Use this outline template for every blog post. It forces you to organize your thoughts before writing, which makes the actual writing faster and better. The template is structured for ranking: keyword placement, proper heading hierarchy, link strategy, and logical flow. Copy it, fill in your topic, and you'll have an outline ready for drafting.
The blog post outline template
TOPIC: [Your keyword/topic]
TARGET KEYWORD: [Main keyword (e.g., "how to write a blog post")]
SECONDARY KEYWORDS: [3-5 related keywords/entities]
WORD COUNT TARGET: [1,500-2,500 depending on keyword difficulty]
I. INTRODUCTION [50-100 words]
A. Hook: [One-sentence answer to the main question]
B. Why it matters: [Benefit or outcome reader gets]
C. Preview: [What the post covers]
D. Link opportunity: [Related post if relevant]
II. [H2 SECTION TITLE - First major sub-topic] [150-200 words]
A. Main point: [The core idea you're covering]
B. Explanation: [2-3 sentences explaining why it matters]
C. Example: [Real example or case study]
D. Link: [Internal link to related post OR external to authoritative source]
III. [H2 SECTION TITLE - Second sub-topic] [150-200 words]
A. Main point:
B. Explanation:
C. Example:
D. Link:
IV. [H2 SECTION TITLE - Third sub-topic] [150-200 words]
A. Main point:
B. Explanation:
C. Example:
D. Link:
V. [H2 SECTION TITLE - Fourth sub-topic] [150-200 words]
(Optional: Add more sections if needed, but 4-5 is usually ideal)
VI. COMMON MISTAKES [100-150 words] (Optional section for how-to posts)
A. Mistake 1
B. Mistake 2
C. Mistake 3
VII. CONCLUSION [100-150 words]
A. Summary of main points: [Recap in 1-2 sentences]
B. Why it matters: [The outcome/benefit]
C. CTA: [Call-to-action if relevant]
INTERNAL LINKS: [List 3-7 related posts to link to]
- Link 1: [Title] - [Where in post]
- Link 2: [Title] - [Where in post]
- Link 3: [Title] - [Where in post]
EXTERNAL LINKS: [List 2-5 authoritative sources]
- Source 1: [Publication] - [Topic/Data]
- Source 2: [Publication] - [Topic/Data]
- Source 3: [Publication] - [Topic/Data]
IMAGES/VISUALS:
- Featured image: [Topic/description]
- Inline image 1: [Description]
- Inline image 2: [Description]
How to fill in the outline
Step 1: Identify your keyword and topic
TOPIC: What is the blog post about? (simple one-sentence description)
TARGET KEYWORD: What keyword are you trying to rank for?
SECONDARY KEYWORDS: What related keywords, questions, or entities should appear in the post?
Example:
- Topic: Blog post writing best practices
- Target keyword: How to write a blog post
- Secondary keywords: Blog structure, blog outline, blog format, H1 heading, meta description, internal links
Step 2: Plan your introduction
Your introduction should answer three things:
- Hook: What is the main answer to the searcher's question? (one sentence)
- Why it matters: Why should they care about this?
- Preview: What will they learn?
Example:
- Hook: "A good blog post answers the searcher's question, ranks in Google, and keeps readers engaged."
- Why it matters: "80% of blog posts get zero traffic because they're missing one of these three."
- Preview: "This post covers the structure, keyword placement, and link strategy that turns posts from invisible to ranked."
Step 3: Plan your main sections (H2)
Think about the sub-topics or questions that support your main topic.
How-to post: Each step is an H2
- Step 1: Keyword research
- Step 2: Outline your points
- Step 3: Write the first draft
- Step 4: Edit ruthlessly
Comparison post: Each option is an H2
- ChatGPT: Features, pricing, best for
- Claude: Features, pricing, best for
- Comparison: Head-to-head breakdown
List post: Each item is an H2
- Tool 1: Why it works, how to use it, cost
- Tool 2: Why it works, how to use it, cost
- Tool 3: Why it works, how to use it, cost
Evergreen/guide post: Logical sections
- What is [topic]?
- Why [topic] matters
- How to [topic]
- Common mistakes
- Best practices
Step 4: Add internal and external links
Internal links: Where in the post will you mention related topics on your site?
- "As we covered in our post on blog SEO" → Link to that post
- "Blog structure is critical" → Link to your blog structure post
External links: What sources will you cite?
- Data from Ahrefs, HubSpot, Backlinko
- Original research or studies
- Credible publications on the topic
Step 5: Plan your conclusion
Your conclusion should:
- Restate the main answer
- Explain why it matters
- Include a CTA if relevant
Example:
"A blog post that ranks answers the question, has clear structure with proper heading hierarchy, includes internal and external links, and has a compelling title. Use this outline template for every post, and you'll see ranking improvements within weeks."
Outline templates by post type
How-to post outline
I. Introduction
- Answer the "how" question
- Why it matters
- What they'll accomplish
II. What you'll need [Optional]
- Tools or prerequisites
III. Step 1: [Action]
- Why this step matters
- How to do it
- Common mistake
IV. Step 2: [Action]
- [Same structure]
V. Step 3: [Action]
- [Same structure]
VI. Conclusion
- Recap the steps
- Time to completion
- CTA
Comparison post outline
I. Introduction
- Which is better? (brief take)
- Why this matters
- What you'll learn
II. Option A: [Tool/Topic]
- Key features
- Pricing
- Best for
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
III. Option B: [Tool/Topic]
- [Same structure]
IV. Head-to-head comparison
- Feature comparison table
- Pricing comparison
- Use case breakdown
V. Verdict
- Clear recommendation
- For whom (option A)
- For whom (option B)
List post outline
I. Introduction
- What you're listing
- Evaluation criteria
- How many items
II. Item 1: [Tool/Tip/Article]
- Why it made the list
- Key benefit
- Cost/details
III. Item 2: [Tool/Tip/Article]
- [Same structure]
IV. Item 3: [Tool/Tip/Article]
- [Same structure]
V. Comparison table [Optional]
- Quick overview of all items
VI. Conclusion
- Summary
- When to use each
The outline checklist
Before you start writing, verify:
- Keyword appears in the H1 section
- Secondary keywords are distributed across sections
- 4-8 H2 sections with logical flow
- Each section has main point + explanation + example
- 3-7 internal link opportunities identified
- 2-5 external sources to cite
- Introduction hooks the reader
- Conclusion summarizes and includes CTA
- Featured images/visuals planned
Why outlines matter
When you have a strong outline:
- Writing is faster: You know exactly what to write
- Quality is higher: You've organized your thoughts before writing
- Editing takes less time: The structure is already there
- Ranking improves: Outline forces you to be comprehensive
Writers who use outlines produce ranked posts faster than writers who skip this step.
Verdict
Use this outline template for every post. It takes 20-30 minutes to outline properly, and it saves 30+ minutes during drafting and editing.
Don't skip the outline. It's the difference between posts that rank and posts that sit at position #20 forever.
Want outlines written automatically?
Outshipper generates detailed outlines from SERP analysis before drafting. You get a ranked outline ready to fill in or edit.
Free plan: 3 posts/month, up to 1,000 words, no card. Pro: $19/month (currently 50% off at $9.50/mo) with 200,000 words.
