Content is the key to rank well in the SERPS. And people love to share valuable and qualitative content that involves their emotions. Creating a viral blog post can boost your website traffic and your overall popularity. What is the recipe to create such a viral blog post?
Use odd numbers
Headlines containing numbers are more likely to be shared compares to basic ones. Indeed people know what they are going to find and it helps give them a first impression about the article. Moreover, a study over 150.000 headlines has shown that headlines with an odd number have a 20% better CTR (clickthrough rate) than even numbers.
Publish long content
Long content (more than 1500 words) is preferred by visitors as it offers extra value and can establish you as an expert. Moreover, long content is better for your rankings since Google fancies rich content.
Use bullet points and be practical
Bullet points help your visitors to read your post quicker and to get the main information. Adding practical tips to these bullet points is the winning duo. These types of scannable and snacking posts are more shared and appreciated.
Use brackets
Using brackets to give extra information about what the article is going to be about can increase your CTR.
Get emotional
Blog post using positive emotions such as awe or surprise are more likely to become viral.
Use short and descriptive URLs
Descriptive URLs are trustworthy which means your visitors won’t be afraid of clicking on it. Short ones are more likely to attract visitors as they can get in a glance what your page is about.
Use short sentences for your intro
People only read 28% of a blog post. It is essential to catch them immediately if you do not want to miss your effect. Your intro must be concise, clear and appealing.
Mention influencers
Try to mention influencers in your blog post and notice them. Influencers often share this type of post because it is always nice to receive positive feedbacks. And the influencer’s community can transform your article into a viral blog post.
Insert an infographic
People love to share infographics as they generate more engagement. Buzzsumo stated that infographics generated 2,3x more social shares.
Use a featured image
Using a featured image will be relevant for your social shares. Thus, they will automatically appear with this image in the open graph. Studies has shown that social shares containing images get more retweets on Twitter and more likes on Facebook.
Use attractive and professional images above the fold
Using a colorful image will catch your visitors’ attention and they will be more likely to read your blog post. That is why you should prefer professional ones as they offer a better impression, translate your blog quality and are more likely to be shared.
Insert images in your content
Visuals are ones of the most shared media. Use them to illustrate your blog post and make it more compelling. Also, your blog post will be more likely to be shared by your visitors compares to a text without any visuals.
Publish between 8am and 12am
Posts published between these hours are more shared since people often look for news at work during the morning.
Put share buttons below the fold
Buttons placed below the fold get an higher CTR. Indeed it is more natural for people to find them there when they have finished to read your blog post.
Ask people to share
Asking people to share your content with a personalized and targeted CTA is something relevant that can increase your post sharings.
Use SEO optimizer
Optimize your meta and title tags will help your visitors to find you in the SERPS. You can use the great plugin Yoast.
