Making Your Blog Posts Look More Interesting
High bounce rate got you down?
Meaning, are you having trouble keeping visitors on your blog? There’s a good chance the problem is the way your post LOOKS. When you view your own blog posts, do you like what you see? Or is there room for improvement?
In this digital age, the human attention span is minuscule. We need to grab our reader’s attention or they’ll lose interest and BOUNCE off our site.
Would you stick around to read a post that is just one big block of text? Sounds pretty boring. Even if your information is good.
Let’s go over how to make your blog posts more visually appealing. Because when your posts look good your page views will go up and your bounce rate will go down!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure here.
First up…
Add Visual Interest to Blog Posts With Images
Images are by far the best way to keep your readers engaged.
First and foremost, pleeease make sure you have a vertical, Pinterest friendly image (like the one above).
Pinterest is a HUGE source of blog traffic. You want to make it easy for others to share your post to Pinterest.
Any other images will really depend on your niche. If you are a food or craft blogger, I’d hope your post would be filled with step by step images of your recipe or tutorial.
Or if giving instructions on how to do something online, screenshots are always helpful.
Infographics are another great image to include in your posts. Remember that most people are visual learners as the human brain processes images faster than text.
You can create your own infographics using Canva and Piktochart.
Blog Image Tip: The only problem with images is they can slow down your site. So be mindful of your image sizes and don’t go bigger than necessary.
It’s best to create images the actual size you’ll be uploading them.
I also use and highly recommend The ShortPixel plugin. It optimizes any image on your site by compressing them. They do this without compromising the quality and appearance of your image.
Once installed, it automatically resizes any image you add. They also offer to optimize 100 images for free so you can give it a try at no cost.
Break Up Text With Banner Ads
Adding horizontal banner ads is another great way to break up your content. AND a chance to earn affiliate income.
If you don’t have any affiliate banners or programs, check out ShareASale. It’s free to sign up and they offer many affiliate programs in various niches you can promote.
See below for an example of a horizontal banner ad and click on it to get started with ShareASale.
Be Sure to Use Headings
You can also break up your text by using bold headings. Don’t just ramble on and get the information out there.
Break that info into paragraphs and use headings to let your readers know what the next paragraph is about.
Headings keep your thoughts organized and easy to read. AND more importantly, search engines use headings to identify what your content is about.
We really want Google to see those headings! Make sure your headings include keywords.
Make the headings larger / bolder than the rest of your text. Again, for SEO purposes and visual purposes. H2 for main headings and H3 for subheadings.
You might want to try making these headings a bright colour that matches your branding or theme.
Not only does this add visual interest, but it also makes it easier for your reader to scan the post for the specific advice they’re looking for.
Add an Opt-In or Subscriber Box
This one kills two birds with one stone. I’m sure you’ve heard it said before “The money is in your email list!”
So we need to constantly be securing more subscribers and loyal readers by offering readers something in return for their email address.
Why not use your Opt-In, Lead Magnet or a Subscriber box to make your post more visually stimulating AND possibly gain you some new subscribers?
Here’s an example of one of my own Opt-Ins. It adds another colourful image to my post and is a great separator between paragraphs.
Related: How to Get Started Making Money With Email Marketing
Add a Video
Videos are a great way to visually improve your blog post. Even if you don’t have a video you’ve created yourself.
They also keep visitors on your site longer if they take the time to watch them. Score another point for reducing your bounce rate!
I personally do not have a YouTube channel (yet). But occasionally I will embed a YouTube video into a blog post if I think it’s a valuable addition to my content.
Make sure you don’t claim the video is yours. Give credit to the owner of the video by mentioning them and linking to their website or channel.
This way they’ll get credit and views on their videos which they’ll likely appreciate.
*TIP* Once your post is published, contact the YouTuber to let them know you featured their helpful video.
They may even share your post with their followers, resulting in more page views for you both. Everyone wins!
The Power of White Space
One of the easiest ways to avoid those big chunks of boring text is to simply add more white space. Meaning, make your paragraphs shorter, with more white space in between them.
This is especially important for the mobile view of your blog. When someone views your site from their phones your text gets condensed vertically.
So what seems like a reasonable length paragraph on desktop, may seem long, boring, and too wordy on mobile view.
Since we write and format blog posts on desktop view, it can be easy to forget this.
Be sure to view the mobile version of your post and make adjustments as needed to make it as user-friendly as possible.
Use a Simple, Horizontal Line
Just adding a simple line can add some needed organization to your post. You can use a horizontal line to separate your post into different sections.
Doing this can help your reader find what they’re looking for while adding more visual interest.
To add a line in WordPress, select the small horizontal line on your formatting menu:
Clicking this little icon will add a long, horizontal line, like so:
Create Bulleted Lists for Visual Interest
People love a good list! They are easy to read/understand and get your point across in a simple but visually satisfying way.
See the list below for example:
Ways to break up blog content:
- Images
- Videos
- Headings
- Banner Ads
- White Space
- Opt-Ins
- Horizontal Lines
- Bulleted Lists
- Related Posts
A bulleted list like the one above is far easier to absorb than if the same examples were written out as a sentence with commas in between.
Include a Related Post
Finally, improve the visual appearance of your blog posts by including a post that is related to the post your viewer is already reading.
Sometimes I do this by using horizontal lines AND a bold, colourful heading. For example:
Related Reading: 5 Reasons I Didn’t Share Your Blog Post
Not only can this reduce your bounce rate by making your post more visually interesting, but you are also directing readers to another of your posts. Thus, keeping them on your site longer!
This is especially good practice to do so at the end of your posts. Keep your audience wanting more!
There you have it!
9 different ways to make your blog posts more visually appealing! The next time you write a post, remember that people are visual creatures.
Simply add a few of these methods into your posts and I’m confident you’ll see an improvement in your bounce rate. You’ll likely find your posts get shared more on social media as well. Bonus!
Related Reading:
13 Blogging Mistakes to Avoid at all Costs
Easy On Page SEO Review
Like This Post? Share it!
Love these tips!! Always looking to improve how my posts look. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Annie! It’s a constant struggle to keep things looking sharp for our readers 😉
I appreciate these resources – a lot of great reminders to make sure my posts are visually appealing. I had not heard of SendOwl but am checking it out now! Thanks!
Thanks Emily! I hope you like SendOwl as much as I do.
Very helpful tips! Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for reading, Gena!
I love the related post suggestion! Great tip! I am definitely going to try that!
Thanks, Rachael! Glad you got something out of this post 🙂
All great tips that I really need to start incorporating.
Glad you liked it, Diane. Thanks for reading!
Great tips and reminders–thanks for putting this together! :] I’m always looking for more ways to improve my posts!
You’re welcome, Farrah! Thanks for reading 🙂
I loved these blogging tips, you’ve mentioned here. Really adding stunning images with proper heading makes our content too attractive and as a result, readers loved to be engaged in such visually appealing posts.
Agreed! Headings and beautiful images can really boost reader engagement. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Great tips. I read recently the bIog posts that will be popular in 2020 are the ones that use multimedia. I already use a few of your tips but I did not think of using banner ads to break up text. Infographics are also a great way to add color and arouse interest in the post. Interesting article.
Thanks for the comment, Poovanesh! Glad you enjoyed the blogging tips 🙂
Love the tips! They’re clear and easy to follow. I definitely would try adding horizontal ads and videos! Thank you:)
Thanks Mitchelle! It’s so important to make your content look interesting so your readers don’t get bored. And so easy to do! Thanks for the comment 🙂
It would be wonderful if the best content was the most read, but that’ just not how it works. My eyes are drawn to attractive blogs that are spaced out so I can actually read and absorb the content. These tips are really helpful and I can think of a couple of posts I need to go back and edit. Love your blog. You definitely practice what you preach because yours is gorgeous and always easy on the eyes.
Jen. You’re the sweetest! Blushing over here 🙂 Thanks so much!
I love this list on how to make your blog posts my visually appealing. Pictures really make a difference and I’ve experimented with video and like it. Video is everywhere now! Great tips.
Thanks for the comment, Heather! I haven’t used video a lot because I’m a little scared of it slowing down my site. But when I do it seems to add a nice visual as well as a helpful how-to.
