9 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog
As a blogger or writer, you know that creating great content is only half the battle. The other half is getting someone to sacrifice two minutes of their time to actually read what took you three hours to write. Or, in my case, three days—God help me! With so many blogs and websites out there, how can you make sure your content gets noticed? Before I answer that, I am going to be brutally honest with you; because I think you’re like me—and expect nothing less. Well, the truth is, I’m not certain that these 9 ways to increase traffic to your blog actually work, because my blog is still down here in the primordial SEO soup, just waiting to catch a keyword up outta here. However, since that isn’t going to happen anytime soon, I did some extensive thoughtful research on the topic, and this is what I can tell you:
The answer is promotion. By promoting your blog, you can increase traffic to your blog or website and grow your audience. In this post, we'll discuss 9 ways to increase traffic to your blog and get more eyes on those posts you work so hard on.
Before we dive in, it's important to remember that promoting your blog is an ongoing process. If you want to gain a following, you have to give people a reason to. So give them that reason, which is— more great content! As you publish that content, you need to consistently promote your blog in order to see results. Enough chit-chat, let's get started.
Optimize Your Blog for Search Engines
One of the most effective ways to promote your blog is to optimize it for search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) involves making changes to your blog that will help it rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). When your blog ranks higher, more people will be able to find it.
Here are some tips for optimizing your blog for search engines, er, I mean Google:
1. Use keywords
Using keywords in your posts lets the search engines know what your content is about. In broad terms, if your keyword(s) are what people are typing in these days, the search engine can move your "little post" on up the SERPs ladder. Sounds simple enough? Yeah right. Here's a tip that I discovered whilst researching: Keywords don't have to be one word—in fact, over time, keywords have evolved into phrases, like the ones I'm using here: 9 ways to increase traffic to your blog
But, as we're being honest, I don't even know that I am using keywords correctly. Just passing on some stuff I've absorbed early in this blog adventure.
2. Use meta descriptions
A meta description is a brief summary of your blog post that appears in SERPs. By writing compelling meta descriptions that include your keywords, you can entice more people to click on your link. Speaking of meta description, I'll be writing one for this post if I ever finish.
3. Use header tags
Header tags (such as H1, H2, and H3) help search engines understand the structure of your blog post. By using header tags to break up your content, you can make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your blog.
Leverage Social Media
For those of us whose blogs aren’t even out of the crib yet, let alone walking, social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your blog and reaching a wider audience. By sharing your blog posts on social media, you can drive traffic back to your blog and increase your visibility.
When using social media to promote your blog or website, keep these useful tips in mind:
4. Choose the right platforms
Not all social media platforms are created equal. Depending on your niche and target audience, certain platforms may be more effective than others. It also helps to become acquainted with each site’s optimum posting times and their parameters regarding images. Here’s something I found on Pinterest that I’ve found very helpful to get you started.
5. Share your posts more than once
This is one I have a hard time with because I don’t like it when things are pushed in my face. But they say—don't be afraid to share your blog posts multiple times on social media.
Since social media feeds move quickly, it's easy for your posts to get buried. By sharing them more than once, you increase the chances that people will see them. And they have thousands of followers, compared to my five, so listen to them!
6. Use visuals
Visual content (such as images and videos) tends to perform better on social media than text-only content. Try to include visuals in your social media posts whenever possible. Also, since we’re talking about optimization, here’s a chart with some tips from Wix:
| TIPS FROM | WIX! | |
| Images | Icons & Illustrations | Animated Content |
YES! | JPG | SVG | VIDEO |
NO! | PNG | JPG, PNG | GIF |
Network with Other Bloggers
Networking with other bloggers can be a great way to promote your blog and build relationships within your niche. By connecting with other bloggers, you can learn from them, collaborate on projects, and potentially reach their audiences.
Here are some tips for networking with other bloggers:
7. Comment on other blogs
Leave thoughtful comments on other blogs in your niche. This can help you get noticed by other bloggers and potentially drive traffic back to your blog.
8. Participate in blogging communities
There are many online communities (such as Facebook groups and forums) where bloggers gather to share advice and support each other. Participating in these communities can help you connect with other bloggers and learn from their experiences. You can start off by joining my forum, called The Writer’s Niche!
9. Attend blogging events
If there are blogging events or conferences in your area, consider attending them. This can be a great way to meet other bloggers in person and make valuable connections. If you find any near Grand Junction, Colorado, please let me know.
Conclusion
We discussed 9 ways to increase traffic to your blog through promotion. By optimizing your blog for search engines, leveraging social media, and networking with other bloggers, you can get your content in front of more people and build a loyal following. Remember, promoting your blog is an ongoing process, so don't be afraid to try new strategies and experiment with different approaches. With persistence and hard work, and perhaps a sprinkle of Google dust, we can achieve the success we’re looking for, while helping others in the process.
Comments