How To Write High-Quality Content For Your Blog (in 2024)

Looking to learn the art of writing high-quality content for your blog?

In this post, I’ll share my proven, step-by-step process that has fueled my successful blogging career for over 13 years.

Let’s dive in and unlock the secrets to creating exceptional content for any topic.

1. Start with Keyword Research

Your content can do two things:

1. Generate traffic
2. Raise conversions

Creating it to do either one is great. But is there a good reason not to get around to both?

NO, there isn’t.

So, choose your words. And this means finding a keyword with high search volume and low competition.

Using keyword research tools like Ahrefs will make it easier for you.

Here’s how you do it (with “blogging tips” as the sample keyword).

First, visit the tool’s website and sign in to your account.

You’ll need to shell out $7 for a 7-day trial. I know it’s a strange practice to have people pay for a trial of your product, but not all products are like Ahrefs. Trust me, it’s going to be worth it.

Once you’re logged in, go to Keywords explorer and search for “blogging tips”.

From the results, you will see an overview of the keyword. This includes keyword difficulty, search volume, and traffic potential.

Now, turn to the left and click search suggestions.

This lets you view all keywords related to your search.

Browse through the list to find the best keyword. Remember to focus on those with high search volume and low competition.

2. Find The Most Shared Posts for this Keyword

You need to create content that people will want to share.

Doing so gives you exclusive access to lots of potential traffic. It’s also one of the best ways to improve your rank on Google.

To show you an example, let’s pick up where we left off with the same keyword used in the previous step: blogging tips.

So first, go to Ahrefs’ Content explorer and search for “blogging tips”.

It will then provide you with a list of the most popular content for your keyword. In this case, you can view the most popular content for “blogging tips”.

And they are the most shared posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

As you can see, this article earns the second spot on the list: 21 Business Blogging Tips From the Pros

And the reason why it’s one of the most shareable content is no mystery at all.

If you’re wondering why, let me fill you in.

Title is click-worthy

Its title contains a number and straightforward message. So, who wouldn’t want to click it to check out the article itself?

An impressive example of long-form content

The article contains 3,447 words! Of course, readers pay more attention to it. It’s likely informative, well-researched, and in depth.

Loaded with images

Did you know that at least one image can help an article get the “shareable content” badge? Well, the number of images in the post doesn’t go below 10!

3. Use Quora to find Questions You can Answer About The Keyword

This Q&A site is a power player!

It’s the perfect venue to get questions you can feature in your article. And these questions are “the hot stuff” because people are in dire need of answers.

Now, there are two ways to unleash Quora’s potential.

The first one is the old-fashioned approach.

First, go to Quora and search for “blogging tips”.

You will then see a list of results.

Choose the best one to use for your article. It will make your life much easier.

For example, let’s go with the first question.

What is the best blogging tip site for a blogger?

What you do is feature this subject matter on your article.

Here is an example of an outline that features that.

While searching on Quora is easy, why not make it even easier for you? If you’re looking for blogging tips in general, give me a shoutout.

You can peek at my Quora profile to see the questions I’ve answered.

The second way is to reverse engineer the process! Instead of searching for the answers, go to the answers!

Start by finding out who the influencers and subject matter experts are. And look at their answers.

Don’t know how to find influencers on Quora?

Lucky you, Phantombuster is a tool that can help you out with this. All you need is to choose a Quora topic. Then it will discover influencers for you!

4. Search for Infographics to Feature

Pinterest is the place to be for this.

Featuring infographics is a genius move.

After all, 100% of businesses can gain from them!

They are visually-appealing and easy-to-scan. Plus, their viral capabilities can increase brand awareness and generate lots of traffic!

Want a simple lesson on how to do this?

Then, listen up!

First, go to Pinterest and search for the infographics you want. In this case, I searched for “blogging advice infographic”.

You will then land on a page with a gallery of infographics!

From the results, turn to the most attractive one for you. In this case, I will go with this.

Then click it for a larger view.

To use it, click Send.

Now choose how and where you want to share it.

