13 of the Best Blog Format Types to Increase Readers Now

You want to find the best blog format you can find when creating new articles for your blog.

Great posting formats will entice more readers, which can help you earn more money with your blog. Sticking with popular formats and adding value to your content is how you win with blogging.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best blog format types based on the highest ranking results for most keyword terms of search engines.

Ingredients of the Best Blog Format

Creating the best blog format types involves many factors, all of which can be easily integrated into your blogging and writing strategies.

STRONG TITLES—It’s important to have a strong title that will catch the attention of potential readers and make them want to keep reading your content. Use powerful words and copywriting techniques when creating blog titles and headings throughout the content.

SCANNABLE CONTENT—Make sure your entire blog post is scannable and easy to read on a mobile device such as a phone. Readers need to be able to read as they actively move the page up without needing to stop to read a large paragraph.

TABLE OF CONTENTS—If your blog post is going to be a longer article like this one, you need to add a functioning table of contents. This will allow potential readers to get to the content they want to see quickly, which usually guarantees a read.

APPEALING VISUALS—To catch the reader’s attention, add visual aids that are extremely appealing. Use colorful, eye-stimulating, psychologically satisfying images on your blog, but make sure they load fast and don’t slow your pages down.

READABLE FONT—Use a font that is readable in style and size so that everyone can understand what they are reading. Don’t use fancy cursive fonts or fonts with extra lines at the end of letter points because they can be difficult to scan and read and will often result in reader loss.

RELEVANT LINKS—Make sure that you put relevant links to other blog posts you’ve created in your article to help share other posts and gain more readers and interest in the process. You should also be adding external relevant links from trusted websites.

HIGHLIGHT YOUR CTA—To increase the chance of readers acting. Make sure you highlight and draw more attention to your Call to Action (CTA). Make your CTA eye-catching, like your title and headings.

These ingredients make up the best blog format types used by top blogs online today.

 

Best Blog Format #1: Beginner’s Guide to Trending Topics in Your Niche

A beginner’s guide should focus on the most asked questions within your blogging niche. They should support the success of the reader. Show them not only how to do something but how to do it as easily as possible.

Make sure that you include a topic within the title that spotlights that your guide is for beginners of a new concept or topic within your niche.

A great example of a perfect title for your beginner’s guide is “Thanksgiving Made Easy: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Cooking Your First Turkey,” as it focuses on the trend in the niche and the occasion and highlights that it’s made for beginners.

Your target audience is those who are unfamiliar with your topic. Taking the example above, you’d be focusing on people who want to cook a Thanksgiving turkey for the first time. You need to write in a way that appeases that target audience – people who you’ve presumed have never even thought about cooking a Thanksgiving turkey until now.

Steps to using this Best Blog Format:

• Make sure the title is focused on beginners. The word “beginner” needs to be included in the title. You’ll want that term to be part of your long-tail keyword for search engine ranking, too.
• Make sure your introduction is simple and clear. It needs to be easy to read and understandable, as the reader is looking at a guide made for beginners.
• Create the guide as if there is no other guide available for that topic. Make sure every sentence is valuable to a beginner and that nothing within it is meant for advanced-stage users.
• Provide some next steps after you’ve written your guide. These are often great areas to put advanced user guides you’ve created or even products/services you’re attempting to sell within your niche.

Lucky for you, every topic and sub-topic in your niche can appease beginners, so you’ll be able to create guides for practically anything you want to write about.

 

Best Blog Format #2: Pillar Topic Format to Feature Cornerstone Content

Your pillar topics or cornerstone content are the main topics you’ve created a blog around. My hiking blog focuses on southern Illinois hiking trails, so “hiking trails in southern Illinois” is one of my pillar or cornerstone content topics. Articles written about these subjects are content directed specifically to your target audience.

These blog posts focus on search intent, which means that your target keywords and content should match the intent of what your target audience is searching for.

