I’m back—after 2 weeks of tuning up my WIP and getting it out to beta-readers! Finally! So, in this series, I’ve been looking through my various blogs to find some of my most popular posts, and then have been analyzing what may have made them viewed often.

First, a review of the first two posts in this series:

• My first post, “What Makes a Blog Post Popular,” contained the following analysis: quick and easy to read; surprising, lively, colourful; word pictures/ great imagery; mini-stories with relatable experiences; active and amusing with intentional humour; simple, straightforward, conversational vocabulary vs technical writing; had fun writing it!
• The second post, “More Ideas About Popular Blog Posts,” noted that writing a series of posts on a topic draws readers back for more; bright photo at the top; lists with useful links for more info; niche focus; examples and opportunities for the readers.

And now on to #3: My most popular blog post ever—and what a surprise! It comes from the “My Church Journey” blog. While there are several posts on that blog in the 300 to 400 view range, this one is well over 11,000 views and is still growing 9 years later. I guess that qualifies it as an “evergreen” post, right? You’ll find it here: “So simple: Yes, Jesus loves me!”

So what keeps this particular post growing in views? Let me see:

• It was post #12 in a series–again, writing a series draws back readers who enjoyed previous posts in the series.
• It is “simple and uncomplicated” in writing style and in length.
• And “simple and uncomplicated” in topic. Something that a lot of readers obviously must relate to, and look back to fondly, with its memories of simple young childhood faith.
• It features a couple of old-time pictures that many readers will remember affectionately from their childhood bedroom wall or Sunday School class or Bible storybook.
• It includes a short but honest reflection of where I’d journeyed in the more complicated years of adulthood. And why I came back to simple faith.

(And yes, it’s been a good reminder for me a decade later since I continue to tend more to “complicated” than “simple” in matters of faith.)

Check out all the posts in this series of “What Makes a Blog Post Popular?”:

https://normajhill.com/2020/01/06/what-makes-a-blog-post-popular/
https://normajhill.com/2020/01/22/more-ideas-about-popular-blog-posts/
https://normajhill.com/2020/02/06/my-most-popular-blog-post/
https://normajhill.com/2020/03/19/popular-blog-post-collective-nouns/