Improve your blog : understand the F-Pattern

People read differently since the onset of the digital revolution. You need to understand this if you are going to write effective blogs that engage your audience.

When was the last time you bought a newspaper or magazine and read it cover to cover? Truth is most of us get our information online these days. More often than not we don’t pay for it. If you are handing over cash for your newspaper you’ll want to get your money’s worth and will probably read it all. It’s just not like that with the information we absorb online.

How do people read a blog?

To get the best reaction from your blog it’s pretty crucial you understand how people will read it. Gone are the days when folks read every paragraph left to right. Your readers are likely to approach your blog in a different way. Why is this? Well, probably because every day they are bombarded with huge amounts of online information – and there is just no getting through it all.

So, a new pattern of reading has evolved. It’s known as the F-Pattern because that’s the shape a reader’s eyes draw out as they scan your copy.

It goes like this:

• your headline will be read first
• then your first paragraph
• after that your reader will scan down the left side of your copy
• they are looking for relevant keywords in your headlines – if they see one they will dip back in

Do you see the F taking shape?

Understanding the F-pattern will improve your blog writing

Now you are aware of the F-pattern of reading you can use this knowledge to improve the way you write your blog.

3 tips for improving your blog

1. Top load your copy

Your audience IS likely to read your first paragraph according to the F-pattern theory. Make sure this is the most interesting bit of your blog. It’s the decider. If your reader likes what they see here they are likely to give the rest of it a go. In simple terms, put your good stuff first, don’t save it for later on.

2. Make your headline a cracker

My tip is practice headline writing. It’s among the trickiest bits of writing you will have to do. I’ll let you into a secret – I write about 10 headlines for each blog before I select the right one.

It’s important to remember blog headlines are different to the punchy tabloid or magazine headlines you come across. It needs to read well but what’s more important is it searches well. Ensure the meaning and purpose of your blogs are in your headlines. Also get your keywords in there.

3. Spice up your sub-headings

When your reader is scanning down the left side of your blog it’s your sub-headings that will stop them in their tracks and get them to dip back into your copy. Don’t put all your effort into your main headline – save some thought for your sub-headings. Think of ways to make them intriguing and include your keywords, if possible, in a way that feels natural not forced.