You work tirelessly to create quality content. Your articles are well-researched, relevant to your audience, and packed with helpful information.
But, for some reason, the traffic needle barely moves.
You blame it on SEO, so you optimize every piece to perfection. The change is almost imperceptible.
What gives?
If it makes you feel any better, then you should learn that you are not alone in your struggle. According to a study by OkDork, 89% of posts generate less than 100 social shares.
Ouch.
That’s incredibly low.
So, what is it that you do wrong? Why aren’t you able to generate more traffic and engagement?
Well, as it turns out, your topics might be to blame.
This article will talk about the five best types of blog topics that are proven to drive traffic like crazy.
1. Articles about Optimization
People love to read about what they can do to optimize different processes of their lives. One of their favorite subjects is learning about saving time hacks. And, it’s understandable. In today’s hectic life, time has become such a scarce resource that every minute spared is pure bliss.
Be careful, though: you don’t want to waste your audience’s time with long and boring script writing articles. Keep the information sweet, concise, and to the point. And, if you’re able to find clever ways for your audience to save time or be more productive, they’ll most likely express their gratitude in shares.
2. Health and Fitness Articles
One of the core characteristics of humans is that we constantly strive to improve ourselves.
That’s why we are interested in learning how to become more productive, better at our jobs, smarter, slimmer, and so on. Health and fitness articles fall under this category too.
In fact, these types of articles are so popular that three of the top ten most viral articles in 2016 were in the health and fitness niche.
But, just because this blog category is insanely popular, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should jump on the bandwagon too. Be savvy about it and adapt it to your niche. If your platform focuses on the business tips, an article about “10 ways to get perfect abs” might feel misplaced.
Instead, you should take the topic and give it a makeover to ensure it fits your content. For instance, write an article about how a healthy diet increases productivity – that way you integrate the topic while targeting your audience.
3. Money Articles
What’s the one thing people want in life, besides time and health?
You guessed it: money.
If you can provide pragmatic tips for your audience, they will be quick to share your valuable advice with their network. Create a list of ways to save up money, post about different earning opportunities or add some financial news and analyses; it’s really up to you, and the audience you are trying to reach out to and engage.
4. Self-Help Content
Self-help books are one of the most popular literary genres of the 21st century, so you’d be missing out on a great opportunity by ignoring this topic. In the last year alone, the top six self-help articles have generated close to 100k shares.
Here’s why.
A study by psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, cited by buffer.com, showed that contentment increases when it’s shared, and that positive emotions trigger social shares.
Moreover, in 2013, Facebook used linguistic software to analyze over three million posts. They wanted to know the ratio of positive and negative updates and whether basic emotions can influence the user’s behavior. Facebook found that seeing positive posts influences people to post positive updates. They also noticed that users become less engaged when their newsfeed is predominantly negative.
Create articles about how people can improve themselves or overcome a certain issue.
5. Content about Technology
Yes, technology is more of a niche subject, but thanks to the times we live in it can be integrated into almost any realm. You don’t even have to be a tech-whiz to do it. Sure, you won’t be able to go into too much detail regarding how something works, but you can help your audience find the right tools for their needs.
Conclusion
Throughout this article, you might have noticed a certain pattern. People like to read about things that will add something to their lives. They expect you to teach them something and tell them something they didn’t know. If you choose to tackle any of the topics presented here, then you should ensure that the tips and tricks are clear, easy to follow and genuinely add something of value to the lives of your audience. If you make them happy, then they’ll surely return the favor.
