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How to write the perfect blog article to be read and liked. This is not a game but it has rules that you must follow to win the reader war

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

It is not the blog that needs to be perfect

The first thing you need to achieve is being read. Sounds simple however among the billion odd blogs in the market why would they choose you?

Yes, we will get to your writing but first of all, you need to look at your template.

It starts with your Keyword

This is the search term that readers will type into Google (or any Search Engin) to ask a question or seek an answer of some kind.

Each and every term you can think of will have traffic and unfortunately competition.
For example, let's look at the term “how to make money”. This is something we all want to know and therefore seek the answer to.

I searched for this using a Keyword Tool called Jaaxy and got the following result;

Now by changing a word or two you can improve your chances;
“How to make money internet” still gets lots of traffic yet the competition is far less.
Yes, people type in some funny things so you can do better than this by really locking down what you are saying.

You can try this out for yourself with this free tool that I use every time I write.

Did I take this valuable advice on Keyword research

Of course, I did and do it every time I write a blog. This one is number 400 in this series so I am looking for a page position.
However, I don't rely wholly on the tool because sometimes it can be a bit misleading.

Do a Google search as well

Type your keyword into Google and see what happens. In this case, I am competing with WordStream and Hubspot both experts in the field. However, there are opportunities as well

Google can give you lots of ideas and information. They also love numbers ( don't ask me why ) they just do and this can help. However, even the experts can get it wrong.

All of the above have worked with a great amount of traffic so will rank very well but what about the next one down the page?

Same page, same content but what went wrong

Well having the best Keyword may get you to page one however it does not necessarily get you to read. That takes two more important issues.

The best way to get read

• Have a Keyword to take you to page one
• Have an awesome headline
• Write your meta description better than anyone else

The 11 ideas posted above have a very weak Meta description. It does not tell you the answer you want. It talks about the writer and quite frankly we don't care about them at all, we want answers to our questions.

Getting read is a split-second decision

When you hit page one of a search term you will quickly pick one that has the closest answer to your question. Power words help but are awesome, step by step good blog posts draw your attention and get the click.
Remember only the first three on a search page get any attention at all and then you must be the best of the three.

Having Authority always helps your searches

When you are competing against the big boys you need to be sharp because name recognition carries respect. Blog Tyrant does not carry the same respect as Hubspot and WordStream and poor old Just Publishing advice is a poor cousin.
But the poor cousin did get to page one however his meta is so weak he misses out.

You must get these three elements right before you move on

Not making page one means you simply don't get read and you have wasted your time. Maybe by driving traffic to your blog you can be a bit better however the readers will be quickly lured away by a better promise or answer.

How to write the perfect blog article to be read in three steps

Getting your niche subject to the top

We all have a particular bent on what we write about. It may be health, exercise, or even gardening in Gumboots.

Therefore you need to know what sort of things readers want and simply answer the question for them.
E.g. Why do your feet sweat when gardening in Gumboots?
Now that's a great keyword if ever I saw one so It is just providing an answer.

However, remember you may be playing with experts here so let's back it up with a bit of authority.
Simply quote someone that is respected in that circle.
Gassy Gumboots the world's premium manufacturer said it depends on the inner lining and they know these things.

Google loves authority and it will help in your SEO and getting read.

Next is optimising your site for SEO

Over the past couple of years, Google has increased its focus on site speed.

This can be caused by several things however always start with your carrier. If you are using a cheap hosting service this may impact your site speed and there is nothing you can do about it. That is why I always use the Wealthy Affiliate site for my hosting because it is fast and you have all the checking tools available to you.

Page speed = user experience

This is particularly so on a Mobile phone where many of the searches are now done.
The biggest culprit is oversized images which take time to load.

Unfortunately, readers just won't wait for a slow-loading site, maybe a few seconds but for the time-challenged searches, it is far too long.

Everything on your site must be optimized for speed.
Therefore every little tweak you make will make a much larger difference. The one-percenters add up very quickly and make that difference.

Remember the best blogs in the world will never get read if they fail to follow the basics.

How to write the perfect blog article to be read by simply answering questions

Just answer the question that has been searched

This should not be so hard to do. Every search query is looking for an answer and your job is to provide the solution.
The world divides at this point where some will say answer the question at the top of the page.
Problem solved and move on.
Others will say lead them on a journey of discovery and outline your reasons for the answer.
Like reading a book where you need to get to the end for a solution.

My opinion is readers are looking for more of a story than a quick fix. When you are interested in a subject you want all the information you discover before making a decision.

For example, we all see new car ads with the glamour and sparkle of what your life would be if you could just drive the New VW electric. You have a passing interest and you are gone.
However the day you make a buying decision you want details. You will compare and analyse in great depth to complete the mind map of buying.

Therefore give them what they want and more to cover all their needs.

Writing a blog for money

Writing a blog is different and you need to get it

right

First of all, you must condense all your knowledge into a couple of thousand words. OK, it could be shorter at about 500 words or even longer at three thousand but remember that we are writing for attention-deficit readers that are seeking a quick fix.

All the SEO services say much the same thing;

Short sentences	Under 25 words
Lots of Paragraphs	less than 300 words
Support Images	With an Alt description completed
Use of # headings to cascade down	Start big end move down and don't come back up
Write positively	The subject comes early
Transition words	Connect your sentences
Colour is great	It adds character

If you use a good SEO tool it will guide you on these and help with your word selection.

Content writing tips

There are also the rules of SEO

• Have Internal links. To link further reading
• Provide external links, for authority
• Key phrase density, about 1 per 500 words
• Using no-follow links, for affiliate sites
• Meta and heading correct, important
• Using Key Phrase Synonyms to build your following

One of the important changes is that Google now wants you to identify your extremal links.
importantly they don't want to follow affiliate links in which they have no interest.

This is a pop-up from WordPress that has been clicked as an affiliate or sponsored link. You will be penalised if this is not completed

Now to your writing and what to say

This is the good part as there are few rules in what you can say.

Of course, Spelling and punctuation are important however the rest is basically up to you.

However, please remember, that you are writing for the reader. You are not important.
They want answers, solutions, and ways to a better life more than they want to hear about you.

Yes, Life experiences may highlight a solution however we are seeking life-changing opinions from your pen and not what, or how it affects you.

Stay true to the subject without taking off on journeys of self-delusion because that is for writing somewhere else. This is not a Pulitzer Novel it is a solution delivery service just like a Uber Answer delivered to the seeker.

Conclusion and wrap

Let's summarise what we have said in a few words.

Your structure needs to be perfect	You have only a small space to be noticed
Comply with Google SEO	They make the rules you do the writing
Site speed is paramount	Slow sites don't make the grade
Choose your Keyword carefully	Search terms are the first rule of being found
Write for the reader	Keep them entertained

It takes time to write the perfect blog and that time is perfecting your craft as a Blog Writer. The setup is harder than the writing so make sure you have it perfect.
Social Media is a great delivery service so exploit it to your advantage

I could have added that you must analyse your results and learn from your mistakes and become better with every page you produce.
To gain great authority means wring more blogs, one blog does not make you a hero.
treat it with respect this is a marathon and not a sprint

How to write the perfect blog article to be read by Peter Hanley

• How to write a perfect blog post in easy steps
• Writing for a blog
• Blogging Question and Answer
• What is blogging?
• Best Ways to Build Authority in Your New Blog