That is the dream of every blogger or writer. We all want more traffic. Getting more traffic is a sign that people are interested in what we have to say.
In this guide, I will walk you through some of the methods I use to get more blog traffic. These methods work for both newly started and older websites. I’ve used the same methods for years, added some new ones along the way, and they still work effectively.
What are the methods that I use?
- Guest Post
One of my favorite methods to get more blog traffic is through guest blogging, also known as guest posting.
Guest blogging is like speaking in front of an attentive audience at a conference you did not plan. If you add value, people want to learn from you, regardless of whether or not it’s your platform. Imagine giving people ten tips about how to generate traffic, and then letting them know that you have another ten on your website. Would people then want to read your blog? You bet they will.
Another great thing about guest blogging is building links to your website. Google still views link backs as authority links. Each blog post you write for other bloggers should provide a backlink to your site, and that extra help can contribute to increasing your Google rank.
Link backs can help your website and your blog posts rank better. It worked great a few years ago, and it’s still very useful now. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and read Neil Patel’s 100k journey. In his journey, you’ll see Neil recommending link building. He proved that it works.
Also note, I’m not saying you should SPAM each guest post you write by adding in a number of links. NO, NO, NO, NO. Add value, then link back. As a blogger and a blog reader, I hate articles that talk about a brand like it’s the best thing in the world and find the post full of unhelpful links.
- Learn Basic SEO
If you want more traffic, you need to master the basics of SEO. Notice, I mentioned BASICS and haven’t urged you to master the entire SEO bible?
The reason is that SEO is always changing, but one thing that won’t change is keyword difficulty or competition around a keyword. It’s important to understand how keywords can affect your rank.
For example, if big brands are showing up in the top 10 results of a search, and you are just starting out, it can take some time to compete with them and rank among them.
Here are some useful tools to get you moving in the right direction:
The key is to target keywords that aren’t too competitive and have a decent number of searches for them. The tools I recommend above can provide you with some and it’s up to you to experiment and see which keywords work for you.
- Write Longer Blog Posts
As mentioned in my blog post How to Write a Blog Post that Gets Read & Thousands of Shares, writing longer helps. Writing longer blog posts has SEO benefits, and people will want to share a blog post packed with valuable information that is well developed.
In fact, both of these claims have been proven. Here’s the data that supports that.
My recommendation is to discover the keywords you want to dominate. Then write a blog, using those keywords, that is more than 2,000 words long.
Writing longer gives you more opportunities to add more variations of keywords compared to a blog post with an average of 500-700 words long. For example, for one my long form blog posts, I targeted the search term “elevator shoes” and other keywords like “height increasing shoes” and “platform shoes” to build an arsenal of keywords that people would search for when looking for that particular topic.
- Know the Image Dimensions for Each Platform
When sharing your blog posts, it’s important to know the proper image dimensions for each platform. It’s a mistake to share a picture at the wrong size.
Imagine trying to share a large infographic on Facebook or Twitter. You might be surprised to find some of it is cut off, or too small to read.
This handy post will give you all the social media image dimensions.
You might also want to consider vertical images for Pinterest as they work better than horizontal images. Meanwhile, horizontal images work best on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. If you want the exact dimension, I found this infographic to be useful.
- Reach Out to Bloggers
Another excellent way to build traffic is to build a compilation post containing information from other expert bloggers. These blog posts tend to take time, but they work tremendously for getting more traffic.
Think of a compilation post on the topic you want to dominate.
For example, when thinking about the subject of getting more blog traffic, you might come up with a post on how “27 Experts Share Their Best Secrets on Getting More Blog Traffic.”
The simple reason these types of posts work is because experts in those lists will want to share the blog post and will help drive traffic to your site. I’ve been featured in many lists and 100 percent of the time I share it because I’m in it. You will need to remember to email these experts when the blog post publishes.
I usually see who else is on the list and tag them when sharing so they know I’ve shared it. Many times they will tag me too. The circle may even continue for a few more rounds. This type of sharing and re-sharing is an effective way to generate traffic as it puts the post in front of new followers and encourages sharing.
The person who benefits the most is the blog owner who compiled it.
- Add an SEO plugin
If you have a WordPress site, add a plugin designed to boost search engine rankings. The common and more popular WordPress plugins for SEO are the All-in-One SEO Pack or Yoast. It’s a pretty simple trick that yields results.
- Repurpose your content
Have you considered repurposing your content into different formats? Many bloggers don’t think about it. But it can be an effective way to gain more blog traffic.
Take a blog post you’ve written and then try one of these other formats for the content:
- Video
- Slideshare
- Podcast
- Ebook
- Infographic
A good way to get traffic through SEO is to host versatile content. Having versatility is GOOD in Google’s eyes because it shows that you’re an established site.
I created this SlideShare based on my blog, and it has been doing well on the platform with over 20,000 views and growing. Many of those views have converted into traffic for my site.
I also repurposed other posts into infographics and submitted them to platforms like Visual.ly and have also re-published them on my website. All these little things work well in the long run, because as people consume the content in these various forms it will begin to build more traffic for your blog.
- Interview experts in your industry
Another trick to get more blog traffic is to interview experts in your industry. While these blog posts may not get the most shares, it will get traffic from people searching about these experts.
Think about leaders or bloggers you admire. Once you have a list, slowly talk to them on Twitter or other social platforms, leave a few comments on their blog and then reach out to them.
- Run a Giveaway
One great strategy to consider is hosting a promotional giveaway on your blog. Then make sharing your content one of the ways to enter into your contest.
This strategy brings in traffic and leads if you use platforms like Rafflecopter.
I’ve held contests, and they tend to do very well in generating traffic and leads.
One tip is to always giveaway something that is relevant to your business. For example, if you’re a women’s apparel company, give away your product or something that can be associated with your brand like bracelets, hair pieces, and other accessories.
If you’re a service company, give away your service.
Never give away an iPhone 7 just because it’s popular and everyone wants it. If you do, you’ll attract the wrong crowd and they’ll likely disappear after the contest ends.
- Publish a Top List
Another favorite method of mine to generate more blog traffic is to create a best resources/best bloggers/best something-in-your-niche list.
These type of blog posts work. They will get you traffic because people named in those lists will be delighted and more likely to share them within their networks.
I created a 21 All Star Twitter Marketing Accounts You Need to Follow list recently on Social Quant, and that blog post has over 1000 shares already. I had a plan when I created that post. I wanted to increase my blog traffic.
Did it work? Yes, it did.
- Be Patient
This last part is crucial. While these tips sound like they will start generating traffic immediately, it’s not that easy.
Take my blog for example; Although I have written many new posts their recently, the traffic keeps climbing. The reason is because I focused on many of the things mentioned above. I wrote guest posts, built links, added different formats to my blogs, and waited for my SEO efforts to kick in to get more traffic. While my posts did not get the traffic I wanted instantly, it’s steadily climbing as a result of my work.
It’s Your Turn
These are the best tips that I use to increase my blog traffic. What tips can you offer to a fellow blogger who wants to increase blog traffic?
Let me know in the comments below.
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