How to Chunk Website Content
Chunking is a method of presenting information into small pieces or ‘chunks’ of information to make reading and understanding faster and easier. Learning how to chunk website content is especially useful for material presented on websites because readers tend to scan pages first before they decide to read the full page.
Humans have an attention span of about 5 seconds, so they usually make a decision whether to read a page within 5 to 8 seconds.
Information is conveyed more quickly, allowing readers to find what they need more efficiently.
Chunked content usually contains:
- A strong keyword-rich headline. (Bonus points if it also contains a benefit to reading the page.)
- A short introductory paragraph of only 2-3 sentences. (For SEO, you should use the Focus Keyword for the piece in the first paragraph)
- Bullet lists that convey information quickly. Benefits of your product or service work well. (Features tell, benefits sell.)
- Keyword-rich and benefit-rich sub-headlines.
- Short paragraphs that convey one idea per paragraph. (Even 1-sentence paragraphs)
- Graphics. They break up a page for easier reading, but graphics can convey emotions and ‘a picture is worth 1,000 words.’
Speaking of graphics, consider Pinnable graphics that people will curate using Pinterest. You may want to use the Pinterest plugin on your site. Infographics are also very popular and Pinnable!
The Bite, Snack & Meal Method
Leslie O’Flahavan came up with the concept of chunking content in a specific way around the turn of the century. She taught the method by describing site visitors as ‘nibblers’ or those ready to dive right in. The method was described in a 2001 article in Inc magazine. Continue reading