Are you interested in learning how to create an effective blog post outline for WordPress?
Creating a blog post outline eliminates the pressure of starting your draft from scratch. With a well-structured outline, you can easily tackle writer’s block and organize your content in a clear and engaging way.
In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to develop a blog post outline for your WordPress site.
Why Is a Blog Post Outline Important?
As a content writer, blogger, or content manager, you might be questioning the value of crafting an outline for your blog posts.
The reality is, if you aim to produce an exceptional blog post, starting with an outline is essential. Here’s why:
Outlines Overcome Blank Page Anxiety
Every writer has experienced the daunting moment of opening a blank Google Doc or the WordPress editor. It can be overwhelming, leading to stress and procrastination as you try to figure out where to begin.
With an outline, you’ll no longer feel daunted before starting a new blog post. You can break down your content into topics, subheadings, and key points, giving you a clear direction on what to write.
Outlines Enable Faster Writing
Creating an outline in advance helps streamline your research process. By analyzing competitors in search results, you can effectively plan your content. This approach prevents you from getting bogged down in research while writing.
By separating research from the writing phase, you ensure that you have all the necessary information ready when it’s time to write. This makes the process of creating blog posts much easier.
Outlines Align You and Your Editor
If you collaborate with a content manager or editor, it’s beneficial to share your outline with them before you start writing. This collaboration helps both parties understand which sections to emphasize, what to include or exclude, and the overall direction of the article.
You want to avoid the frustration of having to rewrite an entire article due to a misunderstanding about its intended focus.
Outlines Provide ClarityThey Help You Address Key Questions
One of the most effective strategies for improving your content’s ranking is to answer the questions that people frequently ask.
Utilize the Keyword Generator Tool from CanadaCreate. This free resource allows you to generate hundreds of keyword ideas and discover popular questions on Google, ensuring your blog content is optimized for user search intent.
Here are 8 essential steps to create an effective blog post outline that will help you produce high-quality content favored by search engines.
Use the links below to navigate directly to any step, especially if you are already outlining your blog post.
- Step 1: Select Your Topic
- Step 2: Determine Your Content Format
- Step 3: Define Your Article’s Perspective
- Step 4: Research the Top-Ranking Pages
- Step 5: Include Bullet Points Under Each Heading
- Step 6: Craft an Engaging Post Title
- Step 7: Identify Related Keywords
- Step 8: Finalize Your Outline
Step 1: Select Your Topic
To create a blog post outline, start by identifying the topic you want to write about.
Begin by brainstorming several blog topics that interest you. If you are knowledgeable in your niche, consider addressing any pressing issues.
Alternatively, a great way to discover topics is by using the Search Statistics feature in All in One SEO. This tool is excellent for optimizing content on WordPress sites and provides valuable insights to enhance your SEO and improve rankings.
The Search Statistics function essentially offers a comprehensive view of how your content is performing on Google.
This feature allows you to monitor the performance of your blog content through a ranking report. Consequently, you can discover opportunities for related keywords that complement the blog posts you already rank for.
Begin by installing and activating the AIOSEO plugin. If you need guidance, refer to our tutorial on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, navigate to theAll in One SEO ≫ Search Statisticssection in your WordPress dashboard.
In the Search Statistics dashboard, you will find SEO Statistics, Keyword Positions, and Content Performance.
Scroll down to the Content Performance tab, where you will see Top Pages, Top Losing, and Top Winning keywords. This report provides essential data such as Clicks, Impressions, Position, and Ranking Position Changes.
Review your Top Pages and take note of all the keywords that are performing well.
Utilize Similar Tools
Additionally, you can use a tool like Semrush to discover blog post topics. Navigate to theirContent Marketing ≫ Topic Researchsection.
Select a topic and click ‘Get content ideas.’ For this example, we will use one of our top-performing keywords, ‘how to garden,’ to find additional keywords.
To discover trending topics, simply enable the option labeled ‘Trending subtopics first.’ You will see a collection of cards, each displaying a main topic along with its subtopic headlines.
Review the headlines to identify topics that resonate with your audience. When you find a suitable one, click ‘Show more.’
An expanded list of headlines, related questions, and associated searches pertaining to the topic will be displayed.
This will provide you with plenty of blog post ideas to develop a comprehensive content calendar.
Select one topic to focus on initially, and then proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Determine Your Content Format
There is no universal formula that applies to every type of content. Sometimes, the format is clear. For instance, if you’re discussing ‘how to start a garden,’ it will likely be a step-by-step guide. Conversely, if you’re sharing gardening tips, it might take the form of a listicle.
However, it isn’t always that simple. For the topic ‘best gardening tool,’ should it be a list of tools, a review of specific equipment, or a personal opinion piece on the top tool?
To determine the best approach, start by checking the top-ranking results for your topic on Google. A quick search will reveal that users searching for ‘best gardening tools’ are typically seeking a comprehensive list of tools related to gardening.
Now that you understand the importance of format, it’s clear that a listicle is the most effective choice for this topic.
Here are some popular content formats along with guidance on when to use each one.
