Many of us work so hard on our blogs and frankly, it kind of sucks if we don't get the traffic we want. And it's a catch-22you can't get the traffic without the work, but it's tough to justify all the work if you don't get the traffic. Well, here are 11 suggestions to get the traffic you want to your blog.
#1 Be outstanding. There is a good reason this is first in line. Being outstanding to begin with will ensure that everything else becomes easy, as it will make a lasting impression on your readers, and interest will increase.
So how on earth do you make yourself remarkable?
* Being informative: Teach your readers what they want and convey the info in a way your audience appreciates. * Entertain - Insert humor, amaze your readersdo what's appropriate to get their attention. * Connect with Your Audience - Understand and speak to their pain, worries and even their dreams and desires. * Be Controversial - Share an opinionnot everyone has to agree with you to find you interesting.
I have been accused of having an "if you build it, they will come" attitude with this suggestion and I guess to some extent, it is true. That doesn't mean you can't be proactive in your traffic building as well, but the more remarkable your blog isthe better the long and short term effects of your efforts.
2. RSS: Some may say RSS old news, but there are still many blogs that haven't thought to use a feed. If it is not something you have come across, an RSS feed is simply something that allows readers to stay updated without constantly visiting the blog. The RSS feed alerts readers to every new post via their feed reader or e-mail account. Using a service like FeedBurner.com will make this process a lot easier.
3. Blog and ping: Set up your blog with a list of other websites and services to ping to. This is now possible with most blogging platforms and server software. Building a good big ping list will enable other sites and search engines to spider your site every time there is an update.
4. Blog commenting: Offer to comment or publish content on other blogs or sites related to the same niche. The owner will usually allow you to link back to your own site, providing the comment you have provided is respectful and useful to the site itself. Be as courteous as possible! Make sure your comment is relevant, and don't make it a big advertisement for your own site.
5. Do Trackbacks: Many blogs allow you to make commentary about their posts on your own blog. When you link to their particular blog post, a link to your own blog post appears in the comments area on their blog. For trackbacks between WordPress blogs, all you need to do is link to a blog post and it's automatically set up. BE RESPECTFUL: If you're going to trackback, have something useful to say. Just summarizing and linking to someone's post does NOT add to the discussion.
6. Keep up-to-date with your e-mail list: Your list can be the foundation to the success of your blog. Keep your list updated with relevant posts and helpful information that they may enjoy. Those on your list will appreciate the contact.
7. Distribute more content: Don't limit all of your content just to your blog. Distribute your content in other ways, like article marketing videos, podcasting, posting content on other people's sites and blogs etc. Keep pumping that content out to drive more visitors to your pages.
8. Affiliate linking: You may have set up your own affiliate program, enabling your affiliates to link back to any page on your site. Try to encourage your affiliates to link to, and write about your blog posts. A recommended system to use is quicksales.com - which is a private label 1shoppingCart solution, enabling affiliates to direct traffic to any page they please.
Traffic from your affiliates are cookied, so any purchases made on the day or at a later date will be attributed to the affiliates, and commission will be sent. Conversions on blog posts aren't going to be as good as the sales page, but it gives your affiliates the chance to provide great content to their readers, and benefit from any purchases made.
#9 Social Networks: All of the popular social networks around can provide traffic like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Internet users admire the transparency that these type of networks offer, and like the idea of being able to communicate with the blogger. Follow the right mannerisms when using these networks, and try not to fall into the trap of messing around on social networking sites for hours ( remember there's more important work to be getting on with). And, if you are remarkable as mentioned above, everybody else will be talking about you on the networks without you having to intervene.
10. Social Bookmarking: Social bookmarking includes sites like Digg, del.icio.us and Stumble Upon, where you can share links to a variety of content. Some people self-bookmark, but realize this could put your account in jeopardy, so read all the rules first. Others choose to work with others in helping each other bookmark. Being remarkable also encourages people to spread the word on your behalf.
11. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): I've chosen to put SEO at the end of the list, even though I know a lot of people would disagree. If you're trying to find first-time visitors or people who are just browsing, SEO is fine, but if you want the faithful visitors who continuously return, try not to concentrate too much on optimization.
The trouble with trying to optimize every single page on your blog is the time it takes to do so, and the fact that you could be using that time for being remarkable. Remember that content should be readable rather than just written for the search engine's, and keyword rich with the same phrase repeated throughout. If you're savvy enough however, you could combine the two by optimizing your existing pages, but don't make this a priority over your (remarkable) content.
