What Makes a Blog Post Rank in 2025?

What Makes a Blog Post Rank in 2025?

There's still a lot of confusion around what actually makes a blog post rank in Google. The advice often swings between extremes - write as much as possible, write as little as possible, keyword it to death, or just write naturally and hope for the best. The truth, like most things, sits somewhere in the middle. In 2025, Google's systems are more advanced than ever, but the core of what makes a blog post rank hasn't changed all that much. You still need to meet a need, prove you're trustworthy, and structure your content so both readers and

search engines can understand it.

This post explains how that works - clearly, without gimmicks - and gives you a straightforward way to approach blog writing that gets results.

1. Start With Search Intent

Before you write a word, work out what the reader is actually looking for. Not just the topic, but the intent behind it. Let's say someone searches "how to waterproof timber decking." They're not looking for the history of timber or a thousand word essay on outdoor trends. They want practical steps. A list, a method, maybe a comparison of products. That's the intent. Understanding the intent of both the person searching and what you're writing about is absolutely key to delivering content that ranks where it should rank and also not rank where it shouldn't. Get this wrong and no matter how "good" your post is, it won't rank. Get it right, and you've already done half the job.

2. Use Keywords...Properly

Yes, keywords still matter but they're not magic dust. Using the exact phrase six times in a row

doesn't help. Using it once in the title, early in the introduction, and naturally throughout the post is enough. More importantly, include related terms - the kind of words that show you actually understand the topic. If you're writing about solar panel installation, don't forget to mention things like inverters, roof angle, MCS certification, or energy output. These are the kinds of cues Google uses to determine expertise. Theres a blog post on EEAT which explains this further.

3. Structure Your Content Properly

Think of your blog like a newspaper article. The headline is your attention grabber. The subheadings allow the reader (and Google) to skim read and skip to relevant sections. The paragraphs are your content. This is for the information and detail of the topic. Follow the guidlines below as a template for best practice.

Use a single H1 for the blog title.

Then use H2s for main sections.

H3s if you need to break those down further.

Note: This Blog post follows these rules.

It helps readers skim and understand quickly, and it helps search engines categorise

the content clearly.

Make sure your URLs are short and readable. No dates, no random strings of numbers. If the post is a guide about acoustic wall panels, the URL should look something like: /acoustic-wall-panels-guide

That alone gives you a better chance than 90 percent of the posts out there.

Additionally, I keep reading tweets from SEO experts that tell people to use power words in their blog title. Some SEO AI plugins for sites recomend this too. I have to say I strongly disagree with this sentiment. For me it's a trend. Trends pass. We want content that has longevity. Think of the youtube spammy looking thumbnail. "These 9 water filters will change your life!" They won't. And people are wise to click bait. It's just dumbing down for clicks, but if your revenue comes from trust and expertise and not random traffic then using spammy power words won't do you any favours, you'll damage your reputaion with this kind of thing.

4. Keep People Reading

Google now pays close attention to what happens when someone clicks your link. If they hit the

back button after ten seconds, that's not a good sign. Make your intro useful from the start. Don't waffle. If someone searched for "best plants for low light bathrooms," the first paragraph should tell them what they came to find.

The Image above shows the first section from a product focussed blog post from vertigreen. The title is simple and the first paragraph talks about the uses for the planter, the benefits and internally links to the product. An image showing the three sizes follows immediately. The idea being that if this ticks the readers mental boxes they'll continue to read, follow the links and hopefully place an order.

You don't have to write five thousand words but you do need to keep the reader interested, and ideally, give them something better than they expected.

5. Add Value That Others Don't

This is where most blog posts fall flat. They regurgitate what's already out there. In 2025, Google has already seen millions of posts that do this. The ones that stand out either show original experience or package the information in a way that's genuinely helpful.

Examples of how to add value:

- Include a clear step-by-step process you've used yourself. How to pot an olive tree has been one of the most read articles on Vertigreen, with a step by step guide and photos of the process. It has also driven sales with a link from the post to the products being shown.

- Share a result from something you've tested. This could be a solar panel customers satisfaction at being able to generate power throughout the day and store the energy for night time use with their battery. Similarly, a customer at UPS shared how pleased they were that their solar panels withstood the extreme winds during a storm.

- Provide a downloadable element if possible or generate original charts and tables to explain information. If you're a commercial decorator and want to show the difference between two types of paint regarding durability or VOC content for example, share information from the data sheets and create an easy to understand chart to highlight this.

Below is a screenshot from another Solar blog showing how a simple chart can support informative content.

- Explain the pros and cons of something rather than just listing it. There's a reason certain videos and articles are popular and that's usually down to the fact that people ultimately want to make an informed decision when buying a service of product. Going into detail about the product or service shows you are an authority on the subject and encourages trust in your brand or business.

6. Use Images Properly

You don't need glossy stock images. You do need images that explain something, or at the very

least, show what you're talking about. If you're writing about a product, show it in use. If it's a concept, a quick diagram can help. And always add an alt tag that describes the image in plain English - not stuffed with keywords, just what it is.

A screenshot from Zurich Art Clubs blog below shows how you can use real images to highlight your services.

7. Think About Internal Linking

When you mention something you've written about elsewhere, link to it. That keeps readers on your site longer and helps search engines understand how your pages connect.

This also shows you're not just writing one-off posts, but building a body of useful content that

supports itself. Over time, this matters.

8. Meet E-E-A-T (Without Pretending You're a Doctor)

Google's systems continue to use the E-E-A-T principle: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

That doesn't mean you need to write as a certified expert but it does mean:

- Showing you've done what you're talking about

- Writing clearly and accurately

- Linking to reliable sources where relevant

- Avoiding generic filler content

The March 2025 update rewarded sites that had actual human involvement in content. Real

knowledge, real answers, and clear signals of credibility.

There isn't a formula. There's no perfect word count but if your blog post helps the person who

searched for it, and it's well structured, it stands a good chance of ranking. That's what Google wants, and frankly, it's what readers want too. If you can understand the intent behind a search term then you can use this to the advantage of your business.

Focus on clarity. Write like a human. Give people the thing they're actually looking for. That's what makes a blog post rank in 2025.