How to Write a Food Blog Post That Keeps Readers Hungry for More
Learn how to write food blog posts that engage your readers and leave them hungry for more! The extensive guide teaches you how to format a recipe blog post, what content to write under various headers, and how to infuse your personality into the informative copy. Say goodbye to writer's block and hello to creating mouth-watering content that will captivate your audience!
If you want to learn how to write food blog posts that engage your audience and satisfy their appetites, you've come to the right place. This extensive guide teaches you the art of crafting food blog posts that not only showcase your culinary creations but also keep your audience craving more.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a great writer to learn how to write a recipe blog post. As long as you go into it with the right research and a clear format, the dreaded writer’s block will never strike again!
Writing food blog posts 101
Your tone, voice, and style
Don’t try to be someone else in your writing; always showcase your unique tone, voice, and style.
These three qualities pepper your personality into your writing. Think of them as glimpses of who you are. They tell your audience that there’s a human behind what they’re reading, which makes them want to connect with you more.
As an example, I know that the tone in my writing is a mix of knowledgeable and motivational. Meanwhile, my voice is informative and slightly informal. And finally, my style is casual, yet professional.
ChatGPT, an AI writing tool, can help you easily find your tone, voice, and style. Copy and paste a few paragraphs from a blog post you’ve already written with this prompt above them:
Can you review this text and tell me what the voice, tone, and style are?
Voila! You know your tone, voice, and style, and can now use it as a guide when you sit down to write future posts.
Find your format
Properly formatting your blog post will not only make the writing process faster but will also make your posts easier to read and skim. It’s important to use headings, bullet points, drop-down menus, image blocks, numbers, and highlighted text boxes when formatting your blog post.
Time-saving tip: Repeat your same format again and again! This way, you know exactly what to write about from the get-go.
Most recipe blog posts will have a format made up of headers or paragraphs discussing these topics:
Title of the blog post/recipe
Introduction or recipe features
Ingredients
How to make instructions
Helpful tips
Substitutions/Variations
Frequently asked questions
Storage instructions
More relevant recipes
Pick a few headers or topics that you like or bundle several of the topics under one header. Use them to make the blog format, then keep an outline of that format in a Google Doc so you can refer to it again and again.
And remember, your blog post should only contain one H1 header (the title of the blog post/recipe), several H2 headers (usually ingredients, how-to steps, tips, FAQs, etc.), and some H3s and/or H4s. Check out Feast’s Modern Guidelines for Page Headings for more information.
Incorporate SEO best practices
SEO (search engine optimization) will help grow your blog by spreading your content all over the web. When learning how to write SEO-friendly blog posts, it’s important to (1) strategically weave high-traffic, low-competition keywords that relate to your recipe into the blog post, (2) craft informative META descriptions, and (3) add alt text to your food photography. This way, you're not just appealing to readers, but also to Google.
When all of this is in place, your blog post will have a higher chance of soaring to the top of the search results when someone searches for your primary or secondary keywords.
Are you still new to keyword research and SEO? My post, This Is Why Performing Keyword Research Is Crucial For Food Bloggers, can help!
How to format a recipe blog post
Your blog post will always start with a title. From there, it’s all about informing your audience with the information they crave! You can put all of this information under captivating headlines, such as:
1. Engaging introductions
The introduction, of course, is the beginning of the recipe post. But there are two introductions to think about: the summary and the main introduction or recipe features:
Summary
The summary is typically 1 to 4 sentences long and placed directly under your title. Think of it as a shorter version of the official introduction but a longer version of the META description. It summarizes the recipe and showcases its main highlights to draw in the reader.
Introduction or Recipe Features
A captivating introduction or a list of your recipe's most enticing features can keep readers engaged from the very beginning. Use this header as an opportunity to “set the scene” for your recipe. Write a vivid description of the aromatic spices wafting through the kitchen, a memory of sharing this dish with loved ones, or create a list of features that make this recipe a must-have in the readers’ weekly repertoire.
2. Simplified ingredients and instructions
As your readers skim through your blog post, give them an idea of what ingredients they need to make it and why, and what to expect once they start the cooking process. Both the ingredients and step-by-step recipe directions will be included in your recipe card but a summary of the two will help prepare the reader and offer more helpful information.
For a more engaging experience: Include a shot of the ingredients that are needed in your recipe above or underneath the ingredients header and add step-by-step process shots to further guide the reader as they cook.
Ingredients
The ingredients header is optional but can be helpful in certain scenarios. It’s a space to tell your readers what ingredients they need, what each one adds to the recipe, and how each one affects the results and flavor. For example, if there’s one ingredient that’s particularly unique or important to the recipe, the ingredients section is a great place to tell the reader all about it and where to buy it.
‘How-To’ Steps
Break down your recipe directions into clear, concise steps. Save the accurate measurements, ingredient specifications, and cooking times and temperatures for the recipe card. The info in the blog copy should be much more generalized and simplified.
3. Key tips and variations
Help your readers be as successful as possible by sharing additional tips for success and creative variations that cater to different tastes or dietary preferences:
Recipe Tips
Let’s face it: cooking is a skill that’s hard to master and not everyone knows exactly what they’re doing! This is why including a header with recipe tips and tricks can be so helpful.
Think about it – you're not just providing a set of instructions; you're sharing your expertise and wisdom gained from countless recipe tests. These tips could be the secret to that perfectly flaky pie crust or the trick to achieving the ideal caramelization.
Variations
By listing potential flavor and ingredient variations, you cater to diverse tastes and dietary preferences. This ensures that every reader, whether gluten-free or a spicy food lover, finds a version of your recipe that resonates. This list of potential changes encourages readers to make the recipe their own (in the most appropriate ways possible) and empowers them to experiment and learn.
4. List the FAQs
Chances are that readers are going to have questions about your recipe, no matter their level of experience in the kitchen. You can be one step ahead of them by including a list of frequently asked questions in your recipe blog posts.
A lot of FAQs in recipe posts answer questions on storing and freezing leftovers, changes they can make to the recipe, how to replace certain ingredients, and other adjustments to make. If you can’t anticipate these questions, Google your primary keyword to see which popular questions come up or perform a search in Answer The Public. This free tool produces a list of FAQs that relate to your recipe or keyword.
Pro-tip: Use the Yoast FAQ block to display the FAQs. This block helps Google understand your FAQs more clearly, helping your post and the answers show up in searches.
5. Encourage interaction and discussion
Finish your blog post with a sentence or two encouraging readers to chime in with comments, questions, and their own experiences. Engaging with your audience creates a delightful back-and-forth, turning your blog into a virtual dinner table where everyone's invited to share their thoughts and stories.
Food blog writing examples
Before you’re ready to put all of this into practice, check out these food blog writing examples from my writing portfolio to help you get inspired. Each one uses a different format that the blogger designed to engage their audience and make their posts easier to read:
Remember, the heart of food blogging is sharing your passion, stories, and love for all things culinary. Let your creativity simmer by expressing your personality in your writing, as well as formatting great blog posts that your readers love!
Ready to take your food blog to the next level? Check out my food blog writing services and let me help you serve up content that's as irresistible as your favorite dish. Happy blogging!