Think of a content outline like a roadmap.
A traveler without a roadmap will waste time and effort until they reach their destination.
Similarly, writers - even the most seasoned ones - face the same risk without a content outline to help them organize their ideas, information, and writing process.
And to make matters worse, if your writing is disorganized and reader unfriendly, your audience won’t stick around for long.
That’s why we’re not exaggerating when we say that a content outline is the first, but solid, step to upping your content game.
The faster you learn how to write one, the easier your writing process will become - and the more engaging the end result.
So stick around to find out everything there is to know about content outlines, including:
- What Is a Content Outline?
- Why Do You Need to Start Using Content Outlines?
- How to Make a Content Outline (in 7 easy steps)
- Content Outline Example
Ready? Great! Let’s dive in.
What is a Content Outline & Why Is It Helpful?
Research suggests that it takes writers an average of 3,5 hours to write a 1,150-word article. This means that longer articles, or articles that tackle more complex topics, can take up to six hours (or more) to write.
Now, this is already quite time-consuming, although any professional writer would tell you that “hey, quality takes time and effort.”
And while we agree that it does, spending too much of both can decrease your productivity and weaken your writing.
This is where the content outline comes in.
A content outline acts as a skeleton that defines your optimal title, the length and direction of your article, the points you wish to make, and the reaction you want to invoke from your readers.
As such, the content outline can significantly improve the quality of your articles (and the time you spend writing them) by:
- Helping you organize your content
- Guiding your creative process
- Keeping your argument concise
- Meeting your readers’ expectations
Yeap, it’s that valuable - which is exactly why content outlines don’t come in handy just for blog posts and SEO purposes.
Even if you’re writing a research paper, Bachelor’s thesis, newspaper article, or a book, a content outline is one of the most effective tools for producing quality content.
How to Make a Content Outline (7 Easy Steps)
We’re not saying that writing a content outline is a piece of cake.
What we can guarantee, though, is that once you get the hang of it, you’ll be glad you took the initiative.
And if you follow the steps we’ve listed out for you, you’ll become a pro at writing content outlines before you know it.
So let’s dive in!
Step #1: Conduct Research
The very first step to writing a content outline is researching
Normally, there are countless directions in which you can take this topic. But, as a content and SEO writer, your goal is to drive traffic to your client’s website and outrank your competition.
To do that, you need to define the search intent for that keyword and use it to create your content outline.
Research helps do exactly that by providing a bunch of information, such as:
- Search terms related to your keyword (e.g. LSI keywords) and questions related to the original search query (e.g. People Also Ask feature). Both can help contextualize your topic and provide you with ideas.
- Your article’s word count. Generally, you don’t want to write less than the top-ranking articles, but you don’t want to exceed that by far either - unless it will really add value to the topic, that is.
- Answers that readers are looking to find. Yes, the top-ranking articles are your direct competition, but they’re also a way to understand exactly what readers are looking for when they google your keyword. And since you don’t want your article to drown in a sea of information, consulting your competition won’t hurt.
Pro-Tip: We suggest you keep note of LSI keywords and PPA questions that are relevant to your topic as you write the outline, as both can give you ideas for your headers’ titles and content.
Step #2: Optimize Your Headline
Your article’s headline, title, or H1 tag, can make or break your article.
If it’s not captivating and concise, the majority of readers won’t bother to read past it—that can seriously harm your click-through rate. At the same time, if it doesn’t ‘fit’ the Google algorithm, users might not even come across your article.
That’s why your headline should appeal to both readers and search engines. Sounds tricky?
Well, you have your research and our tips to help with that. Just keep the following in mind:
- Keep the headline between 30 and 60 characters. Google will cut off anything longer and that’s not very attractive to readers.
- Include your keyword in the title. This will help your article rank and increase your article’s visibility.
- Keep in mind the audience and search intent. This will grab the reader’s attention (and click).
- Incorporate numbers. When it makes sense, incorporating numbers into your headlines can signal the reader that the article is well-structured and orderly. If you can start the headline with a number, that’s even better.
