These are some guidelines you should use when writing & formatting blog posts for a niche website if you are looking to rank well on Google search. Generally, what you learned in school for research projects or informational essays should serve you well in composing a well crafted blog post. At the top of your post you should have a short summary answer, in a separate paragraph, in bold text that provides a relevant & helpful answer to the exact question you are addressing. Include visual aids – such as pictures, graphs or charts, and any original research that supports your answer. Make sure your post is structured in an organized fashion that flows logically – using headings to clearly delineate different sections of the post. At the end of the post have a conclusion that restates your answer.
Elements of a GREAT Short Answer Blog Post
- Tell you audience the answer right up front.
- Make sure your answer is relevant & HELPFUL!
- Use concise and precise language.
- Use a conversational tone & style of writing.
- Organize your answer – so it flows well and is logical in its presentation.
- Include Pictures, Illustrations, Graphs, Charts and/or Videos – IF They Can Help You Make a Point.
- Include original research you have done and/or experiences that support your answer or argument.
- Have a conclusion at the end of your post – to restate the answer to the question you are addressing.
- Use a formula for formatting your post.
1) Tell Your Audience the Answer Right Up Front
If you want Google to rank your post high in their search results – make sure you are making it VERY easy to identify your answer in your post. Don’t make Google, or your readers, work to find the answer. The clearer and more unambiguous you can make your answer – the better! So locating the answer at the very top of your post is a best-practice approach to making your answer post as effective as possible.
2) Make Sure Your Answer is Relevant & Helpful!
Your answer must actually be relevant, helpful and well targeted to someone who is looking for an answer to a specific issue! Don’t be wishy washy in your answer or solution. Think of the type of answer YOU are looking for when you search up something on Google or some other search engine and provide your reader with that type of answer.
3) Use Concise & Precise Language
Don’t let language get in the way of you providing an easy to understand answer to someone’s problem! Use language that is accurate and precise in laying out your answer. Make sure your word choices say what you mean to say. Do a little “word smithing” – by choosing your words with care to reflect what you intend to say and convey. Don’t use any unnecessary words or sentences. Short & direct sentences are your best friends!
4) Use a Conversational Tone & Style of Writing
Don’t make the tone or writing style too formal! People relate better if you speak or write to them with a little bit of a casual flavor and feel. Try to write in a tone and style like a informal conversation you would have with a friend, neighbor or family member who has asked you to explain something to them that you are more familiar and proficient at then them.
5) Organize Your Answer – So It Flows Well & Is Logical In It’s Presentation.
If you are looking to explain something to someone – you want to do it in a fashion where you start at the beginning and flow through the process/solution/answer in a logical manner that takes them through things one step at a time. Don’t make your reader sort through a poorly organized mess – or have to connect the dots in a post that is all over the place. Take some time to tweak your answer and proof-read it for clarity and organization.
6) Include Pictures, Illustrations, Graphs, Charts and/or Videos – IF They Can Help You Make a Point
Most of us understand & retain information better when it is presented in a visual manner – as opposed to when words alone are used. So if you have a visual aid that can help make your point or better explain something – you should definitely include it in your post! As they say – a picture is worth a thousand words!
7) Include Original Research You Have Done and/or Experiences That Support Your Answer or Argument
Have you conducted, either formal or informal, research that supports your argument or answer? If so – you should include that in your post! Research could be a poll that you conducted on a social media platform, a call to a expert in the field, or the collection of data from a variety of sources. All of it can help establish your credibility and the reliability of the information you are sharing with your post, and therefore result in a higher ranking with Google search results.
8) Have a Conclusion at the End of Your Post – to Restate the Answer to The Question You Are Addressing.
As I learned in my many years of school – Tell them what you are going to tell them, Tell it to them, and then tell them what you told them! The conclusion is the final piece of this formula where you tell your audience what you already told them – but do it in a manner with maybe a slightly different perspective or using slightly different language – which is calculated to help them solidify their understanding of what you have communicated to them.
9) Use a Formula for Formatting Your Post
Use a Separate Paragraph for Your Short Answer
Having your short answer as a completely separate paragraph highlights the answer and forces you to write it in a manner in which it can stand alone.
Use Bold Text For The Summary Answer
This is just a formatting strategy to help highlight your answer. I believe it makes it easier for both your reader and Google to quickly identify your target answer.
Use Headings for the Different Sections of Your Post.
This is another basic formatting convention that helps both your reader & Google identify the components of your answer. Make sure your headings are relevant to the paragraph(s) that follow. You may have a reader that only needs part of your answer – and clear headings will help them navigate to the section of your post that they need to read – quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Writing a post to rank well with Google and other search engines is not rocket science! If you craft a relevant and helpful answer that is expressed clearly, in an organized & logical fashion, and use some basic formatting conventions – you should be able to produce blog posts that are of high value and easy for your readers to understand. Blog posts that readers find helpful and are well written are the types of posts that will be rewarded by Google and rank well with their search algorithms.
Sincerely,
Related Search Terms
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