No One is Reading Your Blog? 18 Easy Ways to get Extra Traffic

Struggling with blogging figures each week or month? Wanting to find different ways to gain extra traffic to your blog which has taken a lot of your blood, sweat and tears? Well we could say that can be the same with a lot of us. Here are some solutions you can be sure to pick up some helpful knowledge on. Incorporate some today!

People start with a “Search”

There are a number of extra ways you can gain extra traffic to your blog. SEO is the first choice but I will give more information on SEO on a later post. Search Engine Optimisation is important because 93% of people begin their Online experience with a Search (and yes Google commands up to 70% of the pie!) . Yes you heard right “a Search“! – So that’s why it is so important to take on board knowledge of how they will be able to find you.. So top tip is start spending time each week learning about SEO and how to make your blog SEO optimized..

Look at your Statistics

Keep a record of what changes you make and what the stats are doing as you implement changes to gain traffic. Some methods you might already be using such as Pinterest. But to get the best out of something like Pinterest – you need to go on there everyday. So I make sure if my time is short – to pop on their to share at least 5 items to my home feed or save from good quality blogs.. I have also been going to the actual site to check if the article is both informing and not outdated. For example some may be recommending Google plus, Stumble upon or other outdated apps or information.

No. 1 Quality Content

While sharing content is important I must stress that you produce quality content. It is better to have a shorter post where you put more effort into its quality. It’s better not to have a lot of “fluff” or “filler”.

About ways to increase your Traffic

Some resources here will take a bit more time, some not.

Plus some will take a bit of learning the media and some will be fairly straight forward.

• Submit your Blog to Blogging Directories

I’ve only done this once – where it required you to put a badge on your blog. Here in this list you won’t have to.

• Think Professional

Make up a smart profile with what you are about and pop it on LinkedIn. Then join some Groups. I am in a number of them. Some are Bloggers groups and they ask for feedback and questions among other things you can learn. Some examples are Food bloggers even Food Bloggers of Canada, Eco Fashion Network, Lifestyles bloggers, Travel bloggers. I am part of Virtual Assistant Groups and Writing Groups. You get the picture. Set up and then go and answer some questions! Get known.

You can also be contacted with offers from this professional network – which can lead to more traffic if you have the ideal blog for that genre.

• Publish posts on Trending Topics

Check out Google Trends and Pinterest’s yearly trends. To give you some ideas about what to post that is in “vogue” and that you are more likely to get traffic for.

• Viral Content Bee

This is one of my favourites and does not take a great deal of time. This explanation will be more lengthy. I would possibly take 10 – 20 minutes every 2nd day to implement VCB. If I interact as in following those who follow me it takes a bit more. Maybe another 5 or 10 minutes twice a week.

A problem with some larger promotional groups on Facebook for instance is that you may follow and do the right thing But others may not do that for you. Viral Content Bee deals with that. It has a points system for when you share. It is a very quick system to do so and you can read the post description before deciding if you want to share. You easily check out the link to see the value of the post. There are a range of categories and you just choose.  If you share to different media peoples posts ie Pinterest – you get 4 points LinkedIn 2 points Twitter 1 point Mix 2 points. If you don’t have a strong following any of their appointed social media – you will be unable to share.  Some other points to take note of:

* SEO, Social Media, Blogging, Real Estate posts are highly sought after and your email box will ping regularly with shares coming in rapidly after you put up posts in those topics.

* They don’t want aggressive sharing ie just for the sake of sharing. They have an interaction section – where you see who has shared. There I go and follow those who have shared my posts and pop a message through where I can..  

* To get on the front page you need 30 points – which of course can be done in 10 to 15 minutes at most. There is some good material to go through. You allot the 30 points from the sharing you have done – to your project you have previously set up.

While you are new (which can be for awhile) Viral Content Bee checks your content before it goes live to make sure that quality is up to standard. When points are low you get a notification to top them up. You can then decide if its a slow project or not and whether to add more points. It can be lower than 30 or start more projects ie a new blog post. The projects can be kept current as long as you like. This is free but there is a paid version if you don’t want to spend the time in sharing and just want people to share your projects.. Time is money after all.

• Check out your Google Analytics

Check out the Section Acquisition / All Traffic / Source and Medium.  Source and Medium shows where your traffic comes from. Overlook Pinterest, Facebook, Google etc and look at the private referring websites.

Go and check these out and leave comments on two posts within the blog you have found in your stats. If someone came through that channel they liked what they saw in your comment. Maybe the the owner of the blog wanted to come and check you out. Choose the blogs where you have more than 1 or 2 referring. It won’t take long and yes I’ve had blog owners and/or referrers turn up in my Source and Medium section again.

• Talk about Bloggers on a Post and then…

Send them an email about a mention of them. They can be bloggers you admire or who have had an influence on you. Put the links in your blog post as you speak of how they have influenced you. Name the post something like.  “And Thanks to” or “Those who have influenced me.” or “Words are not enough to express my gratitude“. The bloggers you mention will often share your post and/or your blog link.

