This article by Jim Cronin was so full of great blog-related information, that we've split it into two parts. Today, we focus on the minimum amount of effort it takes to create a "perfect" real estate blog post. Tune in tomorrow to learn how to craft the perfect, longer blog post.

In order for something to be made perfect we need to determine what criteria we're aiming to satisfy. For me, when you publish an article, you should aim to accomplish at least the following:

1. Help you be found by the target audience, including search engines and your social media reach.
2. Communicate an effective message to your visitor as quickly as possible.
3. Bring your audience closer to doing business with you.

Sounds easy enough...

So what's the least amount of content you can create in order to satisfy all the above?

Minimum Effort To Perfection:

1. Write a Great Headline.

If you fail at headline writing, you will never be a successful blogger. Why? If your blog headlines aren't compelling, no one is going to click to read them. Fail to connect with your audience and they will never visit in the first place.

The headline is the best and easiest place for SEO success. By using keywords and being descriptive in the headline you now have a competitive piece. Google wants to present the results that matter to people's inquiries.

When your headlines satisfy both what attracts Google and your visitors' clicks, you win.

2. Always, Always, Always Include an Attractive Picture

So you got them to click because of your great headline. Now you have to deliver that next punch that will set the tone for the blog article--eye candy.

In order to gain and maintain your audience's interest, you will need to make an instant connection and offer continuous stimulation (eye candy). Leveraging an image (or two or more) to enhance your message can mean the difference between a 5-second glance and a 3-minute read of your content.

3. Write Pithy Content

The faster you can connect with and deliver the message to your audience, the more effective it will be.

Here's the trick to writing high-impact, concise content:

• Pretend you are paying someone $3 a word for copy. This will force you to get to the point and cut out the unnecessary fluff. For example the above could be more economical like so: "This forces you to cut the unnecessary." Seven words instead of 15. Or, $24 cheaper! =)
• Practice writing 5 articles in a week, all under 200 words each. (For context, I average ~1000 words a post.)
• Pick a picture with the most impact. If it can be worth a thousand words, think of all the typing you have just saved yourself.
• Instead of using in-depth explanations, link (in a new window) to additional commentary, definitions, and/or related content.

4. Properly Categorize and Tag Each Article

Every article you write should fall under (at least) one of your well planned categories. This helps communicate the agenda of your consistent message to the visitor and to the search engines.

Similarly, tagging one's article by its topic(s) is a crucial step in organizing your content. While your categories help you identify the general agenda, adding tags to an article help you identify the particular subject matter.

5. Link to Related/Relevant Articles in Your Database

Similar to properly categorizing your content, by offering links to related content from each article, you are satisfying all three of the perfection criteria above.

The links encourage your audience to continue reading, in turn building trust and showcasing your expertise.

The search engines are able to spider deeper into your archives and make connections as to the relationship between your content and keywords.

6. Locate Clear Calls To Action

Whether they are designed into your article template (automatically included on each post), or you craftily weave calls-to-action into your copy, an article can't be perfect unless you are enticing your audience to take an action that leads them closer to doing business with you.

Ready to "form a more perfect" blog post? Tune in tomorrow for tips on crafting more in-depth articles!

To view the original article, visit the Real Estate Tomato blog.