Blogging SEO – How to write blog posts that rank on Google in 2026

Index

• Introduction to blogging for SEO

• Blogging SEO Tip Number One - Find out what your audience is REALLY looking for

• Blogging SEO Tip Number Two - Think about WHO you want to attract to your blog

• Blogging SEO Tip Number Three - Blog about one thing at a time

• Blogging SEO Tip Number Four - Don’t chase trends if they don’t fit in with what you offer

• Blogging SEO Tip Number Five - Don’t fall into the ‘fluffy clever naming’ trap

• Conclusion

Introduction to blogging for SEO

Blogging SEO is the process of creating and optimising blog content so it can be discovered by search engines such as Google. It includes keyword research, search intent, content structure, user experience, and technical optimisation to help blog posts rank higher and attract relevant visitors.

The problem is, people tend to blog on their business website in a slightly sporadic way. That’s not to say the blog content isn’t good; often, it is, but it’s not written or structured in the right way for search engines.

I mean, you probably have no idea about SEO, right? Why would you? Most business owners are too busy learning about funnels and lead generation so that’s no shade on you. And if we talk about keywords, then I can imagine your eyes glazing over and your mouth drying up at the thought of anything technical.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

We can optimise our content and website for search engines. This SEO can help you get to page one of Google for various search terms.

That’s the difference between writing a blog that you think your audience might like. And writing a blog you intentionally structured and wrote in a way that suits both Google AND your audience to generate leads and sales.

If you want to start to get free leads from Google (which I think is the MOST energy smart way of marketing your business), then all you gotta do is understand what content Google (and your audience) are REALLY looking for so you can create the ultimate collection of blog posts on your specialist subject.

And modern SEO does NOT include stuffing in lots of keywords either. Because now we have AEO - Answer Engine Optimisation. In this new era of AI that makes a difference to how we look at SEO. SEO is still there - we just need to make some additional careful considerations.

That’s where I come in.

None of this over-technical, mystical rubbish about SEO.

Let’s get straight to the facts and talk about how to choose the right content for your blog with my top blogging tips for SEO.

Blogging SEO Tip Number One - Find out what your audience is REALLY looking for (Keyword Resarch)

I say this 100 times a day. Honestly. We can have the best intentions when it comes to blogging for our business. We want to write about the things we find fun. The things we THINK people are interested in.

But there are two things to consider.

1.Consider the words and phrases your audience uses - this is your keyword research

Firstly, how your audience phrases what they’re looking for might be different to how YOU word it. And I say that with certainty. Because words are important (so SO important) when we’re looking at blogging for SEO.

I always used this as an example a few years back when the term ‘reactive dog’ was less known.

In dog training, we call those ‘aggressive, barky and naughty dogs’ reactive. ( I have one – I know it’s a joy!) Reactivity is a phrase we use over and over again in dog training. Because we know your dog isn’t inherently aggressive. They are ‘reacting’ to a situation in an undesirable way.

But if your ideal client doesn’t yet know what a ‘reactive’ dog is, they might be searching for things like:

• Why does my dog bark at other dogs?

• Why does my dog hate people?

• My dog bit me what do I do?

• Is my dog safe with children?

• Is my dog aggressive?

Put yourself in their shoes. Or go back to when you were in their position (as so many of you used to be your ideal client).

What words do they use?

What is the intention of their search? Are they looking for a product, service or a solution?

Use tools like Ubersuggest to find out the exact keywords people are using.

2.Consider the symptoms they’re experiencing

These are the symptoms they are experiencing because of the problem that needs solving. They might not know what the problem is yet. So, think about the things they’re googling at 11pm when they can’t fall asleep because of the symptoms they’re experiencing.

They usually start with phrases like:

• How do I stop…?

• What’s the best way to…?

• What doesn’t… work?

Blogging SEO Tip Number Two - Think about WHO you want to attract to your blog

Another SEO blogging tip for you is to remember that what you DON’T write about in your blog is just as important as what you DO.

Why?

A whole host of reasons. But let’s say you only want people at a particular stage of their journey.

Imagine you’re a business strategist who helps people hit 6 figures a year. That’s your ideal client’s main goal.

So you wouldn’t blog about how to set up your email marketing, because your ideal client has already been there and done that.

