In today’s society, it’s hard to get noticed. What was once unique and unheard of has now become commonplace. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus, who once shocked the world with their fashion choices, are now starting to go into a “been there, done” situation. We’re all bored and we think we’ve seen it all.
Okay, so how do we get noticed? When it comes to blogging, so much content has been created, iterated over and over again. It’s nearly impossible to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creativity unique content. What’s a blogger to do when trying to increase their traffic numbers, while every other blogger is trying to do the same?
It’s time to up your game and think outside the box. In the end, don’t forget the reason behind blogging. It has to be something you enjoy. It shouldn’t feel like you’re pulling teeth. Below are 10 different ways to get your gears rolling when it comes to increasing your blog traffic:
Be Proactive
1. Write, Write, Write
Writing unique or interesting content for a particular niche is not always easy. Ultimately, blogging requires commitment and passion to get your message across and attract readers. Take the time to write meaningful content and make sure your blog is updated frequently. That way, readers who were interested in your first post are more likely to stop coming back to invest time in your blog.
Also, make sure you build your readership from scratch. Always make sure to respond to feedback. This shows that you care about what your audience has to say. If possible, setting up an RSS feed to update your followers when you post new content.
2. Keyword Research
Naturally, a big factor of successful blogging lies in its appearance in search engines. This is done by specifying the phrases and keywords your readers enter. To do keyword research, Google has a free program called the AdWords Keyword Tool. This program is meant to match your words to the intent of your phrases. The possibilities are endless to find a broad and precise match.
3. Bookmark Your Posts
Implement a strategy that doesn’t hog your time but still gives you the best returns on getting traffic to your blog. It’s important, even vital, to include tags in your posts. Hashtags are easy for search engines to notice. Ultimately, this is key for readers to find your blog space. Also, it can help your blog’s popularity in search engines.
4. Take Advantage of Links and Tracking
Another successful way to increase your blog traffic is to include links. Search engines and other bloggers see links very easily. This is useful because you can take this information and investigate the site to invite new readers to your blog, but also add a link from their site. It’s a win-win situation, as trackbacks can be used on other blogs to indicate that you’re linking to them. What’s great is that they will appear in the comments section, ultimately increasing the amount of traffic from those who comment.
5. Maximize Your Efforts with Analytics
Every blogger can use Google Analytics as it is a free service which helps you to generate data about your blog. From this data, you can track how much traffic your site collects and what people may be leaking about your content.
Plus, it’s a great opportunity to evaluate what’s working and what’s not, to help you improve your content and presentation. For example, if you are a company you blog about quality of existing equipment, you can see how many real visitors searched for this keyword. Plus, you can track how many people started their search with this term. This will give you, as the blogger, an accurate account of how successful your content is being read by others.
Present
6. Explore Other Social Media Outlets
Social media has registered so many users in recent years. For example, Facebook has hit a losing streak 850 million plus userswhile its competitor, Twitter, is not far behind 465 million people. With these platforms shaping the way we communicate, there’s no doubt these sites will be great outlets to spread the word about your blog. Simplify these social media accounts with your blog. These sites allow sharing to happen with the click of a button. Therefore, if someone likes your content, they share it and others see it. Your blog will spread like wildfire. The amount of exposure you will receive is well worth the extra time posting to multiple sites.
7. Be a Guest and Host
It is true that the Internet has made connection with people all over the world possible. However, it should not neglect face-to-face gatherings and gatherings. Making your presence known at real life events and functions is a great way to network and get noticed. The people you meet and connect with are likely to spread the word about your blog, because they earn your respect and appreciation. Other a great resource is Lanyrd, which is an event directory that connects people from social media to their real-world location. This makes networking a bit easier while staying connected.
8. Conducting Surveys
Engaging readers in online surveys is a great way to get honest and instant feedback. Including an open space for comments allows your readers to discuss topics that will interest them and let you know what is important to them. This can help you influence the way you run your blog and interact with your readers. SurveyMonkey is a user-friendly tool to use when trying to generate solid surveys.
Brave
9. Embed
Pinterest has grown rapidly over the last two years, generating Pinterest wish lists, interests, and house parties. This platform with infinite scroll is an excellent platform for pinning your blog on individual boards or connecting and sharing with others. Having access to contributor boards makes it easier to generate more traffic and increase exposure with followers. Be sure to choose eye-catching images, make your title visible and always include keywords in your description. Stand out in an unconventional way and track how successful this method of exposure is for your blog.
10. Design the Vines
Owned by Twitter, Vine has become a new phenomenon. This six second loop video has encouraged others to feel inspired, connect with others, and laugh a little. Think outside the box to increase traffic and create a kind of “teaser” about your blog content. Once designed, you can easily share your Vine on Twitter and Facebook by linking to your blog posts using hashtags. Plus, your unique approach to advertising your blog is sure to spark conversation. Many will want to see your blog out of curiosity to know what your Vine is and what it’s all about.
Yes, It’s Worth It
When it comes to increasing traffic for your blog, what’s the loss? It’s risky to create content and post it publicly for the world to see, so why not take an even bigger leap to make your blog a success. Whenever possible, think outside the box and try some unconventional approaches. You will definitely be noticed.
Image by Alex Talmon