Let’s go back to our keyword jobs for teens and come up with a title. The research showed that the search intent for the keyword is a list of the best jobs for teens and ways to find them, while the audience is, obviously, teens.
So, your title should be between 30 and 60 characters, make it clear that the article meets the search intent, and optimally quantify your content accordingly. For example:
X+ Best Jobs for Teens (Where & How to Look)
Step #3: Write the Section Headers
After the article’s headline, come the section headers.
Headers serve two purposes:
- To further categorize the content of the article and make it easier to skim through. Without headers, your article would look like a block of text - ugly and difficult for the reader to find the information they need without having to read the whole article. SO not reader-friendly.
- To serve SEO purposes. Particularly, the way to do it is by matching the article’s headers with relevant search topics related to the main keyword. This is where SERP’s People Also Ask section and the LSI keywords come in. You can draw inspiration from both for your titles. After all, if people are searching for answers to those topics, then that’s what you want to answer to rank!
Now, if you’re wondering exactly how headers categorize content, all you need to know is the following:
- Headers are categorized in order of importance, with H1 being the main heading, all the way to H6, which is the lowest-level heading.
- The main headline is the article’s topic, H2 headings represent the main sub-topics, H3s further simplify the content, and so on. Obviously, you don’t have to use all headings in every article - you can be the judge of how many headers your article needs.
To go back to our example, here’s what the headers for “jobs for teens” would look like (SEO-optimized, too):
[H1] X+ Best Jobs for Teens (Where & How to Look)
- [H2]How to Find Jobs as a Teenager
- [H3] Use Job Sites
- [H3] Use Google
- [H2] X Best Jobs for Teenagers
- [H3] Job #1 (and so on)
- [H2] Y Best Online Jobs for Teenagers [h2]
...and so on.
Step #4: Define Each Header’s Main Idea
Once you have titled your headers based on the article’s main topics and subtopics, it’s time to place the relevant information under the headers.
What do we mean by relevant? In short, it should directly relate to the header by either of the following:
- Summarizing how it will inform the reader on the topic
- Explaining how it will answer the reader’s question on the topic
- Outlining how it will provide a solution to a problem the reader has related to the topic
Defining each header’s “content” doesn’t mean you’ll be deciding on all the info you’ll use right then and there. It might totally happen to find more relevant information, answers, or solutions on the topics with more detailed research.
Instead, the information you’ll define during this step is supposed to serve as a basis to make the writing phase significantly easier. Nonetheless, the better you research the points you’ll be making NOW, the easier it will be to actually write your article.
Step #5: Find Statistics & Facts to Back Up Your Points
Do you know what legitimizes an argument and makes information reliable? Statistics and facts!
Any good writer will tell you the power of statistics is undeniable. In addition to making your article credible (SEO-wise), they also make it difficult for the reader to argue what you’re saying. This explains why the use of statistics drives 30% of results in blogposts.
However, there are a few criteria your facts and statistics should meet to make the right impact:
- First, make sure the statistics you use are as timely as possible. If the data and facts you bring to the table are from five years ago, it’s probably no longer relevant and, hence, can’t effectively support your points.
- Second, make sure to provide links to back up all your statistics. This practice is great for two reasons: it provides you with external linking opportunities and it gives the reader the chance to do further research if they wish.
Step #6: Select Multimedia
Do you know what’s more widely used than statistics in blog posts?
Yeap, you guessed it—images. Actually, 90% of bloggers use images for their posts. However, images only drive 25% of the results. There are a few reasons why that is.
First, adding just a couple of images won’t cut it. Only 16% of bloggers who use 1 image per post report strong results, as opposed to the 39% who use 10+ images.
Secondly, and maybe most importantly, studies point that 91% of people prefer interactive content over traditional or text-based media, which includes using both videos and audio in addition to images.
Where do we base this? Only 25% of bloggers use video in their posts; meanwhile, the highest percentage of bloggers who quote “strong results” (34%) attribute their success to the use of videos.
