How to Create a Blog Post Outline and Produce Content That Converts

Content converts if it answers readers' problems. But what if you lack the ideas to express how they can solve those issues? You will end up

• Struggling with writer`s block
• Creating content with poor idea flow
• Writing that doesn`t answer readers` intent

This happens due to a lack of planning.

Organizing your ideas before writing speeds up your writing process and helps produce helpful content that answers your audience`s intent, hence converting them.

That requires knowing how to create a blog post outline, and that`s what this content covers so that you no longer create a mumble jumble of content.

Choose a Topic

Your content will be successful if it covers a specific aspect of your specialty.

That requires putting yourself in your audience`s position and considering the topics they may search for.

For instance, if you are a digital marketer, you could brainstorm topics like

• How to start freelance writing
• How to do affiliate marketing
• Social media marketing tips
• Email marketing tactics

However, if you are inexperienced in your niche, brainstorming will be difficult. In that case, use tools like Moz to find relevant keywords.

For the digital marketing niche, just type “digital marketing” in the tool and search. You will find different topics to choose from and make a topic.

Find Your Topic`s Angle

A topic can`t be helpful if it doesn`t show why people should read your content. The angle is what attracts people to read it, and that makes the basis of your title.

For example, a topic about how to start affiliate marketing would be nice, but why should one be convinced to start affiliate marketing, anyway? That`s when you need an angle—it makes the story important.

To find an angle, consider your target audience`s pain points, which you can know by doing keyword research.

In the case of how to start affiliate marketing, input the keyword “how to start affiliate marketing” in the keyword research tools such as Ahrefs, and search.

You will find relevant variations of what people type when searching. Choose one that aligns with your audience's intent and brand goals.

Here is what you can get if you research how to start affiliate marketing on Ahrefs:

Besides doing keyword research, you can use social media.

Join relevant Reddit, Facebook, or LinkedIn groups and ask questions about how to expound on your topic. That can mean asking questions like: What subtopics can I write about a topic on how to start affiliate marketing?

You will get various ideas that you can gauge and improve your title.

The people also ask section on the search engine results can help you find title angles. It contains search queries that people use to find content related to yours.

To use the queries on the people also ask section, type your title in the search engine and search.

Then move to the people also ask section on the search results page and pick the relevant queries. If you can`t find one, click on one query and more queries will appear. Repeat the exercise until you find the ones with angles aligning with your content.

Another way is using your experience.

If you are unskilled in the topic, you will already know people`s pain points. You can use your knowledge and create an angle that entices people to read your blog.

For our affiliate marketing example, if you are experienced, you can come up with an angle like, How to Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner and Make $1000 within Three Months.

So, the angle is that if you learn how to do affiliate marketing, you will earn $1000 within three months, even when you are a beginner.

Choose Your Blog Post Format

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto: Pexels

Your title will determine your content format.

If your content is about how to start affiliate marketing, you will need to choose a how-to-guide content format.  If you are writing about Points to consider to become a freelance writer, that would require creating a listicle.

However, if you are stuck on the kind of format to choose, research relevant content.

For example, if you are creating content about affiliate marketing, type the keyword on the search engine and search.

Then check the top-ranking articles, examine their titles, and take insights.

If how-to guides are the most ranked, it means that`s the format that pleases the audience more. That`s why the search engines rank them. You will have a high chance of ranking if you also create yours in such a format.

Here is an in-depth content on how to choose a blog post format.

Write an Introduction

A blog introduction persuades readers that your content can help them meet their needs.

To make your introduction effective, don`t start with a dictionary definition. You will bore your readers and make them avoid your content.

Begin with a hook. This implies a statement that captures your reader's attention and convinces them to keep reading. That can be a fun statement, stat, anecdote, etc.

Then talk about your audience`s pain points and how their life will change after reading the content.

Afterward, create a thesis statement to transition them to the content.

Here is more on how to create blog introductions and increase traffic and conversions.

However, don`t expound much about your introduction in the outline. Just list some points to make it easy to craft a captivating introduction later when creating the content.

Create Helpful Subheadings

Blog content without subheadings is tiresome to read and can make readers avoid it.

Subheadings guide readers through your content and help them find the information they are looking for faster.

Therefore after, creating your title and choosing your format, create subheadings that relate to your title.

To create subheadings, ask yourself the five W`s, which imply the questions why, what, where, when, and how.

So, if your content is about how to start affiliate marketing, ask yourself

• Why should one start affiliate marketing?
• What does one need to start affiliate marketing?
• Where can one learn how to start affiliate marketing?
• How can one start affiliate marketing?

The answers to these questions should be your subheadings.

However, if you don`t know how to do critical thinking, you can do a content gap analysis. That involves checking relevant content and replicating their subheadings.

To do that, research for related content and open three to four of the ranking ones. Then check one after the other and list their subheadings. You will find relevant subheadings you can tweak and use in your content.

Besides, you can use content gap tools such as The Hoth.

The best thing about tools is that they produce faster results. Plus they show how much volume the subheadings get, so you can choose one that helps you drive traffic.