5. Look for Videos To Play

This will help increase the dwell time of your visitors. If you have an interesting video for them, they will watch it!

Take it from 80% of marketers who already pulled it off.

This time, YouTube is the place to be. It’s where you will find relevant videos you can embed in your posts.

Here’s how.

Go to YouTube and search for relevant videos. In this example, I’ll search for “tricks for bloggers”.

From the list of results, click the one you think is best.

I’ll go with this one. It’s Neil Patel’s 7 Blogging Tips That Will Make Your Blog Successful.

Below the video, click SHARE. This will open a window that presents sharing options.

Highlight the code and click Copy.

Paste the code into your article on WordPress. If you’re using WordPress’ visual editor, all you need to do is paste the code/link. And it will automatically convert into a watchable video.

6. Prepare Resources to Link in your Article

Be ready to support everything you’re saying. This builds trust and helps establish rapport.

This also lets you barricade yourself.

You need to watch out for people who might rush to you with questions – or worse, attack your credibility.

You can do this by turning to well-known and honorable sources.

Check out how I did it in the previous point.

I mentioned earlier that 80% of marketers turn to video to help increase dwell time.

So, save your questions if you have any. You can learn the facts yourself by clicking on the link I gave.

7. Feature Influencers

“They’re people who have consistent access to a massive audience of consumers.

But they don’t just have access. They have the ability to influence the decisions of their audience members.”

That’s according to Neil Patel in his post: How to Connect with Rock Stars. And it’s inarguable he’s one of the biggest influencers in Digital Marketing.

He doesn’t doubt the effectiveness of influencer marketing.

So you will want to feature influencers to get the ball rolling for you and more!

Think of an influencer as a big brother.

Like a big brother, an influencer will also be there for you. He will also have your back and help you build yourself.

But, avoid rushing the process. You need to be careful when choosing an influencer.

Remember, not all influencers can benefit you.

Go with the good ones.

You can do that by checking their profile beforehand. And from there, assess whether they are a good fit.

Some variables you need to look out for are Domain Authority, Page Authority, and Reply Ratio. Get a handle on the number of their Twitter followers and Retweet ratio, too!

To start finding influencers, a tool like BuzzSumo will help you out.

Here’s what you need to do:

First, click on the Influencers tab on your BuzzSumo account.

On the search bar, search for the kind of influencers you want to work with using relevant keywords.

In this example, I will use “blogging”. I chose it as a search term because I want to reach out to blogging influencers.

From the list of results, refer to the variables mentioned above. And take your pick!

8. Build an Outline Using Your Research

Now, it’s time to begin stitching pieces of information.

From what you uncovered, create a rough outline. Emphasis on rough because this outline needs to be flexible.

It’s how you can apply the necessary changes later on.

Use it to present a general overview of how you should proceed with your article.

Additionally, know your goal.

Why are you writing this particular article? What is it for?

It’s a great thing you can use a tool to help you write outlines.

It’s called WorkFlowy.

A great thing about using WorkFlowy is its simplicity. It’s flexible and easy-to-use, too!

Plus, it gives you this ability to zoom and expand items. This means that you can work on both micro and macro tasks!

You can use it how you want. You can build an outline from scratch. Or, you can craft one on the go.

Here’s an example. I’ll go with the keyword “easy blogging methods”. And I’ll use it as a title with 4 sub-headings.

This is the result.

If you click the bullet point, it will expand a subheading.

This will lead you to another section. There, you can choose to add other sub sub-headings.

To show you, I added a batch of sub sub-headings under “Single Topic Blogging.” I created 5, to be exact.

If you want to expand the latest batch of sub sub-headings, go ahead. Follow the same process.

And if you want to make your way back to the previous headings, you can do that, too. All you need to do is click on the title above.

9. Write a Click-Worthy Title

It’s where your first chance to steal your readers’ attention lies.

Sure, more than the majority will give your headline a chance.

In fact, studies say that 8 out of 10 people will read headlines. But, only 2 of them will read your content!

So unless you make an impressive headline, not a lot of people will check out the rest of your article.

The solution?

Craft headlines that are too awesome to ignore.

If you make it happen, conversion rates will go up by 127%!

Here’s how. This is a breakdown of Neil Patel’s How To Create Headlines That Get Clicks.

• Identify a problem. Acknowledge something relatable. This is how you hook people who are going through this problem.
• Write a sub-headline. Provide the solution to the problem you identified!
• Create intrigue. People are born curious. So make them!
• Test it. Craft variations of your headlines using tools like Crazy Egg. Then take them out for a spin to know which variation converts the best!

Now, let’s apply two of the points above and write a click-worthy title of our own for the keyword “blogging tips”.

Problem identified: Blogging Tips You Don’t Know Yet

Sub-headline created: 5 Tricks You Will Learn Here

Final title: Blogging Tips You Don’t Know Yet: 5 Tricks You Will Learn Here

10. Present a Compelling Intro

It’s where you give people a good grasp of the rest of your article. And it’s where you can give them a reason to read further.

Don’t make your introduction boring. If you do, you’re conveying the message that the other parts of your article are also boring.

So, don’t go for boring. Neither should you go for pointless nor unimpressive!

How can you approach this then?

Well, The APP Method by Brian Dean can show you the way!

APP stands for Agree, Promise, Preview! It’s a formula for creating outstanding introductions. And it helps makes your content purposeful.

So this is what you do.

First, get your readers to agree with you. Getting them on the same page will let them know that you understand them.

Then make a promise.

This assures them that you’re going to make things better for them.

Finally, give them a preview.

So, let’s apply the principles. And create an intro for our article.

It’s a compelling intro because it stays true to The APP Method.

Let’s break it down. First, you get your readers to agree with you.

Then, you promise.

And here goes the preview.

11. Create a Featured Image

Grabbing stock images on sites likes Pixabay won’t do you any good. They provide little to no value to your content.

Instead, design one using Canva. It’s FREE and EASY!

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial. Let’s use our sample title in this.

First, go to Canva.

Then, click Create a design and choose what you want to make. In this case, let’s go with Blog Banner.

Now, choose a template. Let’s go with one that says ZIMCORE HUBS.

Next, edit the texts. Type in your heading. It’s Blogging Tips You Don’t Know Yet here.

Then enter your sub-heading. It’s 5 Tricks You Will Learn Here.

After you hit Download, you’re all set!

12. Include a Table of Contents

It will help your readers get an overview of your content.

With a ToC, you’re handing them the chance to jump to a section of your post. All they need to do is click a part of it.

And voila! They are right where they want to.

So, how do you include a ToC?

You use a WordPress plugin!

This particular plugin will do the trick: Easy Table of Contents

First, you need to install and activate the plugin.

Then, go to Settings>Table of Contents.

You will then get to a page that allows you to customize your TOC.

You can tweak its general settings, position, and appearance.

You can also configure the Advanced section.

You can configure all settings according to your liking. But pay close attention to the Auto Insert section.

Make sure you tick some checkboxes. Particularly, you need to enable the auto-insertion of posts and pages.

When you’re done, click Save Changes.

13. Use Lots of Screenshots

It will make your content easy to understand. If people can visualize what you’re saying, they can hear you better.

And your words become more effective!

Especially if you’re creating a how-to post, screenshots are essential. This also applies to technical articles.

To make your life easy, turn to the Evernote Web Clipper.

It’s a screen capture tool. It lets you choose which format you want to use for clipping items.

Your choices are between article, simplified article, full page, bookmark, and screenshot!

There are many reasons why you should go with it!

14. Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs

A wall of text is the last thing you need. It drains the life out of your content – and your readers!

Not only is it uninteresting. It also makes information difficult to read.

So, what if someone wants to access INSTANT information?

If so, your content should not be their first stop. Or second. Or third.

In fact, it will be in their best interest to stay away from what you cooked up.

So, combat this by breaking down your content.

Shorten your sentences and paragraphs. The shorter, the better.