- How-to articles:Use these when you need to guide readers through a process step by step.
- List articles:These are ideal for presenting a curated collection of valuable ideas in one convenient location.
- Beginner’s guide articles:Utilize these when you want to break down a complex topic for a novice audience.
- ‘What is’ articles:These are useful for defining terms or addressing specific questions.
- X vs. Y articles:These are effective for highlighting the advantages of your product over a competitor’s.
- Statistics articles:These are designed to present a thorough compilation of statistics relevant to a specific industry.
- News articles:Use these to announce the launch of a new product or feature.
- Case study articles:These are intended for in-depth explorations of a topic, supported by extensive research.
While each type of blog post may have a unique outline, the fundamental steps for creating them remain consistent.
Step 3: Determine the Focus of Your Article
When selecting a topic, consider the specific angle you want to pursue. For instance, if your topic is ‘how to plant a garden,’ you need to decide whether you’re discussing flower gardens or vegetable gardens.
The focus of your article adds interest and uniqueness for your readers. A great way to identify a compelling angle is to analyze top-ranking pages on Google.
At CanadaCreate, we tailor our blog posts to support small businesses like yours. For example, our article on ‘the best email marketing services’ is designed with small business needs in mind.
Instead of listing every option available, our experts have selected services that are most beneficial for small businesses, aligning with what our audience truly seeks.
As shown in the image above, we rank first for this topic, while the second result from Brevo also focuses on business email services.
If you notice that the leading search results are addressing the topic from a specific angle, consider adjusting your outline to align with theirs to improve your chances of ranking higher.
Step 4: Review the Top-Ranking Pages and Identify Key Topics to Include
Once you have your main idea, it’s time to create the structure and layout of your outline.
Although you can use ChatGPT prompts to generate an outline, we suggest manually reviewing top-ranking posts to understand what performs well.
First, open a new post in WordPress by navigating to Posts ≫ Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
You will be taken to a blank page where you can compose your blog post.
We recommend using the block editor in WordPress to write your outline, as it allows you to utilize AIOSEO’s features for optimizing your blog post as you go.
For instance, scroll down to ‘AIOSEO Settings.’ Next to ‘Post Title,’ enter your blog post title to check if it meets the character count requirements.
Next, analyze the top-ranking content on Google to identify the headings and topics you should include.
Enter your search query into the search engine and review all the top-ranking articles.
Additionally, check the ‘People Also Ask’ section in Google search results.
This section gathers the most frequently asked questions related to your topic.
Consider addressing these questions in a dedicated heading or FAQ section to ensure you comprehensively answer all the inquiries that searchers might have.
It’s crucial to categorize the headings and arrange them in a coherent order.
For instance, before presenting the solution, it’s essential to clarify the problem.
This is why you should incorporate headings like ‘What are garden pests?’ and ‘Types of garden pests to watch for.’ Following that, you can explore effective methods to keep pests out of your garden. Finally, consider adding a question like ‘What is the best treatment for garden pests?’ to inform users about the most effective solutions.
To enhance user experience, consider adding a table of contents to your blog post outline.
If you’re using AIOSEO, you can effortlessly insert a Table of Contents using the block editor by typing ‘/toc’ and selecting the ‘AIOSEO – Table of Contents’ block.
A table of contents will be generated within your blog post, linking to each of the headings that follow the block.
Having a table of contents allows readers to easily navigate to any section of the blog post, enabling them to quickly locate the information they need without sifting through background details they may already be familiar with.
Step 5: Incorporate Bullet Points Under Each Heading
Once you have established your main headings, expand on each section to clarify what you will write and which information to include.
Outline the key points for each section, including the topics you will discuss, the examples you will showcase, and the statistics you will reference.
Be sure to collect all your research articles as well. This will allow you to cite these sources or refer to them as needed while writing your article. You can find research from various places, including high-ranking content, social media, YouTube, or academic journals.
After adding bullet points for each section, remember to include internal links. Internal linking is crucial for SEO, and every piece of content should feature them.
With the Link Assistant feature from All in One SEO, you can effortlessly discover linking opportunities for your blog posts. First, navigate toAll in One SEO ≫ Link Assistantin WordPress.
Next, go to the ‘Links Reports’ tab. Here, you will find all your posts along with their internal and external links.
On this page, you can filter by Linking Opportunities or Orphaned Posts.
The Linking Opportunities section provides suggestions for adding internal links within your posts, while the Orphaned Posts feature displays articles that currently lack any internal links.
The Links Report presents a table detailing the number of links in each post, indicating whether they are internal or external, along with the number of new link suggestions offered by AIOSEO.
In the Linking Opportunities section at the top, select the post where you want to incorporate internal links. For this example, choose the blog post outline you have started.
You will see suggestions for internal links. Review the suggested phrases and click ‘Add Link’ to include them in your blog outline.
If a link suggestion doesn’t fit your needs, you can click ‘Dismiss Suggestion’ to ignore it.
Before proceeding to the next steps, ensure that your outline structure is logical. Consider asking yourself the following questions:
- Does the post address the key questions that your audience is interested in?
- Does the article provide a quick answer to the main question?
- Is the post organized in a coherent manner?
- Is all the information presented on this page essential?
Prioritizing the reader’s experience is essential for effective writing. Ensure your headings clearly represent the main points of your post to enhance readability.
Step 6: Craft an Engaging Post Title
The title of your post plays a crucial role in determining your SEO performance and attracting traffic. Its main purpose is to inform both search engines and readers about the content of your blog post.
First impressions are crucial, and the title of your blog post is the first thing potential readers will notice in search results. Use this opportunity to create a strong initial impact.
For improved on-page SEO, we suggest utilizing the Headline Analyzer tool from All in One SEO.
Navigate toAll in One SEO ≫ SEO Analysisin your WordPress dashboard. Then, select the ‘Headline Analyzer’ tab.
Enter your title in the search box and click ‘Analyze.’
The tool will provide recommendations and indicate whether your title is optimized for search engines.
You may receive feedback indicating that your character or word count is too low or lacks the emotional appeal needed to capture attention.
Here are the key criteria that the All in One SEO Headline Analyzer uses to evaluate your title:
- Word Balance:This tool helps you achieve the ideal mix of common, uncommon, emotional, and impactful words. Emotional language increases engagement, while powerful words make your title more memorable.
- Sentiment: The Headline Analyzer evaluates your title’s sentiment, categorizing it as neutral, positive, or negative. Titles with positive sentiments tend to attract more clicks. For instance, our blog post titled ‘Best Blogging Niche – 7 That Will Make Money (Easily)’ conveys a positive sentiment.
- Character and word count: The effectiveness of your title is influenced by its character and word count. Headlines around 55 characters long are fully visible in search results, and titles should ideally contain more than 5 words.
You can also utilize CanadaCreate’s free Headline Analyzer for additional assistance in creating captivating blog post titles.
For further details, please refer to our guide on using a headline analyzer in WordPress to enhance your SEO titles.
Step 7. Explore Related Keywords
When crafting blog posts, incorporating related keywords is beneficial for helping search engines better comprehend your content.
In particular, focus on finding LSI keywords (latent semantic indexing). These are terms and phrases that are closely related to your main keyword but are not exact synonyms.
For instance, if your topic is ‘pest control for gardens,’ relevant LSI keywords might include ‘natural pest control’ and ‘organic pest prevention techniques.’
LSI keywords play a crucial role because they assist search engines in grasping the overall theme of your blog post.
Search engines analyze your content for contextually relevant terms to identify your article’s subject and its relevance to user queries. LSI keywords also enhance your chances of ranking for appropriate searches, ensuring your content reaches the right audience.
Make sure to create a brief list of key LSI keywords and incorporate them into various sections of your post where they are applicable.
To discover LSI keywords, you can utilize the CanadaCreate Keyword Research Tool. It’s entirely free and provides you with hundreds of keyword suggestions.
You can categorize keywords based on different types of questions, which is an excellent method for uncovering additional subtopics for your blog post.
Once you’ve identified the keywords you wish to target, you can evaluate their search volume and difficulty using keyword research tools like Semrush or LowFruits.
In this example, we will utilize the LowFruits Keyword Finder (KWFinder) tool to create related long-tail keyword phrases.
Visitors arriving at your website through long-tail keywords are typically further along in their purchasing journey or seeking specific information, making them more likely to become customers.
Begin by entering a single primary keyword into the LowFruits Keyword Finder and click ‘Search.’
Next, examine the suggested keywords related to your topic to discover niche long-tail phrases.
Referring back to our gardening example, the results shown in the screenshot below include numerous related keywords.
LowFruits also identifies opportunities in the SERPs, highlighting low domain authority sites that rank for the keyword, which helps you optimize your content and surpass competitors.
Additionally, you can filter by Questions to find question-based keywords or by Clusters to view keywords grouped by intent and association.
Below that, you can filter by Search Volume, SERP Difficulty Score (indicating how challenging it is to rank for a specific keyword), Number of Weak Websites, Thin Content, CPC, and more.
You can also utilize Google Autocomplete to discover LSI keywords.
Simply type in your phrase and review the suggestions provided.
Another approach is to check the related searches displayed at the bottom of the search results.
Similar to autocomplete suggestions, these hints can guide you toward relevant words and phrases to include in your blog post.
Step 8: Finalize Your Outline
By now, you should have a comprehensive draft that includes all your headings, subheadings, and key bullet points. You should also have your research articles and keywords at hand, providing you with all the necessary information to craft an excellent blog post.
Here’s an example of a complete blog outline in WordPress. Remember, this process is very adaptable, and you may need to modify the outline to suit your specific requirements.
Before you start writing, it’s wise to share your outline with an editor, colleague, or content manager. They can help identify any oversights or inaccuracies.
Once everything is in order, you’re ready to start drafting your post.
We hope this article has equipped you with the skills to create a detailed outline for blog posts that effectively attract traffic. For more insights on blogging, check out our guide on starting a WordPress blog or our article on boosting your blog traffic.
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