For example, on Google Search, I type in “Garden of the Gods,” a popular hiking trail in my area. Autocomplete gives me an option for “How hard is it to hike Garden of the Gods in Illinois?” This means it’s a highly searched-for question. To match that search intent precisely, I would make a pillar topic article all about how hard it is to hike Garden of the Gods in Illinois.

With pillar content, you want to make sure you’re targeting keywords for SEO. Due to the importance of search intent, the keywords are often long-tail and include questions within them, as shown above in my example.

The format calls for evergreen content, which is content that doesn’t have an expiration date. Create the content in a way where it can be referenced and read again and again as the years pass. Evergreen content is really the best content for bloggers to create,

Steps for this Best Blog Format:

1. Make sure your blog title is comprehensive and targets the intent of a searcher and reader. It needs to look like a question submitted in search, and the body needs to thoroughly answer that question and give the reader exactly what the title says to them.
2. Thoroughly cover the topics within the main content of the blog. Make sure you cover every section possible and search for potential information gaps to fill before you publish your article. Your goal is to have your content answer a question that is searched for.

Pillar and cornerstone content articles will really help boost your authority and reputation in your niche and make you shine as an expert.

 

Best Blog Format #3: Define Something with Your Next Blog Post

Definition posts make great articles to define something or present “what” something is. If you have a product or service, for example, you can use this format to describe to your audience what the product or service is and why they should purchase it.

This format’s intent can be information, education, or even transactional.

For example, I could create a post defining what a blog is and giving its history and all the functions that make it work, which would be informational. I could also create a post on what a blog plugin is and how to create one, which would be educational. I could also create a post explaining what my blog consulting business is and how you should consider purchasing it to be a better blogger, and that’s transactional.

When creating definition or “what” format posts, you have a chance to shine as an expert in your niche. Being identified as a niche expert will bring you more readers and make you more money in the long run.

Steps of Success for this Best Blog Format:

1. Make sure your title answers a question. Use your title to shorten a long story, and then use the rest of the blog to explain the story in a long form.
2. Make sure you give the full nitty gritty of what you’re defining with your blog post. It shouldn’t leave out anything. You’re making the encyclopedia version of a topic when creating in this blog post format.

Every niche blogger should create a few different articles focusing on defining something in their niche, especially topics that align with their main pillar or cornerstone subjects.

 

Better Blog Format #4: How to Guides

Conduct a search for just about any keyword on Google. You’ll see multiple “how to” articles being displayed on text-based search results. This is because the How-To style is often the best blog format used by many bloggers.

When creating a how-to blog post, you need to simplify complex instructions. The simpler your post is to the reader, the more popular it will likely be in the niche. Focus on topics that are the main questions or pain points of your target audience.

A good how-to article will typically teach a reader a skill. How to articles instill value and education in them. You need to make sure you have these things.

A how-to article offers a solution to the reader on how to do something that they can’t figure out. Make sure you have done the steps you’re telling them to do and make sure it worked.

Steps of this Best Blog Format:

• Make sure the title includes two things. It needs to have the words “how to ” and “the actual subject” of what you’re teaching the reader how to do.
• Explain the issue in the introduction of your article. I like to use the PAS copywriting formation, where you present a problem, agitate the reader to get them invested, and then provide the solution in the article.
• Break down each step clearly and understandably. As I said before, your instructions need to be the easiest solution, or the reader will go somewhere else to get help.

I highly recommend that you do the how-to format as much as you can because it is a very popularly read format on blogs.

 

Best Blog Format #5: List Post or Listicle

The list post is commonly known as a listicle and it’s where you list items. This is one of the best blog format types used by some of the most popular blogs. You’ll see listicle titles all over Google Search results for most keywords.

A listicle post should be a ranking of something. An example would be “Top 10 Ways to Cook a Chicken Dinner using Ramen Noodles.” You could also use an instructional listicle such as “23 Steps to Lose Weight in a Year with Cycling.”

