Now it might come as a surprise, but did you know that a blog’s ‘About me’ page is one of the most visited pages of any blog?

What is an ‘About me’ page? 

Simply put, it’s a page where the owner of a blog gives some details about themselves and their blog. If done correctly, the ‘About me‘ page can be one of the main vehicles for building trust and connecting with your audience. 

Take a look at the image below. It shows the stats (as on 24th May 2020) of the most viewed articles on my blog. I’ve highlighted my ‘About me’ page.

Now check how often the ‘About me’ page on your blog has been viewed.

Why having an ‘About me’ page matters.

I get really excited when I’m informed that my blog has a new follower. But don’t we all? 

However, that feeling can sometimes come crashing down when I cannot find an ‘About Me’ page on a blog, especially when it’s a blog I’ve never visited before.

It doesn’t stop there, either. Sometimes when I have found an “About Me’ page and find a one-line statement on it such as “Does it matter?” or “coming soon”, it’s just as bad as not having an ‘About Me’ page at all.

I’ve even come across ‘About me’ pages that say, ‘This is a template for an about me page. Please fill in the information.”

Yes, having an “About Me’ page on your blog does matter. It deserves as much love and attention as one of your blog posts. 

For starters, it will be the one, if not the first page on your blog, that a new visitor will visit. But what should you put on an ‘About Me’ page? 

What to put on an ‘About me’ page.

Start off by introducing yourself and, most importantly, give your visitors at least your first name. If you don’t want to use your real first name, give a name you’d like to be known by. 

After all, when introducing ourselves to people for the first time, we all give our name, don’t we? 

Not only does giving a first name help in letting people know who you are, but it also promotes you as a friendly person. 

That in itself promotes your blog as being friendly, and all of us want to visit and become part of blogging communities where a host is a friendly person.

This leads me to what else you should include on your ‘About Me’ page. 

Visitors are usually interested in the person behind the blog they follow, and I, for one, have built up some wonderful new friendships through it. 

Tell your visitors where in the world you are located. 

I go as far as to give the name of the city where I live. By doing this, I’ve got to know some local bloggers who I can sometimes meet up with for a coffee, so we chat about, amongst other things, blogging. 

Inform people what they can expect to find on your blog. What interests you, and what ambitions do you have (e.g. publishing a book, winning a writing or photography competition).

Smile! You’re on camera.

Most importantly, I think you must include a photo of yourself or the area you live in.

Ok, some of you may be camera shy. However, I think it’s always nice to be able to put a face to a name, especially when we become part of all the blogging communities.

What are your interests?

One new feature I’ve added to my ‘About Me’ page is letting visitors know what blog posts I enjoy reading and what kinds of blogs I follow. I’ve invited bloggers to leave me a link to their blogs if they cover any of the subjects on my list. 

Don’t forget about the comments. 

Once you’ve published your ‘About Me’ page, you’ll soon start to get comments left on it (especially if you have it set as your blog’s home page). Whatever you do, always respond to those comments. 

I’ve come across blogs that have an excellent ‘About Me’ page, but the author has not responded to any of the comments left on it. As I’ve often said, that’s like inviting somebody around for coffee and ignoring them.

When you reply to comments (and any other comments on your blog), try and use the person’s first name somewhere in your reply. That helps promotes you as being friendly. 

Keep it updated.

The other important thing about your “About Me’ page is not to forget about it. 

Once it’s published, ensure you keep it updated. As a rule, I update my ‘About Me’ page at least once every six months.

If, like me, you also include links to other blogs or posts, ensure they are still working. If you come across any broken links, fix or remove them immediately. 

Likewise, if you find any broken links on a blog you visit, don’t forget to inform the blog owner that there is a problem. Bloggers are usually very grateful when you do this. 

Mind the gap(s).

Your “About Me’ page should always look attractive and be easy to read. 

Try to keep it brief and remember to ensure it is broken into neat paragraphs. 

As with any blog post, try and steer clear of huge blocks of text. Spilt them up with some images or photos and always preview it before you push the publish button. 

I’ve often been surprised how some of my posts seem to have large gaps in them when I preview what I have written.

Anything else?

Always ensure your ‘About Me’ page is easy to find. Don’t go and play ‘hide and seek’ by placing it somewhere where visitors will have to hunt for it. 

If somebody cannot find your ‘About Me’ page within a few seconds of arriving on your blog, they’ll probably close the page, move on, and likely never return. 

You’ll find the link to my ‘About Me’ page on the menu bar of my blog. That way, it’s easy to see and, therefore, easy to find.

I’ve also changed the name of my ‘About Me’ page to ‘Meet Hugh.’ I think this is more friendly to first-time visitors to my blog.

Click here if you’d like to check out my ‘Meet Hugh’ page. It may give you ideas on how to structure your blog’s ‘About Me’ page. 

Conclusion

• If you don’t already have an ‘About Me’ page on your blog, create one.
• Remember that a blog’s ‘About Me’ page is one of the most visited pages of any blog.
• Ensure that the ‘About Me’ page contains information you’d find interesting or useful.
• At the very least, ensure the ‘About Me’ page includes your first name and an idea of where in the world you live.
• Include a photo of yourself, but if you are camera shy, include some photos of the area you live.
• Ensure your blog’s ‘About Me’ page is easy to find. If necessary, make it the home page of your blog.
• Don’t use large blocks of text. Stick to each block being no more than a few sentences long.
• Separating blocks of text with images or photos helps.
• Ensure you update your blog’s ‘About Me’ page at least once every six months (or when any changes occur).
• Fix any broken links on the ‘About Me’ page immediately.

What about you?

• Do you always check out a blogger’s ‘About Me’ before deciding whether to follow or not?

• Do you have an ‘About Me’ page?

• If not, why not?

• Is there anything I’ve not mentioned on your ‘About Me’ page?

• How often do you update your ‘About Me’ page?

• What’s the best example of an ‘About Me’ page you’ve seen?

• Do you have any further questions about a blog’s ‘About me’ page?

Join the discussion by leaving a comment that I can respond to with more than just a ‘thank you.’

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