Every blogger is looking to achieve the exact same thing: They are hoping to be read. There are millions of bloggers that give the idea a shot but then eventually give up because they feel like nobody is reading them. They feel like if they are unable to get blog traffic, then why should they even try?
If you feel like you are currently in this position, try not to give up. It is easy to get blog traffic and to gain loyal readers if you are willing to keep blogging. Here are five methods that you can use to get blog traffic where previously you were struggling to gain readership.
1 – Maximize your use of RSS.
Your blog will come with built in RSS capabilities, and you should make sure to be taking advantage of these. The easier it is for people to subscribe to your blog, the easier it will be for you to get blog traffic when you need it.
2 – Build links from other websites.
Search engine spiders use links to navigate the web and index the websites that they find. What this means is, the easier that you make it for the search engines to find you, the easier it will be for you to get blog traffic through search engine results pages. It really is this simple.
3 – Write and syndicate content articles.
Websites and blogs alike are both hungry for content, so if you are willing to deliver this content, then you really cannot go wrong. You will earn new traffic every day, and this flood of traffic will begin as soon as your first article has been posted.
4 – Comment in other related blogs.
Blogs are designed to act as conversations. If you have insights to add to a conversation, or a comment that you want to make, by all means, make it. Leave your e-mail address and a link back to your website, and you will actually be able to get blog traffic simply by participating in online conversations elsewhere on the internet. This is a quick, easy and interactive way to get blog traffic when you are looking for more visitors to your website.
5 – Keep blogging!
The more content that you have, the more visitors you will have, because blog readers love content and are constantly looking for fresh and new information and content. If you provide it, they will find it, and if you continue to provide it, they will continue to return time and time again to read it. It really is this simple. Content is one of the most vital aspects of the blogging process. If you are not posting content, your visitors will never find you or have a reason to stick around once they do.
Bonus Tip
Wordpress blogs can make use of Related Websites plugin. Sign up for Blog Traffic Exchange to leverage your content and readership for even more blog traffic. Get quality links to and from your site with other Blog Traffic Exchange members. It’s simple, easy, and indispensable, but don’t just take my word for it. Try it! Learn more about the Related Websites plugin, what it is, how it works, who is eligible and how to get it.
Showing posts with label traffic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traffic. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
getting traffic to blog
I realize that at this point this blog is pretty small time but I'm hopeful that it can grow to be something significant and helpful for people. For the past few weeks I've been tossing the idea of moving to my own domain around (my apologies for the recent lack of content while I tossed the idea around). After some thought I've decided that its time to move to my own domain. At this point I'm not certain what the domain will be but I should know in the next week or two. In the interim I plan on continuing to post here a little more and then once I've secured the domain and web hosting (anyone have a favorite?) I'll copy the content from here to the new site.
In light of my decision I wanted to take a minute to address why I'm moving and hopefully encourage others to do the same. My first and primary reason for the move is to allow this site to develop its own personality. It seemed to me that continuing to host on blogspot labels the site as being somewhat amateurish and doesn't leave much room to become any sort of authoritative source on increasing traffic to a blog. I'm also moving because I want to have the flexibility that having your own web space provides.
It seems that the longer I would have waited to move the hard the move would have been so I decided that the time was now. My own domain will cost about $8 and then a year of hosting can be just a few bucks a month, easily worth it I think.
If you're currently writing on blogspot, typepad, wordpress or some other blog hosting service make sure that you consider your goals for you blog and determine if having your own web space will further reaching those goals. If it will then its probably time to make a move.
In light of my decision I wanted to take a minute to address why I'm moving and hopefully encourage others to do the same. My first and primary reason for the move is to allow this site to develop its own personality. It seemed to me that continuing to host on blogspot labels the site as being somewhat amateurish and doesn't leave much room to become any sort of authoritative source on increasing traffic to a blog. I'm also moving because I want to have the flexibility that having your own web space provides.
