We’ve all been there: agonizing over how to write a bio in a way that doesn’t irritate readers with too many bragging rights – or fall flat with modesty.
Writing a biography that is professional, personable, accurate, search engine friendly and engaging can be tricky. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. If you take just a little bit of time to plan, you can come up with a personal bio that tells your story and acts as the cornerstone of your personal brand. More often than not, your personal biography is the first thing that someone will see before meeting you – so make it count!
Below are our top tips on how to write a personal bio in a way that represents you well and is search engine friendly:
As you start to build your personal brand online, remember that you are going to be writing different versions of your bio that will vary in both content and length depending on where it’s posted. So don’t feel like you have to fit everything about your entire life story into one bio.
It’s important to have multiple versions for two main reasons:
First of all, from an SEO perspective, unique content helps a profile or website rank better in search results. Search engines like Google, want to provide users with a range of information. Your websites and profiles have a better chance of ranking well if the bios are unique than if the same bio is copy and pasted on all of your properties.
While some of the core information will naturally stay the same, make a point to diversify how you write each bio. From a branding perspective, it’s wise to have different versions of your bio available with the platform where it will ultimately be published in mind.
Consider the tone in your writing, it should vary for different audiences and contexts. Keep in mind that different sites have different allowances in terms of word count – find the word and character allowances before you start writing for that site. This will make the whole process of writing a bio much easier.
2. Introduce yourself… like a real person.
This is one of the most important pieces of understanding how to write a personal biography. Always start with your name. It’s funny, because when many people start learning how to write a bio they realize they skipped this important part. People need to know who you are before they learn what you do. Remember that your most important details should go in the very first sentence.
What you consider to be “important details” can change depending on where you decide to publish this bio. When you have more space, share something personal about who you are. A passion, a core value, an outlook on life – something that speaks to you as a whole.
Also a personal bio should also include something more tangible like your job title, industry and location. From a search results standpoint, you want your name to be associated with your location, job title and industry. This way, people looking for you in a professional capacity can find you associated with those words immediately.
However, it’s important to showcase yourself more fully so that people can get a sense of who you are when they look you up online. Aim to describe yourself in a way that’s professional… but also, human.
An example for inspiration: Katerina Jeng
This biography example is a perfect illustration of how to introduce yourself like a real person while demonstrating professionalism at the same time. Katerina covers her background, useful traits, current work and hobbies all while keeping things light and conversational.
This balance in this bio example can be taught to replicate, but it’s worth exploring if it fits your writing style. Going to casual or stuffy can leave a bad impression professionally, and won’t give you the best possible opportunity to stand out from the crowd. This is a perfect example of how to write a bio that does both, so read up!
When you start writing a bio determining the length of your bio may seem like an afterthought – something that just happens once you stop typing. However, it is something that you need to think about before you start writing – and your ideal word count may shift depending on your primary focus.
From an SEO perspective, the more words you use in your personal bio, the better. If you are filling in the bio section of a profile, find out the word or character limit – that’s how long your bio should be. If you are writing the bio on your personal website, the longer the better.
Plan to write 500 words – minimum. If you have 1,500 to 2,000 words in you, that’s even better. As we have mentioned before, search engines value lengthier content (when it is also well-written and original), so get to it! When learning how to write a bio about yourself that ranks well, this is one of the most important tips you can remember.
From a branding perspective, you may have a different take on the length of your bio. Perhaps you would prefer to keep things short and sweet or don’t feel the immediate need for a 1,500 word count. If so, that’s fine too. Cater your personal bio to your goals. Start small. The length suggestion can change based on your situation and ultimate goals.
Consider organizing your personal bio into sections that you can add to later that will bring up your word count over time. Even from a branding perspective, word count is still important because you want to make sure that you are sharing as much relevant information with the reader as possible. Don’t short change the audience. So take your time and craft something that makes you proud and gives your audience an accurate take on who you are.
Solid word count in action: Darren Rowse
Using ProBlogger as a biography example for this tip is a perfect fit. When you check out the page you’ll see that Darren wrote this bio to be comprehensive but also lead viewers right into his offerings (very smart).
He is mindful of his word count and makes sure to expand a bit more after he’s done talking about his background by continuing into what he’s working on now. This biography is a perfect example of how not being too brief can help the bio you wrote rank well in search engines, while also catching the reader up if it’s their first time hearing of you.
4. Write your biography in the third person.
This is one of the most common steps that people struggle with when learning how to write a bio. While it can feel strange to talk about yourself in the third person at first, there are some very clear benefits from doing so:
From an SEO perspective, writing a bio in the third person allows you to include your full name throughout the bio. This lets search engines know that this lengthy, original, and well-written piece of content is about you. While making it clear that this awesome work is about you is important when it comes to search engine optimization, don’t let speaking in third person become too much of a good thing.
Never overuse your name when writing a bio or include it in a way that seems unnatural. Instead, use your name when it is appropriate. By dropping your name too frequently, search engines may think that the article looks suspicious/spammy – or isn’t written very well.
Speaking in the third person suggests that someone else is speaking about you. And since it’s likely that others will use your various bios as a resource to describe you, writing in the third person makes it easier for others to talk about you using information straight from your personal bio.
Whether you have an upcoming speaking engagement that requires a bio blurb, or a colleague introduces you via email to someone you’ve wanted to work with for years, your third-person bio makes it easy for others to share information about you with people who you want in your corner.
When practicing how to write a bio about yourself effectively, you can’t spend enough time focusing on this. Writing in the third person makes information about you shareable and accessible. From a branding perspective, this alone is reason enough to write in the third person! If you want to learn more about how this all works, check out our online reputation management guide too.
Two bios you can learn from: Barack and Michelle Obama
On Barack and Michelle Obama’s about page you can find textbook biography examples that show you how to write your bio in the third person without making it awkward to read. So many people struggle with this, so hopefully these bio examples will make things easier by seeing it in action.
Both of these bios do a great job not going overboard and varying the kind of third person mentions you can include. This makes your biography more natural to read while still ensuring that it has the best chance to be seen when someone looks you up.
5. Edit ruthlessly and update constantly.
Your online bio is the authoritative source on you. That means that it needs to reflect you in the best light possible. This also means that it should be kept as up to date as possible. The proper action plan for how to write a bio is never truly finished because of this.
A lengthy, well-written and regularly updated piece of content is like search engine gold. So when you complete your initial version of the longer personal bio that you will use on your website, know that you’re not finished.
As you gain more experience, or perhaps shift your professional focus, include these changes in your bios. And keep asking other people that you trust to take a look at your main bios to edit them. Writing a bio is an ongoing process that you should never ignore for too long.
Read your bio aloud to yourself, use free editing tools like the Hemingway app, Slickwrite or any other number of free resources that will help you write a great bio about yourself that keeps readers interested.
While you should update your personal bio with obvious milestones like a promotion or a degree, feel free to sprinkle in seemingly smaller accomplishments in your life.
Update your bio so it includes information about running your first 5k, taking a Tango lesson and only falling twice, adopting a rescue dog – anything that paints a clearer picture of who you are and what you value.
6. Write a story, not a list.
When writing a personal bio, it can be easy to fall into the trap of rattling off accomplishments, but that’s what your resume is for. Your bio should go above and beyond your awards and get to the core of who you are and what you’re about.
Now, that may seem like a tall order, but with a bit of planning you can pull it off. You can understand how to write a bio from a technical standpoint, but looking at it through this lens will help be your guideline going forward. Ask yourself questions like, “Who is your audience?”, or, “What are the main takeaways for your reader?”, and, “What events in your life best illustrate those main points?”. Turn your biography into a story that engages the reader.
Those who have mastered the steps of how to write a bio spend a lot of time doing this. If you approach writing a bio like a story, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others and truly connect with the reader.
If this makes the process even more challenging, think about your favorite stories. What is it that makes them memorable? Without going overboard, feel free to infuse your personal bio with your favorite authors. You want to grab the reader and force them to pay attention to you. What elements that make a great story can you use for your bio?
