How to write a blog post outline

Blogging is a tried-and-true way to drive web traffic. Blog content is also a powerful lead magnet, marketing/branding outlet, and rich source of information. If content is king, blogging is the kingdom.

Although blogging is pretty straightforward, writing focused, organized, and engaging posts can prove tricky. And that’s where a blog outline comes in.

Think of a blog post outline as a roadmap for a piece of content. It helps you organize your thoughts and information into a cohesive, logically flowing post. Starting each post with a clear outline helps streamline the writing process and ensures the content is easy to read and understand.

This article shares valuable tips on how to write a blog post outline. Read on and learn better ways to structure, format, organize, and style your next blog post.

Why you need a blog post outline

Why bother coming up with a blog outline at all? Does it not just complicate the writing process while taking up valuable time?

On the contrary, a blog post outline actually saves you time. More importantly, it gets your creative juices flowing.

Every writer knows the agony of staring at the blinking cursor on a blank page with no clue where to start. Having a blog outline spares you that pain. The little effort it takes to create a blog outline saves you a great deal of trouble and time.

Here are seven reasons why you need an outline when writing blog posts:

• Organize your thoughts and ideas into a logical structure that’s easy for readers to follow.
• Ensure each blog post meets its objectives and engages the target audience.
• Prevent or overcome the dreaded writer’s block by sharpening your focus.
• Ensure you don’t miss any important points or details.
• Define a clear scope for each blog post.
• Get all stakeholders (editors, project managers, publishers, etc.) on the same page.
• Break down complex topics into blog articles readers can understand.

How to write a blog post outline

Writing a blog post outline basically means building a skeleton for your article. It should give you a clear structure and direction for what you want to write. With a solid outline in place, all you have to do is flesh out the text.

Let’s go over eight practical tips for creating an effective blog post outline.

Research keywords and topics

First things first, what do you want to write about?

Your choice of topic will depend on three key factors:

• Your niche. Come up with topics related to your business niche or areas of interest. In other words, write what you know.
• The purpose of the content. Choose topics that align with your content marketing objectives. Your goal could be to attract web traffic, build brand authority, educate audiences, generate leads, or entertain readers.
• The target audience. Write on topics that truly resonate with your target readers. Focus on trending subject matters that your target audience cares about.

After brainstorming topic ideas, move on to keyword research. Find the specific words and phrases that will make your content visible to search engines. Just make sure the keywords align with the topic in question.

Keyword research is arguably the most important SEO strategy. Peppering your blog copy with carefully selected keywords greatly boosts your post’s online reach and visibility.

Analyze your competitors

Find out how your competitors write their blog posts. You might learn a thing or two by peeking at your rival’s blog page. Check out how their blog content is structured, formatted, or styled and what topics they cover.

But don’t stop there; dig even deeper. For instance, see how older posts compare to new ones. Doing so can reveal progress in blog post outlining and mistakes to avoid.

It doesn’t hurt to borrow a few ideas here and there. Plus, it helps to know what you’re up against so you can prepare your content accordingly.

Brainstorm key points and subtopics

A topic alone isn’t really much to work with. But it’s a start. You must draw the main ideas from your chosen topic and organize them into digestible sections or subtopics.

Let’s say you want to write about “digital marketing,” for example. That’s an extremely broad topic that you can’t possibly cover in a single post. What you do is narrow down to specific subtopics like “content marketing on social media,” “SEO best practices and tips,” or “email marketing for lead generation.” Those could be your subtopics.

Again, you can’t cover everything under a single subtopic. Select just a handful of key points and write on those. Otherwise, your post will be all over the place.

Build headings and subheadings

Come up with catchy headings and subheadings for your blog post. These simplify navigation and manage the flow of information by putting similar or related ideas in one place.

And crucially, headings and subheadings enhance readability. No one enjoys reading vast blocks of text with no headers, labels, or captions. In fact, most readers only look at the headings and subheadings.

Here are some tips for writing effective headings and subheadings:

• Use descriptive language to grab the reader’s attention.
• Speak directly to readers using action words.
• Incorporate keywords to boost SEO performance.
• Make each heading clear and concise.
• Use a parallel structure for all your headings.
• Ensure each heading or subheading clearly conveys the intent of each section.

With the headings and subheadings in place, your article starts to take shape. And you can clearly determine the content’s scope.

Use a template

Using a blog post outline template is an easy way to guide your writing process. You’ll find it especially useful if you’re new to blogging.

A template is essentially an editable document with the blog structure already laid out for you. All you have to do is customize some of the elements and fill in the text. It’s as simple as that. Another good thing about templates is that they help you maintain consistency in formatting.

Add supporting details and evidence

Include specific details and evidence to strengthen your blog post’s credibility. Doing so also demonstrates your firm grasp of the subject matter.

Don’t get it wrong, though—we’re not talking about jargon or industry lingo.

Add facts, statistics, real-life examples, and figures that support your main points or arguments. Show readers that you know what you’re talking about and that it’s grounded in truth.

This means thoroughly researching the topic. Sources of verifiable truth include research papers, survey reports, news stories, and so on.

