The Perfect Post
My golden rules for writing the Perfect Post are:
- Keep it as short as possible
- Use white space and bullet points
- Always include a graphic!
And I should mention the platinum rules too – Start and end with the keyword/keyphrase; and don’t forget the anchor text links!
- KISS! (Keep it Simple Sir)
You want to strike the happy balance between covering all the bases and saying too much. The net has conditioned us to speed read, and scan pages to quickly pick out the ‘meaty bits’. If your readers can’t do this they will mostly just click away and go and find a site that offers these features.
- Only NERDS and NOOBS use Dark Backgrounds
Bullet Points and white space are really important for scanning the page to quickly get to the info we are looking for. Small chunks of text, with easily understood headings are essential for fast surfing. If you capture the readers interest in those first 12 seconds, they will surely read on and get to the rest of your site; but NOT if they get bored with big slabs of type. Always use easily read type, like Arial, and NEVER use dark backgrounds.
- Get Traffic From Pic’s
The whole Web is a graphic experience, and for this reason I always use a graphic. We home in on the pictures when we are scanning, so try to make the picture as relevant as you can. Google sends me lots of traffic from my pics too! Make sure that the header immediately above the pic, the jpg name, the pic title and the ALT text ALL USE THE SAME KEYWORDS, to get Google listings for it.
- Keywords and Links and Tags
Build in your keywords like this. If your post is about “the Perfect Post”, then use that phrase in the title, again in BOLD or EM in the first sentence, and again in the last paragraph. Be sure to link to a keyword on one of your internal SEO pages, one that will reinforce the message, and to your site theme keywords too. I see lots of my traffic searches coming from tags, sometimes more than come from the regular listings, so DO NOT forget to use tags. I include six to ten if I can.
- Proof of this “Perfect Post”
as the screenshot shows – the keyphrase “write the Perfect Post” shows up as number 1 out of 74,000,000 SERPs only an hour after being posted! Use these simple rules and you too will soon be writing the Perfect Post!
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Hey Rhys!
Congratulations, that is totally amazing!
Number one out of 74 MILLION! – Go for it – Fred
Reply to FredPlease Check My Error Of The site
Reply to Packers and Movers Noida@P&M
Get real! What error??
– Rhys
Reply to RhysI am not sure about the “Dark theme = Nerds” part, but the rest of your pointers are some of the rules I implement in my blog as well. Thanks for this great post =)
Reply to MJ@MJ
There a couple of readable combinations of light on dark, but most of them are much harder to read, and some are downright painful. Google for “Readability Dark Background”
One of the most relaxing combos is dark/black on pastels.
– Rhys
Reply to RhysI would say borin person uses dark background on their blog. I love the KISS thingy (keep is simple sir !)
Reply to Nasif.-= Nasif´s last blog ..Blog Blazers Ebook Giveaway Contest =-.
you are a solid proof there, i would definitely follow the nice advice, thanks for the amazing post
Reply to niamSome good points here. I recently redesigned the site to use less black and dark colors after my designer reviewed it – so you could be right.
Reply to TradePlacerI agree with you on every point but the tags. I don’t see these very useful, a much better functions with be “relevant posts” lists. Faster and more accurate, tags tend to be just 1-2 posts in every tag.
Other then that, great post & list!
Reply to Kim@Kim
Not sure if I understand your point, but my point is that I see lots of extra SERPs for every tag I add, and this means that I can sometimes have 5 of 6 of the top 10 listings, and all for the same actual post/keyword. I think this is pure magic, and it surely is adding ‘juice’ to each keyword!
Google for “Write the Perfect Post” (quoted!) and expand the PLUS sign on the second listing, and you will find that the top seven listings are all mine, and that three of the seven are pointed to tags!
– Rhys
Reply to RhysI never thought that having a graphic was so important. But now that you point it out I can see how crucial it is. And I realize that so many of the blog posts I find ranking highly in searches actually have this element in them.
The point by point format is also a good tactic, especially to get social bookmarking traffic. So many of the stories on Digg and similar sites use this method.
Reply to Matt.-= Matt´s last blog ..Online scammers getting more inventive =-.
keeping it simple is defintely something that we’re all guilty of forgetting every once in a while- especially if we are experts in our field. But if you make it simple enough
Reply to conference venue searchI like you “Keep it short” therory. So many bloggers think if they say alot then they look smarter. This is not true! And Graphics are a nice visual aid as well.
Good Post!
Ira “Keep It Simple” Mann
Reply to Ira MannExcellent advice, especially about the dark backgrounds! I hate it when I cannot even read the text, so discouraing!
Reply to Gerrit at Value SlimI think that graphic is important in the posts, because we see it first, earlier than we read the whole post. It can encourage if is related to the post, but otherwise discourage if is not. However I have to say that your tips pointed in this post are pretty simple but I would never conceive the idea of doing this that way. Good stuff.