It seems that the longer I would have waited to move the hard the move would have been so I decided that the time was now. My own domain will cost about $8 and then a year of hosting can be just a few bucks a month, easily worth it I think.
If you're currently writing on blogspot, typepad, wordpress or some other blog hosting service make sure that you consider your goals for you blog and determine if having your own web space will further reaching those goals. If it will then its probably time to make a move.
getting traffic for your blog
The golden rule applies here: You must have useful content in your site – or nobody won’t visit there. First you must earn the traffic. After then you start getting it. People who have been long in the business have earned their reputation. If they set up a blog, you can rest assured that their blog will receive lots of traffic.
Seth Godin (a marketing professional) describes this very same point in getting traffic:
The problem, of course, is in the “get.” The request has at its foundation the assumption that what you’ve built has somehow earned attention. “Our business model is working great–we just need more traffic…”
People never say, “how can I earn more traffic?” or “How can I rethink the core of what I’m offering so that it organically attracts people who want to see it?”
The 3 strategic points:
* First of all, your site must be online when people want to visit there. Cheap web host won’t get you far away.
* Secondly: there must be useful content in your site – or nobody won’t visit there.
* Thirdly: Have a long term plan. 6 months is nothing when building a high traffic site.
14 tactics for getting more traffic:
Here’s some fast & easy tips for getting some traffic to your site:
* Make press releases
* Participate in different forums
* Remember to use forum signatures
* Write articles
* Create a blog that supports your game site (it can establish credibility)
* Include your blog link to your game site – and from game site to your blog
* Include your website url in your emails
* Share business cards (remember to have website URL there)
* Mention your site to your friends
* Mention your site when you play online
* Exchange links with people
* Submit your site to different search engines
* Submit your site to different news
* Get interviewed
Example case:
GameProducer.net visitor amount has been increasing all the time, but during days 20-22 there was a small decrease in numbers. I decided that I need to earn the traffic, so I thought about writing a really, really interesting post – and shared some insight information about the secret game project. The story also contains an image which makes it more interesting – at least in my opinion. I decided to go through the forums I visit (as mentioned in the ‘tactics list’) and made announcements in each forums. The next day I had a 5% increase in visitors and about 10% increase after two days. Also the number of newsletter subscribers went up right away. Now I’m going to re-visit those forums and reply there.
First have content somebody wants, then let the people know about it. It’ll bring traffic.
Seth Godin (a marketing professional) describes this very same point in getting traffic:
The problem, of course, is in the “get.” The request has at its foundation the assumption that what you’ve built has somehow earned attention. “Our business model is working great–we just need more traffic…”
People never say, “how can I earn more traffic?” or “How can I rethink the core of what I’m offering so that it organically attracts people who want to see it?”
The 3 strategic points:
* First of all, your site must be online when people want to visit there. Cheap web host won’t get you far away.
* Secondly: there must be useful content in your site – or nobody won’t visit there.
* Thirdly: Have a long term plan. 6 months is nothing when building a high traffic site.
14 tactics for getting more traffic:
Here’s some fast & easy tips for getting some traffic to your site:
* Make press releases
* Participate in different forums
* Remember to use forum signatures
* Write articles
* Create a blog that supports your game site (it can establish credibility)
* Include your blog link to your game site – and from game site to your blog
* Include your website url in your emails
* Share business cards (remember to have website URL there)
* Mention your site to your friends
* Mention your site when you play online
* Exchange links with people
* Submit your site to different search engines
* Submit your site to different news
* Get interviewed
Example case:
GameProducer.net visitor amount has been increasing all the time, but during days 20-22 there was a small decrease in numbers. I decided that I need to earn the traffic, so I thought about writing a really, really interesting post – and shared some insight information about the secret game project. The story also contains an image which makes it more interesting – at least in my opinion. I decided to go through the forums I visit (as mentioned in the ‘tactics list’) and made announcements in each forums. The next day I had a 5% increase in visitors and about 10% increase after two days. Also the number of newsletter subscribers went up right away. Now I’m going to re-visit those forums and reply there.
