Lot of bloggers, both, newbie as well as seasoned, struggle to increase traffic to their blogs.
If you are a professional blogger, and running a blog to earn your bread and butter or at least some pocket money, then you have to increase your blog traffic significantly.
B’cos, without a decent amount of traffic, its very difficult to earn a livelihood out of Google AdSense or BuySellAds and likes.
How much traffic you actually need: 1,00,000 Unique visitors/month or 3,00,000 Page Views/month is the minimum amount of traffic required to pursue a successful blogging career.
8 Ways to increase traffic to your blog
1. Content: Simply ask a basic question to yourself “ Why you surf other bloggers’ blogs? ”. And, your answer should be “ Content ”. Yes my friend, Content is always the KING.
99% of blogs in blogosphere are informational in nature. Web-surfers land on your blog from SERPs, by putting an informational queries in the search engines.
The better, the quality of your content, the happier, the SEs (Search Engines) and your blog readers.
Types of content: So, what type of content you should produce to increase traffic to your blog?
(a) Evergreen content: You should produce articles which are evergreen in nature. You should write quality posts, which people should search at least for next 5 to 7 years.
Don’t deviate from your niche. The article should be 100% compatible to your niche. If you write something not related to your niche, not only you suffer from lower search engine rankings, but also you loose your regular blog followers.
The major chunk of your blog (60%) should consist of evergreen posts, which serves as a long-term source of organic visitors.
(b) Thought provoking and controversial posts: This type of articles are mainly used as link-baits. Matt Cutts, the Head of Google Web Spam Team also accepted that, attracting links via controversial blog posts is absolutely legitimate.
Thought provoking articles are the results of extensive research about a subject, along with a set of future projections/predictions, which stimulate the thought process of your readers, leading to be a loyal followers of your blog.
Controversial posts basically highlight the -Ve aspect of a subject matter, usually with a good intention.
Both, thought provoking as well as controversial posts attract tons of comments in your blog commenting system. 20% of your blog content should consists of these types of posts.
(c) Breaking news: This type of articles are very short lived in nature. But, attracts lots of organic traffic via higher search engine placements, due to freshness factor.
Unless and until you have a full fledged news portal, your blog shouldn’t contain more than 20% of the total posts as news articles.
2. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Not knowing SEO or SEO illiteracy is punishable, if you are a blogger or webmaster. Google Panda updates and recent Penguin update are better examples.
Believe me, with a solid SEO strategy, any blogger can attracts tons of targeted traffic from search engines.
Search Engine Optimization is broadly divided in to On-Page and Off-Page.
On-Page SEO: Judicious use of keywords in the URL, Post heading and Sub-heading, Body, Meta description and Meta keywords are most important.
URL: Try to keep the keyword in the beginning of the URL for higher ranking by SEs. But, don’t repeat any keywords.
Headings and Sub-headings: Place your keywords cleverly and naturally in most of the headings and sub-headings. The post heading shouldn’t be more than 60 characters (most SEs show maximum of 60 characters) and it should be catchy.
Article body: 2% Keyword density works wonder for higher search engine ranking. 5% or more keyword density might be punished by Google for keyword stuffing.
Meta description: This is the part which shows off on SERPs, under the post heading. If the meta description contains the search words, then it usually appears highlighted (bold) by search engines. Meta description shouldn’t be more than 160 characters (most SEs show maximum of 160 characters).
Meta keywords: Although Google is not giving any importance to meta keywords these days, other search engines like Yahoo and Bing still have this factor in their SE algorithm.
Off-Page SEO: This consists of SEO of blog template, Link building, URL submission to SEs and Submission of your blog to Google Blog Search, Yahoo Blog directories and various paid and unpaid blog directories.
SEO of blog template: No WordPress theme is 100% SEO compatible, whether free or premium. You personally have to tweak a lot, to make your blog theme SEO ready. Off-Page SEO for WordPress itself is a vast subject and beyond the scope of this article. Below are the things you should consider while optimizing your theme for SEs.
(a) Optimizing permalink structure (b) Avoiding duplicate content with a robot.txt file (c) Adding a sitemap (d) Pinging 3rd party services (e) Using a CDN plugin/service for speed (f) Using an SEO plugin like All-in-One SEO Pack.
Link building: This is an ongoing process and should be an integral part of your blogging habit. Always remember, 5 high quality links from authoritative sites of your niche is much more helpful than 500 low quality links from non-authority/unrelated sites.
How to build links – Again, its a big topic in itself and needs to be addressed separately, some other time. However, below are the most commonly practiced methods by bloggers:
- High quality content creation attracts links from other sites in a natural way.
- Guest blogging is one of the most preferred method
- Listing of your blog on different directories
- Offering widgets for contest winners etc.
- Direct link request
URL submission: Submit your blog URL to different search engines likes Google, Yahoo, Bing, AOL, Ask.com, Lycos, Info.com, Altavista etc. You should also consider submitting your URL to local search engines.
Include your blog in Google blog search, and its FREE. Yahoo blog directory offers both free and paid option for blog inclusion. There is no guarantee for the free version, but you should try your luck, at least once. Paid inclusion comes at a price tag of US$ 299/annum with guaranteed listing with in 7 days.
Include your blog in other blog directories like Bloggers, BlogCatalog, Bloggeries etc.
3. Social Networking: Social media promotion is the hottest trend these days. And, you should leverage this trend to increase traffic to your blog, for the time being.
You should consider networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon, Digg, Pinterest etc. With a better strategy, you can attract tons of traffic to your blog from these social sites.
Common mistake – Bloggers usually do a common mistake while promoting their blogs in social media site is – Poor interaction and lack of community participation. By increasing number of friends, fans or followers will not help you in a big way, unless and until you involve yourself with them by sharing their interests/hobbies, responding them timely and social wishing on different occasions.
If you monotonously bombard your blog posts to them, chances are that you may end up leveraging only 5-10% of social networking power.
4. Guest Blogging: By writing guest posts on other reputed sites from your niche, you not only increase traffic to your blog, but also build a reputation for yourself.
Apart from traffic and reputation, you also get SEO benefit by getting backlinks, which helps you for better Google PR and higher search engine rankings.
Make a list of 10-15 blogs from your niche, contact them individually with custom mail and make a solid strategy of guest posting, on regular basis. The frequency of guest posing is up to you. You may prefer guest posting on weekly basis, or fortnightly, or monthly.
When you publish your articles on top blogs of your niche, people recognize you as an expert/authority, and become loyal followers.
5. Giveaway: This is a very easy way to increase traffic to your blog. As a condition of – Liking, Twitting, Pinning your blog, you include visitors/bloggers for the contest/giveaway. In the process you receive tons of traffic to your blog via high social media promotion. But, you have to make sure a solid strategy for better results.
The giveaway doesn’t need to be an expensive one. You can offer premium theme membership, plugins or graphic materials also. The list is endless and up to you.
You can take the help of RaffleCopter for organizing giveaways.
6. Blog commenting and Joining forums: Leaving comments on other blogs helps you increase traffic to your blog, in a big way. Two things are important here – The blog should be highly visited/busy, and your comment should be constructive and thought provoking.
When you leave a comment on other blogs, a hyperlink is created by default, in most cases. And, people click on the hyperlink by reading your constructive comments.
Joining forums is another effective way of increasing traffic to your blog. But, you have to participate with other forum members in a friendly manner. Merely pitching a question will not do.
7. WordPress Plugin – CommentLuv: This is a plugin to die for! This plugin is made for traffic and comments.
The beauty is – whenever a blogger/visitor leaves a comment on CommentLuv enabled blog, a hyperlink of her last blog post created below the comment itself. There by funneling traffic to her blog post/blog. Due to this feature, bloggers visit your blog again and again, to promote their blog.
There are a number of advantages of CommentLuv Plugin like – Offering your commenter a DoFollow link or option to include keywords with their names, after certain number of comments on your blog, promotion of commenter’s Twitter ID, and many more.
You can taste this awesome plugin by leaving a comment below to know, how it works.
It’s just like a give and take between bloggers. What a great innovation to increase traffic and comments on blogs. Thanks Andy Bailey!
8. Offline Activities: Many bloggers usually don’t tap the offline opportunities to increase traffic to their blogs.
If, executed in right way, offline channel can drive tons of traffic to your blog with no, or little cost! Below are few offline methods you should explore for brand awareness and better traffic.
(a) Attend bloggers meet.
