Article writing is the method of crafting content material to tell, educate, entertain, and/or persuade a reader.
And writing an article from scratch doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
We’ll clarify easy methods to write an article in seven steps.
Whether or not you wish to develop your weblog, land your first freelance consumer, or write an article for college, this information will assist.
How you can Write an Article in 7 Steps
Writing an article boils all the way down to seven steps:
1. Study About Your Viewers
To jot down an article that resonates, it’s essential to perceive what your viewers needs to know, how they assume, what they battle with, and even the precise phrases they use.
Right here’s easy methods to find out about your target market:
- Go the place they hang around. Seek for your area of interest on social media or carry out a Google seek for issues like “[niche] reddit” or “[niche] discussion board” to seek out locations the place your viewers spends time (subreddits, Fb teams, LinkedIn communities, and many others.)
- Discuss to them. When you’ve got prospects, pals, or co-workers who suit your target market, ask them immediately. What do they care about? What questions have they got? What do they battle with? The extra you’ll be able to find out about them, the higher.
- Ask an AI instrument. AI instruments like ChatGPT can assist collect insights about your target market’s habits and wishes
For instance, one in all our goal audiences at Semrush is advertising and marketing professionals—search engine marketing specialists, content material entrepreneurs, and PPC managers. Individuals who create and promote content material for a dwelling.
So, we requested ChatGPT to inform us the place these folks hang around on-line. We gave it the next immediate:
“My ultimate viewers is advertising and marketing professionals—search engine marketing specialists, content material entrepreneurs, and PPC managers. Individuals who create and promote content material for a dwelling. The place do these folks hang around on-line? The place can I’m going to be taught extra about them and the subjects they’re all for?”
Right here was the output:
Do the identical in your viewers. Go to the locations ChatGPT suggests and peruse the posts and feedback.
As you’re searching, attempt to discover the solutions to the next questions:
- What questions have they got?
- What are they scuffling with?
- What do they care about proper now?
- What particular phrases do they use to explain their ache and wishes?
Use these insights to information you all through the remainder of this text. And keep in mind that AI is a supporting instrument—not a alternative for in-depth analysis.
2. Select a Related Matter
Ideally, write about one thing in your space of experience that can curiosity your viewers.
So, how do you select the suitable subject?
Begin by asking your self why you’re writing the article. This may information your selection:
- For web site visitors, select a key phrase individuals are trying to find—you’ll be able to determine this out with key phrase analysis
- To coach or inform, decide a standard query or ache level your viewers has (This will likely overlap with discovering a key phrase to get extra visitors.)
- To construct thought management, share your distinctive insights or expertise on a distinct segment topic
- To promote one thing, give attention to issues your services or products solves
Right here’s an instance:
Let’s say you’re a coach who helps entrepreneurs develop their companies. And your objective is to get extra shoppers.
You understand a lot of your shoppers battle with productiveness when nobody’s holding them accountable. So, you would possibly write a few subject with a headline like “How you can Get Issues Performed When You Don’t Really feel Like It.”
Your content material ought to educate readers on the issue (lack of accountability as a solopreneur) and current your service (teaching) as the answer.
Nonetheless caught? Use Semrush’s Matter Analysis instrument.
- Enter a broad subject associated to your space of experience
- Discover article headlines and questions individuals are trying to find
- Select one which looks as if a match and construct your article round it
3. Analysis Your Matter
Take time to assemble info earlier than you begin writing to make your article extra correct, extra helpful, and simpler to jot down.
This is how:
Head to Google and seek for the subject like a reader would.
For instance, whereas researching this text, we looked for key phrases like “article writing” and “easy methods to write an article” to see what already exists.
Learn by way of the highest 10 articles on the search engine outcomes web page (SERP). Observe every article’s angle, prompt suggestions, and format. And see if there’s something lacking from these articles which you could add.
However don’t cease there.
Proceed your search on YouTube, Instagram, and even TikTok. Learn discussion board posts. Attain out to business consultants. Learn knowledge research and business experiences.
You’re on the lookout for developments, knowledge factors, and skilled insights to assist your writing.
4. Create Your Define
A content material define is a doc that particulars what an article ought to embody. Creating an overview helps you make clear your concepts, set up them right into a logical stream, and write quicker and with extra focus.
Right here’s easy methods to create an overview:
- Provide you with a working title that summarizes the content material and entices your viewers. For instance, “How you can Write an Article Audiences Need to Learn (7 Steps)” is healthier than simply “How you can Write An Article.” Use Semrush’s Title Generator instrument to give you higher title concepts.
