Blog Post Formatting – Don't make people work to read.
Blog Formatting for SEO: Stop Making Readers Work for It
Great writing without good formatting is a beautifully wrapped brick. It looks nice, then smacks your reader in the face. Formatting is how you turn words into a clear, scannable, trustworthy page - for humans first, and for search engines that reward pages people actually use.
Below: what to do, why it matters, and a few patterns you can steal.
Why Formatting Moves the SEO Needle (indirectly, but very reliably)
Clarity = intent match. Clean structure helps search engines understand what each section covers - and helps you win the query you're actually targeting.
Scannability = engagement. People skim. Proper headings, lists, and white space keep them on the page and moving forward.
Snippet‑worthiness. Good sectioning + concise answers feed Featured Snippets, People Also Ask, and sitelinks.
Fewer technical foot‑guns. Sensible media formatting reduces CLS/INP annoyances (read: fewer layout jumps and lag).
No, "formatting" by itself isn't a ranking factor. But it strongly influences the signals that are.
Content Hierarchy: Put the Big Rocks in First
Think of your post like a project plan: top‑level outcome, then the steps, then the details.
One H1, then H2/H3 in order. Don't use headings for "making it smaller" - that's what CSS is for.
Front‑load the promise. State the outcome in the intro. Your reader should know in 10 seconds whether they're in the right place.
Use a table of contents for longer posts and jump links to key sections.
Minimal skeleton (HTML):
<article> <h1>How to Format a Blog Post for SEO (Without Ruining Readability)</h1> <p class="lede">In one sentence: what this post helps the reader do.</p> <nav aria-label="Table of contents"> <ol> <li><a href="#hierarchy">Content hierarchy</a></li> <li><a href="#keywords">Keyword placement</a></li> <li><a href="#readability">Readability</a></li> <li><a href="#media">Images & video</a></li> <li><a href="#links">Internal linking</a></li> <li><a href="#long-short">Length</a></li> </ol> </nav> <h2 id="hierarchy">Content hierarchy</h2> <h3>When to use H2 vs H3</h3> <!-- content -->
</article>
Keyword Optimisation: Natural, Early, and Boringly Sensible
Put the primary term in the title tag, H1, and early in the intro - once.
Use variants in H2/H3s where they make sense.
Answer the query directly in the section where the query belongs. That's how you earn snippets.
Anchor text > stuffing. Internal link text should describe what's on the other page (not "learn more").
If your paragraph reads like it's trying to impress a thesaurus, you've gone too far.
Readability: Design the Reading Experience
Formatting isn't just headings. It's the flow on the page.
Paragraphs: 2–4 sentences. Break walls of text.
Line length: roughly 45–85 characters for body text.
Font size/line height: at least 16px with ~1.5 line height. Your readers aren't ants.
White space: generous margins and spacing between sections. Breathing room keeps people moving.
Pull‑outs: use lists, callouts, and short tables for comparisons.
Tone: write like a person. Jargon gets skipped, not respected.
Skim test: Read only your H2/H3s and bolded phrases. If the story holds, you're good.
Images & Video: Helpful, Fast, and Quietly Technical
Media should explain, not decorate - and it shouldn't wreck performance.
Descriptive alt text (what the image shows, not your keyword wishlist).
Use
<figure><figcaption>to add context that actually gets read.Right‑size files and serve modern formats (WebP/AVIF with fallbacks).
Prevent layout shift: include
widthandheight(or intrinsic size via CSS) so the page doesn't jump.Lazy‑load non‑critical images:
loading="lazy"; keep hero media eager.Use
srcset/sizesfor responsive images; no one needs a 2000px banner on a phone.
Example:
<figure> <img src="/images/formatting-example.webp" alt="Example of H1, H2, and bullet list layout for a blog post" width="1200" height="628" loading="lazy" decoding="async" srcset="/images/formatting-example-600.webp 600w, /images/formatting-example-1200.webp 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px"> <figcaption>Clear hierarchy + short paragraphs = higher skim‑to‑read rates.</figcaption>
</figure>
Lists, Tables, and Callouts: Structure Beats Waffle
Lists spotlight steps and takeaways (great snippet bait).
Tables are perfect for comparisons; include proper headers (
<th scope="col">).Callouts (notes, warnings, examples) keep edge cases from derailing your main flow.
Internal Linking: Show the Next Logical Step
Hub ↔ spoke: link related posts both ways; use breadcrumbs on long series or deep categories.
Contextual over generic: link from the exact phrase that describes the target page.
Limit link dumps. A wall of "related" links at the bottom is where attention goes to die.
Long Form vs Short Form: Depth Follows Intent
Long form wins when the job is complex (frameworks, buying guides, comparisons). Use a TOC, summary boxes, and jump links.
Short form excels for straightforward queries (definitions, quick fixes).
Word count doesn't rank. Coverage and usefulness do. If you need 400 words to do the job, write 400. If you need 1,800, structure it so no one gets lost.
Content Hubs: Format Across Pages, Not Just Within One
A hub is a top‑level page that introduces a topic and links to deep dives. It helps users explore and helps search engines understand your site's topology.
One hub per topic, with clear child pages (how‑to, pricing, comparison, examples).
Consistent templates across the cluster so users know where to find things.
Breadcrumbs + internal links that reflect the hierarchy users experience.
Meta & Snippets: Set Expectations Up Front
Title tag: front‑load the job/outcome; keep it human.
Meta description: one promise, one benefit, one action. Expect rewrites; write it anyway.
Structured data: add
FAQPage,HowTo, orBreadcrumbListwhere the content genuinely fits. Don't force it.
Accessibility: Good for Users, Good for SEO Signals
Logical heading order.
Sufficient colour contrast (aim for WCAG AA).
Alt text on meaningful images; empty
alton purely decorative ones.Captions or transcripts for video/audio.
If someone using a screen reader can navigate it easily, you've probably formatted it well.
The Pre‑Publish Formatting Checklist
One clear H1; sane H2/H3 order throughout.
Primary keyword in title/H1/intro; variants in relevant sections.
Intro states the promise in one or two sentences.
Paragraphs short; generous white space; scannable lists.
Images: alt text, size attributes, lazy‑load below the fold.
Tables and callouts for comparisons/edge cases.
Internal links to the next logical page; no dead ends.
Title/meta written; structured data added if appropriate.
Skim test passed; mobile view checked.
No duplicate formatting weirdness across your site templates.
Example: From "Looks Nice" to "Works Well"
Before
Two H1s ("Our Blog" and "Ultimate Guide")
300‑word intro that never says what the guide does
Hero image with no dimensions; page jumps as it loads
Ten "related links" at the bottom, none relevant
After
One H1 that states the job to be done
Two‑sentence intro: problem + outcome
TOC + jump links for a 2,000‑word guide
Images with
width/height, responsivesrcset, lazy‑loaded below the foldContextual links to hub and two logical spokes
Result: scanners become readers; readers become clickers; search engines understand the page without guessing.
Useful Resources
Tonia Kendrick: Formatting Blog Posts - https://toniakendrick.com/format-blog-posts/
HubSpot: Blogging for SEO - https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blogging-for-seo
SEMrush: Blog Post Formatting Guide - https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-to-format-a-blog-post/
Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide