August 9, 2017 •Claire Archer-Davis
So you’ve got your blog up and running, and you’ve written a few posts, but no one seems to be looking at your musings on cupcakes vs. muffins, what next? It may not seem like it, but there is actually a bit of a science to directing people to your blog, and here are just a few ways to increase your blog traffic today.
1 – Sharing is Caring
Unless you’ve already built up a loyal following of readers, no one will know when you put up a new post. Sharing the fact that you’ve posted something new is vital for spreading the word and increasing your blog traffic. The best way to get the word out is by sharing a link to the blog post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, or any other social network that you use. It’s also worth noting that you should share the link more than once, especially with the likes of Twitter, where everything moves so fast.
2 – Get some contributors
It’s no fun doing all the hard work yourself, so why not branch out and get a contributor in from another blog or website to write you a guest post? There may be a topic you’re interested in sharing with your followers, but you may not necessarily know a lot about it. Getting a guest blogger in is a great way to engage new people, and you will also get a bit of publicity from the contributor shouting about it on their own blog or website. It’s a win/win
3 – Write guest posts
After you’ve got someone with a lot of their own blog traffic to write a guest post for your blog, it’s only fair that you return the favour! Try asking around to see if anyone would be interested in publishing your content on their own website. Make sure to link the content back to your blog to help increase your own traffic.
4 – Photos go a long way
You could have the most informative blog post in the world, but it’s a fact that many of your readers will tend to wonder off and get distracted online if you don’t include a visually appealing image or two to keep their interest. It’s also a great way to get people to your website by introducing keywords into the ‘alt image’ tag of the photographs so that Google Images will send people your way.
5 – Search Engine Optimisation
It may not be your favourite thing in the world, but Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of the most effective ways of getting people to read your content. Introducing keywords that relate to what the post is about, means that anyone searching Google for those terms is more likely to see your article.
6 – Link to other websites
The real secret to boosting your blog traffic is optimising your website so that Google knows what content you post, and who to show it to. After you’ve introduced keywords in your posts and images, it’s time to start giving your website some credibility by including links to other websites and content on the Internet. Not only does this make it easier for your readers to find information relating to what you’re talking about, it also builds good relationships with other websites as well.
7 – Find your target audience
Facebook and Twitter now have extremely powerful tools to help you find your target audience and display your content to them. Facebook’s advertising feature allows you to ‘sponsor’ your posts and aim them at the narrowest of target audiences. For example, if you run a blog about raising your kids in London, you can set it up so your posts get seen by women who are aged 20 – 40 with children below the age of 10 who live in London.
8 – Be active
Depending on the subject of your blog posts, it should be pretty easy for you to find a massive online community who are also interested in that subject. So find them, and be active. Interact with them, start discussions, and get to know the people you’re aiming your content at. Not only does this make you a more likeable person, it also gives you a unique insight into what your readers are looking for in a blog post. Twitter is an especially great place to interact with like-minded people and get them talking about your blog. You can use keyword searches to find people who might be interested in what you have to say.
9 – Be relevant
You might have a long list of topics that you would like to write about for your blog, but it definitely pays off to throw in a topical post every now and again. If you can relate your content to a hot new film, that celebrity everyone is talking about, or the latest craze then you can often direct brand new readers to your blog, as they will ‘stumble upon’ your content while looking for the latest news. If your blog is good enough, then they could end up coming back for more!
10 – Make sure you have sharing buttons
Even if you don’t have a clue about website design, you can still add sharing buttons to your website or blog easily with plug-ins and tools like ‘Add This’. These tools allow the readers that have found their way onto your website a quick and easy way to share any content that they like with their own friends and followers. All they have to do is click a button, and your traffic could increase dramatically.
The world of blogging can often be a difficult one, especially when it seems like you’re doing loads of work and putting yourself out for very little reward, but stick at it, try some of our top tips and before you know it, you’ll have your own following of dedicated readers!
Here at The Bright Click we provide blogging services for our clients as well as SEO advice, web design and development and social media management.
For more information please get in touch with us on: 0208 614 3296