Why Nobody Is Reading Your Blog Posts: 5 Quick And Easy Ways To Fix It

“No one reads my blog!” I hear this often with new bloggers who are stuck, plateauing with their blog traffic. You can be blogging for a week, or you can be blogging for a year, and you wonder “Why my blog is not getting traffic?”

Nothing. Nada.

After all, you’re producing some AMAZING blog posts.

The tips you’re writing are fantastic. You really know your stuff, but still… nothing. Nobody is reading your blog posts. Your blog posts aren’t shared on social media or Pinterest either!

It’s frustrating. I know. I’ve been there.

But the good news is that you can get your blog back on track with a few tweaks that will delight your readers, and inspire them to share your posts with others.

In this blog post, we’ll explore five things that might be holding you back from getting engaged readers and social shares.

We’ll look at common blogging mistakes that affect how much new and repeat blog traffic you get.

From your content to pinnable images, we’ll break down what you may be doing wrong – answer the question “why nobody reads your blog” – and how to fix it.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer.

Bookmark this post on Pinterest for future reference.

How To Stop Saying “No One Reads My Blog”: Put Your Best Foot Forward

If your website is not getting traffic, it may have something to do with your visual branding and website design.

Here’s something to consider when you sit down to create a blog post.

Just like when you’re going on a date or an interview, how you present your blog is how people will perceive it.

From my PR background, I know that brands are looking to partner with quality blogs.

A visually appealing blog goes a long way in creating a GREAT first impression with brands and readers alike.

Bluntly put, brands don’t want to be associated with crappy-looking blogs.

With readers, it’s the same. Nobody wants to share information that’s not packaged nicely and in an easy-to-read format.

So it’s time to step back. Do a little self-audit to find the problem and fix it!

This post contains some tough love. I’m going to be constructively critical. But I’m doing it because I’d like to see everybody succeeding with AMAZING blogs.

| RELATED: 15 Ways To Create A Professional-Looking Blog Right From The Start

1. Does My Content Suck?

This is one of the top reasons why many new bloggers do not get repeat site visitors and why nobody is reading your blog.

You get one chance to make a good impression.

The Problem: You’re Not Writing With Your Audience In Mind

One of the top reasons why nobody is reading your blog posts, and sharing them, is because they don’t want to read them!

Whether your blog is a personal blog akin to an online journal, or you’re providing solutions to problems your readers may have, you always need to ask yourself: is my content useful to others?

Does it help solve a question?

Knowing your audience, does your writing appeal to them?

At the beginning of my blogging journey in 2010, I often wrote on topics that only interested me. Nobody was interested in things such as me dealing with burnout before my wedding.

My blog traffic was way down.

However, once I started writing with a carefully thought-out context (a problem, a situation that I was trying to overcome, or that my readers may have), with solutions in the body of my post, I started getting more readers and more pins to Pinterest.

How To Fix It: Focus On The Reader’s Needs

A few things I always ask myself before I start writing a blog post are:

• What is the purpose of the blog post? Is it to inform/educate, entertain, inspire or persuade?
• What is the gist of the post and how does it relate to my readers? Is this something that will help them answer a question, or will interest them? Is it a hot topic?
• Do I have a good context for the post that I can add to the first few paragraphs to hook readers’ interest?
• What am I sharing information-wise? Is it thorough on the subject, and has stories and examples and visuals to make the blog post appealing?
• Is the topic evergreen – meaning that it’s not a seasonal topic, or no longer of interest (i.e. a passing trend?).
• Have I researched and found the correct keywords for SEO, so my blog can be found in search engine results?

My next step is to write the outline with the intro, the key points in the body and an idea for the conclusion.

Once I write my first draft, I always take a step back and re-read it a few times.

I always return to my initial blog post idea and ask myself if I have successfully conveyed the messages. If I haven’t, it’s time to edit!

At the end of the process, when I’m happy with what I’ve written, I move on to issue number two. The title!

| RELATED: 100+ Popular Lifestyle Blog Post Topics To Jumpstart Your Blog Traffic Boost

2. Is My Blog Post Title Not Generating Clicks?

Ever come across a list of results in Google and none of them seem to entice you to click on them?

That’s a big problem!

