How to Write Blog Posts That Actually Show Up on Google

If you’ve ever written a blog post you were genuinely proud of, hit publish, and then heard nothing but crickets, you are in very good company. I hear “blogs don’t work” from business owners all the time, and I completely understand why. You carved out time you didn’t really have, you shared something useful, and Google acted like it never happened.

Here’s the good news, and it’s a little bit funny once you see it. Most of the time the blog isn’t the problem. The problem is that the words people type into Google aren’t actually on the page. Google can’t show your post to someone searching for “couples counseling for new parents” if your post is titled “Weathering the Storm Together” and never says the words couples, counseling or new parents.

So let’s fix that. This is the simple, step by step way I teach owners to write blog posts that Google can find, understand and actually show to people.

Prefer to watch? Here is my original video lesson on this topic, recorded a few years back.

Why do most small business blogs never show up on Google?

Google is very smart, but it still relies heavily on the words you put on the page to figure out what that page is about. When we write as experts, we tend to write in our own language. We use clever titles, industry terms and the shorthand we use with colleagues. Your future clients, on the other hand, are typing plain questions into a search bar, often late at night, often a little worried.

When those two vocabularies don’t overlap, your post is invisible to the exact people you wrote it for. The fix isn’t to write more. It’s to write with the searcher’s words in mind from the very beginning.

Step 1: Choose one search phrase before you write a single word

Every post should have one main search phrase, sometimes called a focus keyphrase. This is the thing you want someone to type into Google right before they find you. Pick it first, then build the post around it.

A few ways to land on a good one:

• Think about the questions clients ask you in your first appointment, in their own words.
• Type a starter phrase into Google and look at the autocomplete suggestions that drop down.
• Scroll to the “People also ask” box and the related searches at the bottom of the results page.
• Pick something specific. “How long does a DUI case take in Colorado” is far easier to show up for than “DUI.”

If you’re stuck on what to write about in the first place, my list of 30 content ideas for your blog is a nice place to start. Then come back here and pair each idea with a real search phrase.

Step 2: Put your search phrase in the places Google looks first

Once you have your phrase, you want it to appear naturally in a handful of important spots. This is the heart of on-page SEO, and it’s much less mysterious than it sounds.

1. Your post title (the H1). Use the phrase or a very close version of it. You can still be warm and interesting, just not cryptic.
2. The first paragraph. Mention it early so both readers and Google know right away that they’re in the right place.
3. At least one subheading. Subheadings (H2s) act like a table of contents for Google. Write them like real questions or sentences.
4. The URL, or slug. Keep it short and keyword based, like /couples-counseling-new-parents/ rather than /post-12345/.
5. The SEO title and meta description. These are what show up in the search results. Most WordPress SEO plugins give you a box for each one.
6. Image file names and alt text. Describe the image honestly and include the phrase only where it genuinely fits.

Notice that I said naturally. You don’t need to repeat the phrase twenty times. Google is very good at spotting stuffing, and readers can smell it from a mile away. Write it the way you’d say it out loud.

Step 3: Answer the question quickly, then go deeper

People searching on Google want an answer, and they want it soon. Give them a clear, direct answer near the top of the post, in a sentence or two, and then expand with the nuance, examples and next steps that make you the expert.

This approach also helps with AI search. Tools like Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT tend to pull from pages that answer a question plainly and clearly. If your post has a crisp answer under a subheading that matches the question, you’re making it easy for both people and machines to quote you.

Step 4: Use related words and phrases your readers would expect

Once your main phrase is in place, sprinkle in the related words a real conversation about that topic would include. If you’re writing about teeth whitening, you’d naturally mention sensitivity, enamel, in-office versus at-home options and how long results last. Those related terms help Google understand the full picture and help you show up for many smaller searches too.

A simple trick: read the “People also ask” questions for your phrase and answer two or three of them inside your post, each under its own subheading.

Step 5: Make the post easy to read on a phone

Most of your readers will find you on their phones, so formatting matters more than we’d like to admit.

• Keep paragraphs short, two to four sentences is plenty.
• Use subheadings every few paragraphs so people can skim.
• Use bullet points or numbered steps when you’re listing things.
• Bold the one or two ideas you really don’t want them to miss.

When people stay and read, that’s a good signal. When they bounce right back to Google because they hit a wall of text, that’s not.

Step 6: Link to your other pages and tell readers what to do next

Every post should link to at least one or two other helpful pages on your own site, such as a related post or the service page that matches the topic. These internal links help Google crawl your site and help readers find their way to you.

And please, end with a clear next step. If someone just read your whole post about anxiety therapy for teens, invite them to book a consultation online. Don’t make them hunt for it.

Step 7: Publish, then check back in a few weeks

SEO is a slow cooker, not a microwave. Once your post is live, give it a few weeks, then look in Google Search Console to see which searches it’s starting to appear for. Often you’ll discover people are finding it with wording you didn’t expect. That’s a gift. Add a short section that speaks to that wording, update the post, and watch it grow.

If you’re curious how this fits into the bigger local picture, my post on working with a local Denver SEO expert covers what else goes into ranking in your area.

Would you rather have someone write blog posts that rank for you?

I know your calendar is already full, and writing SEO blogs might be the last thing you want on your plate. That’s exactly what we’re here for. At Faceted Media, we write and optimize content for owner-run businesses, mostly appointment based practices like therapists, medical offices, attorneys and wellness providers, so your blog finally does what you hoped it would.

If you’d like to talk through your content and your goals, you can book a free consult online whenever it suits you. If you already have posts written and just need help with your WordPress settings or SEO plugin, our tech support service is a simple one-time fix. You can also browse everything in our a la carte shop.