Want to know how to write articles that will attract hundreds of visitors to your blog? Is your blog missing something? Maybe you post regularly, but your articles aren't getting a lot of comments or shares on social media. Looks like no one is reading it is not it?

What you need is EPIC content. Also known as “cornerstone” or “living content,” these articles typically get a lot of backlinks, shares, and comments. These are the articles that you are proud to have written; the ones that readers can come back to over and over again… the ones that generate hundreds of visitors per day to your blog.

I - How to write a great article on your blog

They will often be longer than your usual items. They can be better structured and more carefully edited.

However, you might well think ... Where will I find the time to write?

There is a very simple way of proceeding to have enough time and write very good articles on your blog:

1. Reduce the number of articles you are currently writing

You don't have to post every day. In fact, you probably shouldn't. You should only post every day if you have super-relevant content for your readers. Otherwise, only do it when you have useful things to share.

Think about it! Tell me, have you ever unsubscribed from a blog that has incredibly valuable content… just because it doesn't publish every day?

I have never done it. But I have unsubscribed from blogs that have continued to post content day after day ... and this, despite the quality of the content of these blogs. I couldn't follow.

If you are writing on a topic that changes rapidly, the pace might be more difficult to keep up. You must therefore refine your target, or choose a particular day of the week to focus on more content. This is how you can find more time ... just focus on quality and not quantity. In addition, the most detailed articles are generally very shared and above all, better referenced. Which means they generate more traffic in the long run.

2. Your goals and article ideas

Before writing any pillar article, think about what you want to accomplish with it. Don't just write an article for the sake of it. As I say very often: "We do not write articles but solutions to specific problems"

Depending on the primary goal of your blog, the goal of your article could be one or more of these:

• Create a portfolio that you can use to impress potential customers / employers

• Impress those who read your blog for the first time and get them to subscribe

• Invite readers to buy one of your products

• Get lots of shares on social networks

• Receive more inquiries from prospective clients

• Help everyone in your niche solve the main problems they face every day

Having a clear goal in mind before you start writing will allow you to tailor your article to it.

For example, let's say you blog about the role of parents, and your goal is to encourage readers to buy your ebook on the topic: Help your teen to pass any exam.

You could simply point a paragraph to your ebook at the end of an article on any topic, but ideally, the article should put the reader in a good frame of mind to buy it.

In this case, items like this will probably work well for you:

• Why our schools are losing students

• Ten Tips for Teenagers

• How to help your teen prepare for their exam

Articles on other aspects of parenting will not attract the right readers, or else they will not get them thinking about the right topics. You might need to think twice before you jump into topics like:

• Five tips to get your baby to sleep

• How to prepare your preschooler to start school

• Ten moms confess their secret parental faults

These items might be good and valuable - but they will not help you sell your ebook.

It is often helpful to bring out a whole bunch of ideas at once. If you can, take at least 20 minutes to think often, once you have produced the first ideas 10, you start to have some really interesting and valuable.

Keep your ideas in a safe place, and return to your list every time you start a new article. Think about the goal you want to achieve, the problem you want to help your readers solve, and choose a topic that fits it well.

3. The design of your title

Although many bloggers write their title after writing their article, it's a good idea to have a title "almost there" before you start your article. If you have just one topic in mind, it can be difficult to figure out how best to structure your post, or what to include in it.

For your title to be catchy, it should:

• To be clear : Put keywords there. - don't try to be too smart. Readers and search engines alike need to know what your article is really about.

• Be precise: "Five tips" is better than "Five things"because readers get a better idea of ​​what your article entails.

• Create an interest: Adjectives are perfect for that - "Five powerful tips" ou "Five simple tips" rather than "Five tips" simply. You can also try words like "secret" or "little known".

• Avoid excessive noise: If the title of your article is "Ten Insider Secrets The Experts Don't Want You To Know", then you better have something awesome to share! A type title "Big fuss" could get clicks, but readers would not be hooked (And you will lose their trust).

For more tips including tips on writing headlines using keywords, using strong words, and much more ... I recommend the articles below:

• 10 tips for writing catchy titles on your blog

• How to write attractive headlines on your blog?