First have content somebody wants, then let the people know about it. It’ll bring traffic.
getting more traffic
With the new Yahoo! "Pay-For-Review" model it might be relatively easier for sites to get into the directory but
getting traffic from your listing is altogether a different story. And now with it's new annual recurring payment policy
you have to be extra careful while submitting your site for a review.
Here are 8 things to keep in mind while submitting your site to Yahoo!
1) Selecting your domain name is the most vital step in getting a top ranking in Yahoo! and also other directories
like Dmoz and Looksmart.
Make sure your domain name is "Keyword Rich". You can make your domain keyword rich by simply inserting hyphens to separate words in your domain name. Yahoo! gives more relevance to sites with keywords in their domain name.
Take our domain name for example: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/
It is made up of 4 different high-in-demand keywords: "Home Based Business", "Home Business", "Home Business Opportunities", "Home Based Business Opportunities".
While crafting your domain name, even you should try to keep your domain name such that it is made up of one, 2-4 words main or "parent" keyword; which in turn is made up of 2-4 high-in-demand "child" keywords.
You may or may not get a top ranking for all your targeted keywords but you can be sure of getting one for your main or "parent" keyword (If you do everything else right).
Even if you have to get a separate domain name for this purpose, GET IT! It is absolutely crucial for your ranking.
2) Sites which are placed higher in directory structure are given more relevance than sites which are placed lower or
deeper.
For example a site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities will be given more relevance than a site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities/Directories
Here's a great tip to select the most trafficked category for your website...
Once you have short-listed 2 or 3 category to place your site in to, check out the cost of Sponsor Listings of those
categories.It's really simple. Visit the following URL: https://ecom.yahoo.com/fast/sponsor
Enter the URL of any website that is listed in your desired category (The URL should be same as it appears in Yahoo! and the category should be a commercial category).
Please note that Yahoo! accepts Sponsor Listings for only certain commercial categories and so this tip may or may not work for your category.
You'll be asked for your Yahoo! ID. Once you submit the information, you'll be provided with the Sponsorship charges for that certain category. Repeat the process for your remaining short-listed categories.
Now compare the prices of all your short-listed categories. Naturally the one with a higher price is the most trafficked one!
3) Yahoo! considers keywords in the directory structure while ranking.
For example, if someone is searching for "Business Opportunities Directories", a web site listed in category -
B2B/Business_Opportunities/Directories will be given more relevance than a web site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities
4) Yahoo! DOES NOT spider websites to determine ranking. It ranks web sites based on keywords in domain name, title and description. So having META tags does not make any difference to your listing.
5) DO NOT try to stuff as much keywords as possible in to the description. Yahoo! editors are notorious for cutting
down the description if they sense even slightest hype. Try to avoid words such as - no.1, proven, turnkey, exciting
etc.
Also, make sure that the heading of your home page is same as the description you provided for your site. There should be no confusion in the mind of the editor reviewing your site.
6) Make sure your domain name and business name is the same since Yahoo! is known to use the business name as the title for your listing.
7) Make sure your website is "Content Rich". This is very critical for two reasons. One - to get your site
accepted by Yahoo! and Second - to maintain and get a higher listing.
Yahoo! determines the popularity of a website by the amount of time a visitor spends on your website. If a large no. of them hit the "back button" of their browser as soon as they hit your web site, you can kiss goodbye to your dreams of a possible higher listing.
Once you get a lower listing, it can get very difficult to make up as visitors will not be able to find your site
easily.
Once a site gets accepted into the directory, Yahoo! ranks it based on the keyword popularity in domain name, title and description. But as time progresses, it determines the ranking based on the popularity of the website itself.
We ignored this and our listing came down drastically within few days of getting accepted!
