You have agreed with a writer or an agency to produce blog posts for your site. The first one has arrived. You read it: tidy sentences, nice headings. But a question nags at you: "Will this help my business, or was it written just to fill a page?"
In this article I explain what makes a good blog post, what to look at when you receive one, and what to ask the writer. You do not need to write anything yourself. You only need to be able to tell a good post from a weak one.
Why write a blog post at all?
A blog post has one job: to answer a question that someone who does not know you yet has typed into Google, and to bring that person confidently to your door. For example, a patient searches "why do gums recede". If your article really helps, their next step may be to call you.
If a post is written only "for Google", or reads like a brochure about your business, it satisfies neither the reader nor the search engine.
What makes a good blog post? Five basics
In a good post you will see:
- It answers a single question. The title has a question or a promise, and the article delivers on it.
- It knows your work and your area. Instead of general knowledge, it covers the concrete things your customers ask.
- It is accurate and can back up its claims. No made-up figures and no vague "studies show" sentences.
- It is easy to read. Short paragraphs, clear subheadings, no needless flowery sentences.
- It shows the next step. At the end the reader knows what to do: call, book, fill in a form.
What you can check yourself
While reading, ask yourself:
- Do the first two paragraphs answer the question, or do they stall?
- If one of your customers read this, would they say "this is exactly what I was looking for"?
- Is there a detail, example or experience that only you would know? Or could the same text appear on anyone's site?
- Is anything in the facts wrong (times, treatments, laws, products)? You know your field best.
- After reading, do you know what to do next? Is there a phone number, a booking link or another pointer?
- Do you see the same post on a competitor's site?
What the writer should be doing in the background
Some things are invisible on the page but matter for the post. Ask the writer about them:
- Which search was it written for? The writer should have chosen a phrase people really search for, based on research and not a guess.
- Title and short description. The title and two-line summary that show in Google decide whether the post gets clicked.
- Images. Real photos, images with no copyright problem, and descriptive captions that inform the reader.
- Links to other pages of your site. Connections to related services and posts.
- Readability on a phone. Most visitors arrive on a phone; the post has to read comfortably there.
Red flags
| What you see | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| General sentences that could be about anyone | The post was written without knowing your business. |
| Many unrelated topics in a single post | No focus, unclear target reader. |
| The same phrase repeated for no reason | Written only for Google, the reader forgotten. |
| Claims with no source and big numbers | They may be made up. |
| No pointer at the end of the post | The reader will not turn into a customer. |
| A promise like "this post will get you to number one" | Nobody can guarantee that. |
How long until you see results?
Blog posts do not work like a quick advert. It usually takes weeks, sometimes months, for a post to be recorded by Google and then to find readers. Rather than expecting a miracle from a single post, it is healthier to plan regular posts that fit your business. Whoever interprets the results should be able to tell you in plain language how many people each post reached and how many turned into calls.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to write the post myself?
No. But you do need to pass on your expertise and the questions customers ask. The best posts come from the person who knows the job and the person who writes working together.
How long should a post be?
There is no fixed number. A post that answers the question completely without dragging on is the right length. It usually ranges from a few hundred words to one or two thousand.
Is a post written with AI acceptable?
As a draft, yes. But someone who knows the field should read and correct it, and add details specific to your business.
How many posts a month should I publish?
Quality and regularity matter more than the number. A few well-written posts a month work better than frequent weak ones.
If you would like to plan together how your blog posts get found on Google and bring customers, take a look at my SEO services page.