Regardless of your profession, it’s likely that you have samples of your work that are pertinent to the audience reading about you. In addition to being an introduction to who you are and what you do, let your personal bio act as a marketing tool. Many people want to learn how to write a bio effectively, but they don’t spend enough time learning how to use it as promotion.
You can do this by including links to your product, company or service. Avoid doing this in a heavy-handed way since nobody wants to read a direct sales pitch when they’re trying to learn about a human being. Mention the product, company or service in a way that helps you tell your own story in a natural way.
These links should enhance and illustrate what you’re already describing about yourself. This shouldn’t be a distraction or take anything away from the main thrust of your personal narrative.
If you have a lot of work and accomplishments to choose from, be selective! Highlight work that’s impressive, relevant, tells your story and makes you proud.
If you don’t currently have much to link to within your personal bio, don’t worry. Start by learning more about personal branding. Make a note in your calendar, planner or journal that this is something to work on outside of creating your personal bio. But don’t let this fall by the wayside, set some time aside in the next few weeks to actively work on fixing this.
Whether it’s writing an article on your company’s website, submitting a post to a site that’s related to your industry or finally getting your passion project’s website live… do it! And once that is live, get the most out of it by linking to it in your bios. Look to other professionals in your field who have a well-developed online presence for inspiration.
Learning how to write a bio that performs well also means you need to do a little housekeeping from time to time. When you are regularly updating your bios, make sure to check that all of your links are not only relevant, but that the actual links work. Broken links not only make for a frustrating user experience, but likely hurt your search results.
Mimic this example for great results: Tim Ferriss
We could think of no one better than Tim Ferriss for this particular biography example. Tim is a master at promoting his work and when he wrote his bio he took full advantage of the opportunity.
Throughout Tim’s bio he seamlessly links to his work, credentials, social media accounts, and books he’s written. If you had never heard of him before, he makes it quite easy to get up to speed and find out about his work.
One thing we like about this biography example is that he alternates between lists and paragraphs to help break things up. So many times people write their bio as an extremely dense and text-heavy monster that ultimately never gets read fully. If you give the reader a break (especially in this age of skimming) more will be consumed in the long run.
8. Don’t forget to share your contact information.
Even if you have a contact page on your site, or perhaps widgets on your website that link to your social media interview sites, make a point to include the most direct mode of connection at the end of your personal bio. This could be your email address, a link to your contact page, or a link to your LinkedIn account. When it comes down to it, understanding how to write a biography aids you in creating new and valuable connections.
By including this type of information at the end of your bio, you’re not only letting your audience know how you prefer that they get in touch with you, but directing them to another hub that lets them learn even more information about you (if you so choose). Give some thought about what you want your audience to do after they have just been introduced to you through your personal bio.
If you give your audience a real way to connect with you at the end of the bio, you’re also sending the message that you’re approachable and want to be accessible. This is particularly helpful if you end up going a little bit “accomplishment heavy” earlier on. The caveat though, is that you should actually respond to people trying to connect with you in the way that you suggest here.
While the process of writing a bio about yourself can be strange at first, these 8 tips will help you to write a great introduction to who you are. Take advantage of them and you won’t be disappointed with the results!
A biography example that does almost everything right: Noah Kagan
This is a good example of a biography that does a lot of the things we’ve mentioned well. Noah links to his work, writes with a friendly style, and even connects the reader with people he works with.
The reason why we’re highlighting this bio though is that Noah makes it easy to get in touch with him via email. So many biography examples that you might find will include links to social media accounts only, which is fine. However if you want to build up a fast connection with someone who just found you, email is the way to go.
Not only that but because he wrote this bio in a fun and conversational style (the little mention about taco gift cards) it actually encourages people to reach out. Noah is great at building connections with people, and this biography example is no exception.
9. Use an online tool to ensure the bios on all your profiles are well-branded and optimized to rank high in search engines.
I’ve been a digital marketer for several years now, I’m going to go ahead and say that search is all about making the resulting content as relevant to what someone searches as possible. Hemingway just doesn’t include feedback on this. Have been working with a new tool called INK, it has built-in SEO features. Another useful tool for my tool box, wanted to share this find with my fellow writers: http://bit.ly/2ZIT8ht
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