This post was most recently updated on February 11th, 2019
It can be so difficult getting traffic to your blog.
This is a big challenge for new bloggers.
But well established bloggers are always looking to tap into ongoing sources of traffic.
These tips are guaranteed to get traffic flowing to even the most sluggish blogs.
Best of all, you can implement them right away to generate highly targeted traffic to your blog.
7 Secrets For Getting Traffic To Your Blog
Building traffic to your blog may take time.
So, be patient and persistent.
Now, you can’t do everything at once.
So carefully consider which tips you want to act on first.
That said, this should always be first for everyone.
1. Publish High Quality Content
Write great content to help others
If your content doesn’t help your readers, then don’t write it.
Every single thing you put on your blog should improve the lives of your readers.
Special: FREE Guide… 4 Things I Did To Build My Blog Using Only Free Traffic
I list this as the #1 tactic because if you’re not doing this, nothing else will work.
There’s no negotiating here… you MUST publish ONLY content that helps your readers solve their problems and improve their lives.
Now there are lots of strategies for WHAT kind of content to write.
You might consider a roundup post, an authority post, an entertaining post and so forth.
Or perhaps you want to do a series of articles designed specifically to drive traffic to your blog.
Whatever KIND of content you write, or for whatever purpose, you want it to be high quality.
Bloggers are easily tempted to jump the gun and shoot for quantity instead.
Don’t get sucked into this trap.
It’s far more important to write good stuff than to try something crazy (for most of us) like posting a blog post every stinkin’ day.
So enough for what NOT to do.
Let’s see how to do it the right way.
Now, there are some key elements to writing a great blog post.
Let’s review them.
Your Headline
I guess the first thing that people are going to see when you write a blog post is your title, right?
So you might think that the title is a pretty important element of a great blog post.
You’re right.
In fact, it is probably the most important part.
I mean you want people to open your blog post, right?
So you see, it doesn’t really matter how great the content is in your blog post if people are not opening it.
And only the title or headline is going to get people to open it.
Capeesh? actually, I just learned from a spell check… it’s capisce 🙂
So the key with your title is to make it benefit-rich.
Read more here… How to Write a Blog Post – The Ultimate Guide
on Smartblogger
Show people the benefit that they will reap from actually clicking on your blog post and reading it.
If you don’t show them a benefit to reading it, then they’re probably not going to be interested in even looking at it.
Would you?
I really want to take this just one step further.
Don’t just show people the benefits in your headlines.
Show them how you are going to save them, ie. Solve Their Problems.
Consider their most pressing problem, and solve it in your blog post.
Or at least, solve a piece of it.
Let your headline be a promise to solving a piece of a big problem or challenge that they struggle with…
…and believe me they will “click to read.”
The Introduction
The big job of your blog post introduction is to Disrupt Complacency.
Read more here… Writing Blog Posts That Ignite Viral Content Marketing
So you see, people don’t really want to read your blog post.
They are too comfortable and complacent.
Happy to be doing whatever they’re doing, and not be disturbed.
But hey, the only reason they are reading your blog post is because they saw your blog headline promising them something they want.
Something worth the disturbance.
So what they’re really hoping for is a solution to their problem.
If your blog post promises that, then it will be a welcome disruption to their complacency.
Extend your headline
So really, the introduction is just an extension of your headline.
You’ve told them in the headline the benefit they’ll get from reading your blog post.
But you only had a few words to do that.
In the introduction, you get a chance to spell it out more in detail.
So here’s what you do.
Repeat to them that you will solve their problem or offer them the promised benefit.
Promise to deliver specific benefits
But now, spell it out in more detail.
I like the blog posts that say something like “in this blog post you are going to learn the following.”
Or, “by the end of this article you will know how to…”
Now, I don’t really use that formula myself, but I think it’s a really cool thing to do.
You can use your own version of it.
But the idea is let people know right up front in the introduction that they’re going to get a lot of benefit if they continue reading.
This pulls them in so they’ll read further.
It also keeps them on your blog longer, so they won’t bounce.
So that’s another thing.
The introduction is key to reducing the bounce rate of your blog post.
The Body of Your Article
Now for the body of your blog post.
Where should you begin?
Well, the scariest thing in blogging is staring at a blank white page.
So you’ve got to get started somewhere.
I always like to start start small and work up big.
Something like this, from Rebekah Radice…
Read the full article here… 7 Steps to Writing Your Best Blog Post Every Time
So, once you’ve got some kind of an outline, then it’s time to just put it together, right?
Well, okay, I don’t want to oversimplify this.
You’ve really got to know where you’re heading.
My Tiny Post system
So, I like to do a very simple mini blog post before I do the full one.
I build it out from the tiniest seed and then grow it however large I want.
I call this my Tiny Little Post system.
It’s basically this.
Don’t sit down to write a 1,000 word blog post.
Sit down to write a 10 word post.
However you go about writing your blog post, whatever message you use to get started and get off the dime. so to speak.
The point is to get things rolling.
In just a tiny way.
And once they get rolling, just to let them flow.
After the first 10 words, things will expand into a full-blow blog post far more easily than you’d think.
