One question, one answer, one proof.
How to write a blog post for SEO comes down to this: write an article on a question people actually type into Google, give the answer at the top, structure it so every sub-question is answered, and add something only you can give, an example, a figure or an experience from your own work. Google says plainly that it has no preferred word count. It rewards pages that help a reader completely.
Below: how to choose a search term, how to write the title, the first line and the headings, where tables, images and internal links go, what Google says about AI, and how to handle several languages if you sell across Europe. With a checklist for before you publish.
Number of non-brand search terms
- Page 1, early September13
- Page 1, 15 to 21 October1,593
- Top 3, early September2
- Top 3, 15 to 21 October518
Guides and articles on questions employers actually ask, each on its own search term, linked to each other.
Start with the question
An article nobody searches for, nobody finds. So start with what your customers type. The quickest source is Google itself: type the start of a question and see what Autocomplete suggests. "How to write a blog post for SEO" completes with "good", "SEO friendly" and "for a blog"; those are the questions behind the term. A more thorough method, with volumes and competition, is in keyword research.
Pick one main search term per article, and check your site does not already have a page on it. Two pages on one term compete. For Business Centrum we built a term map of 182 search terms, each assigned to one target page, so no two pages answer the same question.
| Kind of question | Example | Shape of the article |
|---|---|---|
| What is | "what is search console" | Explanation with an example and what you do with it |
| How to | "how to write a newsletter" | Steps, an example, pitfalls |
| What does it cost | "how much does a website cost" | Price table per situation, worked example |
| When | "belgium sales period 2027" | The date first, then the rules and a plan |
| Which to choose | "wix vs shopify" | Comparison with clear advice per reader |
The title and the first line
The title is what Google most often shows as the blue link. Google advises keeping it descriptive and concise, unique per page, without keyword stuffing, with your brand short at the end. There is no fixed length limit, but Google truncates to the screen width; aim for about 60 characters with the term up front. Check how it looks with the SERP preview.
The first line gives the answer. Someone searching "when are the Belgian sales in 2027" wants to read "2 January" in the first line, not an introduction on the joy of bargains. Then explain, say who it applies to, and what the reader does next.
Questions we hear most often
How long should a blog post be for SEO?
As long as it takes to answer the question fully. Google states explicitly that it has no preferred word count. A simple question needs 600 words, a guide with tables and examples 2,000.
How often should a business blog?
Consistency beats pace. One good article a month on a question customers ask brings more than four articles nobody searches for.
Can I use AI to write my blog posts?
Yes, as a tool. Google judges quality, not how text was made, but using AI to mass-produce pages for rankings counts as spam. Always add your own facts and experience.
How many keywords per post?
One main search term per article, plus the variants that fit naturally. Two articles on the same term compete with each other.
Headings that guide the reader
Write one heading per sub-question. People who scan read only the headings; together they should tell the story. A good heading says what sits under it ("What it costs for an online store"); a weak one is a label ("Costs"). Use the search term in a heading where it fits, not in every heading.
Tables, examples and images
A table that decides something, a worked example with real numbers or a screenshot of your own work adds more than one more paragraph. One of Google's questions for helpful content is whether a page adds something original that goes beyond the obvious. Your own figures and experience do exactly that.
Give images descriptive alt text and file names ("kitchen-renovation-ghent-before-after.jpg", not "IMG_2041.jpg"), place them by the text they belong to, and keep them light so the page loads fast. Test speed with the website speed test.
Internal links
Every time you mention a concept, service, tool or another article, link to it with anchor text that says where the reader lands. Readers find their next step, and Google sees how your pages connect. Link from older articles to the new one too, or it stays an island. At Business Centrum we laid hundreds of internal links between guides, articles and services this way.
Four places your search term belongs
- The titleUp front, descriptive, with your brand short at the end.
- The first lineThe answer to the question, with the term in it.
- One headingWhere it fits naturally, not in every heading.
- The meta descriptionThe line Google may show under your title.
What Google says about AI and quality
Google judges the quality of a page, not how it was produced. It also says that using AI or automation to manipulate rankings breaks its spam policies, and that visitors should be able to see who wrote a text. A named author with a link to who they are helps. The 2026 spam updates hit sites that mass-published pages without their own substance; see the September 2026 spam update and the May 2026 core update.
So use AI for a structure, a first draft or proofreading; how to ask well is in ChatGPT prompts for marketing. The example, the figure and the judgement come from you.
Writing for several European markets
If you sell in more than one country, write one article per language, not a word-for-word translation: search terms differ. A Dutch-speaking buyer in Flanders and a French-speaking one in Wallonia type different words for the same need. Google recommends a separate URL per language version and hreflang to connect them. The full approach is in multilingual website development and a website in French and Dutch.
| Reader | What you write about | What you add |
|---|---|---|
| Company outside Belgium selling into Europe | The same questions in each buyer's language | A separate article per language, local prices and rules |
| Small business or service company | The questions customers ask on the phone | A price or lead time from practice, your region in the text |
| Online store | How to choose, how to use, what goes with | Links to the right product category |
| Agency | Your clients' questions about your field | Cases with real numbers, only what the client allows |
Ready to publish
- The first line answers the question in the title.
- Every heading says what sits under it.
- There is at least one table, example or figure from your own work.
- You link to three to five of your own pages where the reader can go next.
- There is a clear next step at the end: a service, a tool or contact.
Measure what your article does
After publishing, Search Console shows which search terms your article appears for, how often and at what position. Articles often rank for variants you did not expect: ideas for a heading or your next article. How to read it is in how to use Google Search Console. Expect weeks to months before a new article settles; see how long until my website shows on Google. Check the technical side with the SEO checker or the SEO checklist.
How VBS writes your articles
From Ghent, Belgium, we do SEO for businesses across Europe and write articles on your customers' questions, with your expertise in them and a register of every figure. For Business Centrum we wrote more than 130 guides, articles and comparisons in four languages in October; their non-brand search terms on page 1 went from 13 to 1,593. For SN Group we wrote guides on building and renovation, in Dutch and in English. Book a call.