How To Write An Article [with Step-by-Step Examples]

In this article, you'll learn how to write an article from the first idea to the final publish—including the research, structure, drafting, and optimization steps that separate forgettable posts from content that ranks, gets cited, and drives results. You'll also discover how to position your articles to perform in both traditional search and AI-generated answers, where the rules are shifting but the fundamentals remain the same.

1. Choose a Subject You Actually Understand

Every article begins with a subject. But not just any subject—one where you can provide details, examples, and insights that no one else can simply copy from the first page of Google.

This isn't about being the world's foremost expert. It's about having enough direct experience to answer the follow-up questions a smart reader would ask.

Here's the difference:

A generalist writer researching "how to reduce customer churn" might write: "You should focus on improving customer experience."

Someone who has actually worked on churn reduction at a SaaS company would write: "When we analyzed our churn cohorts, we found that customers who didn't complete onboarding in the first 14 days churned at 3x the rate. So we rebuilt our onboarding sequence to trigger check-in emails on days 3, 7, and 12. Churn dropped from 8.2% to 5.1% within two quarters."

The second version has specifics: timeframes, percentages, actual tactics. Those details signal expertise. They're also what AI models increasingly look for when deciding which sources to cite.

How to evaluate your own expertise

Before committing to a topic, ask yourself:

Can you explain not just what to do, but why it works and what happens when it doesn't? Can you give at least three specific examples from your own experience or research? Do you know the common mistakes people make, and what causes them?

If you answered no to any of these, you have two options: interview someone who does have that knowledge, or pick a different topic.

Add your credentials to your byline

If you've spent five years in B2B sales, say so. If you've published research on the topic, link to it. If you've managed campaigns that generated specific results, mention them.

Your byline builds trust before the reader finishes the introduction. It answers the silent question every reader has: "Why should I listen to this person?"

2. Select Your Publishing Platform

Where you publish determines how you write.

An article for your company blog follows different conventions than a piece for Medium, LinkedIn, or an industry publication. The audience expectations, tone, and even structural norms vary significantly.

Before writing a single word, research your target platform.

Analyze the platform's existing content

Pull up three to five high-performing articles on your target platform that cover similar topics. Pay attention to:

Length: Are top posts 800 words or 3,000? Match the norm.

Tone: Is the writing formal and data-heavy, or conversational with personal anecdotes?

Structure: Do articles use lots of subheadings, or do they flow in longer sections?

Reading level: Technical jargon or accessible language?

Use readability tools to benchmark

Paste a successful article from your target platform into the Hemingway Editor. Note the grade level.

If the top articles on your platform score at a grade 8 reading level, that's your target. If they score at grade 12, adjust accordingly.

For example, a scientific journal article might score at grade 15—technical language is expected and valued. A consumer-facing how-to guide should score closer to grade 6 or 7—clear and accessible.

The mistake most writers make is defaulting to the same tone regardless of platform. A LinkedIn post that reads like a corporate whitepaper will get scrolled past. A technical documentation article that reads like a LinkedIn post will erode trust.

3. Brainstorm Before You Outline

Don't start with a blank document and a blinking cursor. Start with a brain dump.

Brainstorming serves two purposes: it gets all your ideas out of your head, and it helps you spot connections you wouldn't see otherwise.

The brain dump method

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down every point, example, story, question, objection, and tangent related to your topic. Don't edit. Don't organize. Just capture.

You might use a tool like MindNode or Miro, or simply a blank page with bullet points.

Evaluate and eliminate

Once you have everything down, review your list with these questions:

Which points are genuinely useful, and which are obvious filler? What's already been covered extensively elsewhere, and what's actually new? Which points support your main thesis, and which distract from it?

Cross out anything that doesn't pass this filter. What remains becomes your working outline.

Expand the standout ideas

For the points that survived, push deeper. If you wrote down "address customer pain points," ask: which specific pain points? How do you identify them? What happens if you get them wrong?