(b) Attend conference and workshop for bloggers, WordPress lovers (WordCamp) and SEO professionals.
(c) Found a bloggers club/group, locally, in your city. Invite all the members to a common place like a garden or cafeteria for exchange of knowledge, experience and just having a good time.
(d) Cycle rally/Tea party – You can organize a cycle rally or throw a tea party for local friends (not necessarily bloggers) to publicize your blog.
Keep few things ready for your guests, before organizing such activities, like (1) T-Shirts with your blog’s logo (2) Bookmarks, Pen, Pen-stand, Coffee mugs with your blog’s logo and a tagline.
If you liked the post, consider giving a Facebook like on the left side. If you want to add any other points to increase traffic to blog, you are most welcome in the comment section.
About Nandita B.
My name is Nandita B, and I’m a SEO practitioner and part-time blogger. My sheer passion for sharing knowledge a webmaster needs drove me to create “A Webmaster’s Magazine” called SEOHour.com
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Nandita I am very new to blogging field and I want to build backlinks as well as traffic for my blog.
My blog is on blogger, and in blogger we have no option of adding keywords and description tags. Will this effect my blog rankings?
Waqas Ahmed recently posted…Earn Money via Gold Mine International Pakistan
Very nicely written
@Waqas Ahmed : This post might also help you – MyTechYard
Nithin recently posted…[HowTo] Sync Android Calendar with your Facebook Calendar
Hey now u can add meta description to every post …and about meta keywords.. BIG G does not use Meta Keywords…
samy jain recently posted…Reasons and Recovery Advice for Google Penalty
Hi Waqas,
1# Meta Description is the portion which shows off below the post heading, on SERPs. Web-surfers always read/notice this, because the search keywords are usually highlighted (bold) in it.
If you can’ control your meta-description, then SE will automatically pullout few lines randomly and show. This is not good from SEO point of view.
2## Meta Keywords – Google usually doesn’t give any importance to meta-keywords, these days. But, Yahoo and Bing have still this factor in their SE algo.
Moral of the story
Happy Blogging
8 great tips to promote our blogs, 2 ways I love are blog commenting and guest blogging, these are 2 ways that help bloggers building relationship effectively.
Nice post. Thanks for sharing.
Trung recently posted…How to Register a Domain Name – Step by Step Guide
Hi Trung, Welcome to MoneyCTL.com
I want to add 1 more thing – Social Networking/Social Sharing.
Better relationship with fellow bloggers = Blog commenting + Guest blogging + Social sharing
These are really great tips and advice we can use in promoting our own blog site, I think that the easiest way to get more traffic is by hiring an SEO to maintain your own site, if you can do it, then its better.we can use back-linking strategy for example blog commenting, forum posting, content writing and many more.
Kate Brown Wilson recently posted…VZ 58
Thanks for such an informative post. These are really great tips. Keep posting . .
Congratulations on your new commentluv plugin. Feels and looks great. Have you seen some recent surge in traffic.
Shalu Sharma recently posted…How to get subscribers fast
Dear Shalu, Thanks! So, you are asking me about the traffic and most probably comments, right?
So, my non-diplomatic answer to you is No + Yes.
No, because my traffic is same as before (no rise, no dip). Yes, because the number comments increased after CommentLuv Plugin, site-wide.
Thanks.
Sure, but it does look good. Thanks.
Shalu Sharma recently posted…Article marketing tips
The best way to increase traffic is to be more social with your visitors.
When one or more of your visitors had the effort to comment on your blog, then it is your chance to build a long lasting relationship with the person, which in turn will benefit you when they find your blog a lot useful for their lives that they start sharing it with their friends and relatives!
Thanks for the post!
Thanks for emphasizing – How social efforts/networking is one of the best way to drive traffic to blogs.
Guest blogging is the best solution in my opinion. You have to save your best, bring your A-game and write that piece on a better blog that has more exposure and receives a lot of comments.
It’s good for PR, linkbait and linkjuice plus you expose yourself to a well-established set of readers. Nice post this one!
Aditya recently posted…9 Undeniable Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight
Hi Aditya,
Very nice analysis of – Guest blogging and it’s benefits.
This is certainly one of the best way to establish your authority as an expert to a wider range of readers, and driving lots of traffic to your own blog.