I urge you to read the titles of the home page of Yahoo.fr, It is for me a very good reference and above all, a very good source of inspiration. It's all about taking a headline you like and flipping a few words around to make it work for your blog.

4. Structuring the main body of your article

A key aspect of writing that many bloggers struggle with (or whose importance they do not understand) is the structure.

If your articles are poorly structured, they go not only to be difficult to write, But also to be difficult to read. You will spend too much time staring at the screen, wondering what to write next… and your readers will often jump from paragraph to paragraph because'they will have a hard time finding value in your article.

A basic structure with which you may be familiar is the list type article. Even if you think they are overused, it is still important to familiarize yourself with these structures, as they can be used as a base for many other items.

Here's how a basic list item could look like:

Introduction
# 1: Subtitle

Paragraph
# 2: Subtitle

Paragraph.
… And so on until…

Conclusion / call to action

An article of the type " How? 'Or' What " is almost identical in structure. In fact, the only real difference between "list" and "how" type articles is:

• Readers may use one or more dots in an article of type " listing " and always get something usable.

• Readers should follow the points in a type article " How? 'Or' What " step by step.

It is really a good idea to number your points, as it helps readers orient themselves, they know where they are in the article and what they still have to go through.

5. Use subtitles

One of the best ways to structure your article, whether it's a list or not, is to use subtitles. This is especially important in longer articles, where readers can be dipped for a while, then disconnected, or skimming to bring out the information. (You can find many examples in this article!)

Some bloggers just use bold text for their captions, but it's best to use the headline formats that are built into your blogging software. This gives more visibility to the text, making the different parts stand out well - and you can also use different levels of captions, in order to divide long sections into several parts.

If you want to try something a little different from a type item " listing " standard or type " How? 'Or' What ", use one of the foolproof formulas below.

Three infallible article formulas (And examples)

Start with one of these formats, and you'll find it easy to write a great article. These ideas will all produce an article that is ideal to link to in the BIOS of your free article, one that will be ideal to feature on your page, including in your sidebar, and share on your social accounts.

Idea # 1: A Type A to Z Guide - Example: " 26 essentials for Create a blog to success: What you need to know about social media »

These types of articles are fun to write, they are suitable for almost any subject, and they have a ready-made structure. They are also a great way to tackle a large topic that might normally be too big or long for a single article.

Creating an article "A to Z" Is simple. Just have a subject (like "the A to Z of vegan cuisine" or "the A to Z of board games). List the letters A to Z on a piece of paper, and think of a word or phrase that goes with each one. Then all you need to do is write a text for each of those sentences.

Idea n 2: "Why and how" articles - Example: “Why you need to create and sell a product now (and how to do it)”.

Beyond a simple " How? 'Or' What ", these items work very well because they help readers understand why something is important. The reason they should do something will not necessarily be obvious to readers, unless you specify it.

You will structure your article as follows (make specific subtitles about you):

• Presentation

• Why is it important

• How to do (with numbered steps)

Idea # 3: Answers from experts… - Example: the view of experts Content marketing

Even if you don't have a lot of experience in your field, know that you too can produce a great article, an article as relevant as readers will want to share it, create links ... simply promote it.

The key to this action is to choose a question you want a lot of people to answer. Most experts are very busy, and they are much more likely to come back to you if you ask a question instead of ten.

You don't even have to approach experts directly. Instead, you can write an article that gathers lots of ideas on a particular topic, citing and linking to the articles that these experts have published.

These three ideas are not the only possibilities, of course: ithere are dozens of other article formulas that you can also use. (Whenever you come across an excellent article, see if you can break it down and understand how it is structured.)

6. How long should your article have?

Some bloggers ask: "What is the perfect length of an article? ". Aim to give your items a size between 800 and 1500 words. If they are less than 600 words, it's going to be difficult for you to offer your readers something that is really valuable. If they have more than 1500 words, you will have a hard time keeping the article structured and consistent.

Sure, you can write shorter and longer articles, but stick to a standard article length until you are comfortable with it.

7. Writing your first project

Some bloggers like to have ideas and plan posts - but they struggle when it comes to putting words on the page.