This expansion process transforms vague claims into detailed sections with real substance.

4. Structure Your Points in a Logical Order

Your outline is a promise to the reader: follow along, and each section will build on the last.

Poor articles jump randomly between ideas. Strong articles flow—each section answers a question raised by the previous one.

The dependency test

For each section in your outline, ask: does this require understanding the previous section? If not, should it come earlier?

A guide on building a content strategy should probably cover "identifying your audience" before "choosing topics." A reader can't evaluate topics without knowing who they're writing for.

Use transitional logic, not just transitional phrases

Many writers lean on transitional words like "furthermore" and "moreover" to create the illusion of flow. These don't actually connect ideas—they just signal that another idea is coming.

Real flow comes from logical dependency. Each section should naturally lead to the next question the reader has.

For example:

Section 1: Why choosing a niche topic matters Section 2: How to identify niche topics your audience cares about Section 3: How to validate that a topic has enough demand

Each section answers the obvious follow-up from the previous one.

5. Write an Introduction That Earns Attention

You have about eight seconds before a reader decides to stay or leave. Your introduction must accomplish three things in that time: acknowledge the reader's situation, establish your credibility, and promise specific value.

Start with the reader, not yourself

The first line should make the reader feel seen. It should reference their situation, their problem, or their goal.

Weak opening: "In today's fast-paced digital world, content marketing is more important than ever."

This says nothing specific. It could open any marketing article written in the last decade.

Stronger opening: "You've published 50 blog posts this year. Traffic has grown. But when you check your CRM, the pipeline looks exactly like it did in January."

This describes a specific frustration that a specific reader has actually experienced. It signals that the article understands their real problem, not just the surface-level symptom.

Use a hook structure that works

The PAS formula (Problem, Agitate, Solution) works reliably for introductions:

Problem: State the core challenge. "Attributing conversions to content is hard."

Agitate: Make the problem feel urgent. "Without clear attribution, leadership sees content as a cost center, not a revenue driver. Budget gets cut. Your team shrinks."

Solution: Promise what the article delivers. "This guide shows you exactly how to connect content to pipeline in your CRM—with step-by-step setup instructions and screenshots."

6. Address Your Reader's Actual Pain Points

Surface-level articles list generic challenges. Detailed articles describe specific scenarios that make readers think, "That's exactly what I'm dealing with."

Find real pain points, not assumed ones

The best source of pain points isn't your imagination—it's the places where your target readers complain, ask questions, and vent.

Reddit: Search your topic + site:reddit.com. Look for threads where people describe their frustrations in detail.

Quora: Find questions with multiple detailed answers—these indicate real, recurring problems.

Customer interviews: If you have access to customers or prospects, ask them: "What's the hardest part of [topic]?"

Sales calls: What objections and concerns come up repeatedly?

Describe the pain, don't just name it

Naming the pain: "Tracking ROI from content is difficult."

Describing the pain: "You know that blog post drove some of those demo requests, but the lead's first touch was a Google ad, their last touch was a webinar, and the content touch is buried somewhere in the middle. Your attribution model gives credit to the ad and the webinar. The blog gets nothing. So when the CEO asks what content marketing actually produces, you're stuck showing traffic charts instead of revenue."

The second version shows you understand the actual experience—the politics, the frustration, the gap between what you know and what you can prove.

Address pain points in the introduction

Mentioning key pain points early tells readers they're in the right place. It earns their attention for the rest of the article.

7. Use Writing Formulas to Structure Arguments

Writing formulas aren't crutches—they're proven structures that help readers follow your logic.

PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution)

Best for: Introductions, email copy, sections where you're proposing a solution to a challenge.

Problem: State the challenge clearly. Agitate: Describe the consequences of not solving it. Solution: Present your answer.

AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)

Best for: Sales-oriented content, landing pages, calls to action.

Attention: Hook with a surprising fact, question, or statement. Interest: Provide relevant information that builds engagement. Desire: Show the benefits and outcomes. Action: Tell them what to do next.

SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer)

Best for: Executive summaries, analytical pieces, presentations.

Situation: Describe the current state. Complication: Introduce the challenge or change that creates tension. Question: Pose the question this creates. Answer: Provide your solution or analysis.

When to use formulas

Don't force every section into a formula. Use them when you're struggling to structure a particular argument, or when the natural flow of the section matches a formula's structure.

The goal is clarity, not rigid adherence to a template.

8. Use Stories and Anecdotes to Make Points Memorable

Data convinces. Stories stick.

When you tell a reader that email marketing has a 36:1 ROI, they might nod and move on. When you tell them about the time you sent an email campaign that generated $14,000 in revenue from a 200-person list, they remember.

What makes a story work

Specificity: Include concrete details—names (anonymized if needed), numbers, timeframes, settings.

Stakes: What was at risk? What would happen if things went wrong?

Surprise: What happened that the reader wouldn't expect?

Example: Weak versus strong

Weak: "I once worked on a campaign that didn't go well at first, but we fixed it and it ended up performing."

Strong: "In 2019, we launched a webinar campaign targeting enterprise CFOs. Registration rate: 0.8%. We expected at least 3%. The problem was our landing page—we'd buried the speaker credentials below the fold and led with generic benefit statements. We rebuilt the page with the speaker's bio and photo at the top, plus a testimonial from a Fortune 500 controller. Registration rate jumped to 4.2% overnight."

The second version has numbers, a clear cause, a specific fix, and a measurable result. It teaches by showing.

Where to use stories

Lead with stories when introducing a concept. Use them to illustrate abstract points. Close sections with a story that reinforces the key takeaway.

9. Take an Angle That Differentiates

Most articles on any given topic say roughly the same thing. That's because writers research existing articles and unconsciously absorb the same perspective.

To stand out, you need an angle—a specific point of view that shapes how you cover the topic.

Types of angles

Contrarian: Challenge the conventional wisdom. "Why we stopped doing keyword research (and what we do instead)"

Specific context: Apply general advice to a particular situation. "Content strategy for companies with no marketing budget"

Experience-based: Filter the topic through your unique experience. "What I learned about SEO after analyzing 10,000 articles"

Data-driven: Let original research shape the narrative. "We analyzed 500 landing pages—here's what high converters have in common"

How to find your angle

Ask: What do most articles on this topic get wrong? What do they overlook? What assumption do they all share that you disagree with?

Your angle doesn't need to be revolutionary. It just needs to be distinct enough that a reader who's seen five other articles on this topic finds something new in yours.

10. Write a Rough First Draft

The first draft exists for one purpose: to get ideas out of your head and into a document you can edit.

Do not try to write and edit simultaneously. These are different cognitive tasks, and mixing them slows both down.

The first draft process

Set a timer. Write continuously without stopping to fix errors, rephrase sentences, or question your outline. If you don't know what to say, write "TK" (journalist shorthand for "to come") and move on.

Your goal is a complete draft, not a polished one.

What to do when you're stuck

If a section isn't flowing, one of three things is usually wrong:

You don't have enough material. Return to brainstorming or research.

The structure is off. Try rearranging the points or cutting the section entirely.

You're overthinking. Write the worst possible version and keep moving. You can fix it later.

Use AI as a drafting tool, not a writing tool

AI writing assistants can help you draft faster, but they introduce a risk: generic, surface-level content that lacks the details and specificity that make articles worth reading.

If you use an AI tool to generate a draft, treat it as raw material. You'll need to add your own examples, data, anecdotes, and voice. The AI output is clay, not sculpture.

11. Adjust Language and Tone for Your Audience

Your tone should match your reader's expectations and the platform's conventions.

Identifying tone markers

Formal: Longer sentences, technical vocabulary, third-person perspective, minimal contractions.

Conversational: Shorter sentences, simple vocabulary, second-person ("you"), contractions, occasional colloquialisms.

Expert-to-expert: Assumed familiarity with jargon, skips basic explanations, focuses on nuance and edge cases.

Expert-to-novice: Defines terms, uses analogies, builds from fundamentals.

The conversation test

Read your draft aloud. Does it sound like how you'd explain this topic to your target reader in person?

If you're writing for marketers and your draft sounds like an academic paper, loosen it up. If you're writing for academics and your draft sounds like a tweet thread, tighten it.

Consistent tone throughout

Tone shifts are jarring. If your introduction is casual and your third section is suddenly formal, readers notice—even if they can't articulate why something feels off.

Pick a tone and maintain it.

12. Take a Break Before Editing

The worst time to edit is immediately after writing. You're too close to the work. You read what you meant to say instead of what you actually wrote.

Minimum gap: a few hours

Ideally, sleep on it. At minimum, step away for two to three hours and do something unrelated.

When you return, you'll spot awkward phrasing, gaps in logic, and unclear sections that were invisible before.

Change your reading environment

Edit on a different device or in a different format than you wrote. Print it out. Read on your phone. Change the font.

These small shifts break your brain out of the pattern that made you blind to errors during writing.

13. Revise Ruthlessly

Editing is where good writing becomes great writing. Most first drafts are 20-40% longer than they need to be.

Cut filler phrases

Cut: "In order to" → "To" Cut: "Due to the fact that" → "Because" Cut: "It is important to note that" → Delete entirely; just note the thing

Eliminate weak constructions

Weak: "There are many marketers who struggle with attribution." Strong: "Many marketers struggle with attribution."

Weak: "It is essential that you track conversions." Strong: "Track conversions."

Show, don't tell (when it matters)

For descriptive or narrative sections, use sensory details.

Telling: "The presentation didn't go well." Showing: "By slide three, half the room was checking their phones. The CMO left at the halfway mark."

For instructional content, just tell clearly. Don't add unnecessary narrative when the reader wants direct steps.

Support every claim

Any time you make a claim, ask: can I back this up?

If the claim is "Email marketing outperforms social media for B2B companies," you need a study, a statistic, or at least an example. Unsupported claims erode trust.

14. Craft a Compelling Title

Your title determines whether anyone clicks. Write multiple options and pick the strongest.

Title formulas that work

How-to with specificity: "How to Write an Article [with Step-by-Step Examples]"

Number-driven: "7 Lessons From Analyzing 10,000 Blog Posts"

Contrarian: "Why Most Content Strategy Advice Is Wrong"

Question-based: "Is Your Content Actually Driving Revenue?"

Test against these criteria

Accurate: Does it reflect what the article actually delivers?

Specific: Does it promise concrete value, not vague benefits?

Compelling: Would you click this over the other search results?

Avoid clickbait

Titles that promise more than the article delivers destroy trust. If your title says "The Ultimate Guide," the content better be comprehensive. If it says "Shocking Results," the results better actually surprise.

15. Optimize for Traditional Search Engines

Search engine optimization isn't about gaming algorithms. It's about making your content findable for people searching for help.

Keyword fundamentals

Identify the primary keyword your article should rank for. Include it in:

Your URL (e.g., /how-to-write-an-article) Your title tag Your H1 heading Naturally throughout the body (don't force it)

Match search intent

Google increasingly rewards content that matches what searchers actually want.

If someone searches "how to write an article," they want a practical guide, not a philosophical essay on the nature of writing. Check the current top results to see what format and depth Google favors for your target keyword.

Technical basics

Ensure your page loads quickly, works on mobile, and has clear heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3). These factors don't make content rank, but they prevent good content from being penalized.

16. Optimize for AI Search Visibility

Search is evolving. Beyond the ten blue links, AI-powered answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Google's AI Overviews are reshaping how people find and consume information.

This doesn't mean SEO is dead—it means the surface area for organic visibility has expanded. The same fundamentals that make content rank in traditional search (depth, specificity, authoritative sources) also influence whether AI systems cite your content.

Why AI search matters for articles

When users ask AI assistants questions, those systems draw on web content to formulate answers. The sources they cite get visibility—and increasingly, traffic.

Recent research analyzing over 83,000 AI citations found that 83% of AI citations come from third-party sources. Your articles, blog posts, and guides are exactly what these systems reference.

But citation patterns vary significantly by platform. Claude favors blog content (43.8% of citations), while ChatGPT and Perplexity favor product pages and official documentation. Understanding these patterns helps you create content that surfaces across multiple AI engines.

What makes content citable for AI

AI systems prefer content that:

Directly answers specific questions: Content structured around clear questions with direct answers is more likely to be cited.

Demonstrates expertise: Original data, specific examples, and unique insights signal that your content adds value beyond what's already available.

Is well-structured: Clear headings, logical organization, and explicit topic sentences help AI systems parse and cite relevant sections.

Is current and accurate: AI systems increasingly verify information against multiple sources. Outdated or inaccurate content gets deprioritized.

Track how AI engines perceive your brand

The same way you monitor search rankings, you should monitor how AI engines represent your brand and content.

Use AI search analytics tools to track:

Which prompts your content appears for: What questions are AI systems citing you to answer?

Sentiment analysis: Is the AI presenting your brand positively or negatively?

Competitor visibility: Where do competitors appear that you don't?

Identify citation opportunities

Look at which sources AI engines cite for topics in your space. These represent opportunities—either to get cited by those same sources, or to create content that outranks them for AI citation.

Connect AI visibility to actual traffic

AI citations matter most when they drive results. Connect your analytics to track:

Which AI engines send traffic to your site Which pages receive that traffic Whether AI-referred visitors convert at different rates than organic search visitors

This data helps you prioritize: if Perplexity drives 3x more conversions than ChatGPT traffic, you might optimize specifically for Perplexity's citation patterns.

The relationship between SEO and AI search

These channels aren't in competition. Content that ranks well in traditional search often performs well in AI citations—both reward depth, specificity, and expertise.

Think of AI search optimization as an extension of your content strategy, not a replacement. The fundamentals remain the same: write for humans, provide genuine value, demonstrate expertise, and structure content clearly.

The difference is that you're now optimizing for an additional surface where your audience discovers information.

17. Get Feedback Before Publishing

Feedback catches errors you can't see and perspectives you hadn't considered.

What to ask for

Clarity: "Was there any section where you weren't sure what I meant?"

Completeness: "What questions did you have that the article didn't answer?"

Interest: "Where did you lose interest or want to skim?"

Who to ask

If you have an editor, use them. If not, ask a colleague who understands the topic, or someone who represents your target reader.

Even one external review significantly improves quality.

How to receive feedback

Don't defend your choices in the moment. Listen, take notes, and decide later which suggestions to implement.

Some feedback reflects genuine problems. Some reflects personal preference. Learning to distinguish between them is a skill that develops over time.

Key Takeaways

Write about subjects where you can provide specific details, examples, and insights—not surface-level overviews.

Match your tone, length, and structure to your target platform's conventions.

Brainstorm extensively before outlining. The best ideas often come from unexpected connections.

Structure logically. Each section should raise a question that the next section answers.

Start with the reader's situation, not your own. Earn attention by showing you understand their challenges.

Use writing formulas to structure arguments, not as rigid templates.

Include stories and anecdotes. Data convinces; stories stick.

Take an angle. Say something that differentiates you from the other articles on the topic.

Write rough first drafts. Edit later.

Take a break before editing. Distance creates clarity.

Cut ruthlessly. Most first drafts are too long.

Optimize for both traditional search and AI search. The surface area for organic visibility is expanding.

Track AI visibility the same way you track search rankings. Understand where your content appears, how it's perceived, and whether it drives actual results.

Get feedback before publishing. External eyes catch what you can't see.