Discover how Fred Sirieix can help you create the ideal blog writing structure to ensure you go above and beyond the words on the page to satisfy your reader.
Anyone familiar with Chanel 4’s ‘First Dates’ will know Fred Sirieix makes a brilliant Maître D'. Beyond his charm, style, and sophistication, he’s gifted in his role because he does one essential thing exceptionally well.
Yes. Despite the man’s fame, appeal and prowess, he always turns his attention to the guests, emphasising the romance in the room while making them feel special in his intimate level of service.
"Ooh, la la."
In turn, we follow his lead, and the journey to warm, fuzzy television viewing begins.
Believe it or not, blog writing is similar.
While it seems only to contain the nourishment of content, it’s still a service with a smile, where (like Fred) the writer must focus on the only person on the page.
The reader.
So, whether you’re a copywriter looking to brush up on your skills or a business owner interested in blog writing services, discover why writing the perfect blog is like delivering the best dining experience.
Excellent first dates require good first impressions
Before we begin to dish up our three-course culinary delight, we must remember there’s more to a memorable dining experience than the taste and presentation of the food.
After all, what’s the point of spending valuable time writing the perfect blog when we haven’t dedicated any effort to enticing our readers through the door?
Yes, first impressions are integral in blog writing, especially when 60% of readers don’t venture past the first line!
So, if you want more than just a peek through the window, ensure you get that welcome right, or they’ll walk right past your door.
And here’s how:
Be SEO location-specific
Imagine your reader scrolling through Google in search of information, just like your patron strolling the streets in search of some food. Essentially, both want the best place to get what they need.
Now, to even be in the reckoning of receiving hungry readers, you should see if your restaurant is in the online search vicinity.
Hello SEO.
By optimising your blog with keywords relevant to your reader’s search, you can count on having a chance of being found online and included in searches.
On the other hand, imagine being tucked away down some back alley at the wrong end of town. That's no way of filing hungry patrons through your restaurant doors. And the same goes for search results, with only 0.63% of 4 million Google searches going past page 2.
So, you had better hope your restaurant is on the high street!
Remember, first things first, before you get cooking up some content, dedicate some time to your SEO blog writing services to engage more readers.
The welcome header
With some fresh footfall outside, time to engage your reader to enter and see what you offer.
Enter the header.
Look at it this way. An enticing header on your website or meta title/description on Google searches will appear like that exciting restaurant through the window with lots of happy people inside having the time of their lives.
On the other hand, a boring header will look like an empty place with cobwebs on the ceiling and dust on the tables. There’s only one place most people will choose to enter.
OK, now the reader has just walked through the doors of your restaurant, and the first thing to do is make them feel special.
Just like when the nervous first dates walk in, we see Fred greet them all French, friendly and fun. The same rules apply to your header.
And this is the hard bit. Condensing your subject and applying your keyword in one enticing H1 between eight to 12 words is no easy feat.
Because your header is so vital, we recommend spending as much time on it till you get it right. As we’ve discussed, it’s what gets your readers through the doors and sat down ready to order.
The three-course structure of blog writing
- First course: The appetiser intro
After a warm welcome, your reader is sat, skimming through the wine menu and aperitifs. Remember, you’ve worked hard to be in this position with that header effort and SEO strategy.
But there’s a long way to go yet, so stay focused.
The intro of your blog is arguably just as crucial as your header. Like a starter in a restaurant, you need to give your reader a taste of what is to come without giving away too much. Too many words will fill them up too fast. And soon, no doubt, they’ll lose their appetite.
Here, your job is to stimulate the tastebuds.
From a writing perspective, you can work it with pain points, a sense of jeopardy or storytelling for the reader. Ideally, all three!
Whatever you do, try to captivate their imagination to want whatever is coming next. That’s the point of your blog. It’s giving your readers what they need but sending them further and further down the page.
But before urging that conversion, make the most of your introduction because it’s probably the most creative aspect of your blog. Here you set the scene for the rest of the reading experience and dictate the tone.
So, have fun but keep it brief. Five to six lines max.
- Second course: The main event
Now you have their tastebuds tingling. The next stage is giving the reader the all-important information. Beyond the creativity of the intro, your main dish is all about quality. Yes. Keep the storytelling alive, but now we’re delivering the main event.
The main dish is the sustenance of your piece. It’s the bulk between your intro and call to action (CTA) and provides the nourishment that will ultimately satisfy your reader to come back and read from you again sometime.
But watch out. This stage is where things can get clunky on paper. So, use headers and bullet points where necessary to help break up the piece to become more digestible and easier on the eye. Reduce paragraphs to a minimum of three to four lines in depth and try to answer relevant queries across different sections.
Using long-tail keywords for mini headers can help increase the overall quality and SEO performance by answering consumer search questions. These make ideal paragraph sections but try to be as concise in your answers before leaving room to add more details and flair below to keep your reader interested and willing to read more.
- Third course: The proof’s in the pudding
Yes, the old classic saying runs true with the blog writing structure too. The final section of your blog should concern the CTA that will direct your reader to your services, products or contact pages.
Satisfying your reader with the bulk of your content is commendable. Well done, you provided the information, and they appreciated it enriching their understanding of the interest or issue. But now, do they trust you to go all the way and make a real three-course meal of it?
Hopefully, you haven’t filled them up too much with all the details. But while your expertise is glowing, even if your CTA is directly concerned with driving sales, always use the opportunity to offer more when your reader is satisfied.
And leave it right to the end. As Fred would say, “Nothing seals the deal like a plate of delicious dessert”.
Need a hand transforming the ideal blog structure?
At Content Chef, we love nothing more than whipping up some tasty content for our clients, no matter the budget or preferred cuisine.
So, if you’re on the hunt for top-quality blog writing services, get in touch today. Bon appetite!
Written by Archie Edwards
.png)
