Tips for Creating Blog Post Intros That Hook Your Readers

Tip #1 Introduction No-Nos

Wait… can an introduction actually turn readers off? Yup.

Take me as an example. I’m the type of reader who instantly bounces away when I get the slightest impression that the blog post isn’t high quality. If the intro feels generic, full of overused AI terms, or just packed with fluff, I’ll hit ‘back’ or ‘x’ on my browser.

I just don’t have time for nonsense, and honestly, most people don’t either.

Tip #2 Follow the Recipe for a Perfect Intro

So, the question is: how do we write an introduction that makes readers feel the content is worth their time?

Aside from avoiding a lame intro (like we talked about earlier), our intro should highlight the relevance, raise awareness, or make a stronger promise.

1. Emphasizing relevance—does the intro show readers how the post benefits them? Right away, mention the problem and solution, the progress the reader can make, or the motivation and inspiration they could gain from the post. This should make them think, “Yep, this is exactly what I’m looking for!”
2. Raising awareness—If the reader isn’t very familiar with the topic, the intro should give more details and provide context to spark curiosity or create a sense of urgency. This helps engage the reader. In travel and other niches where personal experience matters, I find this to be a really effective way to start an intro.
3. Providing a better promise—In competitive niches, it’s key to show what makes your article stand out. This helps remove any doubts like, “Isn’t this just the same as everything else?” which might make readers click away. As Dan Koe, a successful copywriter, suggests, hook readers with the BIG problem, BIG benefit, or BIG idea your article covers. You can also mention how the post offers an easier process or helps readers get results faster.

You can check out the introduction of this post as an example, where I include relevance, awareness, and a promise.

Tip #3 Show Credibility Right in the Intro

For topics that demand experience, expertise, and authority, the introduction must immediately establish credibility. Highlight at least one key detail directly related to the topic.

For example, if I’m writing about the pros and cons of using an iPhone SE, I should mention that I’ve been using one for over a year (which is true). In this case, my credibility comes from actually owning and using the iPhone SE.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to meet Google’s guidelines for helpful content, but to build trust with readers, which is the most important thing.

After all, it’s also what Google wants to understand: whether readers trust the content.

Tip #4 Introduction for Humans not Machines

In my old blogs, I always made sure to optimize my introduction for search engines like Google. But not anymore, here on Explore to Thrive.

How did I optimize it? I used to include keywords in the first 100 words of the blog post. I stopped doing that because I realized it’s more important to write for readers.

The SEO-focused introductions ended up sounding awkward because of the forced keywords, and I’m sure they drove away many readers from my old blog posts!

Another reason I’m stopping the practice of optimizing introductions for search engines is that it’s becoming less necessary. Keywords are becoming less important as search engines get better at understanding meaning.

With features like natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and entity recognition, search engines can now interpret queries more like a human.

They understand synonyms, context, and even implied meanings, which helps them provide results that better match what readers are actually looking for.

I’ll just mention the key topics naturally in the introduction and let search engines do their job.

Tip #5 Write an Intro, No Matter What

Anyway, whether it’s search engine optimized or reader-first, some people go straight to the part they’re interested in, while others skim and just read the conclusion.

Honestly, I’m guilty of this sometimes too. When I’m searching for things to do in a destination, I’ll skip right to the list after seeing a photo of the blogger actually at the location. LOL.

While readers have different habits and it might seem like an intro isn’t always needed, there’s no harm in writing a great one.

In fact, it can really motivate readers to keep going—just like it did for you!

I congratulate myself for keeping you reading until the end of this post! 😀