Adhering to the right blog post format is essential these days. In fact, it is important for both SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). It engages readers with your blog and improves your SEO ranking. Most importantly, it helps your business win conversions, eventually leading to increased sales.
However, you need to do more than just create blog posts for SEO in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) era. That is to say, you need to create people-first content that offers your readers value. When you do, AI-generated answers can cite your content, and Google considers your website credible. Eventually, it helps you boost the SEO rankings of your website.
Now, the question stands: How can you create such content in the AI era? You are going to find that out in this post. But before writing SEO-friendly and AI-focused blog posts, you need to do keyword research. So, let me discuss it with you first while mentioning some useful keyword research tools.
Do Keyword Research First
Before writing a blog post, you should do your keyword research. It is specifically important if you want your post to rank for a certain (primary or main) keyword. Doing so will also let you come across secondary (related), LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords, or longtail keywords. You may use those keywords in your post to create long-form blog posts and effectively address the search intent of users. It won’t only make your posts valuable to readers but also encourage search engines to consider them authentic.
Further, the following are three good tools for doing keyword research:
- Keyword Planner (Google Ads)
- Free Keyword Tool (SEMRUSH)
- Free Keyword Generator Tool (Ahrefs)
Formatting a Blog Post in the AI Era: Tips to Follow
In order to make your blog posts stand out in the AI era, you need to follow the right blog post format. That is to say, you need to create posts while adhering to Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) guidelines. Here is what these guidelines mean in short, based on questions:
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- Experience – Does your content demonstrate your first-hand experience on the subject?
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- Expertise – Does your content provide information in a clear way, highlighting your expertise on the subject?
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- Authoritativeness – Is your content well-structured, and does it demonstrate your topical authority?
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- Trustworthiness – Is your content accurate and up-to-date?
Here are the essential blog post writing tips, which you can follow for both SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and AI:
1. Create a Catchy Title and Start with a Hook
Before creating a blog post, you should first answer why readers should click on it or read it. If your blog post title addresses what they are searching for, they will likely click on it. For this reason, you should create a post title (H1) that addresses the search intent. Also, try to include the main (primary) keyword in your title while making your title look attractive and catchy. However, making a catchy, user-friendly title isn’t just enough to keep readers engaged with your blog posts.
Besides making a people-first title for your blog posts, you need to start posts with a hook. That is to say, you need to start your post with a hook. In this regard, you can start your post with a problem that your readers face to keep them engaged. Or share with them a quick stat (statistic) to keep them engaged with the topic from the start.
2. Try to Use the Main Keyword within the First 50 Words
Starting your blog post with a hook is one thing, and using the main keyword is another. The former is good for user engagement, and the latter is good for SEO. You should try to use your main keyword within the first 50 words or at most 100 words. It allows search engines to crawl and scan your content fast. If search engines, such as Google, find your keyword correctly addressing the search intent, they value your content. Most importantly, it helps your content rank higher in search rankings.
However, it is important that you naturally use the main keyword within the first 50 words. Do not add the main keyword if it does not fit there. You will still have room for 50 more words. Whether you use it within 50 or 100 words, make sure it successfully addresses the users’ search intent. The reason for that is to encourage search engines to crawl your content and consider it valuable.
3. Use Headings (H2s) and Subheadings to Structure Your Content
Structuring your blog posts with H2 headings and subheadings makes it easier for readers to read. Also, it makes LLMs (Large Language Models) or AI tools to identify the topics your post answers. Most importantly, it can help your content appear in a zero-click search with AI-generated summaries.
For instance, if your blog posts talk about the top 5 natural pest control remedies. You can structure the heading after your post title as H1. Then, mention all the remedies you discuss within your H2 heading as subheadings: You may use the following as your H2: Five Natural Remedies for Pest Control. Then, mention the following five remedies as your H3 if you are talking about the same remedies:
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- Diatomaceous Earth
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- Apple Cider Vinegar
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- Cloves
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- Lavender Oil
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- Boric Acid
What’s more? Creating blog posts with headings and subheadings allows you to create structured content for search engines. While adhering to that, you create SEO-friendly blog posts, improving their scannability and usability. At the same time, it proves beneficial in the AI era. How? As mentioned before, it increases their chances of appearing as AI-generated summaries.
4. Break up Text with Short Paragraphs and Use White Space
Long paragraphs and minimal use of white space in your posts can possibly cause eye strain to readers. Instead of creating longer paragraphs, you should use short paragraphs and use plenty of white space. It will encourage readers to read your content without clutter. Also, it helps to make your content user-friendly and skimmable, with more readers enjoying reading it. Eventually, it helps your content appear in search results with more search traffic and user-friendliness. So, it is best that you keep your paragraphs short and use white space to keep readers engaged with your posts.
5. Add Media to Engage, and for SEO
Adding relevant media, such as images and videos, to your posts can engage readers. Besides supporting what you want to convey to readers, it makes your message easier to understand. When using images, you should use the right alt (alternative) text, ideally with a keyword and descriptive text. It will make your content accessible and search-friendly as a website owner, content creator, or digital marketer. So, use images where they fit into your content for reader engagement and break up large sections of text.
In addition, add embedded videos when you are writing about complex topics. It will allow you to explain the topics faster with increased user engagement, increasing your organic visibility. Not to mention, adding the aforementioned media elements signals search engines and AI systems that your content is of high quality. In other words, it proves beneficial to you to make your content appear in both search and AI-generated results.