You mentioned keyword density of 2%. Just wondering as there are so many versions. Some are going as high as 3 while some are staying as low as 1. The mid way of 2 seems appropriate.
Shalu Sharma recently posted…Travelling India Alone
Hey Nandita, First visit to your blog. I have recently started using commentluv plugin. I hope to see some results. Thanks for the information.
Soulpower recently posted…No Posts Were Found!
CommentLuv Plugin attracts traffic and make them leave comments on your blog posts by rewarding handsomely.
But you have to learn few tricks of the trade to be a successful crowd puller.
Congrats and best of the luck with your CommentLuv Plugin.
This tips are also helping for Increase Traffic to Blog
1. Make Your Blog’s Content SEO-Friendly
2. Use Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to Share Your Posts & Find New Connections
3. Conduct Keyword Research While Writing Your Posts
4. Incorporate Great Design Into Your Site
Hi Sajan,
Great tips to increase website traffic.
You have actually summed-up everything in 4 lines in a very simple manner.
Thanks.
Hi,
I have a blog on Blogger (http://indiansportsstrength.blogspot.com).
Please go thru the same and suggest how can I increase traffic.. any specifics will really help.
Also, is it a good idea toput the link in any discussion forums (or it is seen as spam).
Thanks.
R recently posted…Olympics .. here we come !!
Hey, really thanks for such great 8 tips given on traffic !
Nice post.
i learn some new things from your post.
Thanks .
Mayur recently posted…How to implement Ajax AutoCompleteExtender in Asp.net
Nice article.Very useful tips for newbie and pro bloggers i will surely use some of them to increase viewers of my blog.
Thank You.
Content is the King
Really?
Advait recently posted…Download Online Media For Offline Viewing With Offliberty
Nice post Nandita. There’s certainly a lot to cover if you want to be a successful full-time blogger. In fact, it’s called a full time blogger for exactly that reason. It takes up all of your time. Useful content is truly king, though. It’s what keeps me and the billions of others returning to the same blogs week in, week out.
SEO is of some importance in blog posts, but I wouldn’t worry too much about overly optimizing. One day, when Google becomes president of the world and can read our thoughts before we put word to screen, there will be nothing else considered outside of ‘natural wording’.
Oh, and one more thing, meta description and met keyword densities mean diddly, these days.
Amy Thompson, Design @logoninjas
Nandita Hi,
Great post .
I love blogging but it goes in vain as traffic to this blogger is under 10 visitors per day.so bad situation.
Please give me some genuine and quick tips to increase traffic.
Waiting for your kind reply.
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Hello Nicktech here
The information you delivered within your posting is nice
due to the fact that I can make use of it, a few individuals may possibly not consider
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you take a minute to comprehend what you are delivering. I give props to valuable objective
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Nicholas John recently posted…How To Get Leads – Getting leads how to do it yourself
This is really a great post. I use CommentLuv and Top Commentators for grabbing the attention of bloggers.
Pavan Somu recently posted…10 Effective Tips To Learn From Blogging
Great post about the increasing blog traffic, i want to know that in India is there any blogger’s conference held or going to be held?
Thanks
Great post.Really helped.
endurotech recently posted…How To Add (Embed) a YouTube Video to Your Web Site
Nice Post Nandita.It really helped me
Hi Ullas, you are most welcome.
Wish you a great traffic to your blog in coming days.
Is there any other way?
You have wrote all possible way to get traffic. I like that. Thanks for share.
Rajib Kumar recently posted…[Give Away] 1AVCapture – The complete audio video recording and broadcasting solution for FREE
Link Building by Social Networking is indeed a really powerful link building strategy now..:)
SAJID recently posted…Top 10 Most Common Pregnancy Problems
Will post a giveaway for my blog
Shashank recently posted…Update Tab 2 7.0 P3100DDCLL1 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Firmware
Nice Post Nandita.It really helped me
top10sms recently posted…Hindi Christmas SMS and Christmas messages
Hello Nandita,
This is the thirs post on your blog that I read and I want to thank you for your honest efforts. This is very important information you give here, especially for people who are not really a SEO’s.
Thank you.
TsKodjabashev recently posted…Major Homeopathic Remedies for Fear | Part Three
Sure I will follow the tips to be the professional blogger
Sohail recently posted…Yahoo Bing Ads Media.net Review
Will post a giveaway for my blog..
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