Surprising Blog Statistics That Can Help You Increase Readership

Blogging is what you make of it, and your website visitors think it’s a big deal.

A constant flow of new and relevant information is what brings people back to websites. Few efforts accomplish this as well as a blog, where prospects learn more about you, and customers reaffirm their decision to make future purchases.

Need some numbers to sway you? Try these on for size.

43% of people admit to skimming articles and blog posts 

We’re all starved for time. Your website visitors will appreciate it if you remember this and make it easy to skim. Use headers and graphics to make the most important information in your posts and articles stand out. Create short videos and vibrant infographics.

Websites with blogs have up to 434% more indexed pages

Are you found in searches? The more content you have on your website, the more often it’s found by search engines for indexing. Blog posts and articles help search engines determine that your website is a resource worth recommending to searchers. 

Want up to 94% more views?

Marketing writer Jeff Bullas says that there are six reasons why images in your blog posts and articles are important – but the most important one is that it can boost viewership by up to 94%. He also cites Facebook data showing that the engagement rate there with photos is 37% higher than with text only. Check out the infographic he’s posted on his site for more about what he calls “The Age of Visual Culture.”

Take as long as you need to say what you have to say

How long should an article or blog post be? Considering we’ve already remarked that you should respect your readers’ limited time, you might think that short is good. Top content marketers like HubSpot and BuzzSumo say that lengths of between 2,500 and 3,000 words are among those most shared.

Logic tells you that longer articles give you more positioning opportunities, and therefore, Google will give it a higher rank. Will someone stay with a 3,000-word article? Maybe it’s time to stop looking at what others are doing and focus on your own readers. Have you ever asked them? What you’ll likely find is that there are certain subjects they’d like to see turned into an in-depth series of articles. Others? Meh, turn it into an infographic and be done with it.

What matters is the quality and relevance of the information you present – not its length. Or, as Seth Godin says, “Please, give me something long (but make it worth my time.)” 

Companies that blog get 97% more links to their website

People are looking for subject matter experts. When you’re able to position your website as an authoritative source by using blog posts and articles, you’ll reap the benefits. Others will cite your content, driving even more traffic your way. The only way to do it, as this HubSpot article points out, is with quality content. 

Blogs are rated as the 5^th most trusted source for accurate information

Search Engine People recently reminded us that blogging and article writing gives your business a voice – and a trusted one at that. This is important to remember because statistics also tell us that up to 80% of online viewers ignore paid ads and only focus on organic search results. For more on organic versus paid, check out this great article that used eye-tracking technology to determine that everybody looks at organic listings, but most ignored the paid ads on tight right in a Google search. 

Almost half of all marketers say blogging is the most important piece of their content strategy

Okay, just a while ago we said maybe you should stop being so concerned about how others are doing it and focus on your own readers. We won’t back away from that. However, if you look at the industry as a whole, you’ll discover that 45% of marketers put blogs and articles at the top spot in terms of the value it creates. Read – or skim ­– through this marketing industry report published by Social Media Examiner.

If you really are starved for time, head straight to page 5. You can get a quick summary of the 49-page report’s findings. They all point to the same conclusion. Whether it’s brand awareness, SEO, lead generation, or any other kind of marketing activity, it will only benefit from blogging.

People crave stories. It helps us to put new concepts into our worldview. Storytelling is how you create new customers and delight existing ones. People don’t consume content. They are educated and entertained by stories. Keep that in mind as you approach blogging. If you’re not excited to write about it, do you think anyone will find any value in reading it? And there is value. These statistics you just swallowed prove it.