Really helpful post, thank you! I’m going to go back and fiddle with some of my posts now haha
Adding visual interest can be a great blogging task when you have writer’s block. You can also update the date on the post to make it feel like a fresh, new piece of content. Thanks Emily!
Excellent! I’m never really satisfied with how my posts look. This has given me some useful ideas that I can use to go back and add visual appeal. Some I have been using – but not as effectively as you show here. Had not thought to put banner ads for affiliates in between paragraphs! Thank you!
I love adding horizontal banner ads between blog paragraphs. They don’t pull too much focus from the content but do add some colour AND a chance to make an affiliate sale. Win-win!
I totally agree with you, visuals are so important for blogging. Unfortunately, many bloggers don’t realize this when they start & they use poor graphics, resulting in a weak first impression.
Chris! 100%!! Reading nothing but long, unbroken up content makes my mind wander and I lose interest. We are such visual creatures!
Your site is beautiful! I am in love with the colors. Wow I need to do something with mine.
Wow! Thanks so much, Joy! I really try to keep my site colourful and happy 🙂 I appreciate the feedback.
Okay so I’ve been manually adding a horizontal line! WHAAAATT! As helpful as all of these tips are, that one blows my mind! Ha! Thank you!
haha! Yaaay! That makes me so happy to hear you got a blog design tip that you’re excited to implement 🙂
Thanks for the great tips, I need to start adding more to my posts!
Happy to help, Kathy! Thanks for the comment.
This was honestly very helpful. I will be implementing these tips moving forward. Thank you!
Hey Gabi! No problem. Glad you found some useful tips to improve the overall look of your blog posts 🙂
That’s really helpful. I will use these on my blog (lifeaccordingtojuj.com)!
Thanks Julianna! I’m glad you found some helpful tips 🙂
Checking the spacing on a mobile device is a great tip!
I often forget to do that when I post and when I do its usually way after its been posted.
Gret post!
Thanks, Steve! I’m glad you found a helpful tip 🙂
These tips are great I’m always looking for new ways to improve my work.
Thanks Seriah! I’m glad you found something useful to try 🙂
This was so educative. Thanks for sharing. I’ve learned.
So great to hear you learned some new ways to improve the look of your blog. Thanks so much for the comment, Lillie!
awesome tips, thank you for sharing!
No problem Rose. Thanks for reading!
Love it! These are great tips! I added the ShortPixel plugin and it works amazing.
Glad you got some new tips for your blog Yanitza. I love ShortPixel too 🙂
I totally agree with everything you put here! The biggest frustration as a reader is trying to get through super long paragraphs! So monotonous, I can’t even do it, so I just end up leaving. Sad, but it’s too hard on my eyes.
Thanks Kari! Yes, the huge blocks of text are tough. I see it so often. It’s not as bad on desktop but if I’m reading a post on my phone I tend to lose my place or just find my mind wandering.
Great suggestions. I never thought to out an email opt in within a post and I could use some more banner ads too.
Both are great ways to break up content. I’m sure most people don’t even notice half of the things put in between sections of text. But it can certainly help space it out in a way that’s easier for them to digest, and therefore read to the end!
Thanks for the helpful tips on making blog posts more visually appealing. I have not used the ShortPixel plugin but need to look into that as I use a lot of images in my posts. Pinning this post for reference! Thanks again!
You’re welcome! I was hesitant to pay for ShortPixel but it’s been worth it to me. I love uploading a new photo, knowing the plugin is optimizing it for me. One less thing to worry about!
Love this! You’re right this is beautiful!
Thanks so much, Shea!
Thank you for sharing your helpful tips. I love how you included examples in your post.
You’re welcome, Rose! I’m glad you found it helpful 🙂
Fantastic post! I’ve been meaning to do some infographics and you are so right, people are visual learners. I love when people have infographics for me. Thank you for the tip!
Thanks Deanna! I love infographics too. They make things so straight forward and add some visual interest too.
I just started my blog and I can’t believe all the useful tips you gave me. I will be using a lot of them Thank you!
Yay! This comment made my day 🙂 I love that you found some helpful tips.