Instead, you’d probably blog about:

• where to find gaps in your marketing funnel or

• how to position yourself as a leader in your niche

Those blogs will repel those who aren’t even considering those scenarios yet. Meaning you filter in the right people, at the right stage, looking for EXACTLY the thing you’re offering.

This means that anyone who visits your website it way more likely to convert and isn’t going to think twice about whether or not you’re the right choice for them.

Blogging SEO Tip Number three - Blog about one thing at a time

Generally you blog with one main keyword phrase in mind. And go all in on it. Sometimes we blog about a few different things. But keep it simple for now, keep in mind, one search phrase, one problem.

So let’s use the example ‘Why does my dog bark at other dogs’.

I’ve just checked and it gets 260 searches a month. So it’s a popular search term. Everything you write about in that blog is going to dissect that question into teeny pieces. You are going to write about it until you can write no more!

You’re not going to write about toilet training or getting a new dog. You’re going to speak specifically to the barking struggle.

If you talk about too many subjects in a blog, then it’s not sending strong signals to Google that your blog answers that key search phrase. It becomes weak. You dilute the message. So it’s likely to flop.

The blog might even sound boring to you! Because you know it all. But remember, your audience doesn’t! So spell things out super clearly for them, step by step, and answer the question clearly and succinctly. This is key to SEO.

Eventually you might find your blog coming up for very similar search terms. Here’s an example of a harness fitting blog I created for my client.

Blogging SEO Tip Number Four - Don’t chase trends if they don’t fit in with what you offer

I’ve fallen foul of this myself before. Blogged about something because it was trendy, but actually, it was not my expert subject matter, and it didn’t really make a lot of sense in the overall structure of my website. No SEO considerations.

If you start to go off on a tangent and start blogging about your trip to Alton Towers, or your dog, then you’re going to get the wrong people hitting your website.

You could end up confusing Google and start dropping in rankings on your other search terms, because you’re no longer seen as a content-rich website about one particular subject.

Blogging SEO Tip Number Five - Don’t fall into the ‘fluffy clever naming’ trap

If you have a suite of offers and services you’ve likely given them some very cool names. I see it everywhere. And honestly, it’s very cool I get it. It makes you stand out. But if you talk about that ‘thing’ endlessly on the page and don’t use ‘human speak’ as I call it, Google is going to be very confused about the ACTUAL thing you sell.

I’ll give you an example.

My client has a product called voicebox. He’s a tone of voice expert. He creates brand tone of voice for big clients. This product he’s created has an apt name. It’s totally fitting which his concept. And his sales page was coming up on page one of Google and getting clicks! Amazing right?

Well, it was coming up for search terms like ‘What is a voicebox’ and ‘How does a voicebox work’ and even just… ‘Voicebox’.

So sadly no.Those clicks were actaully harming his SEO becuase Google thought his webiste was about voiceboxes. And also, those people were bouncing straight off after realising they didn’t hit a webiste that told them how a voicebox works.

He was apearing in no mans land for any tone of voice enquiries. And yes, after 7 months work I’m proud to say he even hit position one for ‘tone of voice’. So my work there is done!

But the lesson here is - make sure Google knows in black and white human speak, what you do.

Why Blogging matter MASSIVELY for SEO in 2026

This is where things get interesting. Now that we have:

AI overviews

ChatGPT and other answer engines

We have to think beyond SEO. But SEO remains the foundation. Google needs to source rich content to formulate responses. Answer engines will need to read your website and understand your authority and proof that you’re good at what you do. And that’s far more layered. I’ve written a blog about how to get featured in ChatGPT in more detail. But essentially - if you don’t have SEO as your foundation you’re not getting cited in answer engines.

The next consideration is the way people search in answer engines. We’re looking at much longer keywords. We’re looking at much more comprehensive searching.

People aren’t just looking for ‘An events manager’, they might be looking for ‘An events manager that specialises in inclusivity and neurodivergent individuals’

One of my clients, a barber shop, consistently gets referrals from ChatGPT from people who are searching for inclusive and accessible barbers for autistic and ADHD children. The reasons he comes up so highly recommend is because we talk about this extensively on his homepage and we’ve blogged about it. He also has many reviews talking about it.

