How To Write Popular Blog Posts

How To Write Popular Blog Posts

Maybe you’ve been blogging for a while but sometimes you feel like you’re talking to yourself.  You would really like to know how to write popular posts - the kind that people thank you for and link to because they liked it so much. You want your blog to be popular and get lots of dates on the weekends. Oh wait… that was my wish in high school.

But let me dive into that analogy…

The popular kids in high school had the best clothes as well as some of the best opportunities to succeed because everyone, including the teachers, liked them.  They were forgiven when they made mistakes and were sought out because they had qualities other kids wish they had themselves.  They were followed and copied and quoted by kids who wanted to be like them.

Having a popular blog is like that.  Your blog is well-liked and the occasional mistake or off-base rant is forgiven.  Your blog is followed, copied, and quoted and that means lots of traffic to your site.  You, the blogger, are given the best opportunities - JV partnerships, affiliate promotions, backlinks, interviews, and more.

But every post you write doesn’t have to be an award-winning post, so don’t feel overwhelmed with the pressure here.  You do need to take a little more care with some of the blog posts you write so that you’re giving some really killer content.

A popular post will have some “wowness” to it for the reader.  They’ll bookmark your site, Digg It, blog about it themselves, and leave comments.  You’ll see more traffic, an increase in opt ins, and make some money with your promotional links. 

Here are some tips for writing popular blog posts:

• Take some time choosing a great blog title.  Of course you should put your keywords in it, but you should also make it attention-getting.  You want to grab people’s attention so they’ll read your post.  A “How To” or “Top 10″ or “Action Plan” not only make good posts, but make for good blog titles.

• Make your first paragraph killer.  The post is for and about them, not you.  So explain what’s in it (the article) for them. Be interesting, draw them in.  There’s no place for fluff here; it’s your last chance to get them to read the rest of your blog post.

• There is no guarantee that an article is going to be a homerun.  But if you want to try for a grand piece, or pillar post, as Yaro Starak calls it, then spend a little more time writing it than you usually would.  Do your research, write the post, check for errors, let it simmer, and polish it before hitting the publish button.

• Look at the content in your post.  Are you giving people what they really want to know?  Are you helping them or just knitting air because you haven’t posted in a while and you know you should?  People can spot the difference.  Be helpful, try to give details not everyone already knows.

• Make your post easy on the eye.  Use a font that’s not too small and easy to read, add a picture and/or screen shots, and use numbers or bullets.  Make your paragraphs short to keep the reader’s attention from wondering off.

• Don’t be afraid to ask your readers to Digg your post, rate it, or leave comments.  Sometimes a simple request does the trick.  Comments help create buzz and even more perceived value.

• Consider linking to another site(s) in your post. The sites you link to may return the favor and that will give you some backlinks.  They may even reference your article to their list subscribers or blog readers which will bring you more eyeballs.

Sometimes what end up being popular blog posts on your site may come as a surprise, but usually the articles where you spend time giving quality information that the reader really wants are going to be the winners.

Please Digg this article if you liked it. And comments are always appreciated!  Thanks.