How to write a blog post from start to finish
Last updated: September 2026
Writing a blog post can feel a bit daunting when you’re staring at a blank page and wondering where to start.
So, I thought I’d share the process I use to take a blog post from the first gem of an idea through to publishing.
I use this approach whether I’m writing for a business, a charity, or one of my own websites. It’s a straightforward process, but it helps me turn a vague idea into something useful that’s ready to publish.
And, where there’s more to say about a specific part of the process, I’ll point you to other blog posts on this site that go into more detail.
First ask why
This is always my starting point.
Before I start writing, I want to know:
Why I’m writing the content in the first place
Who it’s for
What I want to share
What the person reading it needs to know
Perhaps most importantly, I want to know whether a blog post is the best way to share it.
Sometimes it is. But sometimes, a clearer page on your website, a case study, an email, a video or even a social media post might do the job better.
Even though I write content for businesses, that last point is crucial.
There’s absolutely no point in writing a blog post if it isn’t the best way to share what you want to say.
For example, imagine you follow someone on social media who upcycles furniture. Would you rather read a blog post about what they’ve done and the steps involved, with a couple of photos? Or would you rather see before and after shots, perhaps with a quick time-lapse showing the transformation?
The right format depends on what you’re trying to share and what your audience will find useful.
Pulling thoughts together
Once I know what I want to write about, my next step is to get all the thoughts in my head down somewhere.
Different approaches work for different people, but I love a piece of paper and a mind map. It helps me get my ideas out of my head, follow different lines of thought and see how they might fit together.
These days, I may also use AI to help me get my creative ideas flowing. I might ask it to suggest different angles on a topic, help me think about the questions people might have, or give me ideas for things I can include. I’m still the one deciding what’s useful and what belongs in the finished post. AI is a useful sounding board, but its role isn’t to decide what I should say.
At this stage, I’m not trying to create a perfect structure. I’m just getting ideas down and making a note of anything I want to research later.
If you’re struggling to get your ideas flowing, you might also find my tips for overcoming writer’s block useful.
Writing an outline
Once I’ve got my ideas down, I turn them into a rough outline for the blog post.
I usually work in a Word document or write straight into my website’s blog editor. The outline will become the basis for the finished post, so there’s no need to create it somewhere else and then duplicate it later.
My blog outline usually has an introduction, potential subheadings, and a conclusion. Under each, I list bullet points of the things I might want to include.
It doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s just a way of giving my ideas some structure before I start writing.
Research and check your sources
With the basic structure sorted, I can then see where I need more information or research.
If I’m writing about something that needs facts, figures or information from other sources, I want to make sure I’m using reliable information. I’ll check where a statistic came from rather than repeating something because I’ve seen it somewhere else.
So, if you’re including statistics or other factual claims in your blog post, check original sources where you can. It’s easy for information to get repeated online and lose its context along the way. And no quoting something from your bestie doing a poll of 10 friends in the pub!
Research can also help you find useful examples, fill gaps in your knowledge and give you more context before you start writing.
Begin writing
Once you have a blog outline and enough research to flesh out the detail, you can start writing.
For me, that means a crappy first draft. Yep, you read that correctly.
Write a crappy first draft!
Note: To my current and future clients - stop panicking 😂 It’s a starting point and the finished blog post will be nothing like the crappy first draft.
A crappy first draft helps me add detail to the outline. It gets the words down, gives me something to work with and makes the editing process much easier later.
Remember, you can’t edit a blank page.
It’s one of the most valuable things I learned when I started writing for businesses.
When I’m writing that first draft, I try to keep a few things in mind:
Who am I writing for?
What do I want them to understand?
What do I want to share?
Does the tone sound like me?
Have I got everything out of my head?
Don’t worry too much about getting the wording perfect. That’s what editing is for.
If I get stuck, I might leave a section and come back to it later. I don’t need to have every part worked out while I’m writing the first draft.
Get editing
This is where the magic happens.
First edit
For my first edit, I go through the post from start to finish and tidy up my writing.
I make sure it flows well from thought to thought, and that everything makes sense. At this stage, I’m often moving whole paragraphs around, adding things I’ve realised are missing and taking things out when they don’t add anything useful.
I’ll usually write the headline at this point too. By now, I’ve got a much clearer idea of what the post is about, so it’s easier to come up with a title that accurately reflects what I’ve written.
Think about search
Once the first edit is done, I’ll think about how people might find the post.
I’m not trying to force keywords into the writing or make it sound unnatural. Instead, I’ll check that I’ve used the language my readers might use when they’re looking for this information.
If there are obvious search terms or phrases that fit naturally, I might make a few small changes. But the writing comes first.
If you’d like to go into more detail about making your blog posts easier to find, I’ve covered that in How to write search-friendly blog posts in 2026.
Final edit
This is where I go through the post again and check spelling, grammar and overall readability.
In an ideal situation, I’ll leave the post for a day before doing the final edit. That’s because our brains know what we intended to write and, without a break, can often fill in the blanks.
Reading the post out loud can also help. You’ll often hear awkward wording, repetition or sentences that don’t quite flow - things you may not notice when you’re reading silently. Some people find it useful to record themselves reading the post and then play it back. Or, you could ask a friend or family member to read through it.
I sometimes use the Hemingway App. The change in look and format can jolt my brain into seeing the words differently, and it can highlight sentences that have become overly complicated.
The aim isn’t to make every sentence word-perfect. It’s to make sure the finished post is clear, useful and easy to read.
Do a final search check
As part of the final edit, I’ll check to make sure I’ve done the obvious things that can help people find and understand the post.
I’ll check that:
The title accurately describes what the post is about
The headings make sense and are easy to scan
I’ve used relevant search terms naturally
The meta title and description accurately describe the page
I’ve added useful internal links where they make sense
Images have descriptive alt text
The URL is clear and relevant
The search-friendly blog post I’ve already linked to goes into more detail if you want a deeper look at this part of the process.
How to write search-friendly blog posts in 2026 →
Publish and share
Once I’m happy with the post, I either publish it on my own website or send it through to my client.
If I’m writing on behalf of a client, they get the chance to give feedback before the final copy is published. Most choose not to, but I think it’s important to have that option.
For my own posts, I’ll then think about whether there are sensible ways to share it. That might be through social media, an email to subscribers, or by linking to it from other relevant pages or content. It might also be something I come back to and share again later if it’s still useful.
You don’t need to promote every blog post in exactly the same way. Think about where the people you want to reach are most likely to find useful information, and choose the places that make sense for your business.
The aim isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to give your content a chance to reach the people it was written for.
Need help working out what to say?
Sometimes the hardest part of creating content isn’t the writing. It’s knowing what your business needs to say.
I can help you work out what information your customers need, where it needs to be, and what content is worth creating.
Whether you need help with your website, content or search visibility, we can work out where to focus next.