You can also use a listicle to curate existing content. This could be for featuring other articles you have written to help cross-promote content or resources from other blogs, such as expert advice.

You could create a smaller article to accompany a larger data-driven fact sheet. The listicle could be a summary of the fact sheet. This lets you repurpose content efficiently.

Best Blog Format Steps for Listicles:

• Your title should include the number of items, the benefit, and a statement of a short timeframe if relevant. Example: 13 Ways to Find Buried Treasure Before Your Turn 50.
• Consider using an odd number. Odd numbers are noticed more than even numbers because they’re abnormal, and they’re usually not the first choice because they’re not even.
• You may want to list more items than the highest-ranked on a results page just to make your content look more resourceful unless a lower-listed item, such as instructions on how to do something, looks easier.
• A listicle and a how-to format can easily be used for the same post.
• Keep the introduction very short so that the listed sections can remain the meat of the content.
• Provide a Table of Contents around the beginning of the article. Make sure readers can jump to each listed section by clicking from the Table of Contests. It’s good to have an option on your blog where people can get to the top of the page quickly, too.
• Use concise headings and make sure they are eye-catching but also explain what readers will be seeing,

Listicles are some of the best blog formats. They’re typically the type of posts that become viral and widely shared, and I tend to use them more than any other format.

 

Best Blog Format #6: Detailed Case Studies

A case study is basically a well-researched article backed by factual information such as research, statistics, and references. It’s like a college paper, but it’s created in a way that makes it friendly for blogging and search engines.

As I mentioned above, a case study is backed by data and evidence. You want to make sure you keep opinion and bias out of a case study or at least make it clear when you use it in a particular section of the article.

A case study post needs to be thorough, so it is usually very long. I wouldn’t think it should be under 2,000 to 5,000 words at minimum.

Use a lot of examples and references in a case study. Examples can help show experiments and why the theory of the study is correct. Use references as external and internal links placed into the content like you would with any other blog format.

Steps of this Best Blog Format:

• Your title should include a benefit, a number, and timeframe. For example, “3 Data-Driven Proven Business Marketing Strategies to Get Started on Today.”
• Title your content exactly what you want to give them, tell a personal story they can relate to in the intro, and give a preview of steps in the table of contents.
• Have a HERO character in your case study. This is a person or thing that readers will be able to resonate with through personal stories. It could even be you.
• Be as detailed as you can. Includes images, infographics, videos, and anything else to make your case study as thorough as possible.

Case studies are great additions to your blog portfolio, and every niche blogger should try to create one at least a few times a year.

 

Best Blog Format #7: Product Showdown

A product showdown is when you feature multiple products or services on your blog and compare them against one another, with a winner at the end. You can easily find these types of posts when looking for articles that compare different WordPress plugins for different outcomes.

It’s best to use popular products in your product showdown, as they tend to get the most attention. However, you can test throwing in some not-so-popular products or services to see how they work, especially if they’re inexpensive or even free.

Make sure you list a detailed account of each product or service, including all the pros and cons that you can think of. Give examples of working states, and include reviews from others in your linking structure.

Give your final thoughts and opinions on what product or service is best. If you don’t want to choose just one, you could rate each one, showing what it would be best for.

Steps for this Best Blogging Format:

• Try to include the product or service in the title or at least the general name versus the other name. Example: “iPhone versus Android” or “Apple Phones versus Motorola Phones.”
• The intro should be a very quick overview of the products and what you will be covering within the article.
• Then, you should create a section for each product or service. This should include an overview, pros and cons, and any additional information you can include.
• Try to add a feature-by-feature comparison within your blog post, as these are often the most sought-after sections of product-versus-product-type blog post formats.
• In your conclusion, show when one is the best product or service or what each is better used for.

These types of posts make the best blog format because they’re so sought out on search engines. If you make one detailed and interactive enough, you’ll likely have a viral post on your blog.