To use content gap tools, take a few ranking article URLs, paste them into the tools, and search.

You will find the subheadings to choose from, their search volume, and difficulty.

However, despite how relevant your subheadings are, if they don`t provide value to readers, you won`t drive traffic.

To ensure that they are helpful, show people how they can benefit from the content.

This content can help you learn how to create subheadings that drive traffic.

In the case of the title, How to Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner and Earn $1000 Within Three Months, the subheadings can be

Title

How to Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner and Earn $1000 Within Three Months

Subheadings

1. Choose a Niche

2. Create a Website

3. Create Content

4. Create an Email List

5. Find Affiliate Marketing Products

6. Market Your Affiliate Products

Fill Your Blog Post Outline Subheadings

Picture by Polina Tankilevitch: Pexels

The title and subheadings entice people to read. But if the content doesn`t fulfill the audience`s needs, you will still lose conversions. You should, therefore, add points to your subheadings that answer your target audience`s pain points.

However, don`t explain them in much detail and slow your blog post outline creation process.

Summarize them in a point form to give you an idea of what you should talk about. That involves adding

• Brief explanations
• Expert quotes
• Testimonies
• Data source links

This will make it easy to expound your thoughts and speed up your writing process.

To get the points for your subheadings, research relevant resources and see how they explain their content.

That will give you ideas of what to include in yours. However, don`t plagiarise. The original content owners may sue you and search engines will lower your content rank.

Take the ideas and use your creativity to tweak them and write content that answers your target audience.

Here is what our outline example would look like after filling in the subheadings:

Title

How to Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner and Earn $1000 Within Three Months

Subheadings

1. Choose a Niche

• Analyze your talents and interests
• Identify market and competition gaps
• Identify unsolved problems

2. Create a Website

• Choose a domain name
• Find a hosting company
• Choose a plan and create your site

3. Create Content

• Do keyword research
• Create a blog post outline
• Write in-depth content

4. Create an Email List

• Create a professional email address
• Create an incentive
• Create a landing page and email copy
• Market your landing page and collect subscribers

5. Find Affiliate Marketing Products

• Join affiliate networks
• Find in-house affiliate programs
• Search and send pitches on social media

6. Market Your Affiliate Products

• Create blog content
• Create and send an email copy
• Promote your products on social media

When you have the ideas ready, you can`t have writer`s block and your content will flow logically and answer your readers` intent, hence driving conversions.

Write a Conclusion

No matter how helpful your content is, if you don`t encourage readers to perform your calls to action, you won`t achieve your content purpose. The conclusion is your chance to persuade people to act.

Moreover, it helps remind your audience about what they`ve read so they understand it much better.

To make your blog post conclusions effective, summarize your blog post's main points and add a call to action to encourage people to act.

That will depend on your blog post's purpose. If your goal is to make sales, ask people to buy, and if you want to increase traffic, ask people to share your content.

For your call to action to be effective, show the benefits people can get for performing your calls to action.

Check this content and learn how to create persuasive calls to action that convert.

However, don`t add new ideas that you can`t expound on in the conclusion. This can confuse readers and lose trust in you.

But remember you are writing an outline, so add the important points you should include when creating the content.

See what the complete blog post outline of our affiliate marketing example looks like:

Title

How to Start Affiliate Marketing as a Beginner and Earn $1000 Within Three Months

Introduction

Online business may sound complicated. It can even seem undoable if you have ever started and failed. But what if I tell you, you can earn $1000 in three months even when you are a beginner? Yes, it`s possible, and this content will show you how.

Subheadings

1. Choose a Niche

• Analyze your talents and interests
• Identify market and competition gaps
• Identify unsolved problems

2. Create a Website

• Choose a domain name
• Find a hosting company
• Choose a plan and create your site

3. Create Content

• Do keyword research
• Create a blog post outline
• Write in-depth content

4. Create an Email List

• Create a professional email address
• Create an incentive
• Create a landing page and email copy
• Market your landing page and collect subscribers

5. Find Affiliate Marketing Products

• Join affiliate networks
• Find in-house affiliate programs
• Search and send pitches on social media

6. Market Your Affiliate Products

• Create blog content
• Create and send an email copy
• Promote your products on social media

Conclusion

Don`t let a lack of planning make you struggle with writer`s block and produce content that doesn`t convert.

Learn how to create a blog post outline and create well-organized content that satisfies your audience.

To do that, choose a topic and find an angle that answers your audience`s problems. Then choose an appropriate format and create in-depth helpful content.

Don`t forget to share this content.

Create a Blog Post Outline and Produce Converting Content

Readers are looking for solutions to their problems and your content is their rescuer—a bait to have them perform your calls to action.

To satisfy your audience and achieve your goals, organize your ideas and create understandable content.

A blog post outline will help you produce content that satisfies your readers.

All you have to do is know your topic and create an attention-grabbing title. Then craft an introduction that persuades people to keep reading.

Later, create valuable subheadings related to your title and fill them with helpful information.

What follows is a conclusion that summarizes the content and includes a strong call to action.

Let's share this content and make blog post creation a hassle-free process for everyone.