I’ve spent years observing how developers, founders, and tech professionals publish brilliant content yet struggle to get the visibility they deserve. And here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear:
Your article quality is not the problem. Your distribution system is.
Great writing alone doesn’t win on Dev.to.
Great positioning, structure, and timing do.
Here’s the framework I use (and teach) that consistently helps articles reach thousands of readers.
1. Your Title Isn’t Doing Any Heavy Lifting
On Dev.to, the title decides everything.
A weak title kills great content.
A strong title drives traffic even if the content is average.
The problem is:
Most people write titles like summaries… not hooks.
Weak Title:
“Understanding LLM Tokenisation”
Strong, Scroll-Stopping Title:
“I Finally Understood Tokenisation, Here’s the Explanation I Wish Someone Gave Me”
Titles must create curiosity + clarity.
If readers don’t feel an emotional pull, they won’t click.
2. You’re Posting Without a Hook
The first 3 lines of your article decide if someone stays.
Standard introduction:
“In this article, we will discuss…”
High-retention hook:
“I wasted months misunderstanding this concept. Then one idea changed everything.”
When you speak like a human, people stay.
3. Your Article Has No “Predictable Structure”
Here’s what Dev.to readers love:
- A bold opening insight
- Short, sharp paragraphs
- Clear subheadings
- Visual structure (bullets, steps, frameworks)
- Takeaways or templates at the end
Most articles fail not because of complexity… But because they exhaust the reader.
Keep it breathable. Think like a UX designer, not a writer.
4. You Aren’t Writing About Problems Developers ACTUALLY Face
This is the biggest reason articles die.
Many writers choose topics that sound smart, but the audience doesn’t feel the need.
Example:
Low-demand topic
“History of Cloud Infrastructure”
High-demand topic
“How I Cut My Cloud Bill by 40% with 3 Simple Tweaks”
Developers click on solutions, not lectures.
5. You Post and Pray (Instead of Posting and Distributing)
Publishing alone is not enough.
Every article needs proper distribution:
- Share it on Twitter with a bold takeaway
- Post a micro-summary on LinkedIn
- Cross-link it inside your older Dev.to articles
- Add it to Reddit threads (when relevant)
- Add a CTA at the end of old articles to drive traffic to new ones
Dev.to rewards interconnected ecosystems, not isolated posts.
6. You Aren’t Publishing Consistently
The algorithm rewards consistency, not perfection.
Aim for:
- 2 articles per week, or
- 8 articles per month
Your first 5 articles build your foundation. The next 20 build your readership. The next 50 build your authority.
Think long-term.
Think library, not lottery.
7. You’re Not Ending with a Strong CTA
Most creators forget this part.
A CTA turns a reader into a follower:
- “Comment your experience below.”
- “Here’s the full GitHub repo I used.”
- “Save this for later.”
- “Follow for more deep-dive AI breakdowns.”
On Dev.to, article engagement directly impacts ranking.
The Simple Fix
Your content doesn’t need to be perfect.
It needs to be:
- Discoverable
- Clear
- Useful
- Consistent
When you write with intention and distribute with strategy, your views multiply.
Next Article:
The AI Industry Has a Truth Problem: Here’s How I See It
Top comments (2)
Your content doesn’t need to be perfect.
It needs to be:
Discoverable
Clear
Useful
Consistent
the topics and discussions along with writing is of high quality . Please don't make it like YouTube like people running behind for clickbait's .
“How I Cut My Cloud Bill by 40% with 3 Simple Tweaks” // this is the way many social media platforms are spoiled