• Make your Blog post longer and check what your Reader wants

It seems not only are readers and Google after quality content but they are also after longer posts. Over 1,000 words is recommended. But do remember if the whole post is quality often it will get shared if you can write about what your Reader is after. Find your Reader in your Niche!

• Make sure your website is attractive and loads quickly

People can be less patient when it comes to loading times – so find out how to make sure your blog loads quickly. You don’t want them to leave when they have just landed on your blog as they may leave just as quickly.

There is nothing like an easy to navigate, bright and fresh and quick performing website. Quick and to the point. That’s why you can gain traffic to look further into what you have to share. I note that on my Google Analytics from time to time it will point out to me in the top to have a look in the side column and will point out which are slow loading posts. I will then have a look and see if there is anything I can do. Most often it can be uncompressed images.

• Quora

Many people have many questions – just like Google’s search box is on the receiving end of many of them. So as long as you don’t go out for hard-sell on Quora you will find people with all types of subjects imaginable. Go there and be a help with your blog’s knowledge! Leave your link which shows off your knowledge where applicable only..

• Linktr.ee

Use this in conjunction with Instagram to get more airplay on your blog posts. Do put the opening paragraph of your post – (use an interesting opening paragraph as your blog post should be). Leave out just enough so that they will be intrigued to click on the Link in your profile that is set up through Linktr.ee  Hashtag generators is another helpful way to make sure they find your post on Instagram in the first place.

• Instagram

Giveaways if done correctly can give you some high traffic volume and Instagram can be used for this. I am working with a blogger in the UK who has had quite a bit of traffic coming through a giveaway. I have also heard other bloggers concluding that their volume increased as a result. Not all people stick around – but you can gain some who are interested in “what you are about”.

• Tumbler

I use sharing to this in conjunction with Viral Content Bee. I have had the account for years – but it is a helpful vehicle for sharing posts and mild traffic

• InLinkz

I have not set up a Link Party but have joined my first one a couple of years ago and also continue to use Esme’s Link parties too. Does bring some mild traffic.

• Link to an Influential Website

Then contact them and let them know you have included them in your post. A kind of collaboration can often ensue.

• Mix

It is early days with Mix (since being replaced by Stumble Upon – which I found great!). It is  recommended  that you do not apply all your content at once (same as Pinterest) that you mix it up with good content too. Work on 80% others and 20% yours.

Put an eye catching cover on your Collection and consider having catchy keyword centred collection descriptions. Use Pixabay, Pexels or Unsplash to do this. Do a Collection banner size in Canva of 1500 x 384 (the minimum – which you want to stick to if you want everything in the photo!) However a recommendation from me is this. Put your custom photo through Canva at 1510 x 400 – since sometimes it isn’t quite big enough at the recommended and you have to take time playing with it..

Do choose to have the Chrome extension which makes it easier for Mix and do read the content you are sharing. Don’t just add anyone in case you don’t think the content is your thing. It is early days for Mix – so don’t get disheartened if things are off to a slow start. Remember Pinterest?

• Posting New Posts to Facebook

If you have your current post up and ready to go – don’t forget to post to any pages you have where relevant on Facebook. Your business / fan page / and your own groups. It can be easy to miss one of these if you have a great deal of these going on (I do!). Cover a topic which is relevant to that group. If you are on outside groups related to your niche find out promo days. Tip also: – before you drop a link putting a little about what your post is about.can often be the difference between someone choosing to have a look or by-passing.

Also when you do a post on Facebook – put up to 160 words in your description. An interesting read so someone wants to come and see what you have got. Remember an algorithm is at play – so hop on the bandwagon here. Facebook has allowed over 200 words (more than other Social media) – so do your best here to get “shown”.

• Check out Blog Comments

Look through the comments section on your Blog. Go to these websites and make a comment on their blog. Maybe thank them for past comments on your blog. Sometimes you will have over 3 or 4 comments which you will see numbered under WordPress from them – so spread some love!

• You are not a spammer!

So don’t use the same message on your social media when you share it – and make sure you share it multiple times in different ways. “Someone” (an algorithm) is “watching”.

• Put a call to action in your Blog Post

Within your Blog post pop in a call to action for your reader to join your Email list.. You will gain more readers and hence more traffic. It could be for products or services as well if you are so inclined.

• Be open to Guest blogging and ask for Guest bloggers

Not only do guest bloggers give fresh content but they can help to gain new followers through their own expertise. There are a number of groups that do this on Facebook.

• If you use GMail – Use Wise Stamp

Get a Wise Stamp detailed signature with your Social Networks shown here. There is a higher percentage of Social Media use – using this to share.  There is the ability to put links in for services or products you offer as well with the paid version. The statistics on Wise Stamp are:  Increases your engagement by 22% and your social reach by 10%

Final thoughts

Remember it takes a good while to build up good content. Don’t rush it. Allow yourself  6 months to 1 year and even up to 2 years for some.

If you are ever over my way – do come and say “Good day!”