Best Blog Format #8: How Did They Do It

The “How Did They Do It” blog post format is another type of post that can typically become viral very quickly. It gives a breakdown or reverse engineering of how someone or something was done in relation to the niche.

You’ll usually explain how someone did something to ease a problem within the niche. Example: “How Seth Godin can blog every day for 10 years and how you can do it too with ease.”

You have to break down their strategy. You need to get very detailed, but you need to make sure the details are easy to read and understand.

Try to reveal any secrets you can to show a reader how to be successful by using the strategy of another person or thing you have broken down or reverse-engineered.

Steps for using this Best Blog Format:

• Include in the title the entity of focus (person or thing) and what they did (subject you are breaking down). Make sure you mention how the reader will also be able to do the thing themselves, if applicable.
• Your intro should include an overview of the opportunity. Emphasize why some people succeed and why others fail. Briefly describe the secrets to success and then encourage the reader to continue for the full details.
• This is a strategy format. You’ll need to break down and reverse engineer strategies and techniques and then showcase them in an easy-to-understand manner.

Suppose you can explain how someone had a successful result of doing something difficult within your niche in an easy way using this format. In that case, you’ll definitely have a widely read post as a result.

 

Best Blog Format #9: Myth Debunker

There are always myths in the industry you blog about. One myth in my niche is that blogging is dead. The truth is that blogging is far from dead. You just have to focus on what works, like using these best blog format strategies. This particular format focuses on debunking myths like that and is usually backed by successful experiments and facts.

As an industry expert in your niche, you should dispel common myths. This will increase readers’ trust in and loyalty to your content.

With these types of blog formats, you will often drum up controversy. You might get negative comments. Make sure you aggressively block trolls and spammers in order to keep your comment section from becoming toxic.

You should target both those who agree and disagree with engagement tactics because either party will contribute great engagement to your article.

Steps of the Best Blog Format:

• Highlight a single myth or multiple ones within your title, and make sure you put something like “Myth” or “Myth Busted” to add drama and engagement triggers to the title.
• Your intro should grab the reader’s attention by explaining a very short description of the myth and promising to show the actual truth.
• The main blog content should include an explanation of the myth, any background to include, a case study to dispel the myth, and what the reality actually is. Make sure you back your facts up if you want people to believe you.

This is a good type of post format to publish if you want to get more comments, shares, and backlinks, as both supporting and opposing parties will likely actively consume, comment on, share, and link to this type of post, whether it’s to agree or argue it.

 

Best Blog Format #10: Review Post

People are always looking for reviews for various products, services, and practically anything. Whether you blog about movies, food, parenting, or sports, you can make a review post in any format. If your review is awesome enough, it could become the most viral review for the product, service, or whatever.

Make sure your review is very detailed but easy to read. A detailed review is going to be the best review because people need to know everything they can know, especially if purchasing something is involved.

Include a list of pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages with your review. Make sure you include justification for any opinions or biased content you add to your review.

The goal of using this format should be to help your reader make a decision. Sometimes, you’ll include affiliate links. Make sure you’re transparent about using them.

Best Blog Format Steps for Reviews:

• Make sure you include the name of the product you’re reviewing and the word “Review” in the title.
• Make an introduction explaining what you will be reviewing, what it is, and what you will be focusing on with your review.
• Make your review better than every other review about the subject. Include as much detail as you can, pros and cons, your own personal likes and dislikes (be sure to explain why for both), the improvement you would suggest (this helps companies that make stuff), photos and videos, comparison charts, answers to common questions, and information on how to get what you’re reviewing including any affiliate links and coupon codes you might have on the conclusion of the review.

Review posts are often searched for on search engines because humans can share their personal experiences with what is being reviewed. Therefore, you should try to adopt this format as often as you can.

 

Best Blog Format #11: Interview Post

An interview post is an article format between you (or a person conducting the interview) and the person being interviewed. It’s a great opportunity for people in the niche to learn more about something when an expert is being interviewed, and many readers enjoy this type of format.