Here's how to write your first project:

• Make sure you have a clear structure in place. This could mean having all of the points on your list in writing, or it could mean using one of the ready-made ideas below.

• Avoid distractions. Yes, you've heard of this before, but what do you do? Writing takes a lot of concentration and energy, so try using the Pomodoro technique or a similar technique to write in short productions… and don't check your Twitter / Facebook / email until the allotted time is up.

• Don't try to be perfect. You will have as much time as you want to modify it, so do not worry if a sentence is a bit odd, or if you miss some crucial information. Keep moving forward in your article.

• Attack your first point / first part directly major (e), rather than starting with the introduction. Once you have written the article, it will be easier to create a suitable introduction.

• Imagine that you are writing an email to a friend. What advice would you give? How do you want to write? Use this as the basis of your blog. (A great way to take this a step further is to do a "Q&A" type post where you answer your readers' questions, you just might find your writing is smoother than ever.)

8. The Great Beginnings…

Your introduction needs to do a lot of work, almost as much as the title. You have to hook the reader and make him want to read to read more. It should also pave the way for what follows, you could write an amazing and catchy introduction, but that loses all of its weight if it doesn't really have anything to do with the rest of your article.

Here are some simple, yet powerful ways to introduce your article:

• With a question. They help readers get involved by making them think (or at least to agree). For example, "How do you keep yourself fresh, inspired and creative as a blogger? "

• With a quote. This can be a great way to start if your article is built on something another blogger has written. Some bloggers use motivational or inspirational quotes at the beginning of all their articles - Alex Blackwell The Bridgemaker (the Bridge Builder) is a good example.

• With an anecdote. A mini story of your life if this is relevant to your article, and if you keep it short enough, it can help your readers feel connected to you.

For many more ideas for your article introduction, check out the following article: How to write an irresistible introduction to your blog.

9.… And the Grand Conclusions

While it's clear that the introductions are important, the conclusions may seem less so. However, they have a crucial role to play. In fact, if you conclude too abruptly, you miss a great opportunity.

The vast majority of visitors to your blog will be crippled by passivity. They never comment, they won't vote in polls, they won't subscribe to your feed or newsletters, they won't buy the affiliate products you recommend, they won't refer a friend to your blog … They won't vote for you on social media and most of them will never come back.

Let's say you wrote a type article " listing " In ten points. Don't stop just at the end of point ten - add a few sentences below the article and close it. An article of the type " listing " is a great asset to use to get feedback, because you can ask something like:

Do you have a tip to add to this list? Share it in the comments below (or let us know which of the tips you liked the most).

Un "Call to action" Means simply asking (or saying) the reader to do something.

It could have one of the following forms:

• What do you think ? Leave a comment below.

• If you enjoyed this article, click please the "Tweeter" button to share it with others.

• Want to know more about [subject]? Click here to read my article [title].

• For more information, see my book [Title and link].

Some bloggers worry that calls to action sound arrogant, if not desperate. The truth is, readers are used to it and often greet them positively. After all, if you've been to a new blog for the first time and read a great post there, Would not you like a link to another relevant article?

It may seem a bit silly to ask for comments directly, surely your readers will know that the comment space is there! - But some readers, especially the shy ones, will be much more likely to comment if you specifically invite them to do so.

In addition to the items above, I recommend this article: How to write a conclusion for your article

10. Edit your article

It is often a relief to come to the end of your article… but you should not click on "Publish".

Your first project probably needs a bit of cleaning up before it's ready for the world. In fact, you will probably have to go through two different modifications: an overview et a look at the details.

a) Modification of the overview

Before you get too involved in changing words or using commas, focus on the big picture. Read your entire article and search:

• All that is superfluous and you can remove. Save what you delete, in case it could be used in a future article.

• All that is missing and you should add. Perhaps you should make a better transition between your introduction and the first part, for example.

• Everything that is not in the right order. Maybe it would make more sense to start your list with the current item number five, for example.

You can also show your article to a friend, or a trusted reader - ask if there are any major changes they think you should make.

b) Edit the details

Once you are happy that your article contains the right information in the right order, it's time to make every sentence have its weight.