What is it that you specialise in that you need to make people more aware of so that you’re coming up high in those recommendations?

What I’ve learned from optimising hundreds of blog posts

I’ve learned that anyone can get a blog post to rank. A lot of clients come to me with pages that are already ranking, they just never knew it.

They tend to be the lower volume searches with less competitors. But it’s not impossible to rank for a higher search term with lots of competitors. W

e built up one of my clients from being absolutely no where in Google to ranking in the top three for a an 1800 a month search term with very little budget. All organically.

One pillar post is worth 10 mediocre blog posts that are never going to get found. Pillar posts about your expert subject matter really do help Google to understand what you’re all about and have a high chance of ranking for something.

Impressions are actually a better consideration than clicks now. We used to concentrate heavily on clicks, and we still do, but with AI overviews and search behaviour as it is - getting impressions is good as it means we’re being seen consistently and building an online presence which hopefully means more chance of being cited in Answer Engines.

Conclusion

Writing blogs with SEO does not come naturally to a lot of people. Honestly, I’m a complete freak of nature that I can sit at a computer and happily tap out a couple of thousand words at a moment's notice.

So when you DO write I’d love you to write with more strategy and intention. If you’re gunna do it, let’s do it right, right?!

Want to do blogging for SEO? I’ve got the perfect free resources over here that will help you!

You can also check out my range of free downloads here.

FAQs

How do I choose the right content for my blog?

Start by understanding what your audience is actually searching for – not just what you want to write about. Look at the words they use, the questions they ask, and the problems they’re trying to solve. Your content should directly answer those.

Should I write blog content based on what I enjoy? Like the things I’m up to?

Always prioritise what your audience is searching for. Writing only what you enjoy can miss the mark if it doesn’t match real search intent. But that isn’t to say you CANT post about what you’re up to. But there are other ways to do that.

How do I find out what my audience is searching for?

Think about:

• The exact phrases they’d type into Google (you can find out for sure using software like Ubersuggest)

• The questions they ask late at night when they’re stuck

• The problems they’re trying to fix

You can also use tools like Google autocomplete, “People Also Ask,” and other keyword tools to confirm your ideas.

Should my blog target beginners or advanced clients?

That depends on who YOU want to attract. Your blog content should be intentional – writing for the wrong level can bring in the wrong audience and you don’t want that either! It will end in frusutrating discovery calls and wondering why you’re attracting the wring fit people. What you don’t write about is just as important as what you do. Skipping misaligned topics helps filter out the wrong audience and keeps your content focused.

What kind of questions make good blog topics?

Great blog topics usually start with:

• “How do I…?”

• “Why does…?”

• “What is the best way to…?”

• “What should I do if…?”

These reflect real search behaviour and are perfect for SEO and AEO.

Can blogging with SEO really generate leads for my business?

Yes! I always find this the hardest part to convince people. When your content matches what people are searching for, it can bring in consistent, organic traffic and convert people into leads over time. It also generates a huge amount of trust. I expect you’re reading this thinking ‘okay, she really knows a thing or two about SEO’. How can you do the same for your audience?

How do I know if a blog idea is worth writing?

Ask yourself:

• Is someone actively searching for this?

• Does it solve a real problem?

• Does it align with my services?

If the answer is yes to all three – you’re onto a winner.

What’s the biggest mistake people make with blog content?

Writing based on assumptions instead of actual search behaviour. This leads to content that feels good to write… but doesn’t get found.

How long should a blog be for SEO

Blog length is not as important as quality. So long as you can confidently answer the question or cover the topic in enough detail for your audience and for Google to understand your content you’re good. There is not an optimum length - although for years the top blog posts were pretty big.

I never blog under 800 words and my blogs usually end up in the 1500 word range once I’ve added FAQs.

Can AI written blogs get ranked in Google?

This is a tricky one as techincally yes they can - but withouth a human eye over it it’s not going to have your personal experience and tone of voice. We’re not quite there yet (and I’ve tested a few) so I beleive it’s alaways best to write them yourself as Google values unique content.

How long does it take for a blog to rank in Google?

It can take days or months. It really does vary. You can speed up the process by submitting your page in the Google Search Console and ask Google to crawl the page rather than wait for Google to find it.