Learn how to make money blogging and writing high-quality articles.

Did you know brands that consistently publish high-quality SEO blog articles generate 67% more new leads than those that don’t?¹

When done right, blogging is still one of the most effective ways to grow your online presence, increase your organic traffic, and solidify your authority with your audience (yes, even in 2023!).

Whether you want to learn how to write a blog for your own brand or how to make money blogging for clients, you’re in the right place.

As a freelance copywriter who’s been working with clients for over a decade, I know first-hand how impactful a blog is for a brand. I’ve helped many of my clients rise to the top of their industries and become household names through thoughtful SEO blogging.

Plus, I’ve taught thousands of students how to start a lucrative copywriting career by writing blogs for clients. Do you want to be next?

This article will walk you through the benefits of blog writing, how to write a blog, and how to get paid to write high-quality articles. ✍️

Why Is Blog Writing Important?

Is it still worth learning how to write a blog in 2022-2023? The short answer is yes.

Blogging started in the mid-90s and quickly grew in popularity from there. At first, blogs were personal accounts that people used to share their stories and thoughts.²

But blogging has since turned into much more than a simple way to share ideas. A search-engine-optimized blog is a revenue driver for your – or your clients’ – brands.

Here are four of the many benefits of blogging:

1. Generate Organic Traffic. 

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is how you help your content show up in search engines like Google. The goal is for your blog to appear when your ideal audience searches the topic online.

From there, the audience clicks on your blog, which takes them to your website. This increases your site traffic – boosting your SEO and engagement with your brand.

This shows how an SEO blog has the power to generate organic traffic and new leads to your brand. It captures a reader who’s unaware of you, drives them to your site, and compels them to work with you.

2. Results Build Over Time.

SEO blogging compounds over time and creates long-term results for your brand. An article you write once could generate hundreds of site visitors every month.

The more leads that find you organically each month, the less time you need to spend on lead generation. This saves you time while increasing your brand awareness and customer base.

If you start blogging consistently with SEO, you should begin to see your organic traffic increase in about three months – and continue to build from there.

3. Build Trust and Authority.

A high-quality blog grows your authority in a few different ways. Imagine an ideal client Googles you when considering whether to work with you. If you publish helpful content, readers see you as an expert and may be more likely to want to work together.

A blog article is also helpful content you can share with your existing email list and audience. This shows that you’re continually providing value to them.

Lastly, writing thought-leadership articles can solidify you as an authority among your peers in the industry. Your peers may start to quote you and refer to your articles, bringing traffic and leads to your site.

4. Repurpose Your Content.

You can treat each blog article you write as a content pillar that drives your content ideas across channels. This gives your content a solid direction each month.

For example, let’s say that you write for a holistic life coach. One month’s content pillar could be around “how to reset your wellness routine.” The article could give an overview of all the different areas, like meditation and movement.

Then, each of these sections could expand in short-form content, like email or social media captions. This prevents you from scrambling to find ideas to talk about whenever you want to post something on social media or send a note to your list.

Many brands either don’t know the power of SEO blogging or don’t know how to do it successfully. Using SEO gives you a leg up over competitors who aren’t doing so.

Although other channels like social media marketing are rising in popularity, SEO still delivers one of the highest returns on investment.

Google’s total search volume grows 10-15% a year. If you learn how to write a blog using SEO, you successfully set your brand apart.³

How Blog Writing Fits Into Your Content Marketing Strategy

When creating your blog strategy, you want to consider the customer journey. How does the blog move the customer through the process of deciding to work with you?

A blog is unique because it serves multiple jobs within your marketing funnel. It attracts new audiences, builds trust with your existing audience, and compels them to take action.

Here are some of the benefits you’ll reap with blog writing.

• Attract new readers. The purpose of an SEO blog is to capture readers with high-quality content and drive them back to your website. This makes potential leads aware of your brand.
  
  
• Nurture your audience. Blog writing is an excellent way to connect with your existing subscribers by providing them with value. Remember to email your audience when you publish a new blog. This builds trust and drives them back to the site, which helps with SEO.
  
  
• Convert into action. Always include a call to action (CTA) in your blog – such as booking an appointment or purchasing a product. It’s effective to position the CTA as the solution to the problem you covered in the blog.
  
  

One effective strategy is to use your blog to compel your readers to sign up for your email list.

The blog would attract new readers through SEO and drive them to your email list. Then, you’d continue the conversation over email and compel them to purchase products down the line.

How to Write a Blog Article (Blog Writing Tips From a Copywriter)

Tired of staring at the blank page? Writing a blog may feel daunting when you don’t know where to start or what to include. I recommend you break down the process into three steps to make the whole process more digestible.

