How to Create a Content Outline: A Step-by-Step Guide

What Is a Content Outline?

A contented outline is simply a papers that details what an nonfiction should include. It serves arsenic a model for the completed piece.

Content outlines typically see the pursuing elements:

• Title (H1): The rubric oregon header of the article
• Main sections/headings (H2): These are the large divisions of your content. Each conception represents a antithetic facet oregon subtopic related to the main theme. Headings supply a wide denotation of the content's structure. And assistance usher the scholar done the material.
• Subsections (H3–H6): Within each main section, subsections further disagreement the contented into much focused topics. Subsections assistance signifier the information. And marque it easier for readers to navigate.
• Key points: Important points that volition beryllium discussed wrong each conception oregon subsection. Bullet points are often utilized to item cardinal information.
• Supporting evidence/examples: Relevant evidence, data, statistics, oregon examples that enactment the cardinal points. Supporting grounds adds credibility to the content. And helps reenforce the main ideas.
• References/citations: If applicable, see a database of sources successful applicable outline sections. This allows writers and editors to notation and fact-check sources. And adhd outer links. 

Why Are Content Outlines Important?

• Organization: Outlines supply a structured model for organizing information. They assistance you put your thoughts successful a logical sequence. And guarantee the contented flows smoothly from 1 constituent to the next.
• Clarity: Outlines assistance you clarify ideas. And place the main points of your content. By breaking down the contented into smaller sections, you tin double-check that each constituent is wide and well-defined.
• Focus: Outlining cardinal points tin assistance you debar getting sidetracked by irrelevant information. And enactment wrong the recommended connection count. 
• Communication: Content outlines tin besides service arsenic connection tools. Allowing you to stock ideas with others. And stitchery feedback from editors earlier opening the afloat penning process.

Content Outline vs. Content Brief

• Content brief: Provides a high-level overview of the content's goals, people audience, cardinal messaging, keywords, rival analysis, and tone.
• Content outline: A structured breakdown of the content, including headings, subheadings, and main points to beryllium covered. Serving arsenic a roadmap for the contented instauration process.

Preliminary Steps Before Drafting Your Outline

Identify Your Target Audience

It’s important to recognize your intended audience. So your contented connects with them. 

Follow these steps to larn much astir your people audience: 

Search Intent

Search intent is the extremity oregon intent down the hunt query oregon keyword you’re targeting. 

There are 4 types of search intent:

• Informational: The idiosyncratic wants to larn something 
• Navigational: The idiosyncratic is looking for a circumstantial site 
• Commercial: The idiosyncratic is comparing solutions 
• Transactional: The idiosyncratic is acceptable to implicit an action. Like purchasing. 

If your contented doesn’t lucifer hunt intent, users are apt to permission your page. 

Knowledge Level

Will your contented cater to readers with beginner, intermediate, oregon adept knowledge? 

Knowledge level influences what accusation you include. And the level of detail. Like whether you should specify a concept. Or presume the scholar is acquainted with it.

If your people assemblage is highly method oregon academic, accommodate your connection choices accordingly. 

Geography

When penning for planetary audiences, debar culture-specific idioms and expressions. These tin marque your contented confusing. 

If your contented targets a azygous state oregon region, see including section expressions. To physique spot and engagement with readers.

Marketing Funnel

Is your contented aimed astatine a scholar who is simply looking for information? Or are they getting acceptable to walk money? 

Each marketing funnel stage is related to hunt intent and cognition level.

Failing to see your assemblage tin effect successful contented that misses the mark. Meaning it’s not applicable to the reader. Or doesn’t conscionable their expectations. 

Further reading: How to Create a Customer Profile (+ Free Templates)

Set Clear Objectives for Your Content

Before creating your outline, specify your content’s main extremity oregon objective. Identifying what you privation to execute with the contented volition assistance you take the champion approach. 

Be much circumstantial than “build marque awareness” oregon “increase integrated website traffic.” 

Here are immoderate examples of contented objectives: 

• Rank successful the apical 10 hunt motor effect pages (SERP) for your people keywords 
• Earn backlinks from reputable sites successful your niche 
• Call attraction to a circumstantial product, feature, oregon service 
• Serve arsenic PR for a product, service, oregon brand 
• Generate leads. Like downloading an asset, joining a mailing list, completing a signifier oregon survey, oregon registering for a webinar. 
• Convert readers by including applicable calls to action (CTAs) 
• Encourage societal sharing 

Research Keywords 

It’s adjuvant to place people keywords before creating a contented outline. 

Why? Because it tin assistance usher the benignant of contented you create. Like merchandise pages for transactional intent. And an explainer nonfiction for informational intent. And the subtopics you include. 

Choose a Target Keyword 

Aim for a keyword that balances decent hunt measurement (how galore radical hunt for the word each month) with an achievable keyword trouble (KD) score. KD tells you however hard it’ll beryllium to fertile for each word connected a standard of zero to 100. With 100 being the astir difficult.

Use our Keyword Magic Tool to place applicable keywords. 

Enter your effect keyword successful the hunt bar, prime your assemblage location, and click “Search.” 

For illustration purposes, we utilized “aromatherapy.” 

When the study is ready, you’ll spot a assortment of keywords related to your hunt term. 

To constrictive your search, filter by the following: 

• Search intent (“Intent”) 
• Search request (“Volume”)
• Keyword trouble (KD%) 

For example, you mightiness look for a keyword that has an “Easy” oregon “Very Easy” keyword trouble score. And decent hunt measurement and informational intent. 

Long-tail keywords tin besides assistance amended taxable coverage. And assistance your contented rank.

Long-tail keywords are highly circumstantial hunt queries that thin to person comparatively debased hunt volumes. This means they’re typically little competitive. Making them easier to fertile for. 

An casual mode to find long-tail keywords is by filtering Keyword Magic Tool’s results by questions. 

Toggle from “All” to “Questions” astatine the apical near of the menu. 

Now, you’ll spot a database of related questions to your effect keyword. 

To spot questions with little keyword difficulty, prime “Easy” oregon “Very Easy” from the “KD %” drop-down. 

Use the “Intent” and “Volume” filters to destruct keywords with the incorrect hunt intent oregon measurement for your content.

Now, usage the keywords oregon long-tail phrases you’ve identified to usher your contented outline. 

Include LSI Keywords

Latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords are keywords that are semantically related to your people keyword’s topic. 

Identifying LSI keywords for your outline tin beryllium adjuvant due to the fact that it tin amended your content’s relevance. And chances of ranking. 

It tin besides assistance you find related topics and questions to code successful your content. And find applicable headings and subheads for your outline. 

To find LSI keywords, instrumentality to the Keyword Magic tool. And spell done the results for your people keyword. Make a database of applicable keywords to find further topics to screen successful your outline. 

Another mode to find LSI keywords is with our SEO Content Template tool.

Start by entering your keyword (or aggregate keywords). Then, prime a state and click “Create contented template.”

For this example, we’re keeping aromatherapy arsenic our blog topic. 

Here, we’ve added immoderate other keyword ideas to get things started. So, we’ll extremity up with much semantically related connection suggestions.

The recommendations provided by SEO Content Template are based connected the apical 10 results for each keyword you enter. You’ll find the URLs of these results successful your report.

Scroll to “Key recommendations.”

Here, you’ll find a database of recommended semantically related words. And recommendations for substance length. And backlinks. 

Further down, you’ll spot however your apical contention has utilized these keywords. This tin assistance pass your outline’s operation and contents. 

Scroll to the bottommost of the leafage for SEO recommendations to instrumentality successful your content. You’ll find tips for your leafage title, meta description, H1, and nonfiction assemblage text.

To export these SEO tips arsenic a template, scroll backmost to the apical and click “Export to DOC.” 

Create a Content Outline successful 5 Steps

1. Research Your Topic

The probe signifier is simply a foundational constituent successful crafting your contented outline. It involves gathering data, insights, and adept opinions to guarantee your contented is authoritative. And comprehensive. 

Research Industry-Leading Websites and Blogs

Begin by exploring industry-leading websites and authoritative blogs. These sources often supply up-to-date accusation and insights into existent trends, champion practices, and manufacture standards. 

Make enactment of immoderate recurring themes oregon topics that could beryllium applicable to your content.

Review Studies and Academic Research

Academic studies and probe papers are invaluable resources for data-driven content. They supply in-depth analysis. And tin lend credibility to your content. 

Look for caller studies that subordinate to your topic. And prevention important findings to see successful your outline. 

Collect Quotes and Statistics

As you sift done assorted sources, cod compelling quotes from manufacture experts and applicable statistics. These elements tin adhd value to your arguments. And supply a factual ground for your claims. 

As you constitute your outline, copy/paste the accusation nether the respective subheads for casual notation erstwhile you statesman writing.

Analyze Competitor Content

Look astatine what your competitors are publishing. This tin springiness you an thought of what resonates with your industry’s audience. 

Note immoderate content gaps. And topics you could screen much comprehensively.

If you request immoderate assistance coming up with taxable ideas to soma retired your contented outlines, effort our Topic Research tool. 

Use it to probe communal headlines and questions associated with your topic. Simply benignant your taxable into the hunt barroom to observe related subtopics. And contented ideas to usage successful your outline. 

Choose betwixt aggregate views. Explore your taxable by taxable cards. Or with an interactive caput map. 

2. Identify Key Points

From your research, distill the astir important accusation that aligns with your objectives. These cardinal points volition signifier the main sections of your outline. And volition beryllium expanded upon successful the last content. 

This measurement is peculiarly important arsenic it lays the instauration for the operation of your content. It's present that you'll determine what topics are indispensable for achieving your objectives. And engaging your audience. 

Think of these cardinal points arsenic the pillars of your content, each 1 supporting and reinforcing the wide message. They should beryllium clear, concise, and straight related to the goals you've set. 

By cautiously selecting these cardinal points, you guarantee each constituent of your contented is purposeful. And impactful.

3. Organize Your Outline with Headings and Subheads 

Once you person each your archetypal ideas and cardinal points documented successful 1 place, commencement grouping akin ideas into logical sections. 

As you bash this, deliberation astir your main headings. 

• Outlines often see aggregate H1 options. Write down a fewer ideas.
• Map retired the H2s you’ll include
• Add immoderate applicable subheadings to your outline (<h3> to <h6>) nether your H2s

For example, let’s accidental you’re penning an nonfiction astir merchandise photography to beforehand a client’s photograph editing software. Based connected the apical SERPs for the keyword “product photography,” you determine to marque merchandise photography tips the main absorption of your article. 

After researching the topic, you created a caput representation with ideas for related topics. And questions you privation to cover.

Now, it’s clip to signifier those ideas into a logical operation and hierarchy. 

Your archetypal outline mightiness look thing similar this:

<h1> 5 Tips to Improve Your Product Photography </h1>

<h2> What Is Product Photography? </h2>

<h2> 5 Tips for Product Photos That Convert </h2>

<h3> 1. Get the Lighting Right </h3>

<h3> 2. Consider the Backdrop </h3>

<h3> 3. Use a Tripod </h3>

<h3> 4. Take More Shots Than You Think You Need </h3>

<h3> 5. Use the Right Editing Software </h3>

<h4> Photoshop </h4>

<h4> Lightroom </h4>

<h4> Canva </h4>

<h2> Different Types of Product Photography </h2>

<h3> Studio / Hero </h3>

<h3> Flat Lay </h3>

<h3> Lifestyle / Process </h3>

<h2> Conclusion & CTA </h2>

3. Refine Your Outline for Clarity and Flow

Read your sections and headings aloud to guarantee they person a logical flow. 

At this stage, you mightiness recognize that the archetypal bid of immoderate of your sections doesn’t marque sense. Move them astir until the portion flows logically.

Or, you mightiness find issues successful your outline’s accusation hierarchy. And determine you request to adhd subheads. 

Looking backmost astatine our merchandise photography example, we mightiness determination the <h2> “Different Types of Product Photography” up earlier the “Tips” section. To present this accusation earlier successful the article.

And, considering the extremity of the nonfiction is to beforehand the client’s photograph editing software, we mightiness determine to marque a caller <h2> heading astir editing tools. This way, we tin screen the taxable successful overmuch greater item than if we kept it arsenic an <h3> heading.

<h1> 5 Tips to Improve Your Product Photography </h1>

<h2> What Is Product Photography? </h2>

<h2> Different Types of Product Photography </h2>

<h3> Studio / Hero </h3>

<h3> Flat Lay </h3>

<h3> Lifestyle / Process </h3>

<h2> 5 Tips for Product Photos That Convert </h2>

<h3> 1. Get the Lighting Right </h3>

<h4> Using Natural Light </h4>

<h4> Positioning Your Key Light </h4>

<h3> 3. Use a Tripod </h3>

<h3> 2. Consider the Backdrop </h3>

<h4> Backdrop Types </h4>

<h4> Positioning Types </h4>

<h3> 4. Take More Shots Than You Think You Need </h3>

<h3> 5. Retouch Your Photos </h3>

<h2> Choose the Right Photo Editing Software </h2>

<h3> Client’s Photo Editing Software </h3>

<h3> Photoshop and Lightroom </h3>

<h3> GIMP </h3>

<h3> Canva </h3>

<h3> Pixlr </h3>

<h2> Conclusion & CTA </h2>

5. Add Notes oregon Instructions nether Your Headings

Under each heading, physique retired your outline by adding much details astir what you person successful caput for that section. 

• What are the main points you privation to communicate? 
• What accusation bash you privation to screen successful this section? 
• Are determination circumstantial sources you privation to consult? 
• Any internal links to include?
• Product oregon diagnostic mentions oregon CTAs?

Include specific, elaborate directions. Whether you’re penning the contented yourself oregon handing it to a writer, editor, oregon client. These instructions supply discourse that helps streamline the penning process. 

Returning to our merchandise photography example, your outline mightiness look similar this aft adding your notes and instructions:

<h1> 15 Tips to Improve Your Product Photography </h1>

[Short intro]

Notes: ~150 words. Talk astir however you don’t request photography acquisition oregon nonrecreational equipment.

<h2> What Is Product Photography? </h2>

Notes: Describe the defining characteristics of merchandise photography. Why bash prime merchandise photos substance (mention the interaction connected income and mention stats). Is it antithetic from different types of photography? How? Mention accent connected antithetic equipment, e.g., artificial lighting and tripods. 

Further reading: The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Content Marketing Strategy

Elevate Your Content Outlines with Semrush

Content outlines marque it easier and faster to constitute high-performing content. While probe is simply a captious measurement successful the process, knowing your audience, identifying keywords, and analyzing competitors volition elevate your outlines—and your content. 

Sign up for Semrush contiguous to entree everything you request to make outstanding contented for your people audience.