Blog post outline: [Working title]
How to use this template
Work through the sections from top to bottom. Each one has a short prompt: replace it with your own words. Open the example to see a weak opening next to a strong one.
Post details
Writer | Publish date | Length | Status |
Reader and goal
Reader: Who the post is for, in a few words.
They arrive because: The problem or question that brings them here.
After reading, they can: The one thing they will be able to do.
Goal for us: What we want the reader to do or feel.
Hook
The answer or the reader's problem, in two or three sentences. No warm-up.
See an example
Weak: Sourdough has been around for thousands of years, and more people than ever are baking it at home. But getting a good rise can be tricky.
Strong: Your sourdough is flat because the dough is under-proofed, not because your starter is weak. Here is how to tell in ten seconds, and what to change tomorrow morning.
The strong one names the reader's problem, gives the answer, and promises something they can use today.
Sections
Heading | The point it makes | Evidence and source |
Call to action
Ask: One ask, and what the reader gets for it.
Search
Target phrase | |
Related phrases | |
Meta description | |
URL slug | |
Internal links |
Before publishing
The title holds the target phrase and reads like a headline
The first paragraph answers the reader's question
Every section has its evidence, and every link works
The headings tell the story on their own
There is one call to action, and it works
The meta description is 110 to 160 characters, and every image has alt text
Read aloud once; cut whatever you stumbled on