It's one thing to have a blog, it's another thing to know how to increase blog traffic to your site. Every day people are setting up new websites. Some people join the Empower Network blogging platform, some people use their own self-hosted WordPress blogs. Others, like the free approach of services like WordPress.org and websiteger.
Why do people start a blog and then abandon it?
Here's something funny. The number one reason people stop blogging is they can't think of anything to write. (hint: If you're really trying to build a blog, you'll have a lot to say!)
Others can come up with content, but find that no one is reading it. Many people have the mistaken belief that blogging works like the line from the movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come."
The truth is, most people don't know how to market their website and because they aren't marketing it, and don't know how to increase blog traffic.
4 Tips to Increase Website Traffic
Here are four techniques that work really well to get people looking at your blog and what you have to say.
#1: Stop Writing About Your Belly Button Lint
When people started blogs years ago, most were self-indulgent explorations of their daily activities. Things like "Here's why I buy wheat bread".
If you really want to increase blog traffic, stop writing about your daily activities and personal habits. No one cares unless you're a movie star or rock star. We all know that if Harrison Ford started blogging about what he does every day before 9 am, the world would want to know.
But you're probably not a rock star or movie star. So if you're writing about your daily habits, that's probably a reason you don't get traffic to your blog.
So, what should you be writing about? Try a subject you're really interested in. Sit down, think about your life, look around your home, and pay attention to what really interests you. Imagine going to the library. You walk in the doors ... and what section of the library do you go to automatically? That's a great topic to start with. If the subject is "organizing your life", or "public speaking", or "how to save money with coupons", you will find an audience.
#2: Get others to See Your Blog Posts
Get your content on the internet by sharing your website posts on any social media sites. Which social media sites? Any social media that welcomes links to website posts! Obviously Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to start.
A good place to start is forums on your topic of choice. Start by lurking and reading. Then start answering questions. Then post questions and observations. The first thing to do in a forum is to setup your profile and forum signature. Make sure you have a link back to your website.
Note: Think before you post! The other people in the community are there to be helpful to each other, not to read your spammy links. They'll kick you out.
#3: Be Helpful to Other People
On some blogs, like WordPress, this is called a "trackback".
Here's what's great about this method. If you link to another person's posts, they get notified and are likely to come back to your site. So will some of their readers. That's a great way to get targeted traffic to your website!
Not long ago, I wrote a pretty good post about types of stories you should have to explain your business. One day, a person I admire linked to the content I had written and I received a trackback email. On one of his posts on his own blog, he linked to my article! Boom went my website traffic! And of course, I did send him a thank-you email for the link. :))
So, I've made sure to write blog posts that link to other people for the same reason. I recommend you do, too.
#4: Get on Other Blogs and Make Comments
This is a pretty simple way to increase website traffic to your site. Simply find other people who write websites on your topic, read what they write, and make a comment.
Generally when you leave a comment on someone else's blog, you're able to also leave a link in the comment. Simply make sure that link points to your website! (Duh ...)
Just don't be stupid and choose any blog to comment on.
Stay focused on your topic and only look for other websites on that topic. The other person has a website that gets targeted traffic, so people will visit YOUR website if your website is on the same subject.
Second of all, do your commenting manually. You can get software to automate your website commenting, but I don't recommend it.
Some Closing Ideas on Increasing Blog Traffic
Start by posting to your blog every day. New content every day.
In the beginning, "a regular basis" means "every day".
There's a reason you need to website every day. Simple. The search engines like websites that are "fresh" and active. Search engines only pay attention to how often new content appears so that they know to come back and keep indexing what's there. Posting every day will get site visitors to your blog.
Your website visitors will enjoy reading new content, too. Not only will they keep coming back to read, they will also share what you've written and that will get more targeted visitors!
I hope you've found these four strategies useful for helping you to increase your blog traffic.
Why do people start a blog and then abandon it?
Here's something funny. The number one reason people stop blogging is they can't think of anything to write. (hint: If you're really trying to build a blog, you'll have a lot to say!)
Others can come up with content, but find that no one is reading it. Many people have the mistaken belief that blogging works like the line from the movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come."
The truth is, most people don't know how to market their website and because they aren't marketing it, and don't know how to increase blog traffic.
4 Tips to Increase Website Traffic
Here are four techniques that work really well to get people looking at your blog and what you have to say.
#1: Stop Writing About Your Belly Button Lint
When people started blogs years ago, most were self-indulgent explorations of their daily activities. Things like "Here's why I buy wheat bread".
If you really want to increase blog traffic, stop writing about your daily activities and personal habits. No one cares unless you're a movie star or rock star. We all know that if Harrison Ford started blogging about what he does every day before 9 am, the world would want to know.
But you're probably not a rock star or movie star. So if you're writing about your daily habits, that's probably a reason you don't get traffic to your blog.
So, what should you be writing about? Try a subject you're really interested in. Sit down, think about your life, look around your home, and pay attention to what really interests you. Imagine going to the library. You walk in the doors ... and what section of the library do you go to automatically? That's a great topic to start with. If the subject is "organizing your life", or "public speaking", or "how to save money with coupons", you will find an audience.
#2: Get others to See Your Blog Posts
Get your content on the internet by sharing your website posts on any social media sites. Which social media sites? Any social media that welcomes links to website posts! Obviously Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to start.
A good place to start is forums on your topic of choice. Start by lurking and reading. Then start answering questions. Then post questions and observations. The first thing to do in a forum is to setup your profile and forum signature. Make sure you have a link back to your website.
Note: Think before you post! The other people in the community are there to be helpful to each other, not to read your spammy links. They'll kick you out.
#3: Be Helpful to Other People
On some blogs, like WordPress, this is called a "trackback".
Here's what's great about this method. If you link to another person's posts, they get notified and are likely to come back to your site. So will some of their readers. That's a great way to get targeted traffic to your website!
Not long ago, I wrote a pretty good post about types of stories you should have to explain your business. One day, a person I admire linked to the content I had written and I received a trackback email. On one of his posts on his own blog, he linked to my article! Boom went my website traffic! And of course, I did send him a thank-you email for the link. :))
So, I've made sure to write blog posts that link to other people for the same reason. I recommend you do, too.
#4: Get on Other Blogs and Make Comments
This is a pretty simple way to increase website traffic to your site. Simply find other people who write websites on your topic, read what they write, and make a comment.
Generally when you leave a comment on someone else's blog, you're able to also leave a link in the comment. Simply make sure that link points to your website! (Duh ...)
Just don't be stupid and choose any blog to comment on.
Stay focused on your topic and only look for other websites on that topic. The other person has a website that gets targeted traffic, so people will visit YOUR website if your website is on the same subject.
Second of all, do your commenting manually. You can get software to automate your website commenting, but I don't recommend it.
Some Closing Ideas on Increasing Blog Traffic
Start by posting to your blog every day. New content every day.
In the beginning, "a regular basis" means "every day".
There's a reason you need to website every day. Simple. The search engines like websites that are "fresh" and active. Search engines only pay attention to how often new content appears so that they know to come back and keep indexing what's there. Posting every day will get site visitors to your blog.
Your website visitors will enjoy reading new content, too. Not only will they keep coming back to read, they will also share what you've written and that will get more targeted visitors!
I hope you've found these four strategies useful for helping you to increase your blog traffic.
About the Author:
Abe Vu writes on the topics of blogging and ways to increase blog traffic. He also has other advice on how to increase blog traffic.
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