Reply to Gry dla dzieciReally interessting! I’ve read a lot of rules that may be usefull, but I’ve never found a writting so clear like yours. I wonder if you are able to explain golg rules that may be usefull in public talks, as well. Thank you!
Reply to Laia from BriefgoldHi Laia!
Use the same theory, but tranlate it to audio from visual. E.G. In place of the graphic, you might tell a relevant joke, and so on. You can’t do much better than take the advice of the old hill-billy who said; “First I tells ‘em what I’m goin’ to tell ‘em, then I tells ‘em what I’m tellin’ ‘em, then I tells ‘em what I told ‘em!” – Translated to: Use the keyword in the Header, then again in BOLD in the first paragraph, and again in the conclusion.
If you really want to read my golden rules for speaking, you can find them here.
– Rhys
Reply to Rhysgreat! you prove what you writen but i don’t understand one thing, the tags contain few keywords. how it can help our ranking?
Reply to article directoryHi Article D
To me, it is because using tags gives me extra SERPs that I would not usually get. When I study my stats I see that quite often there are tagged page results with higher views than for the intended keywords. I see this as free extra traffic, all it costs is maybe 40 seconds to paste in a few tags after writing the post. Search traffic is good traffic, and you can not have ‘too much’!
– Rhys
Reply to RhysI tend to get a little wordy. I am still working on keeping it short and simple. I have never heard of the KISS saying before. I am really going to keep saying that over and over every time I write a response. I never use dark backgrounds. That is something I do not have to change. You have been a big help.
Reply to Macynice tips i love to see the emoticons in the post with every feelings in the post
Reply to midtown new york city hotelThanks for the advises, especially the ones about how to use keywords in the post and in the links of my blogs , I will certainly use all these tips in my next posts on my blog…
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Brilliant post. You are right the most effective content writing it simple and easy to read. No fancy fonts, no fancy backgrounds or animated buttons.
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Hi Neil -
Thanks for the vote. I have been using this style for most of my posts, and it is evident from the comments that readers are ‘getting the point’ of what I write.
– Rhys
Reply to Rhysusing bullets can catch the eyes of the targeted audience..it a good practice to use bullets in the post..
Reply to guarantor definitionNo offence, and there are some really great pointers in here which I have implemented in my blog – but your own blog is a little uh, aesthetically displeasing..no?
Reply to Reg from Postal Gold.-= Reg from Postal Gold´s last blog ..Purchasing gold =-.
Gidday Reg!
You would be one very cheeky monkey. Your site is the bog-standard WordPress theme which a lot of webmasters actually class as ‘ugly’ (Google for ugly WordPress theme) – and you have the gall to class my humble effort as “aesthetically dis-pleasing”.
Actually this is totally subjective, and as such is ALL to do with personal taste. However, if anybody agrees with Reg and can point out any places I am breaking the accepted style rules, I would be really grateful to have the ‘dis-pleasing’ bits pointed out to me.
– Rhys
Reply to RhysI am fairly new to the business on the internet. First of all, I like your saying, “keep it simple sir”. I have heard it before, but as, “keep it simple stupid”. I like yours better with “sir”. Second, I have found that a link is not just a link. You need to have good quality links. Some links count for more than others. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Reply to KimIs including graphic so necessary? I don’t think so. I agree with the other tips anyway
Reply to odchudzanie poznan@Slimming Poznam -
I believe the graphic is vital – IF you want repeat readers, and satisfied visitors!
– Rhys
Reply to RhysMy husband said, “you really know your stuff”. Everytime I ask him a question, he tells me to go and look you up. I have learned alot from your posts. Thanks for teaching me.
Reply to Kay@Kay!
– Rhys
Reply to RhysWell, Gosh, Wow, Golly, and My Word!! I thank you lovely Lady for the kind words.
images attract good traffic and it also describes about the post or the web…
Reply to led light bulbsI must tell you some blogs are so lengthy and sometimes the outlook is also bad. When we write the blog the first thing is caption it should attract the readers..
Reply to gymnastic ringsPerfect post! thanks! good information!
Reply to kyoksGood tips…..especially about the images and anchor text.
I probably get 5-6 search engine finds a day from Google images, which in a highly competitive keyword is worth about 50 bucks a day in AdWords dollars…..
Anchor Text….no explanation needed!
Reply to Mike @ cheap term life insuranceMike @ cheap term life insurance´s last [type] ..Diabetes Insurance Underwriting for Life Products
I think you have to be yourself. You need to speak like you are talking to one person. I will use some of your tips as well.
