Picture this:
You’ve got a deadline, and you need information on social media statistics - fast. You plug your keywords into the search bar and get hundreds of pages of search results that are a mix of website pages, articles on digital media publications and blog posts.
Like anyone else sorting through search results, you hurriedly scan the list, clicking one site, scanning it, hitting the back arrow, and moving on to the next one. Each page you visit gets a cursory scan. You make a decision quickly on whether or not that link contains the information you need.
Too often, good blogs lose out on new blog readers because of a few key factors. In those few seconds between the website loading and your reader scanning the page, you can easily lose a potential reader. Keep your blog readers (both new and old) by putting the following tips to work:
1. Check your bounce rate
Your bounce rate is a great clue as to whether or not you are holding on to your blog readers. A bounce rate is just about what it sounds like – how many users came to your site and bounced right back off without clicking anywhere else. This likely means they thought your information would be interesting or helpful, but in the end decided it wasn’t.
2. Check the rest of your stats
Analytical metrics exist for a reason. Invest in free software to keep track of the locations, ages and interests of your potential audience, as well as which sites you receive click-throughs from. Do your users usually come from social media sites? Do they stumble upon you? Visit you via a guest blogger’s site? Use this information to your advantage. Keep pushing out your blog content in those places that send you readers, and stop – or focus less on — pushing it to places that aren’t.
3. Rewrite what doesn’t work
Review how long users stay on your site. Check out which articles are being read and which are being left in the dust. Some articles pull their weight, some don’t. Ditch or rework the articles that aren’t receiving comparable hit stats; make your titles and keywords as accurate as possible in order to lead readers to the information they want.
4. Highlight your strong points
A popular sidebar feature on many blogs is a list of “Most Popular” posts. This will provide eye-catching content for new readers and quickly engage them with your blog.
Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae
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