How to blog illustration

Originally published April 16, 2016. Updated October 14, 2026.

You know your business. Turning that knowledge into a useful blog post can still feel harder than it should.

I start with one question a client needs answered. That keeps the writing focused and gives the post a reason to exist.

This guide walks through choosing a topic, writing clearly, checking the facts, and publishing a useful article on your business website.

Key Takeaways

  • Answer one real question from your ideal client.
  • Use your experience and verify changeable facts.
  • Write for completeness, not an arbitrary word count.
  • Check headings, links, images, and the phone layout.
  • Connect the article to relevant pages and review it over time.
Dotty Scott Best Selling Author and Website Designer

Written by Dotty Scott
Founder of Premium Websites, Inc.
Empowering small businesses to go from Invisible to Invincible.

Table of Contents

Start With One Purpose

Before writing, ask what this post will help your ideal client understand or do. A useful article answers a real question, clears up a misconception, or makes a decision easier.

I use blogging to teach and make my expertise easier to find. That doesn’t mean every post should become a sales page. Give the reader a useful answer first, then offer a relevant next step.

Choose One Focused Question

Use questions clients ask during calls, enquiries, or projects. Pick one you can answer from actual experience. “What should I prepare before hiring a web designer?” is easier to write well than “everything about websites.”

Check how your ideal client describes the problem. My keyword-research guide helps you connect that language with a useful topic. Don’t force every related phrase into one article.

Build an Outline Before Drafting

Write the question, a short answer, and the supporting points. Put the most useful information early. Then add examples, limitations, and the next step.

Use sections that follow the reader’s decision process. If your outline contains a second unrelated problem, save it as another idea instead of expanding the first post until it loses focus.

A Practical Blog-Writing Checklist

Use this checklist to review the draft before you open WordPress. It works for a short answer or a detailed guide because the focus stays on usefulness.

Check Next Question
Purpose What will the reader understand or do after this?
Focus Does every section help answer the same question?
Evidence Are examples real and changeable claims verified?
Structure Are headings, paragraphs, and comparisons easy to follow?
Links Can readers reach the useful next article or service?
Finish Does the preview work on desktop and phone?

Add Your Experience and Check the Facts

Explain what you’ve seen in real work. A specific example, a comparison, or an honest limitation makes the article more useful than a general explanation anyone could repeat.

Verify prices, software instructions, regulations, and other changeable facts before publishing. Link to reliable primary sources when they support the answer. If you use AI for an outline or draft, review every factual claim and remove invented examples.

Use the Length the Answer Needs

There isn’t a universal 300-word minimum or a 500-word sweet spot for getting indexed. Google’s people-first content guidance says it doesn’t have a preferred word count.

Write enough to answer the question well, then remove repetition. A complex subject may need a longer guide. A simple question may need much less. Don’t split a complete answer into several thin posts just to reach a number.

Make the Post Easy to Read

Use short paragraphs, meaningful H2 sections, and H3 subsections where needed. Most themes already display the post title as an H1, so check the rendered page before adding another H1 in the body.

Use lists for steps or parallel points and tables for comparisons. Add an image when it helps explain the topic, and write alt text for meaningful visual information. A decorative image can have empty alt text. Preview everything on a phone.

Publish Through Your WordPress Editor

Create a post using the editor your site is built to use. In WordPress, posts and pages have different roles; the Posts screen documentation explains where posts are managed.

On an Avada site, use the site’s established builder layout. Check the title, category, featured image, excerpt, search title, description, and links before publishing. A particular platform doesn’t promise better rankings without useful content and sound implementation.

Add natural links to relevant services and useful articles. Then look for an existing page where the new article helps explain something and add a contextual link back to it.

Share the article where your ideal client already hears from you. Give people a reason to read it. My updated guide to article distribution explains publishing on your own website first and using other channels selectively.

Review and Improve What You Publish

Check whether the article attracts relevant searches, helps people understand your services, or leads to useful enquiries. A visit count alone doesn’t tell you whether it supports the business.

Revisit articles when the advice changes, preserve a useful existing URL, and show an updated date when you substantially refresh the content. For a broader plan, read my content-strategy guide. If writing is the part you’d like help with, see my Blog Post Writing service or schedule a Discovery Call.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a blog post be?

Long enough to answer the question well. Remove repetition instead of aiming for a fixed number.

How often should I publish?

Choose a schedule you can sustain with useful, accurate content. Include time to maintain existing articles.

Does WordPress automatically make a post rank?

No. The platform supports publishing, but relevance, content quality, technical setup, and other signals still matter.

Can AI help me write?

It can help organize ideas or review a draft. You still need to check the facts and add the real knowledge only you have.