Why Readers Are Abandoning Your Blog Posts

You are putting in the time.  The hard work is getting done.  You are blogging for your business and working hard to make each and every post something that will appeal to your target audience. Try as you might, however, you simply are not getting the engagement you think you should. Traffic is not the problem as metrics show that visitors are coming to your blog. But bounce rates are up. Shares and comments are down. Very few visitors are clicking over to your main site. There simply is not engagement or conversation happening around any of your posts. Nevermind creating loyal readers and attracting potential customers, your blog visitors are clicking “back” before they’ve completed reading the post to the end.

All your words appear to have the same positive effect as not writing them in the first place.

Eesh.

If your blog is not getting the attention you desire then there are probably some easily diagnosed issues that, when fixed, will help.  While blog engagement is not an exact science, there are a number of identifiable reasons that we can attribute to declining readership.  When you are not getting the reaction and engagement from readers that you anticipate, it is useful to take a step back and evaluate if your blog is suffering from any of the following seven ailments

A Path to Better Blog Engagement

Your writing is poor

Most of your writers are unlikely to be English majors or published authors, but they can recognize poor writing. Poor writing makes the reader’s experience with a post clunky and cumbersome. In some cases, poor writing can make the experience of the post a chore. In addition to not finishing the post, poor writing will drive readers away and leave them with a bad taste in their mouth about the content you are creating.

Your subject matter is too specific

Deep dives into subjects are awesome when it comes to blogging.  Demonstrating expertise and knowledge is what makes for a great blog post. However, it is important to recognize that there is a point where a post is filled with so much minutiae and nuance that all but the most knowledgeable reader will feel lost. How do you find the balance? Ask yourself if the post is understandable for a layperson reading it in terms of how paragraphs and themes are structured. Even if the reader doesn’t understand, for example, the way that molecules form compounds in natural gases, the post should a least leave them understanding the broader point(s) you were trying to make.

Your subject matter is too broad

Conversely, broad blog posts are unlikely to interest anyone. When people read a blog post, they are looking to gain knowledge about a particular topic. A blog post that is too broad brings nothing new to the table, which is what readers crave. Too broad means not taking a point of view, not making an argument, or not sharing something informative or unique.  A blog post that is so broad that it can be understood by everyone is unlikely to be interesting to anyone.

Your subject matter is unoriginal and uninteresting

No one needs another post about “5 Ways to Get More Customers to Your Business.”  Nor does anyone need a post around the best office productivity suite.  Been there, done that.  Posts that have been written countless times by other people are popular because there is a perception that such posts will help with organic search rankings. Clear that from your mind right now. Original thinking and original ideas are great for search engine optimization and reader engagement alike.  Putting your spin on a topic that has been written dozens or even hundreds of times over the years is a waste of your time and the reader’s time.  

You are not writing knowledgeably

There is a lot of bluster on the internet.  Millions of words strung together with no expertise or authority.  Try as you might to avoid this in your own writing, it is shockingly easy to find yourself writing without knowledge. Maybe you have exhausted all your good ideas and cannot think of anything new to write. Perhaps you are stretching a little on a new topic and not actually researching the subject ahead of time. Whatever the case, a blog post that is not knowledgeable will rarely be read to completion.  Again, readers are eager to learn something new from your post. A fact, a story, a different point of view. New information resonates! If the reader detects that they already know more than you do then it is likely that they will discount the post as too basic or too simple. 

Your posts are too long

If your post is long then you need to make sure that the payoff is worth it.  Anything beyond about 1400 words needs to be compelling by the 700 or 800-word mark if you expect the reader to stay engaged.  It is not that your post is boring per se, it is that readers have a finite amount of time to give you and your post.  If they get to 750 or 800 words and are not chomping at the bit for what comes next, there is a high likelihood they will see the long scroll bar waiting at the right side of the browser and decide, “this just is not worth it.”

We are big fans of long posts. Long posts are the best way to really explore a topic or idea. But the long post needs to be engaging and interesting along the way or you are unlikely to have many readers actually get to the end.

Your posts are too short

Short posts rarely allow the reader to get a complete view of your idea or point of view.  Anything under 500 or 600 words should guide the reader to additional resources that complete the picture. Otherwise, they will be left thinking that your thoughts are incomplete. Even worse, if they begin reading, scroll down a little, and see the end of the post coming up then they absolutely will realize that they are reading filler, not substance.  That will drive them away and they may well never return. 

Your posts are boring

Length can drive people away.  A lack of demonstrated knowledge or a clear point of view can drive people away. Poor writing can drive people away. And simply being boring can drive people away.  When thinking about a blog post, think about a conversation you might have with a single person.  At work, at a social event, at any random occasion.  When speaking to an individual you do not want to be uninteresting or boring just as you do not want them to be uninteresting or boring. People look for a way out of boring conversations.  And so it is with your blog posts; if they are boring then readers will look for a way out.

Getting Back to Great Blog Engagement

Solving the problem of readers abandoning your posts is not an impossible problem.  People click off or away from a blog post for a few very specific reasons.  Addressing those reasons is not easy, but it is simple.  Instead of just writing and hoping for the best, bring some organization and structure to your planning and editing. Research if a topic or point of view has been covered by others.  Do you have something new and interesting to write? Give your posts an extra read or two before publishing to make sure you are writing well. Better yet, utilize tools like Grammarly and a tool for readability to weed out any poor writing. When choosing topics, do not stray too far from what you know without doing the research necessary to write with some authority.

Writing compelling blog posts is not easy, else everyone would do it.  But implementing some guardrails and best practices while being honest with yourself can lead to great posts and excellent blog engagement.  And great posts are sure to help your readership rebound.