How to Outline a Blog Post in 10 Minutes (With Example)

Most people don’t actually hate writing blog posts.

They hate the part where you stare at a blank doc and your brain goes… cool. Now what.

Outlining fixes that. Not in a fancy, academic way. Just in a practical way where you can sit down, spend 10 minutes, and end up with a “map” that basically writes the post for you.

And the best part is, your outline also makes SEO easier because your headings, questions, and structure are already in place. Which is, honestly, half the battle.

So here’s a 10 minute outlining process you can use for almost any post. I’ll also walk through a full example so you can copy the format and run with it.

What a “good outline” actually does (so you don’t overthink it)

A good outline is not a table of contents with 27 nested bullets.

It’s more like:

• What promise am I making in this post?
• What does the reader need to believe or understand by the end?
• What are the steps, sections, or points that get them there?
• Where do examples go so it doesn’t feel like a textbook?

If you can answer those, you can outline fast. If you can’t, you’ll procrastinate and tell yourself you need to “research more”.

The 10 minute blog post outline method (a real timer helps)

This is the exact process. Set a timer if you want. It’s supposed to feel a little rushed.

Minute 1: Write the one sentence promise

Finish this sentence:

“After reading this post, you’ll be able to ____.”

Examples:

• “…choose a niche for your Shopify store.”
• “…fix your title tags without hiring an SEO.”
• “…outline a blog post in 10 minutes.”

If you can’t write the promise, don’t outline yet. Your outline will be mush.

Minute 2: Identify the reader (one line)

Who is this for?

Not a persona doc. Just one line.

• “A small business owner trying to grow organic traffic.”
• “A marketer writing for a SaaS blog.”
• “A founder doing SEO themselves on weekends.”

This matters because it sets the depth. Beginners need reassurance and clarity. Advanced readers want frameworks and edge cases.

Minute 3: Pick the angle (the “why this post exists” angle)

Same topic can be written 100 ways. Choose the angle now so you don’t drift later.

Angles could be:

• Fastest way
• Cheapest way
• Beginner friendly way
• “I tried it” way
• Mistakes to avoid
• Step by step checklist
• Templates and examples

This post is “fastest way + template + example”, so the outline will include both process and proof.

Minutes 4 to 6: Brain dump headings (ugly is fine)

Open a doc and dump 6 to 10 section ideas. Don’t order them yet. Don’t polish.

Think:

• Intro hook
• Why it matters
• Main steps
• Example
• Common mistakes
• Tools/templates
• Wrap up

If you get stuck, steal from search intent. People usually want:

• What it is
• Why it matters
• How to do it
• Examples
• Mistakes
• FAQs

That’s basically 80 percent of blog content on the internet. And it works.

Minutes 7 to 8: Arrange in a simple flow

Now you order your headings.

Most blog posts should follow this flow:

1. Problem
2. Promise
3. Process
4. Proof (example, case, screenshots, etc)
5. Next step (CTA, checklist, tool, download, etc)

If you keep that, your post will feel “tight” even if your writing is casual.

Minute 9: Add 1 to 3 bullets under each heading

This is the secret. If you skip this, you’ll still feel stuck when writing.

Each H2 should have a few bullets like:

• What you’ll explain
• Any example you’ll use
• Any data point or tip
• A mini transition line (optional)

You’re basically writing the post in shorthand.

Minute 10: Write the intro and conclusion in rough form

Not full paragraphs. Just rough.

Intro rough structure:

• Relatable pain point
• What they’ll get
• Quick credibility or context
• What’s coming

Conclusion rough structure:

• One line recap
• What to do next (specific)
• Optional CTA

Done. Now writing becomes filling in the gaps instead of inventing structure mid draft.

A quick “outline template” you can copy paste

Here’s the template I use when I want something clean and fast.

text Title: [clear benefit + specificity]

Intro:

• Hook (pain point / relatable situation)
• Promise (what they’ll achieve)
• Why listen (context)
• What you’ll cover

H2: [Core point 1]

• Bullet
• Bullet
• Bullet

H2: [Core point 2]

• Bullet
• Bullet
• Bullet

H2: [Core point 3]

• Bullet
• Bullet
• Bullet

H2: Example / walkthrough

• Scenario
• Steps
• Finished result

H2: Common mistakes / FAQs

• Mistake 1 + fix
• Mistake 2 + fix
• Mistake 3 + fix

Conclusion:

• Recap
• Next action
• CTA / internal link

You can outline nearly any post with this. Then later you can get fancy.

The fastest way to choose headings (without guesswork)

If you want your outline to be both helpful and SEO friendly, your headings should map to what people are trying to accomplish.

A simple rule:

Your H2s should answer the main questions a reader has, in the order they’d ask them.

For example, if someone searches “how to outline a blog post” they usually want:

• How long should an outline be?
• What sections do I need?
• How do I do it quickly?
• Can I see an example?
• What mistakes should I avoid?

So your outline should include those. Not because Google demands it, but because humans do.

Also, small SEO thing that helps. If your H2s match real subtopics, you naturally cover more keywords without stuffing anything.

Example: Outlining a blog post in 10 minutes (real outline, not a theory)

Let’s do a full example outline together.

Blog post topic

“How to Write SEO Blog Posts That Actually Rank (Without an Agency)”

This is the kind of topic that can get generic fast, so outlining matters even more.

Minute 1: One sentence promise

After reading this post, you’ll be able to create an SEO blog post plan you can repeat weekly, without hiring an agency.

Minute 2: Reader

A small business owner or marketer who wants organic traffic but doesn’t have time to become an SEO expert.

In such cases, employing a SEO content writing framework can significantly simplify the process.

Minute 3: Angle

Step by step, repeatable process. Minimal tools. Clear checklist.

Minutes 4 to 6: Brain dump headings

• What “ranking” actually depends on (so people don’t obsess over fluff)
• Pick a keyword that’s not impossible
• Match search intent
• Build a simple outline with SEO sections
• Write the draft fast
• Optimize basics (title, intro, internal links)
• Publish and update
• Mistakes
• Example post outline

Minutes 7 to 8: Arrange the flow

Here’s the cleaned up structure.

Minutes 9 to 10: Add bullets and rough intro/outro

This is the finished outline you could write from.

Finished outline (copyable)

Title options

• How to Write SEO Blog Posts That Actually Rank (Without an Agency)
• A Simple SEO Blog Post Process for Busy Teams (With Checklist)
• How to Create SEO Content That Ranks, Even If You Hate SEO

Intro (rough)

• SEO content feels complicated because everyone overcomplicates it.
• You don’t need an agency to publish content that ranks. You need consistency, decent targeting, and a clean structure.
• This post breaks it into a repeatable process and includes an example outline you can steal.

H2: What makes a blog post rank (quick reality check)

• Search intent match matters more than “word count”
• Coverage and clarity beat fancy writing
• Basic on page SEO still matters: title, headings, internal links, images
• Consistency is a cheat code, most competitors stop too early

H2: Step 1: Pick a keyword you can actually win

• Avoid high difficulty head terms
• Look for long tail keywords with clear intent
• Use “problem + audience” keywords
• Quick rule: if the SERP is all giant brands, choose something else

H2: Step 2: Match the search intent before you write

• Identify if intent is: informational, comparison, transactional
• Skim top results, what format are they using?
• Decide your angle so you stand out, not just copy

H2: Step 3: Build an outline that naturally covers the topic

• Use 5 to 7 main H2s
• Add FAQs and examples, they increase completeness
• Add internal links to related posts and feature pages
• Plan your CTA early so the post has a purpose

H2: Step 4: Write fast, then optimize

• Write ugly first draft from outline
• Add examples and screenshots after
• Optimize title, meta, first 100 words, H2s, links
• Add 1 strong takeaway section

H2: Step 5: Publish, interlink, and update

• Add internal links both directions
• Submit for indexing if needed
• Update the post in 30 days with improvements
• Repurpose into newsletter or LinkedIn post

H2: Example outline for a real SEO post

• Keyword: “best crm for freelancers”
• Intent: comparison list
• H2s: what to look for, pricing, top picks, FAQ, verdict
• Show what the outline looks like with bullets

H2: Common mistakes that stop posts from ranking

• Picking impossible keywords
• Writing without intent
• No internal links
• Publishing once and forgetting
• Thin content with no examples

Conclusion (rough)

• You don’t need perfect SEO. You need a repeatable publishing system.
• If you want it hands off, use an automation platform that does the research, writing, and scheduling for you.

That’s it. That outline is basically a post already.

Common outline mistakes (that waste time and make posts feel “off”)

1. Your headings are topics, not promises

Bad heading: “Keyword research”

Better heading: “How to pick a keyword you can actually rank for”

Headings should pull the reader forward. If they’re vague, your post will be vague too.

2. You skip the example

People say they want the steps. They really want the steps plus a real example so they can sanity check themselves.

If you can only add one section, add the example section.

3. You try to be “comprehensive” and end up bloated

If your outline has 14 H2s, you’re probably mixing multiple posts into one.

A good post can be thorough without being endless. Usually 5 to 9 H2s is the sweet spot.

4. You don’t plan internal links until after you publish

Internal links are not just an SEO checkbox. They keep people on your site, and they help your content ecosystem make sense.

When you’re outlining, add a bullet like:

• “Internal link to: [related guide]”
• “Link to tool page: [relevant feature]”

Do it while the structure is fresh.

If you want to outline even faster, use a tool (but still keep control)

Sometimes you’re not trying to become a better writer. You’re trying to ship content weekly without losing your mind.

This is where automation helps.

If you want something that can take you from topic to outline to full draft, you can try SEO software, which is basically built for hands off content marketing. It scans your site, builds a keyword and topic plan, and then creates and schedules SEO optimized articles so you’re not doing everything manually.

If you’re curious, you can check out their blog post generator to speed up the whole process from outline to draft.

Also, if you’re still comparing options or you’re in that phase of “which AI writing tool is actually good”, this roundup of AI writing tools is a useful reference.

One quick note though. Even if you use a tool to generate the outline, you still want to do the human part:

• pick the angle
• add real examples
• make sure it doesn’t drift into generic filler

That’s where most AI content falls apart. It’s not the grammar. It’s the sameness.

A simple 10 minute outline checklist (save this)

Before you write, make sure your outline has:

• A one sentence promise
• 5 to 9 H2 sections in a logical order
• 1 to 3 bullets under every H2
• At least one example section
• A short mistakes or FAQ section
• A conclusion with a next step
• 2 to 5 internal link opportunities planned

If you hit those, you’re not staring at a blank doc anymore. You’re basically filling out a form.

And that’s the whole point.

Wrap up

Outlining in 10 minutes isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about removing friction.

Because once your structure is there, writing gets weirdly easy. You stop asking “what should I say next” and you start asking “what’s the best way to explain this”.

If you want to keep it manual, use the template above and run a timer. Do it a few times and it becomes automatic.

If you want it closer to hands off, where strategy and articles get created and scheduled for you, take a look at SEO software and start with their blog post generator. That’s usually the fastest path from idea to published post without hiring an agency.