At this level of editing, you will look for:

• Words or phrases you have overused.  If you use the expression « Content marketing » five times in a paragraph, it will feel like you're using an old wacky SEO keyword technique (even if you didn't mean to and just wrote it this way).

• The phrases that sound strangely. Maybe it sounds good in your head, but looks a little weird on the page. It's a good idea to read your article aloud, it will really help you spot the difficult bits.

• Spelling mistakes and typos. Double check everything your spell checkers are reporting (Do you pass your articles through a spellchecker, right?), but also check outside for common misspellings.

Most writers find it really difficult to edit their own work. Even if other people's typos may just jump out at you, go slowly and carefully when editing your own work, or ask a friend to help you out.

However, don't get too worried or hung up on it. Yes, spelling and grammar are important, but readers will forgive an occasional slip. If you notice an error after clicking on "publish" (Or if a reader tells you one), know that it is easy to update your article.

II - Formatting your article

Appearances are important. You can write a brilliant, useful, and entertaining article that doesn't grab the reader's attention just because it seems hard to read. If you have long paragraphs in fine print, readers may well not be shy about making the effort to read it.

Here are some formatting you could use:

• Subtitles. They break your article into easy-to-read chunks, and help readers find the information they're looking for.

• The text in bold. It's a great way to emphasize important points. Don't overdo it, or your article may start to look choppy and disparate. Try to put whole sentences (Or at least long sentences) in bold rather than isolated words.

• Italics. They are useful for foreign words, individual words that you want to highlight, or “asides” that you want in a different font. (For example, I use italics at the start of free articles, where I introduce the guest blogger to my readers.)

• Fleas. Lists are easy to digest, and they also have extra white space around them - which makes for better readability. You can use unnumbered bullets (usually round and black dots) or numbered chips.

• Short paragraphs. One of the easiest ways to make your articles more readable is to split long paragraphs. If you've already gone past four lines, then consider dividing halfway.

Some bloggers do the formatting while they write, others do it at the end. Whatever you choose to do, always take a look at your item in fashion " preview " and check that everything is OK. (For example, make sure all your captions are the right size - it's easy to confuse 2 fonts with 3 fonts)

III - Adding images

While this is not a hard and fast rule, you'll find that most major blogs have a big image at the beginning of their posts… and there's a good reason for that.

The images draw our attention. They catch our eyes, and relieve us along the article. Usually, they help create a feeling of crispness and professionalism on your blog. In some blog themes, these are also added as thumbnails on the homepage, alongside the snippet, and they appear on Facebook if you link to your blog.

There really is no reason not to reinforce your article with an image. You have a lot of sources, like:

• Your Own Photograph. It works very well for bloggers. If you have blogs sitting well or want to build a deeper relationship with readers, this guy might well go.

• A stock of images you bought. There are many sites like iStockPhoto who will sell you the images that you can use on your blog. It's a paid option, but if you're writing an article that should look great, it might be helpful to do so.

• Free images from Flickr. Many artists put their creations (Photographs, illustrations, etc.) on Flickr.

Even if you use images of other people rather than your own, you might need to know a few simple rules for choosing them. Maybe you'll always use black and white shots, always colorful shots, pretty abstract shots, or use illustrations instead of photos.

An important thing not to do: it is not correct to use the images you found from a simple google search. Unless they are licensed Creative Commonsyou must get permission from their creator.

IV - Getting and using feedback

You can easily strengthen articles in your blog if you have and use comments. A good way to do this is to ask people to read your article, and get them to tell you how they think you could improve it. You might not be able to do it for each article, but doing it even occasionally can help you give your blog a fresh perspective.

The best people to ask for are:

• Colleagues bloggers who understand what you are doing. Sure, your old high school friend would have brilliantly turned it into a quality test - but he might not have a clue what works in the world of blogs.

• Thoughtful readers who have been following your blog for some time. Maybe you've exchanged comments or emails with a reader and built a great relationship - they may be happy to have the opportunity to review one of your article projects.

Don't approach the top bloggers in your niche to ask for information about your article plans. Yes, they might have some great advice to share, but they are unlikely to have the time to do so, and trying to start a relationship by asking for a favor is not a good idea.

