Your blog posts are optimized, your pages are visible in the search engines, and you have a blogging strategy for SEO.
But when visitors land on a blog post, you want them to do more than read it and leave; you want them to visit additional posts.
Engaging readers with the additional content on your website gives you further chances to showcase your authority, encouraging repeat visits.
Otherwise, a reader could land on a post via Twitter and enjoy it, but then leave without really remembering your blog.
So, what can you do to encourage them to read more?
1. Link to Related Posts
If your visitor has found a blog post entertaining and useful, then they may well want to read more of your articles on similar subjects.
So, add links to related articles beneath the post.
2. Write a Series
Don’t overuse this tactic, but it can be a great way to increase page views, encourage repeat visits, and explore complex subjects in greater depth.
Once you have a completed series on our blog, readers landing on one article will be more likely to read the additional content. That added value will keep on giving as people find the posts through search engines and inbound links in the future.
3. Showcase Older Posts
Take a leaf out of “The Simpsons” book and don’t be afraid of compilation posts. These can be a great way to showcase your older, most successful or popular articles, driving additional visitors to them.
For example, you might list the blog posts that received the most comments or were the most popular over the previous year.
4. Add Descriptive Introductions to Your Articles
When a reader lands on your blog’s home page, make sure they can see at a glance how useful the different articles are. This may pique their interest so they read more than one post.
If your article introductions are captivating then use those. Otherwise, write appealing summaries of the posts so the potential reader can see exactly how useful they will be.
5. Link to Other Posts Within Articles
One of the frustrations of the blogging platform is that articles are necessarily fairly short – rarely more than 800 words.
That can make it hard to explore complex subjects in any great depth. However, if you have existing posts that are relevant to the subject you’re writing about, then link to them.
In addition to giving the reader the chance to learn more, it encourages them to click through to different articles.
6. Build a Page That Shows Additional Articles
Make sure your blog contains a sidebar that highlights other blog posts. These could be related content, different article categories, or even the most recent articles on your blog.
This is a simple way to encourage visitors to read additional articles across a wider range of subjects.
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniemole/85515856/
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