The Best Blog Format to Improve Every Post (Includes Templates)

The Best Blog Format to Improve Every Post (Includes Templates) How much time do you spend worrying about your blog format when you sit down to write a post? However much time that might be, there’s a better way: establishing an outline and a set of editorial standards that you follow on every piece. This way, you can focus more on writing, and waste less time on mechanics and presentation. In this post, you’ll learn everything from formatting best practices to where all your visual components should go (and beyond). By the time you’re done, you’ll be sure to have picked up a few tips that’ll help improve your content and retain more readers. What is ? is the industry’s favorite marketing management calendar platform. Manage every project, schedule your content + social media promotion, and more, all in one place. Start your free trial. Download Your Free Blog Format Template Advice is only worthwhile if you can put it into practice. And to make applying this post simple, use this blog format template. Fill out each section and your post will come out well-formatted every time. The Best Blog Format to Improve Every Post (Free Templates)Why Worry About Formatting? Even the best content can underperform if it looks sloppy. In general, most people stick around on a website for less than a minute. Consider this graphic from Nielsen Norman Group: People are most likely to drop off right away, unless they see something compelling that they want to stick around and read, or otherwise interact with. And guess which factors determine whether people leave, according to Neil Patel: The content is irrelevant. It’s tough to read on mobile devices. It isn’t clear what the page wants them to do (like sign up or make a purchase). The design is either too busy, or not interesting enough. The site takes too long to load. Why are these points relevant? All five of these factors can be influenced, positively or negatively, directly and indirectly, by your formatting. Plus, there are plenty of other benefits behind making your content presentable. Here are three. Save Time Writing Like the intro to this post suggested, setting formatting guidelines for every post helps you save time since you won’t have to think about it each time you create a piece of content. Multiply the amount of time you save on one post, times the number of posts you’ll ever write, and it adds up. Ensures Posts Are Easy to Read This helps solve problems #2 and #3 from the numbered list a few paragraphs back. Provided your content is on point (solving point #1), making sure people can read your stuff on whatever device they’re on while making conversion steps clear, you can put yourself on the path to success. Improve Your SEO Performance Incorporating keywords into the right sections of your post, along with using header tags (H2, H3, etc.) smartly throughout your content can have considerable influence over its search performance. 8 Formatting Best Practices to Follow Before this post digs into an actual formatting process, it’s time to cover some basic best practices that apply more or less universally. Sentence Length: Aim for 25 words or less per sentence. Paragraph Length: Stick to three sentences or fewer per paragraph. Word Count: The best post length is however long it takes to make your point. Image Placement: Consider adding at least one image per 300 words. Form / Lead Magnet Placement: Make opt-in forms easy to find. They can either be placed in-line (aim for somewhere near the beginning or end) or using a (tasteful) pop-up. Links: Make links open in a new window so users aren’t taken away from what they’re trying to read. Usage of Header Tags: Use one H1 header for your headline, H2 tags for sub-headers, and H3 tags for points beneath sub-headers. Use header tags H4 through H6 sparingly. Flow of Information: Have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Diagram of an Ideal Blog Post Format You’ll probably need an example to follow before setting forth on formatting yourself. So, what does a crisp and clear blog post look like? Check out this illustration: Formatting Your Blog Post in 7 Simple Steps So, say it’s time to write a blog post. How should you approach structuring each section? And how can you get that advice in plain English? Start with this process. Step 1: Write an Outline This is the first thing you should do before writing a piece of content: figure out what you’re going to write, and what sections your post will include. The simplest way to write an outline is to sketch out section subheaders in bold text, and add specific details in bulleted lists beneath each one. Here’s an example: Introduction Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Next, add in sub-sections and label which sub-header levels they’ll use: Introduction Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 First Section: Thoughts on Point 1 (H2) Sub-Point 1 (H3) Sub-Point 2 (H3) Sub-Point 3 (H3) Why worry about this stuff? Here are a few reasons: Using clear sub-headers makes content easier to read. This post you’re reading right now uses H2 and H3 subheader levels throughout. Now, imagine how much harder it’d be to read without them. Figuring out up front which header levels to use saves time later: And time is of the essence, right? Less time writing means more time to †¦ do more writing. Or something else. Good content structure supports good SEO. Search engines want to see well-structured content with a logical header structure. Mapping that out right away helps keep smart SEO practices a part of your process right from the start. Step 2: Structure Your Introduction When the actual writing starts, everything begins with the introduction. There’s a lot of weight riding on this one section, too. So, how should they be formatted? Follow these guidelines: Keep it concise. Stick to three or four paragraphs maximum (and keep each sentence brief and punchy). Add links. Reputable sources can immediately establish accuracy and authority (and keep readers around). Recommended Reading: How to Write Irresitible Blog Post Introductions That'll Keep Your Readers Reading Step 3: Consider Content Upgrade and Lead Magnet Placement After the introduction, it’s worth considering where your lead magnets (free downloadable resources locked behind an email opt-in form to build your email list) should go. The Blog frequently places these shortly after the introduction. That’s because they often include resources that are required (or at least helpful) for implement the advice in the rest of the post. But, whether that’s the best placement for you depends on your content. Here are some options and examples: After your introduction: At the end: In a pop-up: It’s worth experimenting with different placements and monitoring which appears to work best. From a formatting perspective though, what matters is knowing ahead of time where it will go, so you can plan and write accordingly. Step 4: Write Each Subsection Following your outline, each subsection will need to be written next. Each one should start with its appropriate sub-header level. If you’re using WordPress, you can find your subheader controls here: Why are these important? This has been touched on before in this post, but it’s worth reiterating a couple of key points: Using consistent subheader levels improves readability. Having logical and consistent structure looks better than using headers and bold text at random. Search engines use sub-header HTML tags to understand your content. When assessing how relevant your content is in relation to keyword search terms, Google (and others) will take the contents of your sub-headers into consideration. This also helps search engines (and readers) understand which points of a post are most important (an H1 is more important than an H2, an H2 is more important than an H3, and so on). As has been stated before, stick to 25 words or less per sentence, and three or fewer sentences per paragraph to make your post easy to skim. Step 5: Where Should Images Go? The general best practice is to include an image every 200 to 300 words. This helps to add more visual appeal to your post, giving readers a rest periodically to look at something more interesting than an endless scrolling wall of words. Some other images to consider: Header graphics: These are great for using as the featured image in WordPress. Call to action graphics: Inline graphics linking to conversion steps (like signup forms) can help drive more clicks. Infographics / long graphics: They can go a long way toward helping provide information using less inline text, and they’re highly shareable on social media. Step 6: Adding s Great content deserves to be shared. And people will often want to share something great that I’ve read, while they’re reading. This is where click-to-tweet boxes (which can be created using a variety of plugins) come in. Here’s an example of what they look like: