Blog Post Outline Template: 5 Copy-Paste Outlines and How to Build Your Own in 20 Minutes

A blog post outline is the skeleton of a post: the title, a two-to-four-sentence answer to the main question, the H2 sections in the order a reader needs them, the key point and evidence under each section, and the FAQ. To write one, check what already ranks for your keyword, list the sub-questions searchers ask, turn each into an H2, note the proof you will use under it, and give each section a word budget. It takes about 20 minutes and saves hours of rewriting.

Below you will find five copy-paste templates (universal, how-to, listicle, comparison and explainer), the step-by-step method, a real outline with the search data behind each heading, and a calculator to split your word count across sections.

#What goes in a blog post outline

Conclusions that restate the post are optional. If a section only summarizes, cut it and end on the most useful next step.

#How to create a blog post outline in 7 steps

#5 blog post outline templates (copy and paste)

#1. Universal blog post outline template

Works for most informational posts. Paste it into your doc and replace the brackets.

TITLE: [Main keyword]: [specific promise or number] ([year if it matters])
META DESCRIPTION: [Answer the query + what the reader gets, 120–155 characters]

INTRO (60–120 words)
- Answer: [the direct answer in 2–4 sentences]
- What this post adds: [templates / data / steps / examples]

KEY TAKEAWAYS (optional, 3–5 bullets)

H2: [Sub-question 1, phrased like a search]
- Point: [one sentence]
- Evidence: [stat + source / example / screenshot]
- Visual: [table / image / none]

H2: [Sub-question 2]
- Point:
- Evidence:

H2: [Sub-question 3]
- Point:
- Evidence:

H2: [Common mistakes or what to avoid]

H2: FAQ
- [Question from People also ask]
- [Question from Search Console]
- [Question from customers]

CTA: [the one next step]
INTERNAL LINKS: [2–5 related posts]
SOURCES: [links to every number you cite]

#2. How-to post outline

TITLE: How to [result] ([N] steps / in [time])

INTRO: The short answer (the steps in one sentence) + who it is for
WHAT YOU NEED: tools, cost, time, skill level

H2: Step 1: [action verb + object]
- What to do, exactly (menu paths, settings, quantities)
- Screenshot or photo
- Common mistake at this step
H2: Step 2: [action]
H2: Step 3: [action]
(one H2 or numbered step per action, in order)

H2: How to check it worked
H2: Troubleshooting: [the 3 problems readers hit most]
H2: FAQ
CTA

#3. Listicle outline

TITLE: [N] [things] for [specific audience or goal]

INTRO: The top pick or the pattern across the list, in 2–3 sentences
HOW WE CHOSE: criteria in one short paragraph

H2: 1. [Item name]: [one-line reason it is on the list]
- What it is / best for
- One concrete detail (price, example, result)
- Drawback
H2: 2. [Item name]: [reason]
(same structure for every item)

H2: Comparison table (all items on 3–5 attributes)
H2: How to choose
H2: FAQ

#4. Comparison (X vs Y) outline

TITLE: [X] vs [Y]: which is better for [use case]? ([year])

INTRO: The verdict first ("Choose X if..., choose Y if...")

H2: [X] vs [Y] at a glance (table: price, key features, best for)
H2: [Difference 1, e.g. pricing]
H2: [Difference 2, e.g. ease of use]
H2: [Difference 3, e.g. integrations]
H2: When to choose [X]
H2: When to choose [Y]
H2: Alternatives worth considering
H2: FAQ

#5. Explainer ("what is") outline

TITLE: What is [term]? [Meaning], examples and [why it matters to the reader]

INTRO: One-sentence definition ("[Term] is..."), then one sentence on why it matters

H2: How [term] works (the mechanism, with a simple example)
H2: [Term] examples (2–4 real ones)
H2: [Term] vs [the thing it is confused with]
H2: How to [use / measure / fix] [term]
H2: FAQ

Explainers earn fewer clicks than other formats: in our study of 6.2 million pages, "what is" pages got 0.52× the click-through rate of the same site's other articles (Outrank, 2026). Outline them to support a bigger post, and always end with a practical "how to" section. For format ideas beyond these five, see our list of 40 blog post ideas.

#A real example: the outline behind one of our posts

Here is the outline of our guide on how to start a blog for free, with where each heading came from. The queries are real Search Console data for that page (last 90 days to October 2026).

The pattern: the title mirrors the top queries, the intro answers them, every H2 is a question the reader asks next, and the FAQ catches the variations.

#How long should each section be?

Length follows the query, not a fixed rule. Check the ranking pages: a "can you freeze X" question needs 600 focused words, a comparison of nine platforms needs more. For reference, the average blog post is 1,312 words (Orbit Media, 2026), and Outrank's own SEO articles run about 3,000 to 3,500 words because they target topics where the ranking pages are long (Outrank platform data, median 21,073 characters).

Once you know the total, use this to split it across your outline:

#Blog outline checklist

Before you start writing, check the outline against this list:

• The title contains the main keyword and a specific promise.
• The intro answers the query in the first two to four sentences.
• Every H2 answers one question, phrased the way people search.
• Every H2 has at least one piece of evidence planned, with a source.
• The order follows the reader's next question, not the order you thought of things.
• The format matches what ranks (list, guide, comparison, tool).
• Tables or checklists replace any section that compares three or more things.
• Two to five internal links are planned.
• The FAQ adds questions the H2s do not already answer.

If you are briefing a writer rather than writing yourself, add the audience, the angle and the competing URLs: that turns the outline into a content brief (see our content brief template). For the layout of the finished post, our guide to blog post format covers paragraphs, headings and visuals, and these tactics help you write blog posts faster once the outline is done.

If you outline dozens of posts a month, this is the part Outrank automates: it researches the keyword, reads the ranking pages, builds the H2/H3 structure, FAQ and internal links, then writes and publishes the article to your blog.

#FAQ

#What is a blog post outline?

A blog post outline is a plan of a post before it is written: the title, the answer to the main question, the H2 and H3 headings in order, the key point and evidence for each section, and the FAQ. It keeps the post focused and makes the draft much faster to write.

#How do you write a blog post outline?

Write a one-sentence promise, look at the pages that already rank for your keyword, draft the answer in 2–4 sentences, turn the searchers' sub-questions into H2s, list the evidence for each, then add visuals, links, an FAQ and a word budget. Our seven-step method above walks through each part.

#What is the best blog outline format?

Use the format that matches the query: steps for how-tos, numbered items for lists, a verdict-first structure for comparisons, and definition-first for explainers. All of them share the same core: answer first, one question per H2, evidence under each heading.

#How detailed should a blog outline be?

Detailed enough that someone else could write the post from it: every H2, the main point and the source for each section, the visuals and the FAQ. A list of headings alone is not an outline; it skips the research that makes writing fast.

#Can AI write a blog post outline?

Yes, AI tools can draft an outline in seconds, and they are good at listing sub-topics. Check the result against the real search results and "People also ask" questions, add your own evidence and experience, and cut generic sections before you write.