Last Updated on August 27, 2024
I’m not one for clickbait headlines, but this blog outlining strategy really gets the job done quickly. If you write for your company’s blog, or own one personally, you probably don’t have much time to flail around for a topic every time you need to publish something.
In fact, you might even be tired of it. I know I’ve hit this point quite a few times…
I can’t help you too much with choosing a topic. That’s still up to you and some good ol’ fashioned keyword research!
(Actually, that was a bit of a lie. I did write a post on how to push through your first draft. And I also wrote on how to combat blog overwhelm…and I even wrote about great blogging niches that never run out of topics! Okay, no more lies from this point on!)
BUT! I can share a rock solid framework for structuring that blog post around your chosen topic.
You ready for my secret? Here it goes…
Table of Contents
My Strategy for A Solid Blog Outline
In order to have a solid blog outline, you need to do this one thing.
Answer the “interrogative pronouns” (the what, when, where and why of the topic)!
People call them many different things, so the proper names for these English powerhouses don’t really matter. All that matters is that you answer at least 2 of those question starters to have a full bodied blog post.
Here’s a basic blog outline of how your post should be structured.
Here are the main questions that I like to answer for most of my informational content.
1. Define the What and Why
Start of strong by clarifying what the definition of the article topic. Although it may seem obvious to you, your reader may not know or understand some of the technical terms you use in your field.
Speaking from experience, it can be incredibly easy to overlook this and forget to include it in the blog outline. So, here’s your reminder! It’s always better to over-communicate than to be vague.
By defining the term, and overall importance of it, you’ll create a more high-quality article in the end.
BONUS: Make sure your headers for each section within the post is coded “H2” (or headline size 2). This is a great SEO (search engine optimization) practice that makes it easier for algorithms to scan your content. You want this, because the easier it is for algorithms to read, the higher the chances of search engines like Google recommending your content to readers that need it (ahem, YOUR CUSTOMERS).
2. Share the How
Step 2 to my blog outlining strategy involves explaining the “how” in great detail. This is the main part of any informative blog post, and should be the longest.
Since this chunk of your post will be the longest, you should definitely break it up into subtopics. Breaking your content down into subtopics will increase the readability of it, leading to lower bounce rates, better user comprehension, and overall higher engagement.
An easy way to do this is to list out the “how” in steps (1,2,3,…etc). Sharing the steps of your process also allows you to more easily repurpose the content as a social media post later. Think of titles you’ve seen along these lines: “My 3 Foolproof Steps for [x]”.
If your article is covering a physical product, your “how” may look like a review. In your review, you would explain how you’ve used the product for the best results (assuming it is a positive review).
Including this in your blog outline can help readers envision themselves doing the same thing. And wouldn’t you want that?
If the topic of the article is centered around one of your skill sets, this may be the perfect place to share a testimonial for your services! You could also tell a story about a great interaction between you and a customer as well.
3. Give the Where
Tell them where to get it! They’re already reading your content, don’t make them think even harder on this topic. Resistance or friction in the way that you connect your content is the easiest way to make people say, “Thank you, next.”
This is an extra boost to your blog if you run an e-commerce store or have some service that you’d like to provide to your ideal customer (aka the one on your website right now). It makes it that much easier for everyone involved if you link to the product or page that you want them to see in this section.
Example: Check out my Keyword Planner Template below to see how I conduct knockout keyword research. (See how smooth that was?)
Extra Workflows
Hopefully, you can see how this easy trick can generate a blog outline work for you in no time. There is a good chance, though, that this line up of questions doesn’t quite work for your business and content.
Here are a few other workflows to try in your next blog outline:
- Who, Where, When…
- Which, How Many, How Much…
- What, Where, Why…
I think you get the picture~! 😅
Happy Writing.
P.S. Don’t believe this framework can work for you? It took me only 10 minutes to write this blog post, plus the outline. What do you have to lose?