What does this mean?
- Whenever (and if) possible, create relevant multimedia to accompany your posts. And what better time to start thinking about it than during the outline phase?
- If you don’t have the time (or resources) to create multimedia, then make sure to add more than 2 images to your blog posts. You should use at least three images, but don’t hesitate to aim for more, especially if your blog posts are long (longer than the average 1,150 words).
Step #7: Write the Introduction
At this point, you’re almost ready to start the (now easier) process of writing your article!
But first, one final (although, optional) step that could help you get started on the right track: writing the introduction.
Why do we say optimal? Because, at the end of the day, everyone has their own writing process that works for them. You may prefer, for example, to write your article’s introduction and conclusion after you’ve finished the main body, or get both out of the way first.
Our suggestion? Write the introduction first! Why?
Well, because you can. The introduction is nothing more than a well-crafted summary of what exactly you’ll tell the reader and why they should care to read your article.
In short, it serves as your article’s hook, which should be quite easy for you to express after thoroughly researching and working on your content’s outline.
Here’s what you should keep in mind for writing a good intro:
- Keep it as short and concise as possible. Your intro shouldn’t use many words to add little value; on the contrary—you should aim to convey a lot of meaning with as few words as possible. This is why great intros don’t exceed a minimalistic amount of 150 words.
- Include the keyword you’re targeting as much - and as soon - as possible. This helps your article rank. If you can mention the article’s keyword in one of the intro’s first two sentences (or both!), you’re off to a great start!
- Mind the hook. You don’t want to tell the reader everything in the intro. You want to tell them just enough to get them to read the rest of the article!
Content Outline Example
Curious to see what a finalized content outline looks like? Here’s an example of the content outline of a blog post targeting the keyword “entry-level cover letter.”
Title: Write An Entry Level Cover Letter (Examples, Tips & Template)
URL Slug: /entry-level-cover-letter/
Keyword: entry level cover letter
Entry-level
Cover letter
LSI keywords: entry level cover letter example
Entry-level cover letter sample
Entry-level cover letter template
Entry-level cover letter no experience
Entry-level cover letter format
Meta: An entry-level cover letter is used by college seniors, recent graduates & those without work experience! Learn the best way to write yours now!
Wordcount: 2 - 2.5k
Outline:
- Intro
- What Is An Entry-Level Cover Letter? [h2]
- Explain who can use it and why it helps them. I think we can mention that cover letters for college graduates/those with no experience matter more than for professionals, cause their resumes are not that rich, job-wise.
- What Should an Entry-Level Cover Letter Include [h2]
- Entry-Level Cover Letter Format [h3]
- Contact Info, Opening (expressing interest), Body (2-3 paragraphs to show your skills/strengths/why you’re a good candidate), closing statement, signature.
- How to Write an Entry-Level Cover Letter With No Experience (Tips & Examples) [h2]
- #1. Write a Strong (But Professional) Opening [h3]
- #2. Include Important (Entry-Level) Employee Skills [h3]
- (You can check if any apply to the job requirements, but I don’t think the usual tailor your skills to the requirements fits here).
- #3. Do Some Research [h3]
- #4. Quantify Your Accomplishments (When Possible) [h3]
- #5. Highlight Your Education [h3]
- #6. Mention Following Up (In These Cases) [h3]
- #7. Conclude with a Professional Closing [h3]
- #8. Proofread Your Letter [h3]
- Want to Make Things Easy? Use a Cover Letter Builder
- Entry-Level Cover Letter Template [h2]
- Key Takeaways [h2]
Conclusion
It’s a competitive world out there—especially when it comes to digital marketing.
In these conditions, good content marketing can definitely give you an advantage over your competitors. For example, websites that also have a blog are shown to have 434% more indexed pages.
And one of the basics of improving your content? Writing effective content outlines.
By now, you should have a pretty clear idea of why content outlines matter and how to create them. Put the provded tips to practice and we guarantee your writing process will become a piece of cake!