The Problem: Lack Of An Interesting Blog Title

Another key reason your website is not getting traffic is that your blog title is not hooking them in.

How can somebody share my blog post if they aren’t even reading it, to begin with?

The title or headline is the first thing readers look at when they come across your post – whether in a Google search result or on your blog. They want to know what it’s about and whether it’s worthwhile reading.

Here’s something I’ll confess… I’m going through each one of my old blog post titles on my Suburban Tourist and I’m tweaking them to make them more appealing.

This means I have about 150 blog post titles that need some work.

Why am I doing this? So that my headlines catch people’s eyes when they find them on search engines, or they see them in a tweet or on Facebook.

How To Get People Clicking On Your Post Title

I’ve written a complete blog post on how to write amazing blog post titles that get clicks. However, since you’re on this post, I’ll give you a few key tips.

For example, for this blog post I could have written:

Tips For Good Blog Posts People Read

vs

Why Nobody Reads Your Blog Posts And 5 Easy Ways To Fix It

The first headline is OK but it’s not hitting at the pain point – i.e., why nobody is reading and sharing my blog posts.

The second one is to the point and indicates to the reader that I’ll help them solve the problem, and it won’t be difficult to do so.

This easy fix is what’s attractive because we’re all inherently a bit lazy and want to do things as simply as possible.

There are a few online tools that help analyze your headlines so that you can tweak them.

I tested out my headline with Sharethrough Headline Analyzer – a free tool. I like how it breaks down the details of what makes for a good headline.

Write a few versions of your blog post title, keeping in mind keywords and long-tail key phrases for good SEO.

Test them out with a headline analyzer and tweak them so that they are the most attractive to readers.

3. Are My Blog Posts Visually Appealing?

There are several ways your blog’s and blog posts’ visual aspects can turn people off. We’ll explore each in further detail so you don’t make these mistakes.

Visual Problem #1: The Font Isn’t Easy To Read

One of the key reasons why nobody is reading your blog is that it’s too difficult to read!

Font choices matter when it comes to websites.

It’s harder to read serif fonts on a screen. Sans serif fonts are crisper and simpler, making them less blurry.

First things first – let’s fix the fonts! If the page looks busy because of the text, it’s time to change the font.

How To Fix It: Use Sans Serif Fonts

Keep it simple with a maximum of two key fonts: one for headings and one for text.

Avoid script fonts on your blog post as they are very hard to read.

I like to keep it to a sans serif for the main body of the text. You can do a sans serif for the heading and text, or use a serif font for the headings to make them stand out.

See the difference?

Don’t Do This

These are two different serif fonts and they make the text look busy.

Do This Instead

This is a serif font for the heading and a sans serif font for the text. Easy to follow and differentiate.

PRO TIP: Make sure your font is easy to read: font size 16 to 20 for the body. Also, make sure that your chosen link colour isn’t too light, blending in with the white background.

Visual Problem #2: Heavy On The Text With Few Visuals

It’s all text with very few images.

Once somebody visits your site and finds it boring, they won’t be visiting it again. This means your website is not getting traffic from repeat visitors.

Think about this – would you rather read a 1,000-word blog post without any images or do you prefer something with a few images that support the point?

Or illustrate the point better? And you often remember things more when there’s a relevant visual.

Many social media marketers find the same thing is true, so they use images and videos for their social media activities.

How To Fix It: Use Relevant Images And Videos

Making your blog visually appealing means using photos and videos to emphasize your messages.

Some of this depends on your chosen WordPress theme and the blog post layout.

You can always update your blog theme: check out my list of top 10 favourite feminine WordPress themes.

But there are still a few things to consider when writing and formatting your blog post.

• Do I have an attractive feature photo that relates to my blog topic? If I don’t, I need to head check out my favourite FREE stock photo sites such as RawPixel.com, Unsplash, and Pexels.com.
• For fresh, rarely used stock photos, consider trying paid membership stock photo sites such as Styled Stock Society, Ivory Mix, PixiStock or Haute Stock.
• Are there any visuals that I can add to the body of my post? Keep them consistent in style and good quality, edited images.
• Can I add a video that I created or one created by somebody else that offers something of interest to my readers?
• For funny blog posts or ones where I can add a bit of humour, is there a good spot to add a gif?