Reply to Betty @ thermal coffee makerA good reminder of how to write good blog articles – thank you for the tips
Reply to BowravenIs there any other reason why you shouldn’t use dark backgrounds? If you can get more detailed about why you shouldn’t use dark backgrounds I would appreciate it. But what if the dark design fits your product. Thanks for the help.
Reply to James@Orange County Web DesignJames@Orange County Web Design´s last [type] ..Orange County Web Design Offers
“Small chunks of text, with easily understood headings are essential for fast surfing” – true enough!
Reply to AnnHi Rhys,
Congratulation. Your post is still rank no 2 on Google for the keyword “write the perfect post” as at today. KISS approach is the best.
Cheers.
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This is a very informative post for all..Always remember that in posting article for a blog or website you should try to impress your readers. This should be your number one goal. Take that extra mile to make sure that you’ll be able to make your readers happy. Don’t worry as you don’t need do to anything that is extra ordinary to make this happen. Just address their learning needs, make them smile occasionally, and make your blog posts easy to understand.
Reply to Virginia DUI LawyerThank You for this idea I’ve learned something.
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This is the way everyone should do it, but they would rather complicate things. People do not feel like they are doing the right thing unless they are doing the wrong things. I agree with your article.
Reply to JeffI really like this post. Although I also am not sure about the dark is for nerds part either… Even though my site does not have a dark background i’ve always found those sorts of blogs quite mysterious and somewhat appealing. Maybe thats just me. Nicely layed out though and I think many people will benefit from this for sure!
Reply to AmyWow those are some excellent tips, I always bold my keywords in the post and also use H1 and H@ tags when needed. I think its very important to have a highly optimized post to get a good rank in the Search Engines
Reply to SQL TrainingI think using a simple language for our posts is one of the most important thing and then SEO wise there is keyword density, keyword highlighting, image alt text etc. Great tips. Thanks
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Posting blog is one of the best way to uplift and endorse the idea you want to share for all. Another, making links into your personal websites are available. Blog posting become amazing and creative depend on the style you put in. remember that the more your blog become creative not just the outlook but also the content the more your blog becomes popular.
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Amazing! Only an hour after publishing the post? I’m quite impressed. My previous goal for my blog was to update it often. But I guess its not enough, I do need to optimize each post I make. Thanks to your advice, I’ll try to follow your 3 rules.
Reply to Jovit @ Sytek MN DirectoryConsistent content
All the tips are superb but I think one of the most important things bloggers miss – tightly focused content.
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Hi Alex!
Great to have you appear on my Blog. I always enjoyed your writing too.
– Rhys
Reply to RhysYour post really resemble to what you define as perfect post.. I love the way you present it. It is brief yet concise and the words are easy to understand. I must learn to practice doing such…
Reply to celine@harley davidson handlebarsThis is some of the most sound advice that I have heard. It is real and to the point. I will have to incorperate this into my emails. Thanks alot.
Reply to MathewDo you choose the keywords before title of the post? Or you first write the article and then try to promote it?
That’s a key action that should be mentioned.
Reply to Web design Pitesti@WdP -
None of the above, I usually write about a SUBJECT that complements the whole blog (relevance!); and then the title always features the prime long-tailed keyword. A variation on the above is when you write a post to strengthen or add to a particular keyword as part of your “Keyword Coherence” strategy.
Reply to Rhysfor the perfect post there are various thing which are mentioned above…
Reply to false alarmsIts gave me some information how to write a perfect post and its useful to me thanks! your article is great add some more.
Reply to jp@harley handlersYou are referring to the dark background in the content of the blog, right? Because you have a dark background on the outer part of your site.
Great strategy, by the way.
Reply to Jay @ Alaska Yellow Pages@Jay –
Right – Remember the original computer screens with white text on a black ground – Uuuugh! Then they tried green text on black, but the whole world very quickly changed to the opposite display as soon as it was invented – probably because it appears to the brain the same as all the other paper based visuals.
– Rhys
Reply to RhysOh yeah. So that’s why you said its for nerds and noobs. lol But yeah the appearance of your blog is quite important. Readers should have be comfortable reading your posts. Otherwise, they won’t read it no matter how good and informative your topic is.
Reply to Jay @ Alaska Yellow PagesI really considered these tips as useful for me because I always write articles and posted to my personal blog. Yes, it is really important to have a graphics to make your posts more attractive and that users will be encourage to read if they have seen a beautiful graphics that represent your article. Thanks again!
Reply to San Francisco DUI LawyerThese are great tips on how to write perfect blog posts. Using pictures regularly is a great tip. To always use easy read type style, like Arial, is another great tip.
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Nice blog. Since the start of the SEO trend keywords, anchor links/texts, pics and alts became an important factor in the net.. It will make your blog go in a higher position in search engines but mainly google.
