Last Updated on December 27, 2024 by Jan Barley
Planning Your Blog Content Strategically Can Get Results Fast
New bloggers get confused about the types of blog content that Google loves. This article is the solution to that problem.
When Google launched the helpful content update in September 2022, many websites lost traffic, their analytics plunging off a cliff. Many assumed this dramatic episode was permanent and gave up posting content.
As an SEO writer of three years, I leaned into the update and still got my clients’ content on page one of SERPS. Nothing much has changed. Google STILL wants helpful content. The trick is to capitalise on that.
Another factor I discovered is that what Google says it wants is often not what gets results. This article shows you what to write that works, regardless of what updates occur.
#1: Educational Content That Entertains
Google loves educational content because reviews, comparison articles, guides and listicles are popular worldwide.
Listicles usually start with “X ways to ….” Anything from 5 to 20 is a good number for a listicle. Listicles are great ideas for Pinterest pins because they get attention.
To give you an idea, I write listicles for a company and here is a recent one about hilarious dog breeds.
Aim for listicles with around 50 – 100 words per section and split into two paragraphs. Avoid fluff and get to the point. Inject personality, so it’s fun to read.
Guides can be a bit more formal, but you should aim for fluff-free copy that helps readers understand a potential solution to their problem.
Reviews and comparison guides are perfect for inserting your affiliate links. Always add an affiliate disclaimer to your blog content.
#2: Insights That Make Readers Think
Insights are popular because people either agree or disagree with them. If possible, back up your insights with authoritative sources, but don’t be afraid to share an opinion based on your experience.
Talk about mindsets, differentiation, and the effects of thinking a certain way relative to your niche audience. For example, write insights about how positive thinking can influence results.
#3: Emotional Copy That Evokes A Response
I shared a short reel yesterday on Instagram this week with a girl sitting in a dressing gown stirring a cup of coffee. I added the text, “Self care is more important than the hustle to make money!” It had ten times the number of views and reach that my reels typically get on my new account.
It’s not easy to write copy that gets an emotional response, but writing copy that inspires or uplifts is always a winner.
#4: Entertain Your Audience
Use memes, jokes and emojis in your copy. It warms the words, and everybody loves to be entertained. They will remember you because you made them laugh. Social media can be a miserable place full of income claims and posh girls stirring coffee (oh, hold on, see #3 😊)
#5: Share Personal Stories
Everybody loves the hero’s journey. Talk about your struggles and how you overcome them. Keep it relatable. You see stories on social media like sharing how they went from being a single mom struggling to pay the bills to creating $1,000,000,000 in 3 weeks, buying a mansion and dining with Prince Charles.
That’s not relatable.
A better story would be that you managed to buy your kid new clothes, eat out or pay the mortgage with your affiliate income.
The goal of sharing personal stories is that your audience can put themselves in your shoes. If they feel understood, you gain brownie points.
#6: Build Trust With Your Audience
Share case studies and testimonials. Instead of constantly sharing how much money you made, show proof of how you helped someone get out of debt or how you supported them.
If you’re trying to make money online, you must build trust. Keep everything relatable to your audience. Figure out what’s important to them. What worries them the most? How could you show them you are the answer to their problems?
#7: The In-Depth Answer
Most of my blog content is within 1500 words and mostly around 1000 words (this post is 848 words and ranks page one SERPs). I used to write for a crypto company that believed it needed 4k-8k words to determine authority.
The danger with that is who the heck has got time to spend 30 minutes reading a blog? Our short attention span is the reason that Google shows video content first in SERPs.
Still, maybe a couple of times a month, writing an in-depth article can prove beneficial. For example, consider creating a pillar post that gives you dozens of opportunies for writing content clusters.
You then link this content internally and Google bots can formulate a solid understanding of the subject.
Conclusion
Forget about the online guides that tell you to write 2,500 word blog content to get ranked in SERPs. If your copy aligns with these 7 types of blog content that Google loves, a 500 word blog will consistently outperform a wishy washy 2,500 word article full of unhelpful drivel.
If you want to hone your blog writing skills and generate additional income whilst you’re building your blog, read 38 websites that pay bloggers to write.
This article is just under 800 words and took me 30 minutes to write. You can cope with that, can’t you?
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this page. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
