10 Reasons No One Is Reading Your Blog

So, today I wanted to talk about one of the most common complaints I see bloggers talking about: why no-one is reading your blog. As someone who offers blog content services, as well as running a successful Facebook Group teaching others how to Master Their Blog Content, I have insight into lots of people’s blogs.

Traffic is important. I know many bloggers will tell you it isn’t but most of the time we’re blogging for two reasons: a) we want people to read our words and feel inspired or informed and b) we want to be hopefully paid or compensated for our words (if that’s you, do go fill out my blogging money survey as I’m trying to keep track of how much bloggers charge- I’ll be sharing in a blog post soon!). So unless you are blogging purely for yourself, it’s ok to admit that you want people to read your blog!

After looking at a LOT of blogs this week- I wanted to share ten mistakes some bloggers are making…

1.It’s hard to navigate 

I think bloggers underestimate the attention span of an average reader at times. Often, on landing on a site it can be hard to navigate with unclear headings or no introduction to what the site is actually about. Make the purpose of your blog really clear as soon as the reader arrives on your site. One way to do this might be to have a landing page so you can send your different types of readers off in different directions.

2.You’re not offering value

One of the quickest ways to gain traffic is to offer something of value-whether it’s a free download or ten tips on something (just like I’m doing now!). If your blog is purely your own reflections an a journal for your life; that’s absolutely fine-but you might need to accept it might not be the traffic-building blog you’d like.

3.It doesn’t stand out

You don’t have to have a clear ‘niche’ but you do have to offer something different in my opinion. There are just so many blogs out there- why would anyone read yours over a thousand others?

4.It takes too long to load

Make a note of your google page insights to check your site speed

I’d recommend using google page speed insights to see how slow your site is to load- this can be really offputting; especially if people are scrolling on their phone.

5. You’re not SEO optimising your posts

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the back bone of gaining organic traffic – it’s all about optimising your blog posts to rank high in a search engine. Every time someone searches for a topic or question relating to your niche, you want YOUR post to be up there, answering that question! Keyword research is a great place to start – think about what exact words or phrases someone would type into Google to reach your blog post, and make sure those words and phrases are dotted around the post, and answered, naturally and organically.

As well as optimising every post for your keyword, things like a good internal linking structure, building backlinks and making sure your website is mobile friendly are also going to help SEO. Check out these 10 tips for improving your SEO as a blogger for more information.

Want to know even MORE about SEO-optimised content to help your blog post get seen on Google? I have a step by step guide to planning blog content for your business that will not only explain exactly what SEO-optimised content is but also help you write and plan these posts for your business!

Read it next: How I get 400 views a day from Pinterest.

6.Your posts aren’t long enough

Sure, you don’t want to bore your readers with blog posts that are too long or full of filler or waffle, but you need to make sure your posts are a good length, too. Far too many blog posts out there are too short! Aim for an absolute minimum of 500 words – in fact, 800-1000 words are ideal. Anything over 1,000 words is acceptable if it genuinely adds value, answer’s your reader’s questions and keeps them engaged, but if you’re nearing the 2,000 words mark I would definitely consider whether you could split the post into two.

7.You’re not keeping people on the page

Always do your very best to keep bloggers on the page once they’ve arrived. Try to have recommended posts at the bottom of the page and interspersed throughout (either through images or links). Make sure you click the ‘open in a new window’ tab, so you don’t lose the blogger!

8.You don’t know who you’re writing for

Yes, you may have the nice template and an Instagram-worthy feed; but who is your ideal reader? What are they likely to want to know that you can help them with. Quite a few bloggers have readers surveys and they can really help get to grips with what the reader is after. Another way is to look at your stats and see which style of post is consistently popular.

9.You’re not sharing enough

Make sure you are sharing your old content as well as your new stuff. I often go through my blog and see what type of evergreen content I can reshare ( I either do this manually or use the app ‘HiPlay’ which works with Buffer). It’s also worth making sure you are continually sharing old posts around key dates- so get your Easter posts scheduled!

10. You’re not sharing it on Pinterest

Of all my social channels, Pinterest has the lowest number of followers; yet is easily one of my biggest referrers. Doesn’t make sense, does it? Despite my low followers, I average 400 hits from the network each day – and that’s why I am so certain of its power to boost your numbers and encourage you to share your blog posts on Pinterest. Read my post to find out how to share your blog content on Pinterest!

I also offer blog audits if you’d like me to take a look at your blog specifically to see where you’re going wrong, or why not invest in my step by step guide to planning blog content for your business – it’s full of information to help teach you about the 3 different types of content you can create for your blog, as well as guide you through planning and writing the content, too.

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