Blog Content Outline: How to Create Your Next Post 10x Quicker

You want to be a better writer but are unsure where to start.

Blogging is hard, but creating an outline makes it much easier!

This article will help you understand how outlines work so that your content writing process becomes more streamlined with every new blog post!

After reading this beginner’s guide, you’ll publish unique content in no time.

A proper outline will make all the difference between coming up with an average blog post or one that ranks at the top of Google searches.

blog content outline featured image

SEO blog post outline

What is an SEO content outline?

You can use an SEO content outline to determine which major topics and subtopics you need to cover to rank better than your competitors.

When you have an outline, you can draft your article more quickly and ensure you hit all the essential points. This will help your webpage rank higher and rank for many keywords.

How do blog content outlines help?

  • Ensures you include important SEO elements in your article: An outline helps ensure you include essential keywords and NLP topics and satisfy the search intent.
  • Helps the flow of your writing: If you don’t have an outline, your ideas will be scattered and difficult to organize. Writing your post can take hours or even days without proper planning.
  • Produces better results when outsourcing: A good outline is like a blueprint. It makes it easy for hired writers to create accurate content according to your specifications.
  • Efficiency: Ensures your research is laser-focused. You’ll know exactly what you’re looking for based on your headings and subheadings. So you won’t waste hours researching the entire topic.
  • Shaves time off the writing process: It makes writing articles faster by helping you focus on essential information while ensuring all critical information is included.

How to structure your blog post for SEO

  • Write for humans AND search engines. This means breaking up your content into short, easy-to-read paragraphs and using headings and subheadings to help structure your thoughts. Also, use keywords throughout your post – but don’t overdo it!
  • Optimize your images for SEO. You can do this by adding alt text that accurately describes the image. Get your main keyword in one image and related keywords in the rest. This will help your blog post rank higher in search engine results pages.
  • Include links to other related posts on your site (inner-linking). This helps Google understand what your site is about and will help improve your SEO ranking.
  • Use numbered lists, short paragraphs, and headings. This will break up the sections and make it easier for the reader to scan through the post. Making your post more visually appealing increases time on the page. Better time on the page results in better rankings.
  • Speed up your pages. One easy way is to integrate compression and caching. This will help your pages load faster for users, and that’s always a good thing for SEO.
  • Make sure your site is mobile responsive and looks good on all devices.
  • Structure your posts in a way that will make you eligible for featured snippets. Featured snippets are those boxes that appear at the top of the search engine results pages, above all the other websites.
  • Most importantly, get your main keyword in the title, H1, URL, and 1 – 2 times in the body content.

 

My 5-Step Blog post outline template

This simple template will help you create in-depth outlines no matter the type of article you’re writing.

1 – Start with the Five W’s (+ 1 H)

Who, What, Why, When, Where, How.

These questions are considered fundamental in information-gathering. They’re often used by police, journalists, and anybody else trying to get the whole story.

For example, if you’re writing about “keto for beginners,” consider what a beginner wants to know.

  • What is keto?
  • How will keto benefit me?
  • How do I get started?
  • Where can I get recipes?
  • What are the risks?
  • Etc.

Side note: Understanding who you’re writing for is crucial. The questions in the answer above are OK for beginners. However, if you’re writing an article comparing keto supplements for experienced keto people, “What is keto” is obvious information for that specific audience. They already know what keto is, so including this information will annoy them.

2 – Widen your net with Google

Use the keyword you are researching as a starting point, then look for PAA (People Also Ask) box questions to help further solidify your outline.

Google provides related searches at the bottom of the results page for your keyword, which can help identify additional topics to include. Finally, look at the top-ranking posts to get an idea of their headings and what content is most important to cover.

You’ll now have an extensive list of potential headings and subheadings for each important topic that should be covered in your article.

3 – Trim the fat and organize

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this, but generally, you want to aim for around 4 – 6 H2s. This depends on how long you want your article to be.

Next, choose the most important 1 – 2 H2s. These will be the subtopics you want to go into more depth on, and you can do this by adding H3s.

Remove all the headings you didn’t include. These can be used as topics for future posts.

4 – Content research

When creating a blog post, it is important to include key findings from your research in bullet points.

Start by adding 2- 3 key concepts from your research as bullet points under each heading. This will be the meat of your body content. It will also help you stay on track and ensure that you cover all of the crucial points.

5 – Rearrange your headings into a logical sequence

Rearrange your headings into a logical sequence so that it makes sense and readers can easily follow along.

By taking the time to create a well-thought-out outline before writing your blog post, you will save yourself time and energy in the long run.

You now have an outline.

It’s time to get writing. Here are some quick beginner writing tips to help you write kick-ass blog content.

Beginner tips for writing blog posts

1. Come up with a catchy title to capture readers’ attention.

A good title can make all the difference in getting people to actually click through and read your post.

2. Write casually.

Nobody wants to read a dry, formal blog post. This is web content; it doesn’t follow the standard rules. So write as if you’re chatting to your buddy.

3. Make your blog writing personal to connect with your readers.

Readers are more likely to engage with content that feels personal and relatable, so focus on writing in a way that allows them to connect with you personally. For example, avoid using overly technical language unless absolutely necessary.

And be direct. Write like you’re speaking directly to the reader. Don’t say, “One must do this,” but rather say, “You must do this.” You, your, you’re. Not one, they, etc.

4. Use a clear layout that is easy to follow.

Try to keep your article concise and easy to read; no one wants to wade through paragraphs of text. Use images to break up the text, illustrate your points, and vary sentence length for better readability.

5. Make sure to proofread your work before you hit publish.

Typos and other errors can make you look unprofessional. A read-through is vital to catch these mistakes and make your blog post look polished.

Speed things up with a blog post outline generator

Creating a blog post outline can be time-consuming, but using a blog post outline tool will speed up the process significantly.

Outranking.io is my go-to tool for creating outlines and writing SEO-optimized content.

Outranking helps you:

  • Create better outlines than your competitors that satisfy search intent.
  • Takes the top-ranking posts and any research you feed it and summarizes it into key points.
  • Writes a well-researched and unique first draft for you.
  • Gives you actionable steps to optimize your content for better rankings.

Outranking.io is excellent for those who want to outline and write comprehensive blog posts quickly and easily.

An overview of the Outline Builder UI in Outranking.io

Why article outlines are important for bloggers

Outlines are a great way to help you focus and organize your thoughts when writing.

They allow you to plan and structure your writing so that it’s easy to read and follows a logical progression. This makes your blog posts more engaging for readers, improving your SEO and overall brand visibility.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to write more interesting blog posts that will keep readers coming back for more.