Too often blog writers spend countless hours perfecting their blogs, only to have no one read them due to low blog traffic.
This can be discouraging to writers, and many give up thinking they just aren’t any good at all. The truth, however, is that the problem may not be with the writer. In fact, getting readers to a blog and increasing blog traffic can be easier than it appears.
A recent article on Copyblogger.com provides several simple ways that can increase traffic to a blog. A study by Neilson revealed that nearly 80 percent of web users scan, rather than read online content. Consequently, if a user does not find what he wants in the few moments, they can go elsewhere. So how can a blogger engage readers and keep them reading?
First, it’s good to know that most people will scan a blog rather than read it. This may seem terrible considering the hours spent writing the blog, but it really isn’t wasted effort. Second, altering a blog structure so it is easier for people to scan can encourage reader engagement. Writing in an “inverted pyramid” style is a great way to do this. This means the conclusion comes first, and the supporting points follow. This organization allows readers to know exactly what the blog is about and whether they want to continue reading or not.
Here are a few simple steps that can also help increase readers’ attention:
- Use bulleted lists, which are usually preferable to long paragraphs of text.
- Include strategic formatting (such as bold important text) to help readers focus.
- General article content should be presented in digestible bites.
