Why No One Is Reading Your Blog

You’ve likely heard that writing blogs attracts users to your website, provides value to your brand, and boosts your website’s SEO. Wanting to take full advantage of those perks, maybe you’ve written a few blogs, posted them to your site, and waited for the magic to happen. But alas, nothing. Nada. Not one new subscriber. Not even your coworkers have visited the blog page to get the 411. What’s going on? 

As it turns out, there are a few things that go into blog writing that you need to make it successful. Check out these five reasons why no one is reading your blog and see what changes you need to make!

They Don’t Know It’s There

If you’ve written a blog but didn’t post about it to your Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, did you even write a blog? If you aren’t promoting new blog posts to your audience, you’re doing your blog — and your website traffic — a massive disservice. Be your own biggest fan and scream about your new blog from the mountaintops. 

Your Posting Schedule Is Inconsistent 

Posting blogs on a consistent schedule keeps your readers and Google happy because Google and other social media platforms favor sites that post content regularly. For example, a blogger who posts every Tuesday at noon is far more likely to get picked up on Google’s algorithm than a blogger who posts whenever they feel like it. 

How often you’re posting may depend on the size of your business, but the most important factor is consistency. More prominent blogs focused on increasing website traffic should be published 4-5x a week, while smaller blogs aimed at boosting brand awareness are better off posted 1-2x a week. Whatever your goals and capabilities are, sharing valuable content with your readers regularly is a sure way to gain more readers and improve SEO. 

Tip: If you’re new to blogging, start with a small goal. Try posting once every two weeks, then increase to once a week or more as you get comfortable.

You Aren’t Using Keywords

In a perfect world, your blog would have hundreds of loyal subscribers eagerly waiting for your regularly scheduled post. But in reality, most people discover blogs through search engines. This is why it’s so important to include desired keywords in your title and throughout your blog to stay higher in search results. Whether you’re using broad industry keywords or hyper-specific long-tail keywords, keep in mind that the quality of your keyword usage is more important than the quantity of your keywords.  Before writing, dedicate twenty minutes to keyword research on your industry or topic. That extra time researching can bring hundreds of more eyes to your post. It may also save you time in the future when you get writer’s block for new content ideas.

Tip: Not sure where to start? Check out Moz Keyword Explorer to find relevant and effective keywords for any topic. 

Your Format Needs a Facelift 

Never judge a book by its cover, but definitely judge a blog by its format. If your blog has small font, confusing or unrelated headlines, and is slow to load, both your readers and Google will be unimpressed. Just a one-second delay in page responses can decrease your conversion rate by 7%! When it comes to blogging, keep it simple. 

• Text: Stick to large, dark, easy-to-read fonts and break up your text into short, digestible paragraphs. 
• Headings: The heading structure of your blog matters! If a reader is casually skipping around on your blog, you want to give them a taste of what they’ll read in that section to make sure it applies. While your first heading (H1) is most important as it’s your title, be sure to break your blog down into short sections using second, third, and even fourth heading levels (H2s, H3s, and H4s).
• Pictures: You can also help elevate your blogs with visuals like photos, graphs, or videos. These break up your content for readers skimming but should only be used if they are truly applicable. 

By boosting your format, your readers (and Google) will thank you. 

Tip: Start a WordPress blog! There are hundreds of free, mobile-responsive themes that make posting blogs an easy and efficient process. Plus, there are plugins and analytic tools built into WordPress to help you improve your content and boost your SEO.

You Never Include Links

Your blog is the perfect opportunity to name-drop. Adding links and sources within your blog shows your readers that you know what you’re talking about — or at least took a few minutes researching the topic. Not only does adding links boost your credibility, but it also boosts your SEO. Adding a variety of internal and external links keeps your readers engaging with your website, increases your digital footprint, and builds relationships with other bloggers and businesses. 

Tip: Try to include 1 link for every 100 words. Save room for one or two internal links in your conclusion with a call-to-action to keep readers on your site.

Make the Most of Your Blog

Get your content the attention it deserves. Whether you’re looking to increase website traffic, boost your SEO, or simply entertain readers, making a few changes to your blogging routine can make a world of difference. Our team at PHOS can help guide you through your blogging journey and make sure your content gets recognition. Connect with us and start growing your blog today.