How to write on note | I want to write articles that will still be read a year from now

Tracking note

Last month, the official note team released an interesting article. It is a study on quite a massive scale, tracking approximately 17 million articles. Many of you may have already seen it, but today I would like to briefly talk about it.

Please see this article for details.

About 40% continue to be read a year later

This is data cited as a reason why note is a stock-type platform. Since it tracks articles that were viewed at least once during the target period, it might be more accurate to say they "haven't disappeared while dormant" rather than "continue to be read." Still, the fact that 40% of articles are reaching someone's eyes a year after publication is a heartening figure for a writer.

The path is through search engines

About 60% of traffic comes through search engines. Less than 20% comes from browsing within note. Right now, the content of this "search" itself is quietly being replaced. People ask ChatGPT or Gemini directly and take away only the answer without clicking on links. This is what is known as "zero-click search."

It seems note can also expect traffic via this AI. Being easy for AI to find right now is a major advantage. You can leave high-quality information that AI will want to reference. For creators, this state should pay off over a long period.

Themes that continue to be read

In this study, three characteristics of articles that are read for a long time were mentioned. Since it is the result of 17 million items, it is meaningful data.

1. It is "primary information" rooted in the writer's own experience or expertise

- Based on actual experience or specialized knowledge
- Not a summary of information from other sites
- Content that only that person can write

2. It answers "universal questions" that are repeatedly searched for during life or events

- Occurs repeatedly
- Answers to specific questions or problems

3. It thoroughly digs deep into a single theme
- The writer's own experience and perspective are woven in
- The power to make people think, "I want to read this because it's this person's article"

What these three have in common, I think, is whether they are "linked to a person." The writer's experience, perspective, and deep expertise. Things that come as a set, including who wrote them. Perhaps it means that things someone has spent time building up will have value to someone else, even after time has passed.

If you're going to write, make it something that lasts

Even if we set aside the aspect of a stock-type business, the fact that the text you wrote will still be read by someone a year from now is simply wonderful.

"Primary information," "universal questions," and "thorough deep-dives"
All of these are stories that are continuous with the time the writer spent there.

Doesn't it make you a little excited to think about "which one should I write?"

After all, that is what becomes an asset that someone will read a year from now. The time we spend will line up on a shelf, one by one. Not as a 'consumption' of that moment, but as an 'accumulation.' It would be nice if we could write slowly with that kind of feeling.

So, what shall we write about today?

If you enjoyed this, please feel free to enjoy my other essays as well.