8) Before submitting your website, thoroughly research websites that rank higher for keywords you are targeting (Especially the "Most Popular" sites in the directory section). This will give you a rough idea of what to and what not to include in your website.
getting traffic from your listing is altogether a different story. And now with it's new annual recurring payment policy
you have to be extra careful while submitting your site for a review.
Here are 8 things to keep in mind while submitting your site to Yahoo!
1) Selecting your domain name is the most vital step in getting a top ranking in Yahoo! and also other directories
like Dmoz and Looksmart.
Make sure your domain name is "Keyword Rich". You can make your domain keyword rich by simply inserting hyphens to separate words in your domain name. Yahoo! gives more relevance to sites with keywords in their domain name.
Take our domain name for example: http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com/
It is made up of 4 different high-in-demand keywords: "Home Based Business", "Home Business", "Home Business Opportunities", "Home Based Business Opportunities".
While crafting your domain name, even you should try to keep your domain name such that it is made up of one, 2-4 words main or "parent" keyword; which in turn is made up of 2-4 high-in-demand "child" keywords.
You may or may not get a top ranking for all your targeted keywords but you can be sure of getting one for your main or "parent" keyword (If you do everything else right).
Even if you have to get a separate domain name for this purpose, GET IT! It is absolutely crucial for your ranking.
2) Sites which are placed higher in directory structure are given more relevance than sites which are placed lower or
deeper.
For example a site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities will be given more relevance than a site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities/Directories
Here's a great tip to select the most trafficked category for your website...
Once you have short-listed 2 or 3 category to place your site in to, check out the cost of Sponsor Listings of those
categories.It's really simple. Visit the following URL: https://ecom.yahoo.com/fast/sponsor
Enter the URL of any website that is listed in your desired category (The URL should be same as it appears in Yahoo! and the category should be a commercial category).
Please note that Yahoo! accepts Sponsor Listings for only certain commercial categories and so this tip may or may not work for your category.
You'll be asked for your Yahoo! ID. Once you submit the information, you'll be provided with the Sponsorship charges for that certain category. Repeat the process for your remaining short-listed categories.
Now compare the prices of all your short-listed categories. Naturally the one with a higher price is the most trafficked one!
3) Yahoo! considers keywords in the directory structure while ranking.
For example, if someone is searching for "Business Opportunities Directories", a web site listed in category -
B2B/Business_Opportunities/Directories will be given more relevance than a web site listed in category - B2B/Business_Opportunities
4) Yahoo! DOES NOT spider websites to determine ranking. It ranks web sites based on keywords in domain name, title and description. So having META tags does not make any difference to your listing.
5) DO NOT try to stuff as much keywords as possible in to the description. Yahoo! editors are notorious for cutting
down the description if they sense even slightest hype. Try to avoid words such as - no.1, proven, turnkey, exciting
etc.
Also, make sure that the heading of your home page is same as the description you provided for your site. There should be no confusion in the mind of the editor reviewing your site.
6) Make sure your domain name and business name is the same since Yahoo! is known to use the business name as the title for your listing.
7) Make sure your website is "Content Rich". This is very critical for two reasons. One - to get your site
accepted by Yahoo! and Second - to maintain and get a higher listing.
Yahoo! determines the popularity of a website by the amount of time a visitor spends on your website. If a large no. of them hit the "back button" of their browser as soon as they hit your web site, you can kiss goodbye to your dreams of a possible higher listing.
Once you get a lower listing, it can get very difficult to make up as visitors will not be able to find your site
easily.
Once a site gets accepted into the directory, Yahoo! ranks it based on the keyword popularity in domain name, title and description. But as time progresses, it determines the ranking based on the popularity of the website itself.
We ignored this and our listing came down drastically within few days of getting accepted!
8) Before submitting your website, thoroughly research websites that rank higher for keywords you are targeting (Especially the "Most Popular" sites in the directory section). This will give you a rough idea of what to and what not to include in your website.
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