So you're sitting in front of your screen, staring at that cursor, blinking away against a blank page, knowing you need to write something, but where do you start? You could write about anything!

Healthy meal ideas, self-care routines, breathing exercises, stretching tips, detox support...the list goes on and on and on.

Or maybe it doesn't!

The flip side of being overwhelmed by what to write about is not having any ideas at all. Nothing seems right or relevant, or you just feel like today, you have absolutely nothing to say.

Look, I've been there. A lot!

But the one thing that helps me get out of the doldrums is taking a moment to get strategic before I even write a word.

I sit and think about who I want to read my post, what I want them to get out of it, and what they really need help with.

Then I plan my posts around what Google thinks will be helpful, and I make sure it's what my readers want to see too.

So today, I want to share my process for planning a strategic blog post, so you'll never be stuck for ideas on what to write, and your readers (and Google) will get exactly what they want to see.

Step 1: Decide who you want to read your post.

The most important thing for you to decide before you start writing is who you want to read it.

What does she need to know? What challenges is she facing? How can you help her?

Having a crystal clear idea of who you're writing for and what she wants to know will guide all your content creation, so take a moment to get really get into her head and understand what she needs from you.

The best way to do this is to take some time defining your customer avatar.

Who is your ideal client, what challenges is she facing, and how can you serve her?

Once you get this clear in your mind, imagine sitting down with her and talking through an issue she needs help with. What does she need to know? How can you help her? What questions does she have for you? What are your answers?

All this information serves as the basis for your blog.

To help you get clear on your customer avatar, read this blog and fill out the worksheet I've created for you.

Step 2: Decide what you are going to write about.

Now you know who you're writing for; what are you going to write about for her in this blog post?

What one issue are you going to talk about?

Choose one thing to focus on and build your post around that.

What do your dream clients most want to know about if you're a nutritionist? Are they interested in balancing their hormones naturally? Choose a single topic related to that.

Or, if you're a relationship coach, are they looking for help to boost their libido or deal with long term relationship issues.

Get really clear on what your ideal clients want to hear about and write around a single topic related to that subject and use it as the keyword for your article.

Make sure you use this keyword in your blog title and the first sentence of your blog.

Also, use this keyword in your blog post's meta description to get SEO working for you.

Step 3: Work out what they really want to know.

Now you know what specific topic you're going to write about, you can do some digging and find out what your target audience wants to know about on that subject.

To see what people are searching for, pop your keyword into Google and see what questions are coming up.

For example, if your keyword is" boost your libido after menopause", a search in Google brings up the following questions.

These are the questions you should answer in your blog post, and they give you a great way to structure your post.

Step 4: Work out what kind of post they want to see.

So know you know what they want to read about, how do they want to see it?

Again, go back to Google and see how the top 10 ranking posts set out the information. Is it a how-to guide? A list post? How long is it? Does it have images? Infographics?

Google will expect to see something similar in structure and length, so make sure you write a post that is more or less the same length or a little longer than other posts but don't reinvent the wheel.

If lists posts are what your dream client wants to see, write them a list post. Google will love you for delivering what people need.

Step 5: Make sure your post is relevant.

Now you know what kind of post you're going to write, try and make it relevant to your audience.

A great way to do this is to plan out your posts in advance. You can make sure that your posts fit the seasons or special occasions, and tailoring your posts to important dates can really help you engage with your audience and get your content seen.

Think about how and when you could share tips for establishing healthy spring clean habits or sharing helpful summer nutrition tips. Or maybe you could write about how to exercise in winter or how to keep up your self-care routine over holiday periods.

Here's a link to a great resource for keeping track of special days and holidays.

Step 6: Show them why you're the person to write about it.

The best blog posts always start with a story. It doesn't have to be long, profound or monumentally moving; you just need to show your readers that you get it. How have you "earned of learned" the right to be writing about this?

Have you worked with clients on this issue? Do you see people in your practice time and time again talking about the same thing? Did you experience something to do with the subject you're writing on personally? If you did, share your story with your readers.

It's a great idea to sit down for a few hours and do a story-mining exercise, so you don't have to think of ideas on the hoof.

Think of 4 or 5 key pillars in your business and think of stories that support them. Then, when you're next writing a post on one of these topics, you can go into your story bank and apply it to your post.

More about story-mining in another post!

Step 7: Decide what you want them to do next.

Think about what you want your readers to do after they've read your post. Do you want them to leave a comment? Do you want them to download a workbook? Do you want them to buy something from you, take part in a challenge or go somewhere else on your site?

Keep your Call To Action (CTA) simple; tell them exactly what you want them to do and plan to have only one call to action. If you do have more than 1, keep them very clear and separate from each other. If you confuse your readers, they won't take any action at all.

Here are some examples of good CTAs you could use at the end of your blog.

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Your 7 Step Checklist

So there you go, seven steps to help you think strategically about writing your blog post, so you avoid overwhelm...or underwhelm!

Once you practice thinking strategically about your blog posts and follow these steps, you'll never be stuck for ideas again. So here are those seven steps again:

Decide who you want to read your post.
Decide what you're going to write about.
Work out what they really want to know.
Work out what kind of post they want to see.
Make sure your post is relevant.
Show them why you're the one to write about it.
Decide what you want them to do next.

If you follow these seven steps, you'll end up with a crystal clear plan for your next blog post.

Now all you need to do is get writing.

Any questions? Leave them in the comments!

7 steps to writing a blog post your dream clients will actually read!