How to Write SEO-Friendly Blog Posts: A Real Story of Ranking on Google in 7 Steps
Someone I know has been pouring their heart into blogging. They were consistent—publishing every week, choosing thoughtful topics, and writing posts that genuinely helped their audience.

They were consistent—publishing every week, choosing thoughtful topics, and writing posts that genuinely helped their audience.
But there was one problem… no one was reading them.
For weeks, then months, they watched their site traffic crawl at a standstill. Posts they spent hours crafting went unnoticed. Not even Google seemed to care.
Sound familiar?
This is a common story in the blogging world. It’s not that the content is bad—it’s that it’s not structured to be found.
And once they realized that, everything started to change.
What they needed wasn’t just better writing—it was a smarter, search-friendly approach.
So they built a system.
A checklist.
A clear plan for writing SEO-friendly blog posts that not only rank—but reach the right audience.
✅ Step 1: They Stopped Guessing—and Started With Keyword Research
In the beginning, their blog ideas came from gut feel. Whatever felt relevant, they wrote.
But when they finally opened a keyword research tool, the truth hit hard:
No one was searching for those topics.
That’s when they learned to start with the audience, not the idea.
They used tools like SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest to find what people were already searching—phrases like:
- “how to write SEO-friendly blog posts”
- “SEO content writing tips”
- “how to rank blog posts on Google”
It was the first step in aligning content with demand.
✅ Step 2: They Matched the Blog to Search Intent
Even after targeting the right keyword, something still felt off.
Some posts got impressions but no clicks. Others ranked, but didn’t keep readers on the page.
That’s when they discovered search intent.
Were people looking to learn something? Compare options? Solve a specific problem?
Once they started tailoring the content format to match what the reader actually wanted, everything changed.
✅ Step 3: They Started Writing Titles Like Headlines, Not Labels
Their old blog titles were things like “Writing Tips” or “SEO Basics.”
They didn’t invite clicks—they just existed.
So they tried something new. Titles with clarity, purpose, and focus keywords:
“How to Write SEO-Friendly Blog Posts: 7 Steps to Rank on Google”
Meta descriptions became more than a summary—they were a mini pitch:
Learn how to optimize your blog posts for SEO. Follow this proven checklist to improve rankings and bring in more traffic.
CTR went up. More people clicked. More eyes landed on the page.
✅ Step 4: They Structured Posts for Humans (and Google)
Before, their posts looked like essays—long paragraphs, few breaks, no clear format.
Now?
- Headings and subheadings for easy scanning
- Bullet points and short paragraphs
- Internal links and clean flow
The result: readers stayed longer, and Google better understood the content.
They weren’t just writing—they were guiding.
✅ Step 5: They Took On-Page SEO Seriously (But Kept It Simple)
This wasn’t about over-optimization—it was about making the post easy to find and understand.
Each post now included:
- A focus keyword in the title, intro, and one subheading
- A clean, readable URL (like /seo-blog-writing-guide)
- Image ALT tags that described what they showed
- Links to relevant blog posts and trusted external sources
Suddenly, the content wasn’t just helpful—it was optimized.
✅ Step 6: They Added Visuals to Hold Attention
They noticed readers were skimming too fast.
So they added:
- Screenshots of tools they mentioned
- Infographics to simplify big ideas
- Short videos where relevant
People stayed longer. Engaged more.
And surprisingly, those visuals started ranking in image and video search results too.
✅ Step 7: They Tracked Results—and Improved What They Already Had
They stopped publishing and forgetting.
They started checking Google Search Console and GA4 to see:
- What keywords were bringing traffic
- Which blogs had high impressions but low CTR
- What content was slipping in rankings
Then they refreshed titles, updated stats, added internal links, and watched older posts come back to life.
It became a system. One that worked.
The Takeaway:
The person I mentioned didn’t become an SEO expert overnight.
They didn’t write longer posts or pay for ads.
They just got intentional.
They wrote for their reader and for Google—without sacrificing their voice.
That’s how their blog started to rank.
That’s how people started finding them.
That’s how one small shift led to steady, organic growth.