What types of articles are most likely to grab and hold the attention of your readers?
You want to write on topics that resonate with your audience, but how do you compete with so much content on the Internet?
The answer is that certain kinds of articles are consistently popular with online readers.
Regardless of your topic or subject, you can always format or style an article to fit one of these popular formats.
The types of articles people like reading
You probably write for your blog or perhaps publish your articles online with free publishing platforms.
In either case, you want people to read your articles.
But it’s not always about your topic or how well you write.
You might write a one-thousand-word article and cover every possible point.
But it could fail to attract attention if it doesn’t fit readers’ expectations or needs.
The title may be weak, or the layout of the article is unappealing.
The introduction may fail to get to the point quickly enough.
But you can overcome some of these weaknesses if you decide on the type of article you are writing before you begin.
Then it is much easier to structure your article to suit the expectations of online readers.
Let’s look at ten of the most popular types of articles that are always favorites with readers and search engines like Google and Bing.
1. News articles
No, you don’t have to compete with CNN or the New York Times. But you can write about news related to your subject or topic.
The key feature of a news article is the title or headline. It always needs to be in the present.
Because I write about publishing, a news article might use headlines like these examples.
Amazon releases a new Kindle.
Google says AI is okay to use in content creation.
Then you should keep the first few paragraphs, at least, in the present tense.
The only time a news article uses the past is possibly toward the end of the article to add some background information. But generally, news is now, so stay in the present.
2. How-to articles
These are by far the most popular kind of articles with readers looking for solutions.
How-to guides are easy to write as long as you know your topic.
So many people want to know how to do something new.
Keep it related to your topic, but you probably have lots of tips and tricks to share.
It could be how to move bookmarks from Chrome to Safari or how to grow herbs in your kitchen.
The best part of these guides is that you can use help images to help explain a process or even record a video.
3. Listicles
You must have noticed how well list articles rank on Google search.
The key feature is a number in the title, such as the top ten, best five, or twenty free ways.
Yes, I’m writing a listicle article right now.
Of all the types of popular articles, this is possibly one of the oldest ones.
But that doesn’t mean that it is out of fashion.
As long as you provide a helpful list, you can attract readers looking for choices.
4. Opinion pieces
This is not one of the easiest forms for bloggers or article writers.
Everyone has opinions, but they are not always aligned with what readers think or believe.
Opinion articles are the bread and butter of newspapers. But without a platform behind you, it’s hard to attract attention.
However, they are sometimes a good way to gain comments on your articles.
But beware that not all comments will agree with your opinion.
5. Personal essays
Essays are most suited to a personal blog.
A standalone essay will rarely rank or attract attention.
But if you are consistent and publish essays regularly, you have a chance of gaining a small but regular readership.
6. Entertainment news and reviews
Celebrity news is always popular, and sites like Mail Online exploit it fully.
But for an article writer or blogger, it’s probably not the best form of article writing to try.
Leave it to the tabloids.
7. Health and wellness articles
You need to be careful in this subject area because readers expect you to be qualified or have expertise.
Readers may not think you have credibility if you are not a doctor, practitioner, or qualified coach.
8. Travel articles
You don’t need to be a globetrotter to write travel articles.
Some of the most informative articles are by writers publishing articles about their local area.
You could write about museums, train travel, or hiking in your area or region.
For people wanting to holiday and discover, what better advice than from a local?
9. Technology articles
How often does technology go wrong?
Of all the questions people ask, technology questions are at the top of the list.
If you have technical knowledge, you are only one step away from helping lots of readers with lots of questions.
Similar to how-to articles, you usually need to offer solutions with a step-by-step guide or images.
10. Business and finance articles
Like health articles, you need to have credibility in business to attract readers.
You should always have a well-written author bio on every post you publish to assure people who find your articles.
But many people love numbers, data, and business trends, and that’s what makes this type of article popular.
Conclusion
People use the Internet to find information, and blog posts and articles are the most popular mediums for delivering that to readers.
You will certainly not use all ten types of articles listed above.
But choose the ones that are the most appropriate to your topics and subjects.
Without a doubt, though, how-to articles, news, and listicles are the top three types of articles that attract attention.
Related Reading: Neutral Language Register In Writing To Present Facts
Great list! Will try writing one top ten article!