Leverage expert opinions and data

Another way to build credibility around your post is to quote experts and data. Informal industry data and expert opinions can add authority and depth to the content.

Start by listing the industry experts people know and trust in your niche. They do not have to be celebrities either. Your list could include the CEO of a reputable company, a thought leader, or an authority figure.

From there, quote their opinions or advice in your posts to support your content. What they say may not always be gospel, but it carries a lot of weight. Use that weight to hammer your own points, ideas, and arguments home.

Plan out your introduction and conclusion

Like any good story, a blog post needs an inviting beginning and a satisfactory end. These are your introduction and conclusion.

Let’s start at the beginning. An introduction has two main functions: hook the reader and explain what the article is about. It tells readers what to expect and entices them to keep reading.

The intro is the most important section in any blog post. Yet it must be as brief as possible (around 10% of the total word count of the article). So every word in the intro counts.

The trick to a good introduction is writing it last. Write it after you’re done with the rest of the article. That way, you’ll have the depth of content and inspiration to write a compelling and informative intro section.

The conclusion section puts a lid on your blog post. It condenses the entire blog into a summary of key takeaways. Depending on your content’s goal, it may end with a persuasive call to action urging readers to do something.

Blog post outline examples

The blog post outline will largely depend on the type of article you want to write. There are many different ways to write a blog post, and each follows a unique outline.

Here’s a look at five common types of blog posts and examples of their outlines.

Listicles

Listicles or list posts are a blog format in which content is organized in numbered lists. They could include a list of products, services, tips, points, travel destinations, etc.

A listicle’s format is pretty simple; here’s an example of one:

Title: Top 5 Mental Wellness Apps to Try in 2024

Introduction

H2: 5 Everyday Apps for Mental Wellness

• H3: #1. Calm
• H3: #2. Talkspace
• H3: #3. Happify
• H3: #4. BetterHelp
• H3: #5. Moodfit

H2: Conclusion

How-to guides

Title: How to Write Blog Posts

Introduction

H2: What Are Blog Posts?

H2: Why Should You Write Blog Posts?

H2: Step-by-Step Instructions

• H3: Step 1: Define Your Audience
• H3: Step 2: Do Keyword Research
• H3: Step 3: Create an Outline
• H3: Step 4: Write the First Draft
• H3: Step 5: Optimize for SEO
• H3: Step 6: Edit and Proofread
• H3: Step 7: Publish and Promote

H2: Common Mistakes to Avoid

H2: Tips and Best Practices

H2: Conclusion

H2: (CTA) Try Our Blog Writing Services

News posts

A news post shares newsworthy developments relevant to your business, niche, industry, or audience. It could be a deeper dive into a recent industrywide press release or part of your company’s updates or announcements.

Here’s an example of a news post outline:

Title: Microsoft Fixes 71 Vulnerabilities in September 2024 Patch Tuesday

Introduction

H2: Risk Analysis for September 2024

• H3: One Zero-Day Exploit Observed in the Wild
• H3: 16 Critical Vulnerabilities Patched
• H3: 54 Flaws with Important-to-Moderate CVSS Scores Addressed

H2: How to Update Your Windows Systems

H2: Patch Tuesday Updates from Other Companies

H2: (Conclusion) Additional Resources

Comparison articles

This is a type of blog post that compares and contrasts two or more products, services, ideas, or concepts.

Below is an example of a comparison post outline demonstrating how fossil fuel vehicles compare to electric cars in various motoring aspects:

Title: Gas Cars vs. EVs: What Should You Drive?

Introduction

H2: Are EVs Better than Gas-Powered Vehicles?

• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Popularity by the Numbers
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Price
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Maintenance Cost
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Speed, Power, and Practicability
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Efficiency
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Reliability and Durability
• H3: Gas vs. Electric: Environmental Sustainability

H2: Get the Best of Both Worlds with Hybrid Vehicles

H2: (Conclusion) The Final Verdict

Case studies

Case studies explore real-life examples of individuals or businesses that succeed in using certain products, services, or strategies. Such posts are great for fostering social proof and demonstrating the value your brand offers.

The format and structure for case studies vary widely depending on the “case.” A typical problem-solution case study goes something like this:

Title: Successful Website Migration for Eyelit

H2: The client:

H2: The challenge:

H2: The solution:

H2: Steps we took:

H2: The result:

H2: Key takeaways:

H2: Conclusion:

H2: (CTA) 

Simplify blogging with effective blog post outlines

A blog post outline is essential in writing cohesive, goal-oriented blog posts. Without a guiding outline, you risk producing an article with no flow, structure, or objective. All that will make the article difficult or even frustrating to read.

Also, a blog post outline breaks the task into easily manageable bits, simplifying writing. Starting with an outline is a great way to avoid writer’s block.

As we’ve seen, creating a good blog post outline requires lots of careful considerations. If you’re not well-versed in writing or blogging, creating blog outlines and building upon them can prove challenging. Fortunately, you don’t have to agonize over crafting the perfect outline or blog. A writing outsourcing service will take care of all that for you.

Jul 03, 2025