How to Write Blog Posts for Small Businesses (That Actually Help You Get Found Online)
Most small business owners don't hate blogging. They just don't trust it.
Blogging feels slow. Vague. Like yelling thoughtful things into cyberspace and hoping Google, the internet, or some mysterious algorithmic god notices. So it gets deprioritized in favor of "real marketing," which usually means ads, social posts, or whatever shiny thing everyone is panicking about this quarter.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: When blogging works, it doesn't look flashy. It looks boring, steady, and quietly effective — which is exactly why it works.
A good blog post doesn't chase attention. It earns trust. And trust is still the thing that makes people (and Google and ChatGPT and other machines) choose you.
Why Blogging Still Matters for Business Growth
Blogging isn't about being a "content creator." It's about being understandable.
A blog post does three critical jobs at the same time:
It helps search engines understand what your business actually does
It answers real questions your future customers are already asking
It builds trust before someone ever fills out a form or books a call.
Search has changed. People are Googling, yes — but they're also asking AI tools, reading summaries, and skimming answers faster than ever. Blogging is how you make sure your business shows up inside those answers instead of being invisible to them.
And no, this isn't about pumping out weekly "fluff" posts that sound like a ChatGPT word salad (yuck). One strong, well-written blog post can work for you for years while many social media posts have a shelf life of only a few days.
That's the part most people miss. Don't be that people.
What a Blog Post Is (and What It Isn't)
A blog post is not a sales pitch wearing a trench coat and fake mustache. It's not a rambling journal entry that never lands a point. And it's not a keyword graveyard stuffed with phrases no human would say out loud.
A blog post is a clear answer to a real question with a unique take. Written for one specific type of person, in one specific moment. Structured so both humans and machines can understand it.
If someone finishes your post thinking, "Okay, that makes sense now," you're doing it right.
Start With Questions, Not Topics
Most weak blog posts fail before the first sentence is written because they start with a topic instead of a question.
"SEO Tips" is a topic. "Why isn't my interior design website showing up on Google?" is a question.
Questions come with intent. Topics come with ego.
If someone is asking it out loud, someone else is typing it into Google. And if no one is asking it at all, there's a good chance the post is just you talking to yourself — which can be therapeutic, but it isn't strategy.
Where to find real questions:
Google autocomplete (start typing into the Google search bar and see what finishes the sentence)
People Also Ask boxes in search results
Google Search Console (queries your site already shows up for)
Answer the Public for long-tail, human-phrased searches
Client emails, intake forms, DMs, and FAQ conversations
If you want SEO and relevance, stop guessing. Start listening.
Choose One Clear Goal Per Post
Every strong blog post does one main job. Not three. Not five. One.
Pick one:
Explain something confusing.
Help someone decide.
Prepare someone for what's next.
When you try to educate, inspire, convert, sell, nurture, and rank all at once, you end up doing none of them well. This is called cognitive overload — don't subject your poor readers to that.
Before you write, finish this sentence: "Someone will leave this post understanding __________."
If you can't finish it, don't write yet.
Use a Structure That Doesn't Make People Regret Clicking
I use what I lovingly call the "Don't Make Me Regret Clicking This" framework.
It works because it follows how people actually read when they're unsure, overwhelmed, or Googling at 11:47 p.m. eating the second half of the burrito they swore was lunch tomorrow.
A high-performing blog post structure:
The Hook — Name the problem or tension immediately. Skip the warm-up lap.
The Context — Explain why this matters now. Reassure the reader they're not behind or broken.
The Explanation — Teach the thing. Clearly. Calmly. With examples.
The Application — Show how this applies in real life (not theory).
The Next Step — Tell them what to do with this information.
This structure works for Google, AI tools, and real humans — which is the holy trinity.
Write Like a Human, Not a Marketing Department or an AI Word Soup
Good blog writing sounds like a smart person explaining something over coffee. Not like a brand trying to impress other brands.
That means paragraphs of 2–4 sentences, simple language (not dumbed-down language), and examples that sound like real life, not case studies written by robots.
Here's a real-world example:
A therapist writes a post answering, "How do I know if therapy is actually helping?" Not the Instagram version. The honest one including the part where progress looks boring or slower than expected.
Weeks later, a new client references that post in their intake form. They don't say, "Great content." They say, "I felt understood before we even met."
That's not branding. That's pre-trust.
Optimize Without Ruining the Writing
SEO should feel like seasoning, not the main course. If I can taste the keywords, something went wrong.
Too many people try to fit as many keywords as possible into their writing. Don't. Do. That.
Pin For Later
Focus on:
One primary keyword or phrase
Natural variations (how people actually talk)
Clear headings that explain what's coming
Place keywords in:
The title
The first 100 words
At least one H2
Your SEO title
The meta description
Image alt text (descriptive, not spammy)
Write for humans first. Machines are very good at catching up.
Make It Skimmable (Because Everyone Skims)
Even your favorite reader is skimming. You probably did that to this post. Plan for it.
Use clear H2 and H3 headers, bullet points where lists help, and bold for emphasis (sparingly).
If someone only reads the headers and bolded lines, they should still get value.
That's not dumbing it down — that's respect.
Add Supporting Visuals (Because Nobody Reads Walls of Text)
A blog post without images is a wall of text. Walls of text make people leave.
Visuals break up content, reinforce your points, and help with SEO. Search engines reward optimized images. Social platforms need something to show when your post gets shared. And readers need visual breathing room.
What you actually need: A cover image for social shares, 2-3 supporting images throughout the post, and optimized alt text on everything (describe the image + include your keyword naturally).
Where to find images that don't look like everyone else's:
Most free stock photo sites feel free — generic, overused, disconnected. If you're serious about looking premium, invest in a subscription.
Here are some of my favorites:
Elevaè Visuals + Hautestock (~$149-$199/quarter): Curated, diverse, on-brand imagery. Representation matters. Your audience needs to see themselves in your content, not the same overused stock photos everyone else is using. I use these for blog featured images, Pinterest pins, Instagram stories, email headers, and website hero sections.
Full disclosure, I use these two all day every day. If they’re your vibe you can get a discount when you sign up today:
Elevae 10% off with code AVISO
Hautestock 15% off with code AVISO15
Other options: Unsplash, Pexels (free, but everyone uses the same images) and Gratisography (the funnest quirkiest photos around), Canva Pro (~$120/year, includes design tools).
Don't forget: For SEO always compress images before uploading (TinyPNG, ShortPixel), use descriptive file names, and add alt text to every image.
Visuals aren't decoration. They're part of the strategy.
Tell Them What to Do Next (Without Being Weird About It)
If you don't give readers a next step, they'll close the tab and forget you existed. That's not their fault.
Your CTA should feel like a natural extension of the post, not a personality switch.
Examples:
Download a related checklist or guide
Read a deeper post on the same topic
Get a second set of eyes on their site
If your blog feels like it's doing something but you're not sure it's doing the right thing, that's usually a sign — not a failure.
Why This Works Long-Term (and Why It's Worth the Effort)
Good blog posts don't shout. They don't posture. They don't try to win the internet.
They sit down next to someone who's unsure and say, "Here's what's actually going on."
That's what search engines reward. That's what AI tools surface. And that's what people remember.
You don't need more content. You need clearer thinking written down in a way others (people and machines) can find and trust.
