You've written your first blog post. You've read through it enough times that you're no longer sure whether any of the sentences make sense, but you're ready to publish.
Then you remember the SEO part.
Are you supposed to put a keyword somewhere? Rename the images? Write one of those little descriptions that shows up on Google?
And how many times can you say "health coaching" before you start sounding like a malfunctioning brochure?
There's a core set of things I'd check before publishing. We'll work through them together here, including a couple of decisions that matter way more than how many times you've repeated a keyword.
Keep your draft open. We're going to give it a purpose, make it easier to understand, and get the settings sorted!
1. Make Sure You're Answering a Question Someone Is Asking
Before you start editing, finish this sentence:
Someone would read this post because they want to know ______.
Be specific. "They want to learn about wellness" gives you very little to work with. "They want to know why they're binging on cookies every afternoon" gives you a specific question you can answer.
That question also helps you choose a main keyword, which can be a whole phrase. For our example, you might research "sugar cravings".
Don't worry about purchasing a keyword research tool at this stage. Start typing your keyword idea into Google and look at the possible searches that come up as you're typing. Google tries to predict what you're searching for based on popular search phrases, so this is a good place to gather keyword ideas!
Once you land on the search results page, look for Google's "People also ask" and "People also search for" sections. Again, Google will pull popular search terms into these spots so it's the perfect way to confirm that your post topic is something people are actually interested in.
2. Give Your Post a Title That Tells People What They'll Get
"Find Your Balance" could be about your eating habits, your work schedule, or a yoga class at a local retirement community.
"Why Do I Crave Sugar Every Afternoon?" tells someone exactly what the page is about.
Your title can have personality, but the subject needs to be recognizable. Use your main keyword or a natural variation where it fits. Google recommends using the language people search with in prominent places, including the title and main heading.
You'll also come across two related settings:
The post title is the headline readers see on the page.
The SEO title is the title you provide for search engines and browser tabs (ideally 50-60 characters long)
They can be the same and a clear, descriptive title often does both jobs perfectly well. Google often generates a different title in search results to best match what it believes the user is searching for, so think of your SEO title as a suggestion, rather than a display you control down to the last letter.
3. Check Whether Your Post Delivers on That Title
If someone clicks on "Why Do I Crave Sugar Every Afternoon?", they probably want to understand why they're always looking for something sweet at 3 p.m. even though they start the day with every intention of eating differently.
So, how far into your post do they have to read before you answer that?
If your first four paragraphs explain why a balanced diet is important, you're making them scroll past information they probably already know to find the answer you promised. (And most of them won't make it that far).
Start with a summary of the possible reasons for that afternoon pattern. Explain what someone could pay attention to in their own routine and when it would make sense to seek individual support.
This is where you get to show how you think. What would you want to understand about someone's day to better see where these cravings are coming from? What do people tend to overlook or assume about cravings? Give the reader something more useful to go on than another instruction to "just choose a healthier snack."
And if you've answered the question in 800 words, you don't need another 400 about the history of sugar to satisfy an imaginary word-count requirement. Google says it doesn't have a preferred word count.
4. Use Your Keyword Without Making Every Sentence About Your Keyword
Your opening should make the topic clear, and the wording people search with should appear where it fits naturally.
Then you can explain the topic like you're just talking to someone.
If you've written "afternoon sugar cravings" three times in the same paragraph, read it out loud. You'll hear where you've started writing for a keyword counter instead of writing the way you'd actually say something in a voice note.
I choose a main search question to keep a post focused. That doesn't mean the page can only appear for one phrase on Google, or that every mention needs to match the keyword word for word.
5. Use headings that clearly describe the content.
"How to Prepare for Your First Session" helps readers find an answer. "Let's Get Ready!" leaves them guessing.
In your editor, apply heading styles rather than just making ordinary text bigger and bold.
Your main article title will be the H1.
Use H2s for the main sections.
And use H3s for subsections underneath H2s. (Just use these as needed - not every H2 needs an H3).
Headings help break up your text so that people can easily follow along with your post, even when they're skimming on their phones.
6. Write the Meta Description Like Someone Has a Choice About Clicking
Because they do.
The meta description is a short summary you enter in the page's SEO settings. Google sometimes uses it beneath the title in search results, but just like we said with the SEO title earlier, Google can also generate its own meta description so this is just a suggestion.
Give someone a specific reason to read your post. For our sugar cravings example:
Looking for something sweet every day at 3 p.m.? Learn what could be contributing to your afternoon sugar cravings and what patterns to pay attention to.
Someone reading that can recognize their exact situation and understand what they'll get from clicking.
Compare that with "Read our latest blog about sugar cravings and healthy eating." All that does is tell them a blog post exists, which they probably gathered from seeing it in their search results.
Keep the description concise and true to what the article covers and keep it to 150-160 characters. Google cuts snippets to fit the display, so don't spend your afternoon rearranging a sentence because your word counter says it's two characters too long.
7. Check the URL Before You Publish
The URL slug is the part of the address that identifies the page.
For our example, I'd use something like:
yourwebsite.com/blog/afternoon-sugar-cravings
It's readable and gives you a sense of what's on the page.
Choose the address before publishing so you have a useful URL to share from the beginning. You don't need to squeeze every version of your keyword into it.
8. Connect the Post to the Rest of Your Website
If this is your first blog post, you can link out to other relevant pages like your sales page or methodology. Link to wherever it would help the reader to learn more.
Use descriptive link text so people know where they're going. For example, "Learn more about how sleep can affect food cravings" tells someone what the linked page covers. "To learn more, click here" makes them guess.
There isn't a magic number of links you need to include in each post, but I would limit it to one link per H2 section and only add links that are truly relevant and helpful.
This is also a business decision: after someone reads your post, what would help them continue the next step? Give them a relevant option rather than leaving them at the bottom of the page with only your copyright notice for company.
9. Give Your Images Some Attention
Use images that add context or help explain the subject, and avoid uploading enormous files when a smaller version will look just as good.
Add image alt text describing what's in the photo. If a photo shows a coach and client talking over a video call, describe that. You don't need to turn the description into another keyword mention unless your keyword fits naturally.
Screen readers read the alt text out loud so that people can understand what's in the images even when they can't see it. And Google uses the alt text to better understand the image and your page content.
10. Give It One Last Check, Then Publish
Before you hit publish, do a quick review:
Read it as someone who's never heard of you. Does the explanation make sense without knowing your work or having read your other content?
Preview it on your phone. Check the images and paragraph spacing. Nobody should have to zoom in and drag the page sideways to finish a sentence.
Click your links. Make sure they work and lead to the pages you intended.
Check the title, meta description, and URL. Make sure they're filled in and describe the post you're publishing.
Publish, then open the live page while logged out. Confirm the post loads and is available without a password.
Give it a careful review, but don't leave a useful explanation sitting in drafts because you're still debating the title.
Congrats, you’ve published your first blog post!
You now have a blog post that answers a specific question, positions you as an expert, and gives readers a way to explore your work! You can share it in your emails, send it via DM when a related question comes up, and build on the topic with future blogs.
