staple component of an effective content marketing strategy, because they move your visitors through a sales or affiliate marketing funnel.

When writing your articles, think of other pieces of blog content you could create and link to that will move them through the buyer’s journey.

Meta Tags

Meta tags are another important factor that make up a successful blog post.

The sole purpose of meta tags is to change how your articles are displayed in search engines.

If you don’t set your own meta tag information, then a search engine will use the blog headline and the body text as default.

To define this yourself, you can use a plugin like Yoast SEO or RankMath.

The most important meta tags to focus on are the meta title and meta description.

Using compelling words in your titles and including keyword phrases can have a positive effect on your search results.

For more information on this, check out our guide on how to add meta tags to WordPress.

Calls to Action

Another essential element for an effective blog post is a call to action.

These can be in the form of links or buttons that tell the reader what action to take.

This can be to click on another article, sign up for a newsletter, or click through to a product page to make a sale.

The Conclusion

Last but not least, a good blog post has a conclusion.

This is a summary of what your article covers, although it can be as simple as thanking them for reading the post.

You can also use the conclusion as another opportunity to add another call to action, either to a sales or landing page, a related article, or an affiliate product.

Optional Bonus 1: Finding Untapped Info from Scientific Journals

Linking your blog post to scientific papers, PDFs, or research studies is an excellent way of adding credibility to your content.

It can increase trust in the reader and lower any doubts they might have about the credibility of the information.

This is particularly important if your blog focuses on YMYL topics, due to Google’s strict algorithm updates in recent years.

Optional Bonus 2: Related Posts

You want to make the most out of your content creation efforts, so why not include a related posts widget on the page?

Some WordPress themes include this by default, either in the sidebar or at the bottom of your articles.

Or you can use a related posts plugin to showcase related content you’ve created.

Optional Bonus 3: Social Media Buttons

Giving your blog visitors the opportunity to share your content through social media is a great way to boost exposure and gain traffic.

You can add social share buttons using a WordPress plugin like Social Warfare or Social Grow.

Need help with your niche? Read How to Find Your Blog Niche next.

Optional Bonus 4: Other Multimedia

Make your blog posts more appealing by adding other visual content and multimedia to the page.

This also increases reader interactions, which can keep visitors on the page longer.

These can be extra images throughout, embedded YouTube videos, Tweets, and Instagram posts.

WordPress has several blocks inside the Gutenberg editor that makes embedding multimedia easy, some of which can be added by pasting a URL directly into Gutenberg.

Optional Bonus 5: Extra Formatting

Another simple way to make a good blog post is to add different formatting.

This can be a combination of quotes using the WordPress quote block, boxes with a different color background, linebreaks, or using bold or italicized text.

Anatomy of a Blog Post – Conclusion

Knowing the anatomy of a blog post and including each part is how you take your blog to the next level.

However, if you want to construct the perfect blog post, start with getting the headline and introduction right first.

Then focus on adding other components like keywords, images, links, and bullet points when you feel comfortable to do so.

Good luck.

Looking for blog post ideas? Check out our list of 125 ideas for what to blog about!

Blogging & Niche Websites

By Steve Allen

Steve Allen is a niche site builder, writer, and all-around WordPress wizard.

He enjoys personal development, entrepreneurship, double espressos, and making things work better than they did before.