Essential Elements to Add to Every Blog Post for Your Business
The world of blogging can feel like a tough one to break into. In theory, it’s easy – you just throw your expertise on a doc, upload it to your blog, and share it with the world.
Simple in theory.
BUT THEN (ominous music), the balancing act of SEO comes into the mix.
You want to make sure that you’re providing value for your people – that it has enough personality and worth to actually sit down and read. On the other hand, you need to appease the SEO gods.
That leads to questions like…
Have I structured my blog post right so the algorithm flags it as A+ content?
Will my people *actually* sit here and read this post?
Is all of this back-and-forth even worth my time when I could be doing something else for my business?
It’s the blogging hamster wheel, and I guarantee you every business owner (yours truly included) has been on it.
Here’s the most important thing I can tell you about your blog efforts: they do pay off.
This post is all about walking you through that value so you don’t have to wonder if it’s worth your effort and valuable time.
But it’s also a quick list of things that you should include in every blog post to give it an effective and power-packed punch. (And when I say quick, I mean it – like, at the bare minimum, please do these things. They’re easy and effective.)
Lil Key Takeaways: This Blog at a Glance
Structure is your secret weapon. Use headers like a well-organized filing cabinet (H1 = drawer, H2 = folders, H3 = dividers). One H1 per post, and keep the rest flowing in a clear hierarchy.
Skimmability = readability. Break up walls of text, keep paragraphs short, use bullet points (like this!), and bold important phrases so readers can scan and stay engaged.
Every blog should solve a problem or answer a question. Don’t blog just to blog — make sure there’s value baked in. Think FAQs, common pain points, or juicy insights your audience needs.
Clarity is a must. Keep each blog centered around one core idea. Don’t try to cram in everything you know — let your content library build over time.
Your sticky brand voice matters. Infuse your brand personality! Your readers aren’t just here for info — they want to feel a connection. Show them who's behind the keyboard.
Blog Wrangler helps you write over a year’s worth of weekly blogs with topics, prompts, and questions to get you going.
Why Blogging Matters for Your Small Business – Quick Things to Know
I could sit here and go on the wildest tangent of the west about why blogs matter a heck ton for business owners. If there was some sort of Master’s degree in blogging theory I’d use this as my thesis defense – blogs matter and they don’t have to be a huge time suck.
I’m not into hitting people over the head with *you should this!!* style finger-wagging.
But if you’ll bear with me, I ask that you give me a lil latitude and let me share this list of reasons why blogs are a must for your business. (You can skim it; you won’t hurt my feelings).
Build trust & show your authority: You want to be seen as the go-to expert in your niche, right? The more solid and valuable the info you share on a blog, the more likely your audience will see you as knowing your stuff.
SEO booster: An obvious but important one – fresh blogs and cute, keyword-rich content added to your site means your site has a better chance of ranking higher on search engines. That means getting found by the right people (ahem – your dream people).
Drives web traffic: Blogs boost visibility, get new people to your site, and then keep them stickin’ around longer.
Nurture your cold, warm, and almost hot leads: You may not know it, but you’ve got a list of lurkers and potential clients who have you on their minds. A blog can help seal the deal because they’ll get to know your value, voice, and vibes before they cash in.
Answer your FAQs (so you don’t have to): A blog can be a help center – something that solves a problem or answers a question before it ever leaves a client’s lips. You can save time and build credibility all at once.
Repurpose blogs for social media content: Your blogs are more long-form than your social posts, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of posts, reels, and stories living inside your content. Work smarter, not harder!
Boost conversions: If your blogs are compelling, people will read them, and if you’ve got strong CTAs, you can actually better guide your audience to work with you or buy from you.
Shares your pop of brand personality: Blogs are the ultimate lil spot to share your sticky brand voice with your potential clients. They get a chance to connect with the human behind the biz (hi, that’s you).
Sticks it to the social media algorithm: Social posts are always going to be important, but they do technically have a shorter lifespan with the algorithm (not in value with people who find them, but…). Blogs are what the marketing pros call evergreen – they last! They keep working for you long after they are published.
OK, I’m done. Pinky promise. I could go on for a lot longer, but those are pretty much the main reasons business owners need to give their blogs a solid (and consistent) effort. I’ll go to the mat on this one.
The Good Stuff: What to Add to Every Blog Post for Your Business
Now, what you’re here for. You sat through my rant about why you need to be blogging – let’s get to the good stuff. Here’s a quick list of things you need to make sure every blog you post has on the roster.
Spoiler: this is a fast & breezy best-practice kind of blog. If you want a full and comprehensive checklist, I highly recommend you take a peek at my free resource, the Before You Publish Blog Checklist. It gives you a complete list of what to check off before you hit publish so you can make sure you’re doing the damn thing right. (And, seriously, it’s completely free – no strings attached.)
Structure & Skimmability
Structure, Structure, Structure
Do not – I repeat, do not – throw a giant block of text up on your blog. Don’t do it. Fight the urge!
How you structure your blog post signals to Google (and other search engines) what kind of quality your blog is. The “better” you structure it, the more of a thumbs-up these search engines will give you.
So, how do you organize the structure (or skeleton) of your blog?
A blog post should be thought about and organized in terms of hierarchy.
Think about it like a tiered system – you’ve got headers and body copy. Your headers are things like your Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Heading 4, etc.
You should always start with an H1 and only have a single H1. You can have multiple H2s, H3s, and H4s. Your body copy (the content) that lives beneath each heading should be about that heading. Makes sense, right?
Think about it like a filing cabinet. Your H1 is the main cabinet. You open it. Inside, there are folders – those are your H2s.
You thumb through the folders, see one you like, and open it up. Inside, it has dividers. Those are your H3s, and they’re directly related to that H2 file you opened up.
See how that organizational structure flows and works? Take a peek at the screenshots below for reference.
See how that H1 comes first (it’s the only H1 for the whole blog – the filing drawer). The next headers are H2s – your files. There are multiple H2s (and that’s fine).
Now, check this out.
We’ve moved into H3 territory. You picked a file (your H2), and now you’ve got dividers within that file. All your H3 headers refer to stuff under that H2.
Skimmability Matters
Structure matters a ton for SEO stuff and skimmability. And that matters to keep people reading.
The human brain is weird. It’s lazy, but in a clever way. Instead of reading like students, we read like detectives. Most people won’t read your blog word for word – they’re going to scan it for clues and golden nuggets of information.
They want:
Organized headings (See? Structure matters)
Bullet points
Short paragraphs
Bolded key phrases
All of these things signal to our brain that something important is happening. And when we give our people’s brains these quick wins of valuable info, they’re more likely to stick around, trust you, and take action.
It’s also important to remember the use case of a blog. Think about when people are reading them. On their phones (tiny screens), when they’re stirring coffee, feeding the kids breakfast, avoiding actual work, etc.
You’ve got a few moments to snatch up their attention and share the good stuff that will help them – don’t make them work too hard for it!
So, what should you do to structure a blog so people keep reading?
Never have giant blocks of text (no one will read them). Stick to 2-3 sentences per paragraph.
Bold phrases that are super important.
Add bullet points and lists wherever you can.
Organize your blog with the natural structure our brains are looking for.
Value: Solve a Problem, Answer a Question
I know I told you that blogs are helpful for all sorts of reasons, but there’s a distinction I want to make. Throwing a blog up for the sake of blogging doesn’t help if there’s no value in your blog.
Ask yourself while you’re writing: Would someone sit down, read this, and really get something out of it? If the answer is no…Google probably knows it.
Scary, right?
Here’s the thing. Google’s algorithm prioritizes content that gives people value – solutions, insights, or entertainment. If your blogs aren’t addressing the needs of your people (the stuff they care about), they’re not going to be super helpful in any capacity.
Easy in theory. How do you execute delivering value with a blog?
Try these things:
Answer specific questions: What do your people ask you all the time? What are some FAQs you get? What do your ideal clients really struggle with? If you need help with this, try using tools like Google’s People Also Ask to find popular questions about your niche.
Solve your people’s problems: You have a dream audience. You’re probably pretty acquainted with their issues, right? Write blogs that solve them. If you’re a business coach, talk about how you address procrastination. If you’re a copywriter who helps clients blog, talk about the best things to include in a blog. (You picking up what I’m putting down?)
Focus on real, actionable advice people can use. Not only will the search engines flag your content as premium stuff, but your people will be more engaged with you, trust you more, and look to you as the expert.
Clear & Simple Message for a Good Read (& A Core Idea)
Your blogs can be multifaceted, but do your best not to overwhelm your people. Think about every blog as having a primary message. You’re not writing a single blog to solve every single problem your ideal audience has – you’re building a content bank, a library of resources, a long list of go-to guides.
Focusing on a core idea or core message makes your blogs clear and concise – something Google loves, but something your people’s brains need, too!
Our brains are always searching for meaning – it’s the human condition. That means we want to connect the dots and understand what we’re reading.
If a blog tries to cover a bunch of different ideas all in one go, our brains say
“Wait, what are we talking about again?”
“Wasn’t this about SEO? Why are we on brand strategy now?”
“I’m confused. Never mind. I’m leaving.”
…And then we’ve lost them.
But if the blog has one clear, focused message, the brain can relax. It knows what to expect. It can absorb the info more easily. It might even remember it. (And that’s really the goal).
Think about a single blog as solving a micro problem. You don’t need to save the world; just fix one issue per blog.
Stay focused. Keep things readable and skimmable. Don’t overwhelm with scattered ideas.
(Pssst. Need a little help with your messaging strategy for your blogs, offers, or services? Mini Messaging Marker can help you in 12 minutes or less.)
Your Sticky Brand Voice
If it sounds like ChatGPT wrote it, no one will recognize you. And guess what? Your blog is a fabulous opportunity to build a community and talk directly to your people.
Google doesn’t directly reward you for brand voice, but the way you talk to your people is what makes them remember you. I could talk for ages about this, so if you’re down to learn more, I’ve got a 101 Brand Voice guide right here for ya, as well as a brand voice vs brand messaging blog, too.
If you need a lil brand voice guidance to figure out your sticky brand voice, this is kind of my go-to thing.
Take a peek at these resources to get your sticky brand voice rolling:
Brand Voice Basics (free!)
Brand Voice Bootcamp (also free!)
Brand Voice Roundup: wrangle a reliable, reusable brand voice guide so your people hear you loud and clear (and then come running).
The main idea is this: your people should recognize you when you talk. You should stick with them. You should have a language of your own, and that includes your blog content.
SEO Keyword-Dense Content Front & Center
Blogs are an opportunity to be Google’s BFF. Search engine optimization (SEO) is how you stay findable online in the wild west of the digital world. SEO is multifaceted, but part of a solid strategy is using keywords – the stuff your people are already searching for.
Keywords are what help your blog get seen. It’s how Google (and your next dream client) finds your content. Without them, you’re just shouting into the void.
I’ll be the first to admit that SEO can be scary, but you can fine-tune your blog with minimal effort and help it perform better. Here are a few things to try:
Keyword research comes first: Pull out the digital magnifying glass. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs help you spy on what your audience is actually typing into the search bar. Use a blend of short-tail keywords (broad, high-volume) and long-tail keywords (more specific, easier to rank for).
Use keywords naturally – don’t stuff: Your main keyword should show up in the title, intro, headers, and throughout the post. But you’ve been warned – don’t sound like a robot. My hot take is that it’s better to have fewer keywords if it means sounding like a person. Google is smarter than ever and rewards content that sounds human. No keyword soup – we don’t want it.
Think like your people (your searchers): Ask, “What would someone be hoping to find if they searched this?” That’s search intent. And spoiler: search intent is your best friend. If someone searches “what to include in my blog,” don’t hand them a think piece about why blogs are important. Give them a list of stuff they can do right now to write better, higher-ranking blogs.
Density with intention: Try to keep your keyword density to around 1-2%. You don’t want a whole blog with a single keyword in every other word (because, honestly, who’s gonna read that?). Internal links are huge, too! They help your people (and Google) explore more of your site.
With the right keywords, your blog becomes more than a great read. It becomes findable, clickable, and exactly what someone needs to discover.
Clear Calls to Action They Want to Click
Picture this: someone just finished reading your blog. Their brain is buzzing with ideas, their heart’s doing a lil’ excited flutter... and then? Nothing.
No next step. No direction. Just digital crickets.
Did you leave them hanging? Probably. Let’s fix that with a clear call to action (CTA). This is how you turn passive readers into active clients, subscribers, or buyers. It’s the virtual “Hey, let’s keep this going” conversation that happens naturally in person (but not so naturally digitally)
Here’s how to write better CTAs:
Make them obvious and actionable: You can be clever, but don’t be coy. Use bold, direct language that makes the next move crystal clear: “Download the checklist” or “Book my free consult” are great options.
Repeat yourself: Don’t just leave your CTAs for the bottom of the blog – someone might not make it all the way there. Give them multiple opportunities to walk through the door.
Match the blog’s mood with the CTA: Don’t write a blog about social media tips and then direct people to book your business coaching package. Invite people to download your free social media resource or encourage them to contact you about your social media management service. Make it make sense!
Keep it focused: One clear CTA > a buffet of options. Too many choices = decision fatigue. Guide your reader to one meaningful action that deepens the connection.
Need a little help with your CTA game? I’ve got a free resource right here that’ll spice things up.
Need Content Ideas? I’ve Got You Covered
You’ve got your blogging basics down. Now what? It’s time to build up your content library with valuable, must-read, SEO-friendly stuff. Need some content ideas to get you going?
I created a go-to resource filled with 60 blog prompts, topics, & questions to get you going and help you write a year’s worth of weekly blogs!
If you’re ready to go from “what the heck do I write?!” to “dang, I’ve got a plan,” Wrangler is the roadmap to blog topics that make sense, connect, and convert (so you’re not staring at a blinking cursor again).
