A common question I get almost daily is “how do you write a good blog post?” While you can have some success if you just sit down and write, a good blog post starts as part of a digital strategy that is planned. Of course, you can always adjust based on important happenings in the news or your business, but the majority of your posts should be planned for easy writing and posting.
Your blog writing should be based on a very clear keyword strategy that includes the words and phrases that are important for SEO as well as the topics that are important for your business. Divorce attorneys should be writing with their practice location and core practice areas “How do I file for divorce in Chicago.” Not every post should include the same keywords, afterall, this should be as natural as possible.
Your topics (which you should have all planned out in an editorial calendar), should show the clear benefits that the information will provide to your reader (think ideal client). There should be a hook both in the title and writing. You want to show them that you will not only help them with your current situation but also provide substantial value to their lives. While you want to position yourself as an expert you do not want to elaborate on many technical details or lawyer speak. While it is important to drop those in occasionally, your goal is to show your reader that you can speak directly to their issues.
Now, if you are just blogging your stories then this all really does not apply to you…until you determine at some point in the future that you want to do something more with your blog. My recommendation is to start writing your stories and slowly learn the SEO and technical pieces as you go along.
Oh, and one important note – if this is for business then you absolutley want your blog internal to your website. DO NOT start a blog on another platform.
Title of Your Blog
The title should be keyword research driven and writen with your ideal client’s pain point in mind. Sixty percent of search is driven by questions so have some question-titled posts in your blog on core topics. “How much alimony will I receive” is a good example. Your title should be a hook around one very tight topic. You do not want to title a post “Everything You Need to Do to get Divorced in Texas.” Instead select “The First Step in Starting Your Divorce.”
The Writing of Your Blog
I always say that a good blog post follows the old school writing of an opening paragraph, three supporting paragraphs and then a close. Each paragraph shoudl have a supporting point that is highlighted (bold faced). You should drop in supporting keywords, geolocators and also a few industry terms (legal terms should be linked to a glossary on your site). You can also tell a story for an important point that illustrate how you have helped a client in a related situation. You can put in details about how to get in touch with your office for help, but Google does not like overt advertising in your post so make sure you have several variations of your closing words.
How long should the blog post be?
The length of a good blog post has been greatly debated with some experts claiming they should be 1,000 words or more. I have always followed the rule that 350 words is the absolute minimum for SEO – but 500 is optimal. While 1,000 words would be great you have to remember that individuals actually reading your post are important – it if is too long they are less likely to read it.
How to Post A Blog
Have someone else read through your post for edits and typos. When you post include 1-2 links within your site and then 1-2 to outside sources. You always want to include a picture, featured image, and take the extra time make sure it is optimized for Search Engine Optimization.
