SEO blog writing: how to write a post Google can rank
SEO blog writing means building each post around one search a real customer types, then making the post the best answer to that search. Five things carry most of the weight: one target search, a title that matches it, a length close to what already ranks, clear headings, and links to sources and to your own pages.
Blog Hands does all five on every post. Here’s how each one works.
How do you choose the search a post targets?
Start with your customers. A keyword tool can come later. What do people ask you before they buy? Type that question into Google and read the suggestions that appear. Those are real searches, in the words people actually use.
Pick one search per post. A post that tries to rank for “furnace repair cost,” “furnace short cycling” and “best furnace brands” at once will struggle with all three. Each one needs its own post.
Then search it and look at what comes up. If the top results are product pages or videos, a blog post has a hard road. If they’re guides and how-to posts, you have a fair shot. Our page on finding blog topics walks through this step.
How long should an SEO blog post be?
About as long as the posts that already rank for that search. There’s no single right number. A quick question might need 700 words. A buying guide might need 2,000.
To find out, open the top few results and count the words in each post’s body, leaving out menus and footers. Aim near the middle. If yours is much shorter, you probably skipped something readers wanted. If it’s much longer, you’re likely padding. Our blog writing questions and answers cover length in more detail.
What goes in the title, description and headings?
The title carries the search in plain words. Keep it under 60 characters so Google is less likely to cut it off. Our page on writing blog titles shows real examples.
The meta description is the short text under the title in search results. Write 145 to 160 characters that say what the reader gets. Google sometimes swaps in its own text, but a good description still gives it the best option.
Headings split the post into the questions a reader has. Use at least 4, and phrase some as questions. Google reads headings to understand the parts of a page, and readers use them to skim. More on that in formatting a blog post.
Which links does an SEO post need?
Two kinds. Links out to the sources behind your facts, so readers can check them. And links to your own pages: a related post, a service page, the page where people buy.
Keep them few and useful. Our rule is about 1 link per 200 words at most, with link text of 2 to 6 words that names where the link goes. “Our furnace tune-up checklist” tells the reader what they’ll get. “Click here” tells them nothing.
What SEO blog writing can’t do
Rankings take time. A new post on a young site can take months to move, and some searches belong to sites that have built authority for years. Pick searches where the top results are beatable.
One post also rarely changes a business. Traffic builds from a steady run of posts, each aimed at a different search. One of our 2023 clients stopped posting, and their growth leveled off. Our plans run monthly for that reason.
How Blog Hands handles SEO on every post
- Each topic in your monthly plan comes with its target search, an angle and a short outline. You approve it before we write.
- We measure the posts that already rank for that search and set the length near their middle.
- The title stays under 60 characters. The meta description runs 145 to 160.
- Each post links to its sources and to pages on your own site.
- Every post gets a Blog Grader score. Its Findable part checks these basics, and you see the score before you approve.
Questions about SEO blog writing
Do you do keyword research?
Yes, for each topic. Every topic targets one real search, checked against what already ranks for it. We don’t sell keyword volume or difficulty reports.
Will my posts rank?
No one can promise a ranking. We can promise that each post targets a real search, matches what ranks for it, and passes our checks before you see it.
What does Blog Hands cost?
$50 a post, at least 4 posts a month. Your first post is free, with no card and no contract.