Writing Blog Posts That Use Effective Formatting

I made a big SEO mistake. And I didn’t even realize it… until my content kept underperforming, again and again. I was ignoring something so basic, yet so powerful: Heading tags. No clear H1. No H2 structure. Just paragraphs and hope. But here’s what I’ve learned: ✓ One clear H1 helps Google know what your page is about ✓ H2s guide your sections—like chapters in a book ✓ H3s add clarity and hierarchy ✓ Styling ≠ structure. Don’t use headings just for looks ✓ Google loves clean structure. Readers do too And if you're optimizing for SEO, These 5 tips changed how I write: ✓ Use only one H1—with your focus keyword ✓ Break down every section with clear H2s ✓ Add H3s under H2s to support ideas ✓ Don’t use headings just for design—they carry meaning ✓ Avoid keyword stuffing—natural flow wins Since fixing this, my content ranks better. And it reads better. All because of proper heading tags. So if you’re writing blog posts, landing pages, or even LinkedIn content, don’t skip the basics. Structure isn’t just design. It’s strategy. Want to rank higher and write better? Start with your headings.

When people start reading your post and then scroll off…the LinkedIn algorithm notices. It interprets this disengagement as a sign that your content wasn’t valuable. And downgrades its visibility so fewer people see it. So your goal is: Write posts people can’t stop reading. Here are 4 tips to make your content easy to finish. _____ //1 Start with short content. Long-form content (>2000 characters) *can* work. In fact, it can be some of the most engaging, authority-building, and lead-generating content out there. But it takes a lot of practice and nuance to hit the mark. If you’re starting out, my advice: Master short-form first. Practice writing posts where every sentence flows to the next. Where the visual structure is appealing and engaging. And where every word feels impactful. Then you can take those skills and expand. //2 Make it vivid with specificity. Infuse your post with details that take all your insights, facts, and figures… … And make them feel personally engaging and palpable. It’s a classic trick — Show, don’t tell. For example: “I got great results from a post last week.” Versus: “50+ comments from industry icons. 12 new leads. I was so happy I high-fived my cat.” The second example is more gripping *and* more informative. And it lets you feel the results yourself— That builds trust and connection. //3 Use strategic, spacious formatting. You’ve likely already heard the advice, “The more white space, the better.” But there are lots of tools you can leverage for strategic formatting. One approach: - Take any list - Or long sentence - And break it into three bullet points Another approach: Break long sentences in half. Then use connector words to keep the post flowing naturally. (Like I did with this one.) Some connector word examples: - Then - And - But - Or When in doubt: Read through your post. If you find your eyes skipping forward, break to a new line (as makes sense). //4 Simplify. Then simplify more. Most of us have been taught to extend our thoughts into elongated narrations; prose that knows no end; sentences that go on long, winding paths that challenge our analytic abilities. But you know where else those paths lead: The attention graveyard. Case and point → That entire first sentence could have been 7 words. “We’re taught to write detailed, complex sentences.” In your first draft, don’t edit yourself. Let it flow. Then: - Consider the core message you want to communicate. - Read your content aloud and cut anything that doesn’t add to it. - Experiment to see how much you can cut while still getting your point across. You can always add more storytelling back in later. ___ Try these tips out. And please, if you’re putting in consistent work and struggling to see results, be patient with yourself. Writing for LinkedIn is harder than people think. It’s a learning journey—one that we’re all on together.

Blogs are not dead. But they continue to evolve. In a study conducted by Hubspot, 35% of those surveyed said they skim blogs. So why is this important? If your formatting doesn’t make this skimming behavior easy, guess what? Your audience is closing the tab and going to the next article in SERPs. And that’s not good if you want them to stick around and engage. Here are 7 SEO formatting mistakes I see with blogs (with ways to fix them!) 🥱 #1. Lackluster blog titles Your H1 is what grabs your reader's attention to get that click! Don’t make it an afterthought. Include a keyword for optimization stirring some kind of emotion. 📌 #2. Using the bold feature instead of a proper H2 or H3 By bolding a subheading where it should be a proper H2, H3 (or H4), you're missing out on valuable SEO credit. Designate text as headlines in your CMS vs. bolding the copy. 🥴 #3. Not sticking to 55-60 character limits for title tags You don’t want the title of your blog post cut off in a Google search, do you? Then it’s best to focus on keeping it between 55-60 characters. (Wordcounter is a free tool that can help.) 🫣 #4. Ignoring the length of your meta descriptions Like title tags, you should also stick to a character limit with meta descriptions. (155-160) Yes, Google rewrites the majority of meta descriptions, but write them anyway to demonstrate that you understand SEO best practices. 🫢 #5. Forgetting internal links Don’t write a blog post without including links to other great pieces you’ve written or related pages. Your topics should fit within a content pillar with several related articles. So, link to those relevant topics. 🤷 #6. Having unrelated anchor text to internal links When the text is unrelated to your link, it’s completely confusing to the reader (and not helpful for Google) when they click to get more information. Make sure your anchor text reflects keywords that are being used in a related article or page. 🎯 #7. Foregoing a FAQ section The FAQ section at the end of your blog is a great way to amp up your SEO juice. Include relevant questions you couldn’t easily integrate into the main body of your blog post. Do all this, and you’re on your way to making blogs work harder for your website:) 👉 Have you seen other mistakes with blogs? What are they? ________ Hi, if you're new here, it's nice to meet you. I'm Allison 😊 I’m using my 15+ years working for a CPG nutrition company to help other nutrition and wellness businesses increase their leads and revenue through strategic SEO website content and blogs. Thinking of a website launch, refresh, redesign, or wanting to build trust through content? I’m your person:) 👉 Book a 30 minute consult in my featured section, and let's chat.