You don't have to use every suggestion you get, but pay close attention to anything that wasn't clearly written, or that your reader might have misunderstood. Even if it seems obvious to you, rewrite.

If you are unsure of a particular suggestion, get a second opinion. It's also a good idea to spend the night before implementing (or rejecting) any feedback you get. You will see that taking a break allows you to see things in a more objective light.

V - After having clicked on "publish" ...

Your article is finished and published… but your work is not finished. Unless you have a very large audience, click on "Publish" is hardly enough to attract many readers to your article. Although some bloggers like to believe that really good content will be found and shared, the truth is that you will almost certainly need to give it a hand.

(Of course, writing great content is crucial in the first place: try to strike a balance between creating content and promoting it)

VI - Promote your blog post

There are many ways to promote your article. Here are some of them (Basic) you can apply to each item on your blog:

• A link to your article on Twitter. Although there are plugins (See this list of indispensable plugins) who automatically tweet your articles, I prefer to develop an individual and personalized tweet each time.

• A link to your article on Facebook. You can add a brief introduction to the article, or ask a question to get comments on your Facebook page.

• Include your article in your newsletter. Not everyone who subscribes to my newsletter is subscribed to my blog, so I put links to my articles in monthly reminders.

For really good items, you could go further and:

• Send an email to a buddy blogger and ask him to consider linking to your article : do not solicit the top five bloggers in your niche for this - choose the people with whom you already have a relationship (perhaps through Twitter or comments on other blogs).

• Add a link to your article from your sidebar. Many bloggers have a "Recommended Articles" or "Popular Articles" widget to highlight their best content. Some even go so far as to create eye-catching image banners related to their best articles.

•   Return to old articles and link to the new. If you have an older article about a similar subject, why not link it? Use Google Analytics to see which of your oldest songs receive the most search engine traffic.
• Add a link to your article in free article on another blog. Be careful with this, because if you were writing a free article just for the links, it might very well not be accepted. Put a link in the body of your article, only if it's really relevant otherwise use your bio.

VII - Respond to comments

Once your article is live, take the time to respond to comments. Many readers who don't leave a comment will always scroll down to the bottom and take a look at the comments section. So this counts as an important part of your article.

You will ideally need:

• Reply to all your comments (unless they are very short like "Thank you, good article!"). You don't have to respond to every comment instantly, but if you leave comments going unanswered for days on end, it doesn't make a good impression on new readers.

• Remove all the spammy comments. Plugins like Akismet do a lot of the work for you, but it's always a good idea to act quickly to eliminate any spam that sneaks in. You can also remove offensive comments (for example, comments that are racist or sexist).

If you have trouble getting feedback, you could send an email to a blogger friend (or to a faithful reader) and ask him to open the ball. There are lots of other great tips on how to get more feedback.

VIII - Your action plan

I am aware that there is still a bit of reading here! What matters is that you already have a foothold in creating great content for your blog, and here's a simple action plan to help you get it done this week, in just 30 minutes a day.

During these 30 minutes, stop all distractions and set a timer. Tell yourself you need to focus until the time is up - if you get the sudden urge to go to Facebook, ignore it!

1 Day: Group several ideas and choose the strongest. Plan your article (you can scroll down a bit and review the structure tips).

Days 2, 3 and 4: Write your article. Get as far as you can in 30 minutes every day. If you get stuck at a point, imagine responding to a comment or emailing one of your readers - write like you're talking to them directly.

5 Day: Edit your article, emphasizing the big picture. Cut tangents, rearrange paragraphs and add new sections if necessary.

6 Day: Edit your article again, this time focusing on the details Beware of typos, grammatical errors and other slips.

7 Day: Format, add an image, check your article in preview mode, and click "Publish".

Of course, some items will need a bit more time at some of these stages. An "A to Z" type article for example, might well take an hour or two to plan, and an article that scours a lot of expert views might involve a lot of emails emitted and waiting. the answers.

But this plan should allow you to get started with a great article quickly, and we hope you will get results that will be worth the time you spent there.

I would like to know how you devote yourself to writing quality articles: Share your experiences and tips in the comments below. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them too.