How to Add Related Posts Widget in Blogger to Reduce Bounce Rate and Boost Engagement in 2025
If you want to keep your blog visitors glued to your site longer and reduce your bounce rate, adding a related posts widget on your Blogger posts is a must-have strategy. This simple yet powerful feature recommends other articles your readers might love, encouraging them to explore more of your content.
In 2025, where user experience and engagement directly impact SEO rankings and revenue potential, mastering how to add and customize a related posts widget can transform your Blogger blog performance.
Why a Related Posts Widget Matters
The main reasons to add a related posts widget include:
- Reduce Bounce Rate: Visitors stay longer and interact more if they find other relevant articles easily.
- Improve SEO Signals: Search engines like Google reward sites with strong internal linking and longer session durations.
- Boost Page Views and Earnings: More page views mean more ad impressions or affiliate link clicks.
- Enhance User Experience: Readers appreciate curated content that aligns with their interests.
3 Popular Methods to Add Related Posts in Blogger
1. Use Free Third-Party Widgets (Easy & Fast)
Website services like LinkWithin or nRelate allow you to generate a related posts widget quickly.
- Simply enter your blog URL, email, and set preferences like number of related posts and thumbnail display.
- These services generate a widget script or Gadget you install in Blogger.
- They are user-friendly, require no coding, and update automatically.
Downside: You depend on a third party, limited customization, and slower widget loading.
2. Add Custom JavaScript-Based Related Posts Widget (More Control)
Use open-source scripts like the Blogger Related Posts Widget by Salman Arshad or write your own JavaScript code that fetches related posts based on labels.
- Install by adding the JavaScript code inside a Blogger HTML/JavaScript Gadget or directly in the theme’s HTML.
- Supports post thumbnails, titles, and custom styling with CSS.
- Offers more control and faster loading than third-party widgets.
3. Manual HTML/CSS + JSON Feed Method (Most Flexible)
This involves editing your Blogger theme’s HTML to fetch posts from your blog’s feed and display related posts below each article. It requires intermediate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript knowledge.
- Customize the look, number of posts, thumbnail sizes, and layout exactly as you want.
- Integrate Google Analytics to track clicks on related posts.
- Ideal for bloggers who want a seamless part of their theme design without external dependencies.
Step-by-Step Tutorial: Adding Related Posts Widget with Thumbnails (Using Open Source Script)
Step 1: Backup Your Blogger Theme
Before making changes, always create a theme backup via Theme > Backup/Restore > Download. This protects you from errors.
Step 2: Access Blogger Theme Editor
Go to Theme in your Blogger dashboard and click Edit HTML.
Step 3: Insert Related Posts Script
Scroll to the bottom of the HTML code. Just before the closing </body> tag, paste this snippet:
<script src="https://cdn.rawgit.com/salmanarshad2000/blogger-related-posts-widget/v1.0.4/related-posts.min.js" defer></script>
Step 4: Add Related Posts Container
Find the place in the HTML where you want related posts to appear, typically just above the post footer. Insert:
<div id="related-posts"></div>
Step 5: Customize Related Posts Appearance (Optional)
You can control the number of related posts, thumbnails size, and more by adding CSS in your theme’s <style> section and editing widget parameters if needed. Example CSS snippet:
#related-posts {
margin-top: 20px;
border-top: 1px solid #ddd;
padding-top: 15px;
}
#related-posts .related-item {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
#related-posts .related-thumb {
width: 80px;
height: 80px;
margin-right: 12px;
object-fit: cover;
border-radius: 4px;
}
Step 6: Save Your Theme and Test
After saving, open any blog post on your site and scroll down to see the related posts with thumbnails displayed automatically.
Tips to Make Your Related Posts Widget More Effective
- Label Your Posts Properly: Related posts rely on labels/categories to find similar content.
- Limit Number of Related Posts: Around 3-5 is ideal to avoid clutter.
- Use Clear Thumbnails: Images boost clicks and engagement.
- Position Strategically: Related posts below the article or in a sidebar work best.
- Mobile Friendly: Make sure the widget is responsive and looks good on small screen devices.
Curiosity Section: Wondering just how much your bounce rate can improve with related posts? Case studies prove keeping readers hooked with relevant content can reduce bounce rate by up to 30%. Imagine the boost to your SEO rankings when visitors spend more time exploring your blog!
FAQs on Adding Related Posts Widget in Blogger
- What is a related posts widget?
- A widget that shows links to similar blog posts to keep readers engaged and reduce bounce rate.
- Does Blogger have a built-in related posts feature?
- No, Blogger doesn’t have a built-in widget, but you can add one using third-party widgets or custom scripts.
- Will adding a related posts widget slow down my blog?
- Using lightweight scripts and optimized images ensures minimal impact on page load speed.
- Can I customize how many posts and thumbnails show?
- Yes, most widgets and scripts allow customization via parameters or CSS.
- Do I need coding knowledge to add related posts?
- Using third-party widgets requires no coding; custom scripts require some basic HTML/CSS/JavaScript knowledge.
- Will related posts increase my blog income?
- More page views give more opportunities for ads and affiliate link clicks, potentially increasing income.
- Can I add related posts inside the post content?
- Technically yes, but it’s more common and user-friendly to add them at the end of posts or in sidebars.
- Are thumbnails necessary for related posts?
- Thumbnails increase click-through rates by making suggestions visually appealing.
- What if my blog has few posts?
- Related posts widgets work better once you have enough labeled posts; for new blogs, grow content first.
- Do related posts help SEO?
- Yes, because they improve user engagement metrics and internal linking, both important for SEO.
Conclusion
Adding a related posts widget to your Blogger blog is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce bounce rate, boost engagement, and increase page views in 2025. Whether you use free third-party tools or custom scripts, this feature helps create a welcoming journey for your readers, encouraging them to explore your valuable content further. Remember to label your posts carefully and pick a widget style that matches your blog’s look and feel for maximum impact. Taking these steps will elevate your blog’s user experience and SEO performance.
Motivational Quote: "The key to blogging success is guiding your readers on a journey, not just sending them to a destination." – Unknown