Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
What types of blog posts get the most attention on the Internet? Is there a style you should prioritize over others to draw the most visitor traffic? Today, let’s take a look at the top-performing posts of all of the blogs I manage. This includes data from client sites.
Now, before I start, remember that this list is based on a collection of data from five different websites. Each is considerably different than the other and belongs to unique a niche.
This means that you also want to consider what works best on your own website for your specific audience. I’ll go over that in a moment.
What Are the Best Types of Content for Traffic?
In this overview of content types, I’m looking at the visitor traffic for the past six months for the top 25 articles on each site. Keep in mind, though, that a lot of blogs will have “seasons” where the visitors are far more frequent.
For example, the fitness industry usually has a peak during the first few months of the year. Mostly, this is because a lot of people will start New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight or to get fit.
Also, I’m not including a few of the sites I manage simply because of the nature of the content. For instance, one client’s site is nothing but tutorials, so that would be an unfair comparison.
This list is in order of the types of blog posts that generate the most traffic.
1. Listicle
Listicles, or list articles, work exceptionally well for most blogs across the board. In fact, lists are what drove many popular websites into the positions they are in today.
Look at Buzzfeed as an example. If you can put together a list of points that people are interested in reading, it can take your blog pretty far.
For one particular website, a list of pros and cons of hydroelectric energy makes up 20.58% of all of the site’s traffic. And it was written more than three years ago!
2. Tutorials
A lot of people take to the Internet to learn how to do something. If you’re good at teaching and use screenshots or photos, it solidifies your position as an expert.
Though, it helps that you create tutorials of topics for which people are searching. For instance, it would make no sense to write a tutorial about using Windows XP today.
For ColoradoPlays.com, the top three articles are tutorials and make up 38.18% of all of the traffic to the blog.
3. Reviews
Reviews play an integral role in online content and sales. In fact, around 77% of consumers read online reviews for a product quite frequently.
Writing reviews is perhaps one of the best ways to generate revenue from affiliate marketing, especially if the review is favorable. If you can denote why a certain product is worth buying, you can influence someone’s decision to do so.
In one instance, a single review is bringing in 22.95% of all website traffic. And thanks to that particular article, I make around $20 per month in referrals alone.
4. Questions and Answers
A lot of times, hitting the right question and providing a detailed answer can drive a lot of visitors to your site. In many cases, I wasn’t even trying to focus on a keyphrase other than just helping someone understand a topic.
The best answers, though, are those that you can cite evidence or reliable sources to support a claim. This is why I often go through scientific papers or trusted stat companies.
Then again, I’ve answered a lot of questions based purely on personal experience and verifiable data.
The point is that you want to provide the best answer possible that isn’t rooted in rumor or speculation. It’s all about providing accurate and reliable information.
You don’t want to be clumped into the “fake news” crowd. This means not using Uncle Bob’s blog as a source when he doesn’t have any kind of supporting evidence.
5. Product Comparisons
Product comparisons kind of work similar to reviews. It’s when you compare two popular products or services to determine which is better for the reader. In some instances, the comparisons are so close that there isn’t a real “winner.”
In well-written comparisons, you want to highlight both the good and the bad of each particular product. This way, the reader feels well-informed and is capable of making a better decision.
However, a lot of bloggers will simply highlight the good points and use affiliate links for both products. That way, they earn a commission depending on which way the reader leans.
Personally, I think this process is a bit shady because you’re not letting people know exactly what to expect. But every blogger is different, I suppose.
The Home Page
I know the home page isn’t exactly one of the types of blog posts you’ll constantly write about. Nonetheless, I felt it necessary to mention how vital the home page is for traffic.
In every instance of the five blogs I analyzed, the home page was within the top 10 in terms of visitor count. This means it’s just as vital to engaging your audience as any other piece of content you create.
And yes, I’m working on fixing up the home page on all of my personal blogs.
In any case, you want the most prominent information shown while enticing the visitor to explore the contents. Ask yourself, why is a visitor coming to the website in the first place?
What Types of Blog Posts Get the Least Attention Over Time?
Not all types of content are as effective at driving traffic like the above. Some just don’t seem to pull in nearly as much attention over the long haul.
So, what are the worst pieces of content to focus on in terms of longevity?
News Pieces
News articles don’t have the staying power as evergreen types. This is because news information can change rapidly while becoming outdated by the next big story.
When comparing a news bit versus a review, there is no question about which one will continue to drive traffic for months or even years down the road.
However, news articles can be helpful in reaching interested readers who may subscribe to newsletters, email lists, or push notifications. This means those news readers may be back for the other types of content you create.
Challenges
I’m a fan of doing challenges for just about every niche. Unfortunately, they don’t get nearly as much attention as the above types of blog posts. That’s because they are hyper-focused on a specific topic.
To be honest, I’m kind of impressed that challenges appear in the top 25 for website traffic in general.
While they may be fun to write or may help you focus on specific goals, don’t expect a windfall of visitors. Of course, this greatly depends on the niche of your blog and the challenge you’re conducting.
Just make sure you write a follow-up to share the results.
How to Write the Types of Blog Posts People Want to Read
A lot more goes into a proper blog post than just stringing words together. There is a bit of a process if you’re trying to attract a large audience to your blog.
Especially if you’re trying to make money.
OK, how do we write one of the above to really grip the reader’s attention?
Keyphrase and Intent
All content should start with a keyphrase and search intent. What are you writing about and how are people looking for that topic? What do they want to learn from your article?
There are a lot of free keyword tools you can use to get started. Whatever term you decided to use, though, focus your writing on what your target audience wants to know.
Detailed Information
The more detailed the post, the better it will perform in search engines. Now, I have seen articles that are only 300 words long for specific keyphrases in the number one spot in Google. But generally speaking, longer articles tend to perform better.
Does this mean you have to write the blog equivalent of an eBook? No. But you do want to include some amazing information that your visitor may want.
Easy to Read and Follow
You’ll want to keep the text of your blog post easy to follow. Unless your target audience is from the science, medical, or legal communities, you won’t need long and superfluous language.
In other words, keep your terminology and writing style to an eighth-grade reading level. One of the tools I use to help make sure my articles are easy to read is Yoast SEO.
Keep an Eye on Trends
Knowing how certain topics are performing in Google search can help you gauge when to write about them. Since Google Trends is easy and free to use, you can keep your thumb on the pulse of your industry or niche.
Also, bear in mind that there is nothing wrong with learning as you write. If something in your niche is trending that you don’t know, take some time to learn it and provide your viewpoint on the topic.
Go Beyond the Competition
Lastly, don’t simply regurgitate what other bloggers write about in your niche. When it comes to listicles, comparisons, and Q&As, it can be tempting to just recreate their content in your own words and call it a day.
Stand out from what everyone else is creating.
For example, let’s say you want to do a list of the 10 best stability ball exercises. Sure, you can reiterate all of the points of the competition. But why stop there? Instead of just providing a list, see if there are some questions you can answer. Perhaps there are some products you would like to highlight.
The point is to go beyond what other people are writing about in regard to your topic. What can you do to make the article better than everyone else’s?
What Types of Blog Posts Work Best for You?
Sure, lists like the one above can help you get an idea or two about the type of articles you may want to write. But keep in mind that every blog is different with a unique audience.
The types of blog posts that work awesomely for one may not work at all for another.
Case in point, reviews work great for my fitness blog, but the tutorials rule the gaming blog. It all comes down to the audience and your expertise.
What kind of content works best on your website?
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