- Add the primary sections and subsections of the article in a logical format. Your title ought to be the one H1, then you’ll be able to have H2s as your essential sections and H3+ as your subsections that additional break down/clarify your essential sections
- Break down what key factors might be included in every part. You should utilize bullet factors to indicate essential info.
- Collect supporting proof and examples. Add any hyperlinks you wish to use within the article, reminiscent of knowledge research, supporting articles, and even discussion board posts with different folks’s private expertise
One simple strategy to create an overview is to make use of AI instruments like ChatGPT.
Enter a immediate like this:
“Create an overview for an article on the perfect worldwide journey suggestions. Point out locations like Paris, Bali, Tokyo, New York Metropolis, and the Maldives. Cowl budget-friendly suggestions associated to packing, air journey, discovering motels, and navigating unfamiliar places.”
It’s going to generate an overview for you:
Then, make changes as wanted. Be happy so as to add or take away any sections or key factors primarily based in your analysis.
In case you’re writing a weblog publish in your web site, use Semrush’s search engine marketing Content material Template. It gives you a content material transient that’s optimized for serps to extend your probabilities of exhibiting up in search outcomes.
Enter your subject key phrase and click on “Create content material template.”
When the instrument is completed, you’ll see suggestions associated to phrase depend, semantically associated phrases to incorporate, and extra.
Use these insights to replace your define.
5. Write Your First Draft
Lastly, it’s time to jot down. Comply with your define and your analysis to make the method smoother and quicker (that’s what you probably did all that work for).
And bear in mind:
Your first draft doesn’t must be excellent. In reality, it shouldn’t be.
Your job proper now could be to get phrases on the web page—you’ll be able to repair awkward phrasing, grammar points, and weak phrase selections later.
Right here’s easy methods to method it:
- Begin with a robust introduction. Seize your readers’ consideration from the very starting. Think about using an attention-grabbing truth, a thought-provoking query, or a compelling assertion to attract them in.
- Write in a transparent, conversational tone. Until you are writing for a extremely technical viewers, goal for a method that is simple to learn and perceive. Think about you are explaining the subject to a good friend.
- Use brief paragraphs and sentences. This makes your content material extra digestible and fewer intimidating to readers.
- Incorporate visuals. The place acceptable, embody photographs or video for example your factors and break up textual content.
- Write a compelling conclusion. Summarize your details and go away the reader with one thing to consider or act upon. Attempt to use just one name to motion (CTA) on the finish to keep away from complicated the reader.
In case you’re struggling to jot down your article, you should use an AI content material generator for assist. ChatGPT can write a complete article for you in seconds primarily based on a single sentence.
However right here’s the catch:
In case you simply say “write an article about XYZ,” what you get might be generic and bland. As a result of it lacks issues like private expertise, experience, and particulars that matter to your viewers.
The secret is to craft higher prompts and method it as a back-and-forth dialog—refine the enter to enhance the output.
And keep in mind that AI isn’t a alternative in your personal voice. So, edit the output and make changes to make sure the article is as much as your requirements.
6. Optimize Your Article for Search Engines (Elective)
Utilizing search engine marketing (search engine marketing) finest practices will increase the chances that your article will present in search outcomes customers see after coming into associated queries—which might drive extra readers to your article.
Plus, studying search engine marketing is a implausible strategy to earn cash from writing articles.
You possibly can promote your individual services in articles that drive visitors from Google. Or you’ll be able to supply search engine marketing article writing as a service for shoppers.
Listed here are some easy methods to optimize your article for serps:
- Embody your key phrase within the title. As an illustration, if you happen to’re writing about “worldwide journey suggestions,” it’s pure to incorporate that phrase within the title.
- Embody the key phrase within the title tag. The title tag is an HTML title that may seem in search engine outcomes. And it ought to match or be similar to your article title.
- Craft a compelling meta description. A meta description is a short article abstract that may present in search outcomes. And whereas it doesn’t immediately affect rankings, an excellent one can entice customers to click on in your article when it seems in search outcomes.
- Use a brief, descriptive URL. Clear URLs assist readers perceive what your publish is about at a look. The only method is to make the URL slug replicate your subject.
- Add alt textual content to your photographs. Google depends on the transient descriptions that seem as alt textual content to interpret photographs. Guarantee every picture has concise and correct alt textual content.
You should utilize the search engine marketing Writing Assistant that can assist you optimize your article.
Open the instrument and add no less than two key phrases (one ought to be your main key phrase). From right here, copy-paste the content material you’ve already written in your article.
Click on the “search engine marketing” tab to see suggestions to optimize your article, like extra key phrases to incorporate and any points your article has.