Here’s an example of me breaking up the heavy text with a visual – this pinnable image!

Like this post? Share it on Pinterest!

Visual Problem #3: There’s No Whitespace On My Blog

If you’re still asking yourself “Why does no one read my blog”, it may be that your blog is hard to read.

It may be WAY too busy when it comes to fonts, text, visuals and design elements.

Things that turn readers off are:

• Too many different fonts.
• The font is too tiny and there aren’t any paragraph breaks.
• There are no headings to help readers scan the content.
• A multitude of colours.
• No sense of consistency with branding.
• Photos that look like they were taken quickly with your phone in bad lighting.
• You’ve got too many pop-ups!

How To Fix It: Format For Whitespace

To attract repeat readers to your site and entice them to share your content here are a few fixes to consider:

• Keep it simple with fonts – as I noted above. One type of font for headers and one for the blog text.
• Make sure you adjust your font sizes to be readable.
• Break up your paragraphs so it’s 2 to 3 sentences per paragraph.
• Use headers to break up content where it makes sense. Use header size H2 for the start of a big section of content.
• Keep it to a maximum of 2 to 3 colours, and a black/grey and white/off-white for contrasts.
• Keep your brand design consistent with your fonts and colours.
• Use stock photography when you don’t have good ones you’ve taken yourself. If you’re taking your own photos, do them in daylight, by a window for natural light. Edit them using Photoshop, or on your phone/tablet with apps such as Color Story or Snapseed. Pay attention to the brightness, contrast, and sharpness of your image.
• Limit your pop-ups. Try turning a few of them off to see if people will stick around longer on your site and if you get more shares. Keep only the essentials such as a cookie notice, and perhaps one unobtrusive one for newsletter sign-ups.

And finally, remember white space is a good thing! I’ve added a bit of it in the form of this little divider below.

4. Do I Have Social Sharing Buttons That Work And Are Easily Found?

This is one of the key reasons why your blog may not be growing.

It’s a simple fix too, with free options or those that are built into your theme that you can switch on.

The Problem: There Are No Sharing Buttons On Your Blog Posts

I’d be a millionaire if a dollar equalled every time I’ve participated in social sharing Facebook threads and come out of it so frustrated with other bloggers.

My two pet peeves are:

• Having your social sharing buttons hidden somewhere in a cluttered part at the bottom of your post or in a weird spot where nobody can easily find them.
• They don’t work, especially if I’m using my iPhone or iPad.

How can I help YOU promote your blog to a new audience if I can’t share your post easily?

One of the reasons why nobody is reading your blog is that nobody is finding it! Make it “discoverable” by letting others share it for you.

How To Fix It: Add A Good Sharing Plugin

First, use a good social sharing plugin.

I use Social Warfare as it’s simple and easy to implement and works well. The free version is a good place to start, but you can upgrade for premium features.

Here’s what to look for in a social sharing plugin:

• Several options for placement on your blog
• Options for more than a few key social media channels – make sure you can use Pinterest, Facebook and X (Twitter) buttons

Test it yourself to see if the Facebook share button works. Check to see if X cards show up for posts.

Most importantly, test if you can share a feature Pinterest pin or many pin options.

Plugins can break over time with any new WordPress update. Keep them updated, and check to see if there are any errors.

If there’s no easy fix, you may need to switch to a new social sharing plugin.

PRO TIP: Do you have a Pinterest account for your blog? If you’re adding Pinterest pin images to your site, you will want to invest in Tasty Pins. This gives you the control to add a “pin it” button to specific images that you prefer to have pinned. It also helps with back-end analytics with Pinterest and ensures your pin images include your preferred descriptions that you optimize with Pinterest keywords.

| RELATED: How To Promote Your Blog Content With Over 12 Free Strategies

5. Do I Have Pinterest Pin Images On My Blog Post?

Speaking of Pinterest pins, do you include them on your blog?

Consider all of the popular niches on Pinterest. If your blog falls under one of them, you should be marketing your blog to Pinterest users.

But you can make it easier for your site visitors to do the pinning for you!

The Problem: You Haven’t Added Pinnable Pinterest Pin Images To Your Blog Posts

I’ve saved one of the most annoying blogging faux pas for last.

The biggest way to limit blog traffic and keep people from sharing your blog posts is the lack of Pinterest-worthy images.

Why is this so important?

Pinterest is one of the greatest sources of traffic these days for blogs. It’s a visual search engine that rivals Google.

If your audience is primarily women, you should be using Pinterest. It’s one of the most popular sites for inspiration for millions of women around the world.

It’s no wonder that on average, I get about 30 percent more traffic from Pinterest than Google. CRAZY!

This is low-hanging fruit for you and an easy way to get a big boost in blog traffic to your site.

I know, because I’ve successfully grown my blog traffic using Pinterest by over 200% in two months.

How To Fix It: Add Pinterest Pin Images And Make Them Easily Pinnable

Adding one or two images that are optimized for Pinterest makes it so much easier for me to share your blog post on it.

The key is that you need to make it beautiful. Nobody wants to share ugly pins. We like to have our Pinterest boards looking great with nice-looking pins.

Some key elements for a beautiful pin include:

• Size of at least 1000 x 1500 px (2:3 ratio)
• Relevant, attractive image (use stock photos for a professional look)
• Easy-to-read, large fonts and catchy text

So tap into relevant stock photos, your blog’s brand colours and craft something gorgeous for me to pin!

Here is an example of two pins that I created. Which one would you be more likely to pin?

What’s wrong with this pin?

• The photo is dark and hasn’t been carefully thought out in placement.
• The font is juvenile – kids aren’t pinning images, their parents are. Use attractive fonts.
• The copy is to the side and the white square is too transparent.

What’s good about this pin? By the way, the photo was taken with an iPhone X and edited with the Lightroom app. Then I edited with Canva for the final pin layout.

• It’s bright and crisp – catching the eye. The toys have been placed in a way to look appealing.
• The fonts are classic and clean.
• The white square is just transparent enough but doesn’t wash out the text.

So the next time you’re asking others to pin your blog post to Pinterest, have the pin images on your blog post, and easily pinnable.

You’ll have greater traffic back to your site.

To make it easier for you to create beautiful pins, I have these FREE Pinterest pin templates for Canva.

| RELATED: How To Easily Design Pinterest Pins That’ll Attract Clicks

A Few Other Key Reasons Why No One Is Reading Your Blog

The points I’ve listed are some that few would consider. The first thing you may think is, “I haven’t promoted my blog enough.”

And this may be very true.

Blogging is 30% content creation and 70% promotion.

If your traffic isn’t going up you need to ask yourself:

• Have I optimized my blog content with good SEO practices?
• Did I share the blog post on my Facebook page?
• Did I pin a few pins to Pinterest over a period of time?
• Have I shared it on Instagram? TikTok (if relevant)

You can always re-share old blog posts (especially when you update blog posts or republish them). What’s old is new again!

| RELATED: Ten SEO Tips For Bloggers – How To Get Your Blog Found In Google Searches

How To Use Facebook Groups To Grow Your Blog And Business

How To Use Social Media To Boost Your Blog Traffic

How To Create And Use Your Blogger Networks To Grow Your Blog

Nobody Is Reading Your Blog – So Fix It!

No more complaining that “no one reads my blog.” There’s no need to be saying it anymore if you start implementing some of my tips.

To summarize how to get readers to read and share your blog posts – you need to:

• Make it visually appealing
• Have content that has an interesting title and information that answers a question, inspires or entertains
• Make social sharing plugins prominent and make sure they work
• Have pinnable images that can be easily pinned to Pinterest with your social sharing plugin

This will take time.

However, this is why I always roll my eyes when I see people saying that you can quickly put together a blog post in a matter of 30 minutes. I call BS!

If you’re finding it hard to write, know that you can get out of a writing rut too. You’ll have to adjust your blogging strategies and habits to make it happen.

Start writing great blog posts that people will appreciate.

If you’re taking your time, a post or two a week is your goal. You’ll see people sharing your blog posts sooner rather than later!

Don’t forget to check out my 50+ Resources And Tools For Bloggers round-up with everything you need to help you get to the next level with your blog!

QUESTION: If your website is not getting traffic, are one of these reasons why you’re struggling? Share what you plan to do to fix it.

Like this post? Share it on Pinterest.

Love it? Share it! Thanks!