How to Write Blog Posts That Rank on Google (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Introduction

Publishing blog posts is easy. Welcome to this blog post about “How to Write Blog Posts That Rank on Google“
Getting them to rank on Google so people actually find and read them?
This is where a little bit of strategy and magic come into play.

Table of Contents

Even if you’re not a techie, I’ll show you exactly how to write blog posts that rank highly in Google search results in this guide.

Everything will be covered, including content formatting, SEO optimization, and keyword research. You will end up with a scalable method for writing blog entries that generate traffic, clicks, and outcomes.

Why Ranking on Google Matters

Google is the world’s biggest traffic source. If your blog posts appear on page 1, you can get hundreds — even thousands — of visitors every month without paying for ads.

When your blog ranks:

You get targeted visitors who are already searching for your topic.
You become an authority in your field.
Through affiliate marketing, advertising, or the sale of your own goods, you can make money off of your traffic.

If you’re not showing up in search results, you’re leaving traffic (and money) on the table.

Step 1: Start with Keyword Research

You must know what people are looking for before you write. Keyword research can help with that.

How to do it:

Some other free tools you can try are AnswerThePublic, Ubersuggest, and Google Keyword Planner.
In early days of website building, search out the keywords with an adequate number of searches but with moderate competition.
Moreover, there are other key phrases you should think about as well. Besides “write a blog,” maybe something more long tailed, say, “how to write blog posts that rank on a Google search.”

💡 Pro Tip: Search your keyword on Google and scroll to the “People Also Ask” section — these are gold for subtopics.

Step 2: Understand Search Intent

Google ranks content that matches what the searcher actually wants.

There are 3 main types of search intent:

Informational: The user wants to learn something (e.g., “how to write blog posts”).
Transactional: The user is ready to buy (e.g., “best blog writing course”).
Navigational: The user wants to go to a certain site, like “WordPress login.”

💡 Tip: If your target keyword is informational, don’t try to sell too much. Give value first.

Step 3: Create an Outline Before Writing

An outline will keep you organized and get your writing completed fast.

Your outline should include:

Introduction (hook the reader)
Main points (H2 and H3 headings)
Conclusion (Summary and call to action in the conclusion)

💡 Pro Tip: Examine the top 5 results for your keyword, noting common headings, and then aim to make yours even better.

Step 4: Write for Humans First, SEO Second

Google’s algorithms are smart — they can tell if your content is useful or just stuffed with keywords.

Tips for human-friendly writing:

Use simple words and short sentences.
Always write as if you were talking to a friend.
Use bullet points, and include pictures.

💡 Pro Tip: In general, make it fun to engage the reader so they spend loads of time on your page.

Step 5: Use Headings and Formatting for Readability

Headings (H1, H2, H3) help both Google and readers understand your content.

H1: Your main blog post title (only one per page).
H2: Main sections of your post.
H3: Subsections under H2.

Also, make it easy to skim your text:

Use lists and bullet points.
Put important phrases in bold or italics.

Step 6: Optimize On-Page SEO

This is how you make Google happy without making the reader’s experience worse.

Checklist:
✅ Include your focus keyword in:

Title (H1)
First 100 words of your content
At least 1–2 H2 headings
Meta description
URL slug

✅ Use related keywords (LSI keywords) naturally.

✅ Keep keyword density around 1–2% (don’t overdo it).

Step 7: Add Internal and External Links

Internal links: Link to other relevant posts on your site (helps SEO and keeps visitors longer).
External links: Link to trusted, high-authority sites (Google loves it).

💡 Pro Tip: Pro Tip: Make sure to make external links open on a new tab always.

Step 8: Use Images and Alt Text

Pictures make your blog more interesting, and they also help with SEO.

Tips:

Use original images when possible.
Compress them to load faster.
When it makes sense, add alt text to the image that includes your keyword.

Step 9: Make It Mobile-Friendly

Over 60% of Google searches come from mobile.

To optimize for mobile:

Use a responsive theme.
Avoid tiny fonts.
Keep paragraphs short.

💡 Tip: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check your site.

Step 10: Promote Your Blog Post

Even the best post won’t rank without traffic.

Ways to promote:

Share on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest).
Join niche forums or groups.
Creating an email list and sending your post to everyone on it.
To get backlinks, write guest posts on other blogs.

Final Thoughts

It’s not about cheating the system to write blog posts that show up on Google. It’s about giving value in a way that both people and search engines like.

Here’s the quick recap: