How to Create a Winning Blog Content Strategy in 2024: A Step-by-Step Guide

We’re well into 2024 already, so how is your blog doing? If you’re still struggling to get your blog off the ground, you are not alone. Did you know that 70% of marketers actively invest in content marketing, with blogging being a key component? It’s true. But here’s the kicker – without a solid blog content strategy, you’re basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. As much as love spaghetti, this is a waste of good pasta.

Fear not, my friends. I’m here to guide you through creating a blog content strategy that’ll knock your readers’ socks off and have Google practically begging to rank you. Let’s dive in and transform your blog from a digital wallflower to the belle of the online ball!

Understanding the Importance of a Blog Content Strategy

A good blog content strategy will act as a roadmap to help guide you on what to write and when to write it. It will connect the dots between pillar posts and the blog articles that help support them. It is part calendar, part content ideas, and part anti-ADHD device.

It is, in fact, one of the things I have failed to do on many blogs in the past.

A well defined blog strategy will help you keep your thoughts straight and serve as an editorial calendar and allow you to schedule blog posts further into the future than simply just winging it.

For all the times I have jumped into a website and started blogging without a strategy, I have had the valuable lesson that the Boy Scouts taught me (for my brief one week stint in the Scouts) reinforced, often through a lack of traffic or attention. What is that lesson?

Always be prepared.

It’s the foundation of everything they teach you in the Boy Scouts and it applies to life more than I’d like to admit.

And a blog content strategy is nothing more than a good way to always be prepared.

Defining Your Blog’s Purpose and Target Audience

If we’re going to build the world’s favorite blog, we’re going to need to focus on a few things first.

Who are we and what do we want?

Your Blog’s Purpose

If you don’t know exactly who you are and exactly what it is you want, this is going to be a difficult ride. Trust me on that one. I’ve done it (or rather, didn’t do it) more than once.

First, let’s think about what your blog’s purpose is. This is most commonly done by drilling down into your blog niche and finding the best sub-niche that aligns with who you are. If you don’t know anything about early 90s street skating, you probably shouldn’t be focused on creating blog content around that topic.

Knowing what you want to write about is important, but also know that you can pivot at any time. You don’t have to be tied down to one idea forever. In fact, you should be fluid and able to adjust when need be. Sometimes, your niche or sub-niche just isn’t clicking with your readers – and when that happens, you need to re-evaluate and make changes.

You’ll also want to think about your long term goals are for your new found life as a blogger. Let’s face it, most people have one of two goals in mind: make money or they love writing. For me, I’m a mix of both. I do find writing to be quite relaxing and hopefully someday, this blog will make enough to buy me a cup of coffee once in awhile. You need to know what your driving motivation is, otherwise you’re going to get discouraged in the beginning.

Next step? Know your target audience.

Creating Reader Personas

In order for your new blog to be successful, you need to get them to your site and make them want to read your stuff. It’s not enough to just generate traffic – you have to create audience engagement and one of the best ways to do this, is to understand who it is you’re writing for.

Personas are used in many different businesses and are a common method of knowing who your audience is – whether you’re selling software or hot dogs, you need to understand your audience and speak directly to them.

Who is this person? It’s suggested that you give them a name. It may seem weird, but it will help you connect with this person. Don’t just grab a name out of the air, think about making a connection to them through their name. For example, Sir Walter Worthington probably isn’t the persona you’d create if you wrote a blog about comic books.

Describe this person – what do they look like, what do they wear, what items might they never leave home without. The more you can picture this person in your head, the better you can speak directly to them through your content.

Ask yourself about their attitudes, beliefs, likes and dislikes, thoughts, fears, needs, and behaviors. The more you flesh out this character, the better you’ll know and understand your ideal reader.

Creating content your audience actually wants is like trying to guess what your partner wants for dinner – it’s an art and a science, with a dash of mind-reading thrown in for good measure. But don’t worry, you don’t need a crystal ball or a degree in psychology (though let’s be honest, that might help). It’s all about getting to know your readers like they’re your best friend. What keeps them up at night? What makes them do a happy dance? Heck, what’s their favorite ice cream flavor?

Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea. The more you can tap into their wants, needs, and secret desires (blog-related, of course), the more your content will resonate. And when your content resonates? Boom! You’re no longer shouting into the void – you’re having a cozy chat with friends who can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say next. Now, isn’t that a lot more fun than talking to the wall?

Writing for Your Audience

So you’ve just finished the greatest post of your life and you’re beaming with pride. You click “publish” and wait with baited breath…your readers are going to love this one.

But then…crickets.

Nothing.

No comments, no shares, no email telling you how brilliant you are.

Just silence.

Believe me, I know this feeling. I still feel it. Which is why I work harder and get right back at it.

Writing engaging content isn’t always easy. Sometimes you miss the mark. Sometimes you ramble (not self-reflection at all). Sometimes you write textbook-worthy explanations that just don’t spark anything in your web visitors. It happens.

But that doesn’t mean you should just ignore your audience and spew whatever out onto the screen. You are still writing for the readers of your blog and you need to be mindful of that. Craft your posts with that persona in mind and you’ll find more people connecting and responding (and hopefully your Google analytics will show plenty of traffic and maybe you’ll even score a few coveted backlinks).

Even though you’re writing with this in mind, there is still something more important to remember…

Not every post is an immediate success. Some take time and some will never get the attention you thought they deserved. Don’t despair. Don’t panic. Just don’t give up.

Conducting Comprehensive Keyword Research

Alright, let’s talk about keyword research. I remember when I first started blogging, I thought I could just write about whatever popped into my head and people would magically find my content. Boy, was I wrong. It took me a while to figure out that keyword research is the magic key of blogging success.

I’ll never forget the time I spent weeks writing this epic post about the time I met Britney Spears (yeahthat Britney Speaks…maybe I’ll post it on here someday) only to have it disappear into the vast void of the internet. Zero traffic, zero comments, zero shares. I was crushed. But then I stumbled upon this thing called keyword research, and it was like someone flipped on a light switch in my brain.

So, here’s the deal with keyword research: it’s not just about finding popular words people are searching for. It’s about uncovering the exact phrases and questions your audience is typing into Google. And as you dig into these, you’ll find that people ask Google some of the craziest shit.

When it comes to actually doing keyword research, there are a ton of tools out there. Personally, I’m a fan of SEMrush and Ahrefs, but they can be a bit pricey when you’re just starting out. Both have free plans that have limited use, but you may want to at try to familiarize yourself with them.

Google’s Keyword Planner used to be a favorite free option, but now with the explosion of AI, I find that I can do more research with AI and get better results. We’ll cover AI in a separate post as it’s a whole can of worms that could take hours to plow through.

One mistake I made early on was only focusing on high-volume keywords. Big mistake. Huge. Those are usually super competitive, and unless you’re some kind of SEO wizard, it’s tough to rank for them. Instead, I’ve found that long-tail keywords are where it’s at. These keywords may not have the high volume traffic that other search terms do, but the searches are usually highly targeted and have excellent intent.

Here’s a pro tip I wish someone had told me years ago: pay attention to search intent. It’s not enough to find a keyword with decent volume. You need to understand why people are searching for it. Are they looking to buy something? Learn how to do something? Just browsing for information? Matching your content to the searcher’s intent can make a huge difference in how well your post performs.

(When you found this blog post, your search intent was to learn how to build a blog content strategy and effectively use it to build a successful blog.)

Oh, and don’t forget about semantic keywords – these are words and phrases that are related to your main keyword. For example, if you’re writing about “best coffee makers,” semantic keywords might include things like “espresso machine,” “French press,” or “coffee grinder.” Sprinkling these throughout your content can help Google understand what your post is all about and potentially boost your rankings. Just remember to try and keep it natural – keyword stuffing won’t get you anywhere.

I’ll be honest, keyword research can sometimes feel like slow, painful torture. There have been times when I’ve stared at spreadsheets of keywords until my eyes crossed. But trust me, it’s worth it. The feeling of seeing your post climb up the search rankings because you nailed the keyword strategy? Priceless. Get a plan and stick to it.

So, my advice? Dive into keyword research headfirst. Make it a regular part of your blogging routine. It might not be the most glamorous part of blogging, but it’s definitely one of the most important. And who knows? You might even have some fun discovering the weird and wonderful things people search for online.

Developing a Content Calendar

When I first started blogging, I thought I could just wing it with random posts whenever inspiration struck. Big mistake. My traffic was as flat as a pancake, and I couldn’t figure out why. (I admit, I still fall into this trap – it’s one of the toughest for me.)

So, I decided to get serious and develop a real content strategy and it’s made all the difference. Let me break down the types of content that have worked wonders for my blogs – and hopefully, they’ll do the same for you.

First up, we have classic how-to guides. These are gold for attracting readers and boosting your search engine visibility.

I used to think that no one cared about some of these things, but after digging into keyword research over the years, it turns out that people really do want step-by-step instructions on how to make baby plants. Who knew? The key is to be as specific as possible. Don’t just say “water your plants” – explain exactly how much water, how often, and what type of water works best.

Ever heard of listicles? Yeah, I know, they get a bad rap sometimes. But here’s the thing – people love them. You don’t have to make them all sound like a Top 10 List and it’s all about the writing around the list – don’t just make a list – make a list and explain to your readers each list item and write a compelling intro that tells them why you care about this list. The trick is to make each item on your list meaty and valuable – avoid the fluff.

Case studies can be extremely useful as well. These are awesome for showing off your expertise and providing real-world examples. These can be a lot of work to put together, but readers love seeing actual results and learning how they can apply those lessons to their own situations.

Product reviews are another great type of content to include and if you’re looking to eventually monetize your blog, they will be almost required. But here’s a pro tip: be honest. Just reviewing something with some generic thoughts and no real heart behind it will be a big mistake. Not only will Google not get very excited about your so-so info, but you’ll lose the trust of your readers. Give your honest thoughts – good, bad, and ugly. Even when you’re critical of a product, it will often result in more sales (unless you thoroughly trashed it).

When I was in the band, we used to love the bad reviews of our records. Why? Because the people that wrote glowing reviews usually rehashed our bio and whatever the record company promo pack said. Sometimes you weren’t even sure if they had heard the record or been to a show. But when someone absolutely destroyed us? They listened to every note and tore it apart line by line, song by song. They paid attention. We actually liked one especially terrible review so much, we hired the guy to write our official promo bio for one of our records. It was the best thing I’ve ever read about us.

Oh, and don’t underestimate the power of personal stories. I struggled with this when I started blogging as a real estate agent. I didn’t have a ton of personal experience in the real estate industry But when I opened up about my past life as a b-list rockstar, people started to pay attention…and I started to get more work. People that didn’t care much about the band (and there are plenty) still connected with me through those stories. People can sense when you’re being real with them and they will chose that over a phony image any day.

Expert interviews are another fantastic addition to your content mix. Find the people in your niche that matter (or even some up-and-comers) and talk to them. Write up 10 questions to ask them and dig into their knowledge and expertise. Then relate it to the things you’re talking about in your blog or use it to expand on in a follow up post. Additionally, you might just make a friend in your niche that you can use as a sounding board for future ideas.

Lastly, don’t forget about updating and repurposing old content. This can be a scary prospect, especially when it’s a post that did well in the past. I always fear that changing things up will remove anything that Google liked about the post before. But you just have to ignore that fear, remember what you’ve learned about writing a good blog post, sit down at your keyboard, and do it.

Remember, the key to a successful content strategy is variety. Mix it up – it keeps your readers on their toes and keeps you from getting bored. And most importantly, always focus on providing value. If you’re not helping your audience solve a problem or learn something new, what’s the point?

So there you have it – the types of content I have used over the years to build a killer blog strategy. It’s taken me years of trial and error to figure this stuff out, but I promise, it’s worth the effort. And I am in no way done learning. There is always something new to learn about or someone new to learn from. Just keep writing – and reading (so many ideas come from reading what others are thinking).

When to Post? Creating a Sustainable Post Schedule

You need to be consistent (something I struggle with a lot), particularly when you’re first launching your blog. Keep a journal or note app at the ready for blog post ideas – just remember to fit them into your content strategy and keyword research. There are times when I write down 30 ideas, but only one or two actually make it to the internet.

Pick a posting schedule and decide on your personal blog post frequency. Don’t shoot for the moon, but don’t undersell yourself either. Try 2-3 posts per week. If you lead a busy life outside of your blog, start with two posts a week. That’s 104 posts a year. Stick to it. Don’t give up and don’t do less or more. Content consistency is like building a personal habit. You have to just keep sticking to it, even when you’re not feeling it.

Try writing a few posts in advance after you build your initial blog content strategy. Schedule them to post based on your editorial calendar – this will give you a bit of time to get ahead of things and allow you to write without the pressure of a deadline looking in just a day or two.

Tools for Managing Your Content Calendar

The first time someone suggested I used a content calendar, I immediately rolled my eyes and said, “that’s not for me.” I have a bad habit of writing all the important dates in my life into a calendar and then never opening it ever again. It has take me years to learn how to effectively manage my time and I admit, my ADHD brain fights against it all the time. It’s something I have to make myself aware of and work to counteract.

I remember when I first started blogging, I didn’t have a plan. My idea of a content calendar was a bunch of random thoughts in my head (that changed constantly) or a colorful splash of sticky notes all over my computer. Not exactly the pinnacle of organization, if you know what I mean.

But after missing a few important deadlines and publishing some less-than-stellar content in a panic, I knew I had to get my act together. That’s when I started exploring different tools for managing my content calendar. And I can tell you, it will make a difference in your writing. If you are serious about making something of your blog, you’re going to need to learn how to use some tools to keep it all together.

Spreadsheet and Google Sheets

First up, let’s talk about the lowest-tech solution – spreadsheets. I know they’re not the sexiest option out there, but they can truly be a lifesaver when you’re stuck for content. Whether you opt to use a program on your computer like Excel or an online solution like Google Sheets, a good spreadsheet will increase your output and improve your content consistency.

Create a simple one with publish dates, post titles, keywords, and a space for notes. The notes column is especially useful – you can notate pillar posts, note any specific activity on the post after publishing, or write a note to yourself with blog post ideas that came from writing the initial post (then you can circle back and do some keyword research on those and use them to feed the machine).

Trello

As your blog grows, you may find that Google Sheets isn’t enough. That’s when you can start branching out into some of the software solutions out there, like Trello. Think of it as sticky notes on steroids. You can create boards for different content types, add cards for each piece of content, and drag and drop them as you progress. I love how visual it is – it’s like my whole content plan is laid out in front of me. Plus, you can add team members, which is super handy if you’ve reached that point where you are working with other writers or editors. To top it off, they have a free plan that will get you started without having to heavily invest.

CoSchedule

I don’t have a ton of experience with CoSchedule for blogging strategy, but I have used it to manage social media in the past. With CoSchedule, it’s all about content marketing –  you can plan blog posts, social media, and utilize cross-marketing features that allow you to plan social media content around your editorial calendar for your blog. If you tie a social post to a particular blog post, you can move the blog post in the app’s calendar to post at another day or time and the associated social media will change with it. Little things like that can save you a lot of time.

Oh, and here’s a pro tip: whatever tool you choose, make sure it has a calendar view. Being able to see your content laid out visually on a calendar will change your life. It helps you spot gaps in your schedule and make sure you’re not overloading certain days or weeks.

For years, WordPress relied on plugins to create editorial calendars and while there are still plenty of them out there (including the aptly named Editorial Calendar plugin, which i was a devotee of for many years), WordPress has built some basic functionality into it’s core software that allows you to see what days already posts scheduled on them, so that you don’t wind up scheduling everything on the same day. While this is useful, it’s not very full-featured, so you may want to look for something a bit more advanced.

Asana

Another one that I’ve played around with in the past is Asana. It’s like a Swiss Army knife for project management. I wouldn’t recommend this right away – this is more of a once you’re successful and you start hiring other writers and need to manage everyone and what they’re creating kind of thing. It’s about as full-featured as it comes and it can definitely take your content creation to new heights, but you need to have the output to go into it (or is that the input to go into it?).

At the end of the day, the best tool for managing your content calendar is the one you’ll actually use. It might take some trial and error to find the right fit, but you’ll find it is worth the effort, particularly as you start to grow.

Remember our earlier discussion of creating a sustainable post schedule? Do not forget to stick to your guns on this and follow through. Using content calendars can be a bit exciting and make you think you can post three times a day for months on end – it sure looks pretty on the visual calendar – but you need to pace yourself or face burnout.

A word of warning: it is easy to get caught up in planning to the point of crippling inactivity. I’ve seen more than one person “focus on the fleas” and ignore the bigger issue – content is the goal. Don’t spend all of your time perfecting a new Trello system or creating the perfect spreadsheet. You can perfect these as you go along. I know too many people that forget the goal and spend too much time planning to plan.

Crafting Engaging and SEO-Friendly Content

You can write all you want, but if its boring and ignored by Google, you’re screwed. So how do we write attention grabbing headlines, keep the readers interest, and feed the SEO gods?

It’s a little art, a little science, a touch of magic, and a sprinkling of luck.

First, the headline. Whether its your H1 title for the post or H2 headline in your content to help people (and Google) understand what they’re about to read, you need to be both interesting and play by the best practices rules of SEO. But hooooooooowwwwwwww?

Writing Attention Grabbing Headlines

Crafting the perfect headline for a blog post used to give me night sweats. No joke. Okay, it still does. You caught me. I struggle to find that balance of catchy, SEO-friendly, and descriptive without being 300 words long.

Upping your headline game will do wonders for your blog.

Think of your headlines as the front door to your content. If it’s not inviting, nobody’s gonna want to come in and hang out. So how do you make it irresistible? As much as I sometimes cringe at the cheesiness of using them, power words are a common tactic to attract attention. Words like “ultimate,” “essential,” or “proven” can instantly make your headline more compelling. But don’t go overboard using them – nobody likes a clickbait headline that over promises and under delivers.

Numbers are another secret of the headline gurus. Why? Our brains love numbered lists (and if you’re writing a listicle, it makes even more sense). A headline like “7 Foolproof Ways to Boost Your Productivity” is way more clickable than a vague “How to Be More Productive.”

But like my mother always taught me, everything in moderation. If every post you write starts with a number, it’s time to reconsider your content creation process.

Tapping into people’s emotions (and from time to time, fears) can be very useful. We are human and want to feel something. I don’t want to be blah about the article I’m about to read, I want to be excited, engaged, and curious. “Tips for Better Sleep” doesn’t do much for me, but “Unlock the Secret to Blissful, Restful Nights (No Sleeping Pills Required)” has me ready to click and spend a few minutes of my time to try and improve my sleep.

Intrigue. Excitement. Curiosity. Create these and see your click rates improve.

Whatever you do, always make sure your headline matches the content. This is why extreme examples of clickbait annoy people – if I click through and it doesn’t deliver what the title promised, I’m not going to be happy.

I still struggle with coming up with the perfect headline. And sometimes I get it absolutely wrong. When I feel a little stuck, I’ll ask AI for some help or turn to something like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer (you have to have a premium account, but you can get a short trial if you sign up for a free account – it will analyze 10 headlines for you, before you have to switch to the paid account). You can get suggestions on how to improve the title and you can also try their AI to rewrite your headline.

But again, don’t get sucked down the rabbit hole and spend three months crafting each blog post title. The headlines will become easier the more you write.

I asked their AI to improve “Tips to Write Better Blogs” and this is what it gave me:

• “Unlock the Secrets to Crafting Compelling Blog Posts”
• “Master the Art of Engaging Blog Writing with These Proven Tips”
• “Boost Your Blogging Skills: Expert Strategies for Success”
• “Discover How to Write Irresistible Blog Content”
• “Transform Your Blogs with These Powerful Writing Techniques”
• “Elevate Your Blogging Game: Tips for Captivating Content”
• “The Ultimate Guide to Writing Exceptional Blog Posts”
• “Enhance Your Blogging Skills with These Insider Tips”
• “Craft Blog Posts That Stand Out: Essential Writing Tips”
• “Unleash Your Blogging Potential: Techniques for Success”

A word of warning when using AI to craft your titles – AI can get a bit overzealous on titles and sometimes push the boundaries a bit (and it tends to make them too long). Not saying to not use it (I am a fan of AI), just saying to pay attention to the output and use your best judgement to tweak where necessary.

