How to write your first blog post: a step-by-step guide

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Starting a blog is an exciting adventure, but writing your very first post can feel rather daunting. Here’s the good news: it’s much easier than you think! Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing your first blog post.

Starting a blog is an exciting adventure, but writing your very first post can feel rather daunting. You might be wondering, “What should I write about?” “How do I make it good enough?” Or “Where do I even start?”

Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be scary!

With a clear plan and a few simple steps, you can write your first blog post with confidence.

By the end of this step-by-step guide, you’ll have everything you need to create a first blog post that sets your blog up for success.

1. Understanding the purpose of your first blog post

OK, first things first, I need to bust a common myth!

Many new bloggers think their first post should be some kind of ‘welcome’ or ‘introduction’ – maybe a bit about themselves and why they’re starting the blog.

While this was the norm in the early days of blogging, it’s not how blogging works these days.

Blogging is not an online diary! Successful blogs are built around creating valuable, helpful content that solves specific problems for their readers.

Instead of an introduction post, your first blog posts should be foundation posts – content that:

Introduces the key topics you’ll write about.
Begins building topical authority in your niche.

Here’s how to approach your foundation posts:

Decide your main categories: What are the key topics your blog will cover? These will become your blog’s main categories and be the focus of your foundation posts. When you are first starting out it’s best to pick 3-4 main categories to start with – you can always add in others later once you have established topical authority in your first 3-4 categories.
Do keyword research: Use a tool like KeySearch to find low-competition keywords for each category.
Pick one keyword per category: Choose one keyword per category to be your ‘foundation’ post for that category. These will be the first 3-4 posts you will write.
Choose which of these foundational posts you will start with: Once you have chosen your 3-4 ‘foundation’ post topics, all you need to do is pick which one you will start with! It doesn’t really matter which you pick, so I recommend choosing whichever one you think will be easiest and/or most fun to write!

By starting with these strategic ‘foundation’ posts, you’ll give search engines (and your readers!) a clear idea of what your blog is about.

Save the ‘why I’m writing this blog’ type content for your About Me page, where it’s more relevant!

2. Deciding what to include in your first blog post

Once you’ve chosen the topic of your first post and the main keyword you are planning to target, it’s time to figure out what to include in that post.

The best way to do that is to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Imagine someone has typed the keyword you are targeting into Google…

Who are they?

Why did they type that search term into Google?

What problem are they trying to solve?

Now think about everything you need to say in order to help your target reader solve their problem. Write all of this down in note form.

Once you have noted down everything you want to cover, re-order your notes into a logical order. Keep firmly in mind that the main aim of your blog post is to solve your reader’s problem… so think about what order would best help them!

3. Structuring your first blog post

Before you start writing, take the time to outline your post. A solid structure ensures your content is clear, engaging, and easy to follow.

Your structure should include:

A clear title: Grab attention and convey what the post is about.
A compelling introduction: Hook your readers and set expectations for the post.
The main body: Break your content into sections with subheadings.
A conclusion: Summarize key points and include a call-to-action (CTA).

PRO TIP: Resist the urge to include everything you know about a topic. Your readers are looking for specific answers to specific problems, not an information overload!

4. Writing your first blog post

Now comes the fun part – writing your first blog post!

Start by remembering that this doesn’t have to be perfect… This is the beauty of blog post writing. You can come back to your early blog posts in a few months’ time and improve on them if you need to.

The most important thing is to focus on providing a helpful answer to your reader’s search query.

If it helps, imagine you are writing an email to a friend who has the same problem. The only difference is, a blog post will be a bit more structured – with sub-headings, an introduction and a conclusion.

Write in a conversational tone, as though you’re speaking directly to your reader. Blogging is a lot more casual than many other forms of writing, so there’s no need to be overly formal. Be authentic and let your personality shine through!

When it comes to structure, stick to short paragraphs and sentences. Big blocks of text can overwhelm readers, especially online. Instead, break things up with headings, bullet points, and quotes to make your post visually appealing and easy to skim.

Once you’ve finished writing, take a moment to proofread your first blog post. Even the best blog posts can be overshadowed by typos or awkward phrasing. A quick read-through can make a huge difference!

I recommend you start by writing your blog post out in Word or a Google Doc – this will help you concentrate on the actual content first, without worrying about formatting.

Once you have written your blog post, you can then copy and paste it into WordPress and format it correctly.

(Psst… need help with how to format your blog post in WordPress? Read this post >>> How to format your first blog post using the WordPress block editor (AKA Gutenberg))

5. Adding the finishing touches

Your post is written – now it’s time to make it shine!

First, make sure you have used H tags for all your sub-headings.

Next, make sure you add some sort of visuals to your post – either original photos, stock photos or graphics. Images will break up your blog post and make it easier to read.

Next, think about linking. Eventually, you will want to add links to other relevant posts on your website (this is called internal linking), but since this is your first post, you can’t do that! However, what you can do is add links to any relevant external resources that might add value to your readers. This is especially important to do if you make any statistical or heath claims – always link back to your sources to back up your claims!

Finally, format your post for readability. Use plenty of white space, ensure your paragraphs and sentences are short, and break up any large blocks of text with devices such as bullets, quotes and sub-subheadings. A clean, organized layout will make your post much easier and more enjoyable to read!

6. Optimizing your post for Google

One of the most important things to do when publishing a blog post is to ensure you give it the best chance to rank on Google. This is called search engine optimization or SEO.

I recommend you read this post to learn the basics of SEO >>> A beginner’s guide to SEO for bloggers

Then I recommend you read this post to learn how to optimize your first blog post >>> H ow to optimize a blog post for search engines

Woman sitting on a sofa, typing on a laptop.

7. Publishing and promoting your first blog post

It’s time to hit publish!

Don’t overthink this step. No first blog post is ever going to be ‘perfect’, so don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Just hit that publish button and enjoy the satisfaction of finally having published your first blog post!

Once your post is live, share it on your social media platforms to let your audience know your blog is up and running. Read this post for more information on how to promote your blog posts >>> 14 things you should do AFTER you publish a new blog post

Lastly, keep an eye on your comments section. Engaging with readers who leave comments or questions is a great way to start building connections and fostering a sense of community.

8. Rinse and repeat!

You have published your first blog post – hoorah!

But don’t stop there… Strike while the iron is hot and get started on your second blog post. In the early days of blogging, the thing that will make the most difference to your success is writing as many blog posts and you can as fast as you can!

Consider doing the 30 Day Blog Post Booster Challenge to jumpstart your new blog and get it ranking as fast as possible.

I recommend you check out this post too, for more ideas on how to accelerate your success >>> How long does it take to make money blogging?

Conclusion

Writing your first blog post doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. By focusing on good keyword research, writing a foundational post, helping your readers solve their problems, and structuring your content clearly, you can create a post that lays a strong foundation for your blog’s success.

Your blogging journey starts here – so what are you waiting for? Start planning your first post today, and before you know it, you’ll be hitting that publish button with confidence!

Over to you!

Have you written your first blog post? We’d love to hear about your experience! Let us know all about it in the comment section below…

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