Make the prompt adjustments to enhance your article’s general rating and improve your probabilities of exhibiting up greater in search outcomes.
7. Revise and Get Suggestions (If Potential)
The enhancing and revision course of is essential to chop fluff, guarantee all the things is smart, and tighten up your phrase selections.
Step away out of your draft for a number of hours (or perhaps a day), so you’ll be able to come again with recent eyes.
Whenever you sit all the way down to edit, begin by studying the article out loud. This is among the best methods to catch awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, or areas the place your tone feels off.
In case you can, get suggestions from another person.
At Semrush, we’ve a staff of editors who completely evaluation our content material. They provide suggestions on:
- Sections that may very well be restructured for higher stream
- Grammar and utilization errors
- Elements that may very well be eliminated to keep away from redundancy
- Sentences that may very well be written extra clearly
- Factors that want extra clarification
Right here’s an instance:
Suggestions and enter like this usually results in enhancements.
3 Good Article Writing Examples
Listed here are a number of particular articles that stand out from the competitors:
1. Content material Writing: What It Is + 15 Ideas for Success
Our content material writing article is a must-read for anybody able to degree up their content material writing expertise.
Right here’s why this text is so good:
- It kicks off with readability. The article begins with a easy definition and immediately solutions the reader’s largest query: “What’s content material writing, and why ought to I care?”
- It’s filled with worth. With 15 particular suggestions which are supported by examples or instruments, it appears like a mini course in content material technique.
- It’s expertly written and straightforward to observe. Rachel Handley brings over a decade of writing expertise, and it reveals. The recommendation is skilled, however the tone stays pleasant and accessible.
- It makes use of visuals and formatting to maintain issues shifting. Screenshots, bolded suggestions, and brief paragraphs make the information really feel digestible, though it’s comparatively lengthy.
- It connects writing with real-world outcomes. Whether or not readers try to land shoppers, develop their manufacturers, or simply write higher content material, this information helps them see how sturdy writing ties into success.
There’s knowledge to assist that it is a good article, too. We observed it has 124 backlinks (hyperlinks pointing to it from different websites) from 65 completely different domains once we studied it utilizing the Backlink Analytics instrument.
This implies others see the article as a helpful useful resource.
2. Video Advertising 101: How you can Construct a Profitable Technique in 2025 (+ Examples & Professional Ideas)
This complete video advertising and marketing information is a superb instance of writing articles for full rookies.
Right here’s why this text is so good:
- It meets rookies the place they’re. The information doesn’t assume prior information. It breaks down all the video advertising and marketing course of into easy-to-follow steps.
- It has a step-by-step framework. Every part flows naturally into the following, serving to readers go from zero to revealed video with out getting caught in determination fatigue.
- It contains sensible recommendation readers can apply. From choosing the proper digicam to figuring out the place to publish content material, it tells readers precisely what to do.
- It’s relatable and trendy. By spotlighting actual creators and present instruments, it makes the thought of beginning a video technique really feel achievable.
We selected this text for example as a result of Natural Analysis reveals there was a large improve in key phrase rankings in April 2025.
The piece was up to date in April 2025. So, the uptick in rankings means that it’s on the cusp of getting much more visitors from serps now that it has been refreshed.
3. How Artistic Writing Can Enhance College students’ Resilience
This artistic writing-focused article is a superb instance of easy methods to join with the viewers and ship worth.
Right here’s why this text is so good:
- It’s on a subject the viewers cares about. The piece addresses an actual problem college students face—resilience—and makes use of artistic writing because the lens to discover it. It’s an ideal instance of selecting a subject primarily based on the reader’s struggles and wishes.
- It makes use of the right tone. It speaks on to educators, college students, and psychological well being advocates in a approach that’s empathetic, clear, and inspiring—with out being too educational or too informal.
- It’s supported by analysis and actual tales. The article blends emotional storytelling with cited research and skilled commentary, making it each credible and fascinating.
- It follows a logical construction. The stream of the article is straightforward to observe, with well-formatted sections and clear transitions between concepts.
- It ends with a transparent takeaway. The ultimate part ties all the things collectively and reinforces the article’s essential message: that writing could be a highly effective instrument for development and therapeutic.
We selected this text for example as a result of Natural Analysis reveals it carried out nicely on the SERPs in 2020, shortly after it was written. But it surely had a visitors dip shortly after that:
It is a signal that this text could be an ideal candidate for a refresh, just like the Buffer instance we gave above.
Write Your First Article At the moment
Now that you realize the steps, there’s just one factor left to do:
Write.
And if you wish to make the method simpler and quicker, strive the instruments talked about on this information with a free trial of Semrush.