Whatever you do, don’t forget about SEO. While you’re crafting that attention grabbing headline, try to sneak in your focus keyword if you can. Just make sure it sounds natural – nothing kills a good headline faster than awkward keyword stuffing. And if your keyword is oddly phrased and wouldn’t be how it would be said in conversation, don’t be afraid to fix it. For example, if the keyword is “homes for sale [your city]” there aren’t a lot of people that would say that – so feel free to add the needed word to make it make sense – homes for sale in [your city].

Lastly, don’t be afraid to get a little controversial or provocative (within reason, of course). A headline like “Why Everything You Know About Productivity is Wrong” is bound to pique people’s curiosity. Just make sure you back it up with solid content or you’ll turn into clickbait.

Structuring Posts for Readability and SEO

When I first started blogging, my posts looked like a wall of text that would make even the most dedicated reader’s eyes glaze over. It was bad, real bad. Even now, I tend to be more verbose than the average blogger and that can be a turn off for the scanners amongst us.

We’ve talked about headlines before, but to be more specific, use your H1, H2, H3, etc. tags to lead your reader to what they’re looking for. They should be the signposts littered through your content, guiding your readers down the right path to get the answers they want and need. The higher the number, the more important the headline – H1 should be your article’s title, H2 tags for your main sections, H3 tags for your sub-sections, and so on. I rarely go beyond H3, but there are occasions where you want to break down a sub-section a bit more.

Next, and this one is important – don’t bury the lead. Always put the important info at the top of the post. Explain where you’re going as your introduction so that people know if they want to follow along.

(I violate the hell out of this…I’m working on it.) Paragraphs? Keep ’em short and sweet. We’re talking 2-3 sentences max. I know it might feel weird at first – I certainly felt like I was writing for kindergarteners when I started doing this. The thing that has helped me the most with this is reading other people’s blogs.

Sprinkle your keywords throughout your post like seasoning on a delicious meal. But whatever you do, don’t overdo it. Keyword stuffing is so 2010, and Google will penalize you faster than you can say SEO. It’s easy to fall prey to this one when you’re first learning what works and what doesn’t work. Just remember, Google is smarter than us and if the post is well written, they will find it.

• Don’t be afraid of bullet points and numbered lists.
• They’re a great way to get short bits of information into your readers’ heads fast.
• Give them small, tasty bits to chew on instead of force feeding them a scientific paper.

Write a simple intro without giving up everything (but again, don’t bury the lead). Prep your readers for the journey you’re about to go on. A outro is just as important and without one, it feels like you just slammed on the brakes, threw the door open, and yelled “get out of the car.” Try to summarize and get your call to action in there as well.

(Of course I know I’ve violated several of these rules in this post and that’s something to remember too – sometimes you have to throw some of the rules out of the window and just get the writing done.)

Incorporating Visual Elements and Links

Images are another big deal. I remember when I thought a blog post was complete with an image at the top and then the wall of words. Rookie mistake. Adding relevant images not only breaks up your text but also gives you a chance to optimize those alt tags for SEO. Just make sure your images are high quality and actually relate to your content. No one wants to see a random stock photo of people in suits when they’re reading about composting techniques.

And don’t forget about those internal links. I used to think linking to my own content was kind of obvious and not needed – you were already here after all. Boy, was I wrong. Internal linking is like creating a web of information for your readers (and Google) to explore. Just make sure the links are relevant and actually add value.

There are a few more elements to your overall content strategy including promotion and marketing your content, measuring and analyzing your blog’s performance, and learning to identify trends and learning to weave them into your thought process. We’ll talk more about those in the future.

A Few Final Thoughts on Your Blog Content Strategy

Whew! We’ve covered a lot of ground, haven’t we? Creating a killer blog content strategy might seem like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops with a sack of rocks on your back, but trust me, it’s worth every step. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a successful blog (heck, we’ve only just begun here on this site!).

Start implementing these strategies today, and before you know it, you’ll be watching your blog traffic skyrocket faster than a nonsensical TikTok goes viral. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to roll up your sleeves, stop making excuses, and start crafting that blog content strategy that’ll make 2024 your best blogging year yet. You still have plenty of time. Your future readers (and your future self) will thank you.