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Great article. So many businesses forget that the overall objective of the website is to make more money. Thanks for sharing your information.
Reply to SEO SeattleThis post will perfectly help me in writing my posts. I’ll make sure to bear all of these in mind. And you have a perfect proof that you mean what you talk about. thanks.
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Ya I try and include a picture related to the post. It makes it appealing and more professional in my opinion. Your blog posts look professional and nice.
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I would not have though that. I thought when writing a post you need to make it as long as possible. Well, near the 500 mark. I thought people would be looking for as much information as possible? Obv I do not just mean just drag 1 paragraph to 3 but yeah lol. Pictures are always good.
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Here it is: the recipe of a perfectly optimized post)) As I can see, that`s much more complicated that “simple” writing. Will implement your tips on my blog and see what happens. Thanks for you tips!
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I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. Especially the graphic part. I have found that a nice graphic at the very top of the post and or web page will keep a reader reading. Fastest way to send a visitor packing is have a wall of text. On lengthy posts and or pages, try using multiple graphics.
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It’s true, everything you mentioned in your article. I have been applying most of the points you made here on my own articles, especially about keeping it simple. You explained them concisely and presented them well. Thanks for posting this! Great article!
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Been posting for blogs for quite a long time and haven’t got any format being followed whenever I make one. And with the pictures I used for my post, I make sure that it really gives a picture of what my topic is all about.
Anna..
Reply to Foto LienzoTo write a perfect post. first we all need to read the full details about the product. only then after we can suggest a perfect post for our product. second thing always try to explain all the matter in a simple and short form. Third thing always use image and other icon for the product. If necessary try to use a suitable Keywords for your product.
Reply to HTC Desire AccessoriesAlways check the status pf your product time by time to know the current improvement of your Keyword.
Nice post! well as an online writer I think I will keep this in mind.In addition I always exercise: Write in a concise manner but in a complete thought. Just write down some important details of your story not all, because sometimes readers may find it boring. This is just a piece of advice “use the pattern of inverted pyramid, it will help you to have a short and complete complete write ups.
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When blogs and other social media became a hit in this era of communication, the so-called idea of a “perfect post” was somehow lost. This may be because this technology enables everybody and anybody to post their ideas. I think, its not the perfect post that matters now, it’s the idea of “getting attention” from other bloggers nowadays. The idea that, the more people will see, the more your site become popular, the more it is being talked about.
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I think the three golden rule you follow, are the best rule for perfect posting. It’s so important the you put bullet points and white spaces for all the salient points you want to highlight in your post. The graphic serves as the appetizer to make viewers delighted in reading your post. But make it sure that its should be shorter if possible so that viewers wont get bored reading.
Reply to san diego dui lawyersI will certainly take note of this post. I have already learned a couple of these tricks just by playing around with my own WordPress sites.
I use a popular wordpress plugn all in one seo. That has done wonders for my SEO and post rankings.
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Very helpful post. It is important to always keep our post simple but with sense. Graphics should be related to the topic and the overall appearance should be pleasing to the eyes. For me, background should always depend to the post because some posts that have dark background are nice.
Reply to Chicago Wedding PhotographerМаny good points here.
Reply to SenyaI recently redesigned the site to use less dark and black colors after my designer reviewed it – so you could be right.
Yes, you’re right here. I usually don’t mind the design of my post. But I realize that it is a very important thing in making my post. I believe that you strong point here is to make the post content more emphasized so that it will easily be recognized.
Reply to fat loss PittsburghThanks for sharing. Yes, I agree with you. Designing your post is very important since it would bring effect to your content. Simple but clear post would is really an advantage. Readers are mostly interested with the information that they can easily capture and remains in their mind. Emphasising the keyword would also help.
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Yes, I agree with you here. I always encounter posts that are overcrowded, too small text fonts and some have dark backgrounds. And sometimes the texts can’t be read because they’re both dark as the background. I think it is still okay to have dark background as long as the texts are emphasized or should I say, if the background is black, then make the color of the text white or any light colored texts. I like your point here which is “KISS”. I always forgot to do this with my post. I’m glad you shared this very helpful tips.
Reply to heating contractor pittsburghYou got good ideas here! Keeping it simple is always my neglected thing to do with my post. I’m not aware of these and I never do this to all my post. Now, its already clear for me on how important is the correct way of designing my own post. I will start to work on it for a perfect one. Thanks!
Reply to restaurant bar stoolsIf you’d like your posts to become the most sought-after articles or if you would like your visitors to distribute your articles to their friends, you have to make sure that those articles are interesting enough to catch the their attention.
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I’ve always had it in my head that there’s no such thing as the “perfect post.” If I allow myself to think the contrary, I would drive myself crazy constantly going back to fine-tune my previous articles…
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