The end of your blog post matters more than the middle. Sounds wrong? Science says otherwise. Your blog conclusion decides what readers remember and what they do next.
Why your blog conclusion is crucial
Have you ever read a book you loved and the first thing you remember is the ending – and how it left you feeling when you finished that last page? That is exactly how I remember some of my favorite books.
And it is not just me, science confirms this:
It is called the serial position effect that says that people remember beginnings and endings better than the middle(primacy & recency).
This core psychological result applies to lists, stories, and longer narratives.
In addition to the serial position effect, people often skim online content instead of reading the full post. They read select passages and paragraphs – the introduction and the conclusion are likely to be among the parts they look at.
This way, readers rarely remember every paragraph in detail but they are likely to remember how your post ends.
The last impression of a message can shape how people feel about the whole experience. In other words, your conclusion doesn’t just wrap things up. It defines them as it manifests what people should have learned (even if they didn’t while consuming the blog post).
You can use this to shape what readers remember and what they do next.
Instead of leaving them guessing what your main message was, you sum it up and hand the takeaway to your readers on a silver platter.
Not having a blog conclusion is a missed opportunity
If you don’t wrap up your blog post with a conclusion, you leave your audience guessing. Some may leave with the right takeaway – but some may not.
The conclusion poses a huge opportunity to guide your audience exactly where you want them: on a sales page, on a signup page, a blog post for further reading – whatever the purpose of your blog post. But the conclusion is just one piece of a well-structured post. When you understand how all the structural elements work together (from headline to body to conclusion) you create content that truly converts. Learn the complete blog post structure system here.
The core jobs of a blog conclusion
I used to see the conclusion as a summary of the key points of my post. But that is only doing half the job.
Yes, your conclusion should point out the main takeaways or lessons. You don’t want to leave your audience guessing what they should have learned. Instead, state it clearly in your conclusion.
But the conclusion can do a lot more for you.
You can use the conclusion to guide your audience toward the next step you want them to take. Don’t wait for them to chance click on the links you added in the sidebar or that ‘you may also like’ your WordPress theme automatically added below your post.
Think about the goal of this content piece, and now make sure your audience is pushed toward that goal. Because the conclusion is the best place to convert your readers into subscribers or customers, it is the place where they could be looking for more information or where the idea to share can form, a comment can be initiated.
This is what your conclusion should do:
- Summarize
- Reinforce
- Connect
- Convert
Key elements of a high-converting conclusion
What a blog conclusion needs to include depends on what you want to achieve with it. But you can follow a simple structure of key elements that will help you create the perfect blog conclusion:
Summary:
Make a one-sentence summary of what the readers learned from reading the full post – or should have learned.
The purpose of this is to leave no doubt what this was about. This can also inspire curiosity for everyone who skipped reading the body content and now finds out what interesting information they missed. A great summary can bring some of the ‘read the last page first’ readers back to reading the full post.
Emotion:
Try to bring some empathy into the conclusion. Show that you know what your audience needs and that you can relate to their problems.
Empathy will inspire trust and a feeling of community.
Emotional triggers like curiosity, community, and fear of missing out can be used to spark engagement and action.
Call-to-action:
Your content has a purpose, make sure you know what you want to achieve with it. Now use the conclusion to tell your readers what you want them to do next.
This can be a link to one of your other blog posts to keep the reading or a download page for a lead magnet. You can add a subscription form or mention a product.
Or, if community building and engagement is the goal of your content piece, you should ask a question to inspire comments or questions.
If your content prepared the ground, your conclusion is the place to ask for it!
Keep in mind that too many different CTAs can confuse. Focus on achieving ONE thing with your conclusion.
Conclusion frameworks: Templates you can use
Now that you know the key elements of a strong conclusion — clarity, emotion, takeaway, and next step, let’s look at how you can combine them effectively.
The following frameworks help you structure your closing paragraph depending on your goal: to inspire, educate, convert, or simply wrap up beautifully. Think of them as templates you can adapt for different posts and audiences.
(Bookmark this section — these are plug-and-play structures you can reuse for every post you publish.)
1. The Summary + CTA Framework
Best for: Educational or how-to content
This is the classic blog post conclusion. You quickly summarize the key message, then tell readers what to do next.
Structure:
- Restate the main takeaway in one crisp sentence.
- Reinforce the benefit of acting on it.
- Add a clear CTA that helps the reader take the next step.
Example:
You now know how to write blog introductions that hook attention and drive engagement.
Ready to apply these principles? Start by rewriting your latest post’s opening paragraph using these five steps — and watch your metrics improve.
2. The Action Steps Framework
Best for: Practical guides, tutorials, strategy posts
If your content is hands-on, readers want to leave with a plan.
This framework translates your key ideas into a small checklist.
Structure:
- Briefly summarize the main idea.
- Give 2–3 concrete action steps.
- End with motivation or a CTA to keep the reader moving.
Example:
To write a strong blog conclusion: summarize, connect, and invite.
- Revisit your core message
- Add one emotional or motivational sentence
- Finish with a clear call to action
Try these in your next post and see how your engagement improves.
3. The“Open Loop” or Question Framework
Best for: Thought-leadership and storytelling pieces.
Instead of closing the conversation completely, this framework opens a new one.
You pose a question that invites reflection, comments, or shares.
Structure:
- Summarize the insight.
- End with a thought-provoking question or challenge.