6. Link Posts Internally and External to Add Value to It
Adding both internal links and external links to blog posts is good for SEO. The former are good for readers’ retention, and the latter adds credibility to your content. However, add those links right with a descriptive anchor (clickable) text, so readers know what they are clicking. It will add value to your content while letting you establish authority as a blog writer. At this point, you may have a question in mind: How many internal and external links should you add to your posts?
Usually, it is a good idea to have 3 to 5 internal links for a 1000-word blog post. You can increase those numbers to 10 to 15 for long-form blog posts of 2000 to 3000 words. In general, blog posts have 1 to 2 external (outbound) links to credible sources. The same links become backlinks (inbound links) for those sources. Again, these links can also increase if the blog posts are long-form content. What’s more?
When giving external links, you should check the option “Open in new tab.” You do not have to do the same for internal links, which should generally open in the same tab. Here, you may think that it will leave readers from the blog post they are reading.
No worries! Readers nowadays know how to use the back button. So, readers who click on internal links can use the back button in the browser to continue reading the post. Opening internal links in new tabs can disrupt the user experience for those who are reading blog posts via their mobile phones.
However, there are a few scenarios when it is best to let users open internal links in a new tab. Here they are:
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- When You Want Users to Fill out a Contact Form
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- Or You Want Readers to Check out the Product (s) or Service (s) You Are Offering
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- Or You Want Someone to Download Something via a Link
In addition, well-linked content clusters let search engines and AI models understand what your website is about. Also, it helps them know which blog posts (pages) are most important.
7. Add Conclusion and Finish with a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
It is best to end a blog post with a strong conclusion highlighting important points you have discussed. It makes posts easier for readers to remember. Also, you should use your primary keyword in your conclusion, emphasizing your topic.
In addition, use a clear CTA at the end, specifically when you want readers to take the right action. For instance, you may offer blog writing services and write posts related to blog writing. Then, you can add a CTA, such as “Hire Now and Enjoy Discounts.” Adding a conclusion at the end of blog posts is good for SEO, and a CTA is good for selling. So, try to add both to your blog posts if you manage a high-quality blog and also offer products/services.
8. Add a Relevant FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Section
These days, it is a good practice to include a FAQ section after a blog post covering relevant questions with answers. Adding it cannot only help you boost search traffic to your blog but also improve user experience and your topical authority. Most importantly, it can prove beneficial for your posts for both SEO and AI search results. So, you may add it while covering the answers that are concise, user-friendly, and answer user search intent.
9. Write Meta Titles and Descriptions
Though meta titles and descriptions are not direct ranking factors, they are good for SEO. If you create good or compelling meta titles and descriptions for blog posts, users will likely click on titles to read them. As a result, it will bring more traffic to your website, improving your SEO rankings. So, create both for your blog posts while remembering the following points:
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- Good meta titles are concise, around 50-60 characters with spaces, and have a main keyword near the beginning.
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- Good meta descriptions are user-friendly, around 150-160 characters, and are not keyword-stuffed.
These are the tips you can follow for a blog post format to create SEO-friendly blog posts in the AI era. Before jumping to a conclusion, I want to share some blog writing tips with you, as well as some bonus tips for SEO.
Handy Blog Writing Tips for Writers
Here are some blog post writing tips you can follow to create high-quality content for both SEO and AI systems:
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- Do not use passive voice in your posts unless it is necessary for better reader engagement.
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- Use transition words, such as for example, to link related sentences without their overuse to improve your content flow.
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- Avoid making longer sentences that make it hard for readers to understand the topic.
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- Use language in your blog posts that your readers can easily understand, without biased or vague terms.
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- Use number lists or bullet points for easy content scanning, which is good for readers, SEO, and AI search.
- Emphasize key information, like important ideas, for example, in your content in bold and italics.
Bonus Tips to Make SEO-friendly and AI-focused Blog Posts
Besides following the right blog post format writing tips, you need to ensure your posts are SEO-friendly and AI-focused. In this regard, you can follow the following bonus tips:
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- Add schema markup (structured data) to your blog posts, in particular, Article schema markup, to make it appear in rich results.
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- Add a TOC (Table of Contents) to your posts to improve their readability and structure with jump (anchor) links, resulting in decreased bounce rates.
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- Create short and descriptive permalinks for blog posts to make search engines understand them easily.
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- Add key takeaways at the start of your posts, which may increase their visibility in featured snippets with AI systems and search engines comprehending your content.
Wrapping Up
Here is a recap of the tips you can follow for a blog post format to create SEO-friendly blog posts in the AI era:
- Make a strong blog title and start your post with a hook.
- Try to use the main keyword within the first 50 words, and if not, within 100 words at least.
- Use subheadings, such as H2s and H3s, to create a better content structure.
- Break your text with short paragraphs and use plenty of white space.
- Add relevant media, like photos and videos, to encourage reader engagement with your content.
- Give internal links to your posts and external links or links to add credibility to your content, boosting your topical authority.
- Finish your blog post with a conclusion and a clear CTA that encourages your readers to take the right action.
- Add a relevant FAQ section following the conclusion with concise and user-friendly answers that address the users’ search intent.
- Create good and compelling meta titles and descriptions, which can encourage users to click and read your posts.