Emily thought it would be fun to let you all in on a bit more of our editorial world by examining what posts knocked it out of the park and which ones didn’t. I mean why not?! We think it’s pretty interesting:) Let’s start off by saying that truly every post is in some way “a gamble” in terms of success. There have been posts that we were sure would be a hit because they were great reveals or posts that y’all had asked for. But then publish day comes and well, maybe they weren’t a flop per se but definitely not the banger we had anticipated. Sometimes these “flops” are due to things totally out of our control like the time of year, politics, weather (not kidding), major world events, etc. But other times, they may not have resonated because of the title, opening photo, the actual content. All of it is good for us to learn from because we want is to give you what YOU want.
Something that also comes into play is… Google. We aren’t the type of people or company that cater to Google trends. Why? Well, for me, the special sauce to EHD is that we talk to you about what is happening in our lives (both design and personal) and those things aren’t always trending but are super relatable to you which then strengthens our really awesome connection. We’re just romantics are the core:) But sometimes these topics are trending which is when the internet stars align and we get a Google pickup that brings up our numbers usually by a lot. We never know what’s going to get a pickup but it’s always exciting. If anyone knows that secret codes we are alllll ears:)
So let’s go through this year’s big hits and unfortunate misses and see if we can make sense of them. After you…
THE SHOCKING MISSES
The UPDATED Ultimate Budget Living Room Furniture Roundup
This was a HUGE success the first time around for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t want to see what affordable furniture options out there?? But the second time around I think maybe it felt less special? It was only one month into the pandemic which was understandably a very difficult time for most households. So while the intention was to give you affordable options to make your home feel really good in a scary time, it’s more than understandable the appetite and ability to buy a new piece of furniture wasn’t there.
My Favorite AFFORDABLE Spring Dresses (all with pockets)
To be honest this one mistifies me a little bit. In the past, our “affordable dresses” posts have always big hit. And this one was pocket focused. POCKETS. I have two thoughts. 1. We might have just jumped the gun a little on this one posting it in late February. It’s such a delicate balance of not posting too early but not too far “in the season” that most everything is sold out. 2. We didn’t have any new photography. This one is hard because we want to do fun fashion posts that don’t create unnecessary purchases and returns but we also know that new photos are obviously really exciting. What do you all think?
The Most Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Places You Can Shop For Furniture Right Now
The unfortunate truth of sustainable furniture right now is that outside of thrifting (which has been tricky this year) and a couple of awesome new decor companies, it’s $$$$. So there is currently a disconnect between wanting to support newer sustainable furniture brands and the reality of affording them. I think that’s what happened here. I know we all want to buy sustainably but in a pandemic when thrifting isn’t as easy as it used to be and shipping sustainable furniture is typically pretty expensive, it feels dim. So if you can afford to be sustainable PLEASE DO IT and thrift safely if you can. But if not just purchase with intention and look at this post because it’s great.
Kids Play Clothes: Hacks, Ways To Save + Some Basics Our Kids Love
Every year we do a fun survey getting info about you and what you’d like to see. Guess what? About half of our readers are parents! So since we get a lot of kid clothes requests (and they are usually big sellers when we do promote) we thought that a post about budget-friendly hacks during a financially hard time would be really helpful and a big hit. Well, it didn’t. It’s a mystery but regardless it didn’t hit the mark and that’s ok:)
The 15 Reveals You Might Have Missed But NEED To See (Consider This A Mid Week Pick-Me-Up:))
These reveal roundup posts are another type that typically do really great. I mean who doesn’t love awesome reveals?? So with this one, it could have been the end of the year timing and being just a little too close to Christmas when people’s attention is elsewhere. Maybe the title felt a little too thirsty? Who knows?! Do you? hah
Starter Tool Kit Guide: The Basic Tools You Should Have in Your Home (Plus Our Go-To Power Tools)
I don’t know if I would call this one a miss but we thought it would be bigger. It was such a great and thought out post, but likely a lot of you already have a decent amount of tools since you are design lovers so it wasn’t actually a great post for our audience. Maybe more niche tools would be helpful?
The Definitive EHD Paint Post Round Up (And Why This Is The Perfect Time To Paint)
Paint posts also typically do really well for us because most people are brave enough to pick up a paintbrush and get to work (plus it’s affordable). But despite the ease of having all of our paint posts (recs, trends, and styles) in one place, with ones you probably forgot about, this didn’t tickle the masses’ fancy. But again that’s okay. We are here to make your lives easier and hopeful you will bookmark it for your next paint adventure:)
THE SURPRISE HITS
How To Choose The Right Rug Size For Your Living Room – 5 Formulas Guaranteed to Work
This post has a real Cinderella story. She was originally published on March 12. If that date sounds familiar but you can’t quite put your finger on why… it was the week the country shut down. It was reallly confusing at the time because this was a post that everyone had been asking for and we didn’t fully understand what was going on in the world. But then we gave her a repost in August and Google picked her up, so this lady really got her day in the sun.