Example:
A great conclusion doesn’t just end a story — it sparks the next one.
What will your readers remember from your next post?
4. The“Future Vision” Framework
Best for: Inspirational, transformation-focused content
End by painting a picture of what’s possible if readers apply what they’ve learned.
It leaves them motivated and emotionally charged.
Structure:
- Restate the benefit.
- Describe the improved future or result.
- Add a final CTA aligned with that vision.
Example:
Mastering your blog conclusions isn’t just about structure. It’s about impact.
Imagine every reader walking away inspired, ready to take the next step.
That’s the power of a strong ending. Now, let’s make yours unforgettable.
5. The“Proof & Promise” Framework
Best for: Case-study, marketing, or conversion-focused posts
This type reinforces trust by ending on evidence — and then promising results.
Perfect when you want to nudge readers toward a signup, download, or purchase.
Structure:
- Summarize the result or proof.
- Tie it back to the reader’s problem.
- Finish with a confident, benefit-driven CTA.
Example:
We used these exact techniques to triple our average read time in two months.
The same can work for you. Start by improving your blog conclusions today.
6. The“Final Blow” Framework
Best for: Opinion pieces, bold arguments, or manifesto-style posts
End with a powerful one-liner — something memorable, maybe even a bit provocative.
Structure:
- Brief recap.
- Drop one striking sentence that sums up your core belief.
Example:
Don’t waste your final paragraph on filler.
That’s where your content earns its memory – or disappears.
Mix and match these frameworks. For instance, start with a summary, add a “future vision” sentence, and end on a question. The best conclusions often blend logic, emotion, and momentum.
How to write a strong conclusion
Do you want to write a conclusion? Here is your step-by-step guide.
- Step 1: Draft the body of your content first.
While you can argue that writing the introduction can be done before OR after creating the body copy, I strongly recommend creating the blog conclusion once you have finished your body copy.
Why? Because only then do you know what is finally going to be in the post. You know what is the key question you are answering and fully understand all the perks and benefits of what you wrote.
- Step 2: Identify the key message to reinforce.
This can be an easy question if it is exactly one problem you are answering in your blog post. But for in-depth content pieces that offer multiple answers this question can become a little tricky.
My recommendation? The key message of a blog post should be the most pressing question or problem your target audience has. Something they want and need answered. The answer should be the key message.
- Step 3: Decide the next step you want readers to take.
The next step your readers should take depends on the goal of your content. While linking to a related blog post is often intuitive and quickly done, this usually is the least valuable for YOU.
If you are blogging for business the valuable steps your audience can take are signing up for your email list or directly buying a product.
- Step 4: Write 2–4 sentences that summarize, inspire, and guide.
Now it is time to create the blog conclusion. Make sure it contains the summary, sparks emotion and includes a call-to-action.
- Step 5: Edit for clarity, tone, and flow.
And as always, I recommend that you read it out loud to test how it sounds and feels.
If you are new to the content creation game I also recommend that you let it sit for a day or two and read it again with a fresh mind.
Common mistakes to avoid with your blog conclusion
When I started creating online content, I was not aware of the power of the final section. I missed out on huge opportunities because I did not emphasize the key takeaway or failed to add a call-to-action.
No Conclusion
The first mistake is not having a blog conclusion at all. That does not necessarily mean you are leaving your audience hanging in mid air. You may be able to find nice final sentences without adding a conclusion.
But you are missing out if you don’t summarize what they should have learned and nudge your audience toward taking the action you planned.
No Call-to-Action
I learned that hard way that not asking your audience to do something leads to them not doing it.
If you want your audience to perform the action you planned for them, make it absolutely clear what they should do.
Repeating the introduction instead of summarizing.
No, the conclusion is not the same as the introduction. Both have different purposes. The goal of the intro is to make people read the post. The goal of the conclusion is to make clear what the content was about – and inspire an action AFTER reading.
Adding new information in the conclusion.
Your body content should contain what you want to teach. Adding new information in the conclusion waters down the original information – and confuses.
So, no, the conclusion is not about new information.
Writing too long or too vague.
The conclusion needs to be quick and clear. It has the purpose of pointing out the key takeaways and leaving the readers with a clear idea what they learned (or should have learned). Too long and too vague does not achieve this.
Avoid the above mistakes and don’t make the conclusion overly complicated. It needs to be on point and help the reader or it fails to achieve its purpose.
Best practices for blog conclusions that convert
Did I confuse you with too much ‘don’t do this’? Then it is time to tell you what you should do!
Match the tone of your intro and body.
Stick to your overall tone and voice. Your conclusion should come natural and leave your readers with a connection.
Use strong, action-oriented language.
I am not a ‘bold claims’ person, I like to enable you to make your own decisions. But the conclusion needs to be on-point and clear. Make sure your readers know what you are saying, no guessing in these final sentences.
Keep it short and impactful(3–5 sentences).
The conclusion is not a blog post on its own, it is the right place to nail things in a couple of sentences. No filler words just plain statements.
Make the CTA visible and relevant.
Don’t forget the CTA. Here people want to know what they should do. Or they won’t do it.
The last impression counts
The introduction lures people in – the conclusion makes sure they leave with what you want them to take away.
A great blog conclusion sums up the body content and guides your audience to the next step with a clear call to action.
Learn the complete system for writing high-performing blog posts in my 20-day content brilliance sequence:
