5 Steps to writing a great post

I often interact with new bloggers on Facebook and sometimes they end up writing on Devils’ Workshop. This is when I realize that many of them have great ideas and decent style of writing but one thing they find difficult is how to layout the content to make it a great post.

We are introducing Blogger of the Month version 2.0 which might get a lot of new bloggers interested in writing a post for DW. I felt it would be ideal to write a post on 5 steps to writing a great post.

Image Credits: adaevidencelibrary

#1. Headline

The title of the post is very important. It catches your readers attention within seconds and one of the main reasons for someone looking up your post.

  • Keep the title self explanatory. A reader who looks up the title of a post should feel they can expect certain things. eg: “How to install XYZ software?”
  • Always include your desired SEO keywords in your title. This will be your biggest SEO trick if there is one. 😉
  • Always write the title in present tense and not in the past. If the post title is in future tense then chances are you should be finishing that title with a question. eg: “Google buys XYZ company” or “Will Google buy XYZ company?”.

#2. Introduction

Now that we have a title lets go ahead with the actual content. You can roughly start with a paragraph that introduces the post to your readers.

  • Introduction is the most important part when you start writing content. Mainly it introduces your reader to the topic at hand. For example if you are writing a post on “Google buys XYZ company” you might want to start of the post with Google recent list of acquisitions or maybe a small introduction of what XYZ company does.
  • You have all the material you want to write but have a ‘writers block’ on how to go about it. Best way to deal with it is to write in the introduction exactly why you are sharing this post with your readers.
  • Make sure the introduction is not too extensive. Ideally one small paragraph is perfect but in case its you have more to introduce try sticking to two paragraphs at the most.

#3. The main course

If your post was a menu at a restaurant then what follows the introduction is usually the main course or the main body of content written on a post.

  • There is no ideal amount of words to be used in this part of the post. For instance a detailed tutorial might be even more than a thousand words.
  • This part of the post if its too large you might want to split into parts. Like this post your are reading I have split the main course into 5 steps. 😉
  • Make sure this part of the post has screen-shots and images which is a ideal in my opinions. Ofcourse where and when to insert images is a personal choice which might change from post to post or from blog to blog for that matter.

#4. The Conclusion

Write a conclusion to your post. This is a way to end your post on a high and every often give your readers your opinion on something and likewise ask your readers to comment and give their opinions.

  • Just like a introduction the conclusion should be precise and short. It should be simple and straight to the point.
  • I personally like writing a couple of lines of my own views on something I’ve written or reviewed. I feel this gives your post that personal touch.
  • Write a conclusion which ends with a question so your readers feel the need to engage in a dialogue with your post through the comments.

#5. Linking back to your post

Linkbacks to your post allow your readers to visit your older but related posts in a targeted way. This helps us out in improving the bounce rate of your blog.

  • Do not link back to just about any post on your blog. Make sure that the old post you are linking back to is relevant and adds something new to the reader.
  • Avoid filling your post with a lot of links to your previous articles. This is fine if your writing a round up post but on other occasions avoid making the reader think your wrote the current post only to introduce your older posts. It also makes your reader feel you are not coming up with new stuff.
  • I like linking to previous posts in the introduction section or in the conclusion section of a post. This allows me to be creative in inserting the link and play on the readers interests.
  • Also make sure the links your introduce are relevant to the post. If your current post is about programming don’t link it back to a funny post but try to link the post back from a similar category.

This are the 5 steps I use to write a good post. Some of these are my habits suited to writing on tech blog. Ofcourse this can really change from post to post but when I stick to these steps I find it easier. My steps are really based on me as a reader of other blogs and basically this is how I feel good when reading content.

If you liked this post you might want to read about 10 things bloggers must check before writing a post. Do you think these steps will help you write a great post? Do let me know by dropping in your comments. 😀

15 Comments

Zaheer July 14, 2010

Aditya, that was a real treat of learning. Thank you so much for sharing some of the best points to build a nice, readable content in an easiest way. Though I follow some different and tricky rules but I really like your way and will try to follow it in my next story.

Aditya Kane July 14, 2010

I do not like calling them rules but these steps are rather just outlines I try to follow while writing a post. I have concentrated more on the process of writing rather then just the end result.

Aditya Kane July 20, 2010

Will look forward to your rules on writing a post. Thanks for dropping by and commenting. 🙂

Ricky @iphone apps July 14, 2010

Well call it rules or outline but it is necessary to rank hig in search engine. Kudos!

Aditya Kane July 15, 2010

Thanks but I have not written these points with from a SEO or page rank point of view but from a readers point of view.

Jitesh Golecha July 18, 2010

Cool Tut. Tnx Aditya

Gourav Jain July 20, 2010

Nice Aditya. It will help me a lot for my coming blog.

Aditya Kane July 23, 2010

That’s great Gourav, all the best with our upcoming blog. 🙂

Pranay July 27, 2010

nice post i will folow this in my blog

Aditya Kane July 27, 2010

Thanks. I hope it will help you. Good luck!!

Riyas August 18, 2010

Waww.. Great post. Very helpful for someone like me. I will keep this in mind whenever i write anything. Thanks

Aditya Kane August 29, 2010

glad you found it helpful.

Abhishek Biswal October 19, 2010

Woah! A great post for a newbie
Thanks dude for the tips
By the way how can anybody tell me how can one register a google adsense account for devilsworkshop??
plz reply soon
thank you.

Aditya Kane October 19, 2010

Thanks Abhishek, here is a guide which can be helpful for you to write of DW and configure it for adsense. https://devilsworkshop.org/join-dw/adsense-posts/

Mohit April 26, 2012

Good Stuff you talked about. I will suggest one more thing,
Check how your readsers are responding to your post. and the response is not only comments but how long they were in the website.

One Fantastic Idea for every Blogger!!!!

Read your blog loud with a timer at your side and check how much time you spent reading the blog completly. If your customers are really interested they will spend the said time on your page, Else will leave in between so its time to change topics of your blog as you are going to loose interest of your reader and ultimately the reader.