Are IKEA Kitchen Cabinets Worth The Savings??? A Very Honest Review One Year Later
When Amanda pitched us her kitchen, we loved the design and really loved the idea of a true IKEA cabinet review. I mean, at least 90% of people renovating their kitchen have considered using IKEA, right? But little did we know that not only you, the readers, would be curious and read but Google also (and continues) to send us new readers all of the time. So it wasn’t a surprise that it was a success with you, but it was a surprise when Google turned into reader Santa Claus. Do you have any other IKEA cabinet questions?
The Painted Trim – High Impact, Low Cost (One Girl’s Journey + All The Tips & Tricks)
This post was one that Sara pulled out IN A DAY. We needed to shift the calendar around and needed a post the following day. This type of mad dash doesn’t happen a lot but does from time to time.
So Sara had been thinking about painted the trim in her house and thought it could make a fun post. Then at around 6 pm, she told me it’s ready. I finished up some linking, crediting, etc since she had plans and as I was reading it I was taken. It was SO GOOD. Look Sara is a real renaissance woman so dreaming up and writing a great post is no surprise. BUT writing a great post in one day with photos and researched info is not easy.
Needless to say, you loved it (because it was GREAT) and Google loved it because well I guess people were searching about painted trim.
How To Make A Dark Room Feel Lighter and “Brighter”
We were sure that this was going to be a BIG hit. Like no question because it’s another TOP question we get asked about all of the time. Maybe it was the darker photos (not as appealing to the eye)? Maybe the title wasn’t clear? Maybe our audience prefers cats on sofas instead of dogs?? Just kidding that’s impossible. But then Google came in and really saved the post from its almost “Miss” destiny.
P.S. If you haven’t read it you should!
Styling to Sell – The FINAL Entry Reveal (That’s Real Estate Agent Approved)
Emily’s “Style To Sell” series was definitely popular but we didn’t imagine the entryway to be SO popular. It might have been that it was beautiful but still felt like you could achieve it in your home. You tell me! And although it was already a success amongst you, Google did also like it which we appreciate. That might have been something to do with the “real estate agent approved” part:) Thanks, Howard!
Caitlin Found A House In The Hills For $299K And This Is What Happened
I think if there’s a 2020 MVP award for writing extensive and wilding engaging posts IN A DAY, it’s Caitlin. This was an idea she had pitched but was supposed to have another week to pull it together. But another calendar switch needed to happen and we didn’t have a post that was in good enough shape with the time constraints we were under. So with the info all in her head, she powered through to write this rollercoaster story that has A TON of incredibly awesome advice. Also, this post was probably a little too niche for Google so its success is all you! THANK YOU CAITLIN.
Where Do You Put Your Litter Box??
Another Caitlin hit! A true problem she was having that both you and the people searching on the internet related to. So fun, so specific yet universal, and a true surprise hit. We half joke all of the time that we need another litter box story (fun, easy lift, and VERY relatable). Any other similar animal design woes??
The Unexpected 2020 Tile Trend That A Very Unlikely EHDer Is Putting In Her House…Plus An Ask The Audience
I actually can’t believe this was a hit but am so grateful! The word “trend” doesn’t always hit with you guys but always has potential:) This was a wild and intriguing trend that I had been noticing and wanted to do in my bathroom rental (I’m so sorry I moved but I promise cool things are coming!!). I also think it was the color we all needed at the time (and still do).
Wake Up When You Want: Super Affordable Blackout Shades and Curtains
I can’t remember whose idea this was (Emily?) but I remember thinking “O that will be really helpful but probably won’t be a big success.” Well, I was wrong! People (and kids) need to sleep in darkness and loved getting affordable options to do so. Makes sense.
That’s it! Did any surprise you? Did you know that Google can really affect traffic that much? It’s pretty fun and interesting to see these lists because we are always trying to figure out how to bring you the posts you want. Please leave us suggestions of what you’d like us to write about and need in 2021! Is it too big to dream for zero misses?? Only time will tell:)
Love you, mean it.
Opening Photo Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Mountain House Reveal: Our Soft Yet Secretly Sultry Downstairs Guest Bed + Bath
The post The Posts That Surprisingly HIT And The Ones That Unexpectedly Flopped in 2020 appeared first on Emily Henderson.
from Emily Henderson https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/2020-blog-post-traffic-hits-and-misses
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