Make sure you showcase the person and what they would like to promote. You don’t have to write an entire article promoting their product, but at least add it to the post so that they can get some deserved promotion time for doing an interview with you.

Create the blog post in a way that promotes the person being interviewed, not yourself. The blog should be about the subject, but it should also resonate with the readers, so be sure to cover topics they would likely be looking for.

Try to ask the tougher and more challenging questions in the niche. That’s what the audience will be looking for the most. Just make sure the interviewee knows the questions you will be asking so that they can prepare for them.

Steps for this Best Blog Format:

• In the title, make sure you include the interviewee’s name, their profession, or the topic they’re associated with for the interview, and some kind of wording such as “Interview” to explain what the post is about.
• In the intro, describe the person and what they’re associated with per the interview. Also, try to explain what your questions will focus on.
• Questions should be designed to address the most frequently asked subjects within the niche. Ask the harder questions and seek answers that make the solution easier for the reader.
• Promote anything the interviewee would like to promote since they took the time to help you create your content.

Interview blog post formats are a great way to attract more readers, shares, and engagement. Be sure to monitor the comment section and invite the interviewee to watch it and answer questions as they come in.

 

Best Blog Format #12: Curated Post

Curated posts are the best blog format style because they allow you to include what’s already there instead of having to think of new content. It’s like a lazy way of blogging, but it’ll still get you a lot of readers and engagement in the process.

With curated posts, you can show previous blogs you’ve written pertaining to something specific or even showcase all the products and services you offer through your business.

You can also use this format to showcase external links, such as in an expert roundup on a specific topic, or to showcase posts made on other platforms, such as social media, forums, and other blogs.

Steps for using this Best Blog Format:

• Put the number of curated items in the title like you would with a list post. Numbered titles tend to get noticed more than those without a number in them.
• Create a short introduction like you would for a listicle post. Explain what the readers will see in your curated post.
• Add snippets of content from previous posts or items you’re curating to your blog post, and make sure there is unique content, too.

If you’re out of ideas and looking to get something written up, you’ll find that curated post is easy to come up with but still gives you plenty of reader interest,

 

Best Blog Format #13: Q&A Blog Post

Finally, the last best blog format I want to suggest is a Q&A post. Questions and answers tend to do really good on search engines and they will often help you get into the “People Also Ask” section of search results.

As I said, this type of format can help you get into the “People also ask” section of Google search results. It’s always good to browse through those questions to see what Q&A you should include in your post.

Target topics within your cornerstone and pillar content with Q&A format blog posts. These are the topics you care about the most.

Go to social media and ask your followers questions about your niche. You can answer them using the Q&A format, which will also draw readers and engagement to your blog content.

Steps for this Best Blog Format:

• Make sure you include the term “Q&A” or “FAQ” in your title to add value and help your readers understand what they’re about to consume.
• Make a short introduction explaining that your post is a Q&A-style article and describing the topic or topics the questions will focus on.
• Include as many Q&A sections as you want. You shouldn’t need to go over 1 to 3 paragraphs for each section, especially if you plan to add many of them.
• In your outro, make sure you add a CTA showing readers how they can contact you to ask their questions for future Q&A articles.

Writing in the Q&A style can open many opportunities for your blog. I think it is among the best blog format types to use on almost any niche blog.

 

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve seen some of the best blog format styles to choose for your next post, it’s time for you to start getting more readers and subscribers by using these awesome formats. I recommend using any of the formats above that you can use on your blog.

Now over to you: Tell me what formats above you have used on your blog. Tell me which ones give you the most readers and engagement. Tell me which one is your favorite and why! I’d love to hear from you about these format styles.

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About the Author

Shawn Gossman has created content, blogged, ran online communities, and shared a passion for digital marketing for over twenty years. Shawn believes the best way to help content creators, businesses, brands, and marketers is to give away more than you sell. The same advice is recommended for the readers who follow this blog. Shawn also offers various services for extra help in content creation and blogging.