5 Types of Posts that Drive More Traffic to Your Website

Have you ever wondered what’s behind the fact that some posts have bigger potential to go viral than others? What is the secret of successful content?

I also asked myself this question and in order to find an answer I’ve analyzed articles on our blog and on some others that I read on regular basis. It is no coincidence that some types of articles drive more traffic at average than others.

Sit comfortably and read on to find out which blog posts will be more popular on your site.

1. Case studies

Readers trust more in stories that are based on real-life examples. They will be inclined to go through the whole article if they believe that included tips and pieces of advice have worked with someone or something else

What is more, cases taken from experiences of others are more interesting and pleasant in reception. People love success stories that can pose an an example in their own life or work.

Case studies on our blog were really well-received and widely shared. Except for the reasons mentioned above, they were also popular thanks to fruitful cooperation between blog’s authors and companies that were main characters in case studies. We were excited about great material for blog post and a company was pleased we appreciated their efforts. Simple win-win situation.

See our best case studies.

2. Lists of tools, books, blogs etc

This kind of blog posts attracts both readers who are interested in a specific field and those who are featured in your article. Why is it so appealing?

First of all, users are overwhelmed with the amount of products, services and information that are addressed to them and they lack time for getting all the thing done. It means that every piece of content that help them save some precious time is desirable.

They will appreciate if you test some tools and write a review on them picking the best ones. The same with industry blogs. Choosing the best sources for information might take a while. Your list of links might be a benign time saver.

If we look at those articles from the other perspective, we can see that authors or companies that were included in the lists may help you in promoting the article. I can assure you that they will appreciate your gesture and share it through their channels. I am always excited when someone features me or Brand24 in his or her blog post and I never miss the chance to share it as well!

Check out our lists here.

3. Content that relates to trending topics

It is always good to write about something that is currently popular on social media. Of course, I am not saying you should copy other authors’ work, but creating a piece that looks into the case from other perspective will always be well-received.

The record-breaking traffic on our blog was related to the entry about Super Bowl’s commercial battle, in which we compared YouTube stats of the ads that were aired during the game. The number of unique users was dozens times higher that monthly average. Even though, it was not valuable traffic in terms of our business, it is still worth to consider this type of content, as it may help you scale your efforts.

4. “How to…” articles

If you do not know the answer for a question or you want to learn how to solve a problem, probably the first source you turn into is the Internet.

It is not only because we can get solution relatively fast and there is a little chance that there will be no answer at all. We also love Internet for giving us a detailed, step-by-step instructions, which are ineligible for beginners and advanced users.

This is why article that explains thoroughly how to achieve something appeals to the audience and gets the credit. Especially, if an author provides comprehensive instructions together with visuals.

5. Shared experiences

This is a powerful type of content in terms of traffic, engagement and conversion rates. People appreciate when someone shares details of how she or he achieves success. Transparency will help you build your audience’s trust and drive valuable traffic to your website.

Revealing your personal experiences and stories about how you accomplished particular goals show a human face of your business.

Great example of such entries can be found at Pat Flynn‘s blog. The author regularly shares a monthly report, in which he explains precisely what he worked on in the previous month and how and how much he earned. Readers can find there lots of powerful hints and useful information to apply in their business. Thus, it comes as no surprise that he gets loads of positive feedback.

You can find similar confessions on our blog as well. Brand24s’ CEO shared some insights about company’s campaigns. He also post updates on Facebook about Brand24’s growth strategies once a month.

Common denominator in all these types of posts

The five types of posts that I’ve described above differ slightly from each other. However, they all have some common features that can guarantee your content a success. Here they are:

1. Content deals with important things

Whether it is a trending topic for your community or general problem that many of us struggle with, the topic needs to deal with things that matter to us.

2. Transparency

If you’re transparent in what you do and what you write about people will put more trust in you. It will translate into increased traffic and wider loyal audience.

3. Value

This should be a golden rule for every author: ALWAYS DELIVER A VALUE. Give your readers something that proves useful to them. It can be in the form of good advice, entertainment or important information, but it has to be valuable.

4. Basing on real life

Don’t forget to support your theories or tips with real-life examples. Nothing can give better understanding of a topic than the real world.

5. Intelligibility

Last but not least, content need to be comprehensive and approachable to your potential readers. Do not use sophisticated language and even if you do, explain all the complex terms. A message should be straightforward.

What types of article do you like reading? Leave us a comment!