Here are the three phases of the blog writing process: 

1. Research and Outline
2. Write Your First Draft
3. Edit and Publish
   
   

Let’s dive into each one!

1. Research and Outline

Before you start writing, outline your exact goals, who you’re writing to, and the research you’re going to include. If you put intentional effort into your outline process, the blog starts to write itself.

• Audience Research. Effective blog writing relates to your audience’s pain points and offers a solution to their problem. The more personal and specific you get, the more impactful the blog is.
  
  So, take a moment to define your audience and how to empathize with them.
  
  
  • Who is your audience?
  • What are their beliefs?
  • What are their pain points?
  • What problems does your product or offer solve?
    
    

Once you’ve identified your general audience, think of ONE person that represents your audience group. Learn how to write a blog as though you’re speaking directly to that one person through a one-on-one conversation.

• SEO Research. Your blog writing efforts are dramatically more impactful when you incorporate SEO into your process. SEO increases the likelihood that your audience finds your blog articles in organic search.
  
  Here are a few SEO blogging tips to get you started:
  
  
  • Identify SEO Keywords. What keywords or phrases would your ideal audience type into Google if they were looking for a brand like yours? Your website should target the keywords that describe your services.
    
    Blog articles are a unique opportunity to answer the questions your audience is already searching. Write articles on topics like these to get the audience’s attention, and then communicate how your brand solves the problem/question.
    
    
  • Study Front-Page Results. Take a look at the top 5 results for the keyword you want your blog article to rank for. What are they doing well? Are there any information gaps your article could address?
    
    Your goal is to learn how to write a blog that offers a new perspective or additional information instead of simply regurgitating what’s already online. Prioritize genuine value and quality to make the biggest impact on SEO.
    

SEO research is also one of the best ways to get ideas for what to write about in your article. Outline your piece with the questions your audience searches about the topic.

Now that you have your research, it’s time to put together your outline. Here’s a proven blog outline template to steal for a short-form blog post (1,500 words):

• Introduction. A brief paragraph that hooks the reader, introduces the subject of the blog, and tells them what to expect in the article.
  
  

• Background/Problem/Context. The first paragraph is a solid place to give your reader background on the subject you’re talking about. This could be where you give your reader context that’s essential to know.
  
  
• Solution Section. After explaining the problem, dedicate a section to the helpful solutions you’re offering. This section is the most robust part of your blog and usually includes a bulleted list with multiple solutions.
  
  
• Conclusion/CTA. At the end of your blog, state how your offer is another solution to the problem they’re having. Build the value around the solution you’re offering and compel them to take action.
  
  

This outline offers a standard approach to solving a problem or answer a question for your audience. If you follow this structure, you’ll be able to write a 1,500-word blog article quickly.

As you outline your blog, include ideas, quotes, and research that you plan to have in each section. Planning each section ahead helps you stay focused on writing instead of going back and forth to find research.

Minimizing disruptions as you write helps you get into the flow state and finish your work faster.

2. Write Your First Draft

I’m going to let you in on a writer’s secret to change your perspective on writing…

The first draft is supposed to be bad. The magic is in the editing process. Almost every successful writer writes an ugly first draft – even Stephen King!⁴

We tend to put pressure on ourselves to write every idea perfectly. But perfection is impossible, so this idea quickly leads to procrastination or not starting at all.

It’s actually an important part of the process to get your messy, unformed, creative ideas on the page. You come back and form them in the editing process.

Here are blog writing tips to help you get started writing:

• Use simple language. Unlike academic writing, the best copy is casual, simple, and easy to understand. Write as though you’re having a conversation with your reader. I even use a voice typing tool that dictates my copy as I speak out loud to sound natural.
  
  
• Connect with your reader. A blog usually addresses a challenge by answering a question or solving a problem. Connect with your reader by speaking directly to them and empathizing with the challenge they’re facing.
  
  
• Keep it brief. You want to keep your sentences succinct and punchy to keep your reader engaged. A couple of ways to keep your sentences brief and straightforward is by using the active voice and addressing the reader as “you.”
  
  

• Paint a picture. Use descriptive language that helps the reader visualize your point. For example, instead of saying, “I was nervous for the call,” you could say, “palms sweating, heart pounding… I slowly reached for the phone.”
  
  

At this point, you’re still writing your messy first draft. Get creative, throw ideas on the page, and let yourself free-write. In this phase, minimize your distractions and focus on writing to cultivate a flow state.

You’re going to clean everything up in the next section. The more ideas you have written on the page, the easier the editing process becomes. 🧠

3. Edit and Publish

I always tell my copywriting students that you’re writing for three people: the skimmer, the digger, and Google (or other search engines).

Keep these three audiences in mind as you edit during blog writing:

• The skimmer is the person that doesn’t have time to read every line in detail. That’s why it’s important to format your blog in a way that’s easy to skim and still come away with the key benefits of the piece. So, use easy-to-read formatting, like bulleted lists, italics, and bolding lines that are crucial.
  
  
• The digger is the person who’s going to read your piece in-depth, line by line. This is why it’s vital to focus on high-quality writing and information that keeps the reader on the page and provides value, which also benefits SEO.
  
  

• Search engines are sites like Google and Yahoo. These platforms send bots to your site to read and index your content. So, include keywords throughout your piece and within your backend SEO. Be sure to include keywords in places like your meta descriptions, URLs, and page titles.
  
  

Pro tip: if you’re a copywriter, list the keywords you used at the top of the doc you deliver to your client. Describing where to input the SEO in the backend is a simple way to go the extra mile and make implementation easy on them. Plus it shows your credibility, knowledge, and professionality, making it easy for them to refer you to others.

The editing phase is where your piece starts to form and come together. I recommend budgeting time between your drafting and editing phases. Step away from the blog and come back with a fresh perspective and new ideas.

Blog Writing Tools

Here are my favorite tools to help when you’re learning how to write a blog. Keep this list in your back pocket for the next time you write a blog article.

• Ubersuggest – SEO strategy and keyword research.
• Buzzsumo – Research popular articles on topics in your industry.
• Hemingway.app – Editing tool to make sure your writing is concise and easy to read.
• Coschedule – Site that helps you write winning headlines (aim for a 70 or above!)

How to Make Money Blogging for Clients

Blog writing is a marketing engine that generates new leads, builds trust with the audience, and grows organic authority over time.

All brands benefit from a blog. The problem is the blog writing process is time-consuming.

Many brands may want to blog but simply don’t have time to dedicate to researching, writing, editing, and publishing a blog. As a blog writer, that’s where you come in.

Here are three steps to take to get paid to write a blog:

1. Practice writing blogs. After reading this article, you know exactly how to write a blog. Choose a few subjects that interest you and practice writing blogs.
   
   You don’t need a degree or prior experience to become a blog writer. But you do need a few high-quality, relevant writing samples to show to potential clients.
   
   
2. Self-publish a portfolio piece. Think about one industry or niche that interests you that you’d want to write blogs for. Choose a relevant topic in that industry and write a portfolio piece. This shows clients that you have knowledge in their field.
   
   

Want your portfolio to look professional? Self-publish a blog on Medium.com and link out to the article from your website for a clean look.

3. Pitch clients on freelance blog writing. Find a few clients you may want to write for, and audit their website using a tool like Ubersuggest. How is their organic traffic?
   
   Chances are, they would benefit from SEO blogs that boost their website authority, ranking, and traffic. Send the brand owner a personalized cold email describing their site audit and your blog recommendations.
   
   

You may need to send at least 50 pitches before you start hearing back from brands. Gradually, you’ll start getting interested leads and eventually paying clients.

Use the first section of this blog article to explain to your potential clients why blog writing is still relevant and valuable, especially in 2023.

High-quality blog writing is a foundational copywriting skill that leads to other opportunities. Thousands of my students have started their freelance copywriting careers by blog writing for their clients. Then, you can pitch other types of copy and expand into new areas.

How to Get Paid to Write a Blog (And Other Types of Copy)

Want to learn how to make money blogging and writing other types of content for clients?

Freelance copywriting, including blog writing, is a lucrative and highly in-demand skill. If you want to become your own boss, earn more money, and get paid to write – this could be the career for you. 🎉

My signature copywriting course, Write Your Way to Freedom, teaches blog writing as the entryway to a successful freelance copywriting career.

Inside the program, you learn…

• Fundamental copywriting skills and techniques. Get in-depth training in copywriting – from persuasive techniques to copywriting style.
  
  
• How to write types of copy. Learn step-by-step how to write a blog and other types of copy – like landing pages, email sequences, product descriptions, and so much more.
  
  
• How to pitch and land copywriting clients. Multiple modules are dedicated to learning how to find and land clients through different strategies like cold email.
  
  

Get everything you need to learn how to write a blog and create a lucrative freelance writing career in one comprehensive course and support system.

Apply for a strategy session with one of our amazing team members to see if Write Your Way to Freedom is right for you!

Resources

1. Bonsai
2. Notre Dame
3. Fit Small Business
4. Stephen King, On Writing