#1 Be outstanding. There is a good reason this is first in line. Being outstanding to begin with will ensure that everything else becomes easy, as it will make a lasting impression on your readers, and interest will increase.
So how on earth do you make yourself remarkable?
* Being informative: Teach your readers what they want and convey the info in a way your audience appreciates. * Entertain - Insert humor, amaze your readersdo what's appropriate to get their attention. * Connect with Your Audience - Understand and speak to their pain, worries and even their dreams and desires. * Be Controversial - Share an opinionnot everyone has to agree with you to find you interesting.
I have been accused of having an "if you build it, they will come" attitude with this suggestion and I guess to some extent, it is true. That doesn't mean you can't be proactive in your traffic building as well, but the more remarkable your blog isthe better the long and short term effects of your efforts.
2. RSS: Some may say RSS old news, but there are still many blogs that haven't thought to use a feed. If it is not something you have come across, an RSS feed is simply something that allows readers to stay updated without constantly visiting the blog. The RSS feed alerts readers to every new post via their feed reader or e-mail account. Using a service like FeedBurner.com will make this process a lot easier.
3. Blog and ping: Set up your blog with a list of other websites and services to ping to. This is now possible with most blogging platforms and server software. Building a good big ping list will enable other sites and search engines to spider your site every time there is an update.
4. Blog commenting: Offer to comment or publish content on other blogs or sites related to the same niche. The owner will usually allow you to link back to your own site, providing the comment you have provided is respectful and useful to the site itself. Be as courteous as possible! Make sure your comment is relevant, and don't make it a big advertisement for your own site.
5. Do Trackbacks: Many blogs allow you to make commentary about their posts on your own blog. When you link to their particular blog post, a link to your own blog post appears in the comments area on their blog. For trackbacks between WordPress blogs, all you need to do is link to a blog post and it's automatically set up. BE RESPECTFUL: If you're going to trackback, have something useful to say. Just summarizing and linking to someone's post does NOT add to the discussion.
6. Keep up-to-date with your e-mail list: Your list can be the foundation to the success of your blog. Keep your list updated with relevant posts and helpful information that they may enjoy. Those on your list will appreciate the contact.
7. Distribute more content: Don't limit all of your content just to your blog. Distribute your content in other ways, like article marketing videos, podcasting, posting content on other people's sites and blogs etc. Keep pumping that content out to drive more visitors to your pages.
8. Affiliate linking: You may have set up your own affiliate program, enabling your affiliates to link back to any page on your site. Try to encourage your affiliates to link to, and write about your blog posts. A recommended system to use is quicksales.com - which is a private label 1shoppingCart solution, enabling affiliates to direct traffic to any page they please.
Traffic from your affiliates are cookied, so any purchases made on the day or at a later date will be attributed to the affiliates, and commission will be sent. Conversions on blog posts aren't going to be as good as the sales page, but it gives your affiliates the chance to provide great content to their readers, and benefit from any purchases made.
#9 Social Networks: All of the popular social networks around can provide traffic like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Internet users admire the transparency that these type of networks offer, and like the idea of being able to communicate with the blogger. Follow the right mannerisms when using these networks, and try not to fall into the trap of messing around on social networking sites for hours ( remember there's more important work to be getting on with). And, if you are remarkable as mentioned above, everybody else will be talking about you on the networks without you having to intervene.
10. Social Bookmarking: Social bookmarking includes sites like Digg, del.icio.us and Stumble Upon, where you can share links to a variety of content. Some people self-bookmark, but realize this could put your account in jeopardy, so read all the rules first. Others choose to work with others in helping each other bookmark. Being remarkable also encourages people to spread the word on your behalf.
11. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): I've chosen to put SEO at the end of the list, even though I know a lot of people would disagree. If you're trying to find first-time visitors or people who are just browsing, SEO is fine, but if you want the faithful visitors who continuously return, try not to concentrate too much on optimization.
The trouble with trying to optimize every single page on your blog is the time it takes to do so, and the fact that you could be using that time for being remarkable. Remember that content should be readable rather than just written for the search engine's, and keyword rich with the same phrase repeated throughout. If you're savvy enough however, you could combine the two by optimizing your existing pages, but don't make this a priority over your (remarkable) content.
About the Author:
If you're looking to pull more profit out of your business blog, check out the IM Blogging Bootcamp. This 4-week intensive program designed to get you actively and effectively blogging to reach more of your prospects and convert more of them into lifelong customers.
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