Blog Post Structure

A good structure for a blog post aims at three things. First, it helps create a homogeneous blog
and an enjoyable experience for readers regarding consistency between articles. Even when
the articles are written by different authors, with a good process, all the content can be
uniformed. On top of that, 80% of readers are not interested in reading the full blog post.
Instead, they are just looking to scan the content to find out the information they are looking for.
Thus a good structure aims at making it easier for readers to scan the post and find the piece of
content they are interested in. Lastly, search engines, just like most readers, are interested in
scanning content for indexation. If your content is hard for bots to scan, it will not be well-
indexed, and you will lose a lot of traffic as a consequence.

Since the article structure varies for different blog posts, we’ll cover the most basic post
structure and give specific examples of article structures. While structures can be particular to
a type of post, it is essential to note that every blog post has four key elements:
The title: It grabs attention and makes a promise (which needs to be fulfilled by the end of
your post). Ideally, the hero image should support the title.
The introduction: It hooks the reader, draws them in, and sets up the post.
The main body: It works through a logical sequence of points, holding the reader’s
attention. The body should always be structured in sections, with each section conveying a
new idea. Each section should have a subheading outlining the idea and a paragraph
explaining the idea. When applicable, images can be used to illustrate the idea.
The conclusion: ends the post decisively and calls the reader to take action.

The List Post or Listicle

Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/startup-financial-tips
List posts, also known as a listicle, are easy to plan and structure, and readers find them
valuable even if only a couple of points apply to them. List posts can be short or long and
normally consist of numbered subheadings with a sub-body. The sub-body could be anything
from a couple of sentences to several paragraphs. When writing list posts, you should be
careful with structuring the individual list items.

The "How To" Post

Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/make-sell-merch
How-to guides help solve a problem for the reader. They're like an industry-specific walking the
audience through a project step by step to improve their literacy on the subject. A how-to post
is fairly easy to write and structure, especially when you put yourself in the reader’s shoes.
Jot down step-by-step instructions in an ordered list format. Once you have that, you can
expand each instruction into its own section with more details. When writing a how-to post, you
should make sure that you and the reader start at the same point. Take the time to explain the
key concept before diving into the process.

The Review or Recommendation Post

Example: https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/ecommerce-website-
builders/comparisons/woocommerce-vs-shopify/
Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-email
This type of post doesn’t normally follow a list format, but it still has a structure. Typically, a
review or recommendation post begins by introducing and briefly explaining the product or
service and ends with a verdict on whether or not it’s a good purchase. A review will normally
give some points both for and against while coming down on one side or the other. A
recommendation may be more straightforward – and often shorter. When writing a review or
recommendation post, do not forget to include images or screenshots of the product. Do not
focus solely on the features, instead mention the benefits and the use cases to make it easier
for the reader to find the value. Also in the introduction and the conclusion make it clear how
readers can get the product and eventually how much it would cost them.

The Announcement Post

Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/mobile-order-management-fulfillment
Effectively communicating product updates and new features is essential for a SaaS company.
It helps make existing customers aware of the update while also keeping prospective
customers informed about the product’s evolution. These blog posts are published on an
irregular, ad hoc basis to announce and introduce features to customers and prospects as they
go live.
The Quantitative Research Post
Example: https://www.trybeans.com/blog/analysis-of-loyalty-and-purchase-frequency-
by-industry/
Data-driven blog posts are an exceptional type of article to find out information that is not widely
known. The purpose could be to demonstrate or refute a hypothesis, analyze a new trend, or
better understand a market. They usually get a lot of engagement since there are considered
factual information, and many people tend to trust data. They require a lot of research and
statistical analysis, which makes them very time-consuming.

Case Study
Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/bala-organic-marketing
Case studies are self-contained stories about how real customer overcame their problems
using your products or services. Just like a story, good case studies have a beginning, a
middle, and an end, as well as a protagonist – your customer – overcoming a problem and
achieving their objective, just like the main character of a story. By the end of a case study, the
reader should visualize themselves as heroes of their own story. They should relate to your
featured customer’s problems and see themselves achieving their own goals using your
product or service.
Interview
Example: https://www.shopify.com/blog/hagan-ski-mountaineering-distributor
An interview series is similar to a case study, except that it is based on a question-and-answer-
style testimonial. By interviewing someone, you’re getting their opinion (or testimony) on a
specific topic. Essentially, they become guest bloggers in the form of an interview. The main
advantages of an interview or a case study are that it allows the post to be more authentic. The
reader is getting the guest’s exact opinion without any additional edit.
Infographic
Example: https://www.trybeans.com/blog/e-commerce-purchase-frequency-
infographic/
An infographic is the presentation of information or data in a visual way. Its name sums it up
— info + graphic. Infographics get shared more, viewed more, and loved more than most other
content types. They are a powerful way to get your information out there in an explosively visual
format.

Pro tips
Use subheadings to structure the content
Avoid walls of text
Break wall of text with images and subheadings
Use transitions when you’re about to move to the next point.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg
Contrary to popular belief…
This does not mean you should avoid...
This is where it gets interesting...
Keep in mind that...