density of content seems to be a put off as well. i know lot of really good articles out there that don't get read because it is too dense. lot of good stuff in it but the matter is hard to comprehend for most people who dont relish slogging through it.
you make some good points about the hook. that is hard for most writers.
Additionally, i feel that nowadays a writer who shares a certain level of intimacy with his/her readers get more out of writing. shared feelings or shared aspirations seem to work the best
I was going to include length of articles, and technical or what you're calling dense, but then decided that it really depends, for me, on the subject matter. I've slogged through things and I've backed off of them depending on my mood, which isn't a very good measuring stick for content.
But you're right. In the end, it's going to boil down to what people want to read. Being genuine and sharing some kind of experience, especially ones that are near universal, will have some of the best results. If they're seen.