If you’re not yet familiar with bucket brigades, then it’s time to get on board!

Sure, they may be old school copywriting approaches. But that doesn’t mean they are not as effective as modern-day techniques.

To show you an example, here’s a Bucket Brigade I used earlier:

And here’s another one.

And another.

So in a nutshell, Bucket Brigades are those words that get people to stick around. Because you want people to stick around, you need to use them. And let them work their magic for you!

Now, let me teach you how to use Bucket Brigades.

First, find sections within your content where your visitors will want to exit your page.

It’s something like this:

Why? Because you already gave them information. It’s information they NEED.

If you don’t have any value left to offer, they will do the practical thing. And that is to leave.

So, don’t give them a reason to leave. Instead, give them a Bucket Brigade.

Here, this is how I used a Bucket Brigade earlier.

15. Create Clickable Tweets

Check this out: 25 Strategies to Generate Blog Post Ideas Today

And focus on this part.

If you click it, you can tweet the blog post! And you want this because it can raise your blog post’s fame.

No doubt, it’s an incredible time-saver. People won’t have to go to Twitter to share your awesome blog post.

They can remain where you are and make it happen!

To create clickable tweets, I use a tool called Social Warfare.

Its click-to-tweet feature is very handy. I can create eye-catching clickable tweets. And the process is FAST and EASY!

Another reason I turn to Social Warfare is its other winning features. This includes social sharing, lazy load, and share recovery!

16. Incorporate LSI Keywords in Your Post

They stand for Latent Semantic Index-based keywords.

They are words related to your main keyword. They can be substitutions and synonyms – or anything related!

For example, your main keyword is “problogger”.

So, some of the LSI keywords you can include are “blogging jobs” and “Darren Rowse”.

This is a brilliant way of avoiding redundancy.

It also helps your post rank higher for your keyword.

And it’s not only good for you. It’s good for your readers, too!

If you mention the same words over and over again, people get tired of listening to you.

Yes – even if you have plenty more of good things to say.

So, do you shut up?

You don’t!

You let LSI keywords come to your rescue.

To learn more about LSI keywords, check out this post: What Are LSI Keywords (And Do They Help with SEO?)

17. Create Callout Boxes

They can make important points pop out!

To create callout boxes, use a WordPress plugin called Shortcodes Ultimate.

Download the plugin and go the text editor.

Assuming that you’re using Gutenberg, click on the plus icon to add a block and select Widgets > Shortcode.

The click on the Shortcode icon to insert a shortcode using the plugin.

You will then see a plethora of shortcodes you can include in your post.

Enter “box” on the search bar to narrow down the choices to the box shortcode.

Click on it to open the box option.

Scroll down the page to find the text area where you can enter the content inside the box.

Then type your text there.

Click “Insert shortcode” if you’re confident with the box. If not, click “Live preview” to see how it looks like first before including it on your article.

Here’s the preview of the one we created:

You can edit the header color to reflect your blog’s brand. Either way, the box shortcode should help the most important parts of your content pop up!

If you want to supercharge your blog post, you can use the plugin to create cool elements like buttons, tabs, sliders and carousels, and more.

18. Determine Your CTA

As you develop your outline, you should know the purpose of your article already. If it wasn’t clear at the start, it should be now!

So, what should your Call-to-Action be?

Will you encourage buyers with a BUY NOW button?

Will you ask readers to CLICK HERE to redirect them to another page?

Or will you invite them to sign up to your email list with a SUBSCRIBE NOW button?

Your CTA is up to you.

Conclusion

So there you have – 18 detail-oriented and actionable steps to help you write content that will engage and convert your readers. As long as you follow the tips above to a tee, you won’t go wrong!

Mind you, writing great content is just part of the battle. You’ll still have to hands full in promoting your content, tracking its performance, and other tasks to ensure that it drives traffic to your blog.

Right now, however, you can just sit back and revel at the masterpiece you just wrote.

How about you – are there any additional tips you can add to our readers on how to write quality content? Chime in with by commenting below!