Evaluate content performance with heatmaps
Evaluate content performance with heatmaps
1. Choose the pieces of short-form and long-form content you want to evaluate.
Pick pieces that have similar traffic, if possible, so you have an apples-to-apples comparison.
2. Use a dynamic heatmap tool like Lucky Orange to generate a scroll heatmap of the short-form content.
A scroll heatmap shows how far down, on average, the majority of people scrolled before leaving a webpage.
3. Scroll down the heatmap to find the effective fold - where 50% of readers have left the page.
As more readers leave the page, the scroll depth color changes from darker red to lighter red.
4. Switch to a clicks heatmap to see how many users are engaging with CTA and links in your content.
Larger red spots indicate more users are engaging with those elements.
5. Repeat the process of reviewing scroll heatmaps and clicks heatmaps with a piece of long-form content.
6. Compare the performance of the short-form content against the long-form content, including effective fold and CTA clicks.
Make note of which piece had an effective fold deeper into the content. That indicates more reader engagement. Make note of which piece received more clicks on your CTAs, and whether those clicks were at the beginning, middle, or end of the piece, or consistent throughout.
7. Repeat the process for several more pieces of short- and long-form content.
Reviewing multiple pieces ensures you aren’t making assumptions on a one piece of unpopular content.