Just follow my Tiny Little Post system here…
4 Ways To Write More Blog Posts, And Write Them Better And Faster
Alternate Methods
But that’s just my method.
There are many others.
Here’s one I really like from Laura Yates…
Read the full article here… Write Better Blog Posts (That People Actually Read)
on Blogging .com, by Laura Yates
So choose a method that works for you and put it to work.
An extension of your Introduction
That’s right.
The entire body of your blog post is an extension of your introduction.
You already told people what you’re going to show them in the introduction.
What you’re going to teach them.
What problems you’ll be solving for them.
So now, in the body, just list those things that you promised.
Then make them happen.
One at a time.
If you promise five things… there’s your outline.
Now fill in the five promises with whatever it takes to fulfill them.
If you made only one promise, then break that down into it’s parts.
Anything that you promise to do can surely be broken down into 3, 4 or 5 parts.
So that’s what you can do for the body of your blog post.
Improve lives
The main thing to remember is that you’re always trying to help people solve problems and overcome challenges.
You want to help them have a better life.
They should come away from your article feeling like their life has been made just a little bit bitter better, just a little bit easier because they read your blog post.
And if they have that feeling then you will have earned their trust.
Put Calls To Action (CTA) in Every blog post
Your whole business as a blogger is built on trust.
Need more blog traffic?
Keep making promises and keeping them.
That builds the kind of trust that brings a steady flow of traffic to your blog.
You don’t want to write your blog post just to show that you’re an authority or an expert on something.
Not until you have built a bond of trust first.
People don’t care that you’re an authority or an expert.
What they really care about is solutions to their problems.
And they want to know if they can trust you to give them that.
Trust fuels conversions
I assume that your blogging business has some sort of monetization scheme.
But people are not going to buy products from you, join your business or email list, or hire you for your services until they first come to trust you.
You must instill trust in your readers with every blog post that you write.
Show them that you care about them.
And that you have their best interest at heart… not yours.
That, more than anything, will convert people from passive readers into eager subscribers, buyers and clients.
Use Storytelling
You can usually do this best by interweaving your own personal perspectives or your own personal stories into anything that you’re trying to teach or even promote.
Show people how it worked for you.
Tell them how you tried it and how you liked it, or not.
Share your successes or even failures with your readers.
Let them know that you’ve walked the road that they are now walking.
You’ve had the same problems and faced the same challenges.
Make it like a story, not just some boring information or lecture.
Engage your audience
These things will create a bond a trust between you and your audience.
And trust is what blogging is all about.
That’s the intention that should underlie every single blog post you write.
Building trust and rapport is far more important that than just teaching a lesson or dumping a bunch of information on people.
Plot a Careful CTA Strategy
What do you want your readers to do when they read your blog post?
If you don’t know, then you won’t be getting any conversions.
And driving traffic to your blog is pretty meaningless if you have no conversion strategy in place.
CTA’s are not afterthoughts.
You don’t want to be writing a great blog post designed to attract a ton of traffic until you’ve FIRST, determined what you CTA’s will be.
Read more here… 21 Call to Action Examples in Writing and 3 Rules for Effective CTAs
by David Zheng on Crazy Egg
So consider very carefully what calls to action you’re looking for when you write your blog post.
In fact, the structure of you blog post should revolve around your CTA’s.
Remember, CTA’s are not afterthoughts!
If you are teaching people how to do something, for instance, it should be for a purpose.
The purpose is your CTA.
Now that they have learned how to do whatever you just taught them, they could be ready to do something like…
Join your email list to get more in-depth information or training on the subject.
Or, buy what you’re promoting to implement what they just learned in your blog post.
Or, click below to read another article you wrote, or a video you did, etc etc… to take the learning a step further.
So don’t be shy.
Ask them to take one of those actions, or something else that will help you grow your business.
If you don’t ask, then you will not build your email list, get a sale or move readers onto some of your other content.
All the traffic in the world will not help you get those conversions unless you create very clear CTA’s within your blog post.
2. Establish Congruency
Make sure the title of your blog is congruent to the content.
Don’t “promise” that you’re going to solve your readers’ problems unless you really are.
So don’t write a blog title like this…
“3 Ways To Build An Email List”…
If your article then goes on to describe 3 reasons that it’s important to have an email list, but never really tells people “how” to build one.
Make bold promises in your blog post title.
That’s great.
But only if you deliver what you promise.
3. Create Video Engagement
You want to climb Google’s search results ladder, right?
And, you want to connect more personally with your readers.
Embedding videos routinely in your blog posts will accomplish both objectives.
The videos can be of you, facing the camera and talking to your audience.
That is always the best way to create engagement.
If you are camera shy, though, you can do a screen share.
In that case, you could just share a demonstration of something.
Do this while your webcam is capturing your browser, for instance, instead of your face.
The point here is that video helps you engage with your audience.
This will make your blog more popular with the search engines.
Even more though, it will become more popular with your readers.
Increased engagement always leads to an increase in traffic.
And remember, nothing helps you get personal and engaging with your readers than video.
4. Market Your Content
It’s not enough to create great content.
Sure, that is the first thing you need to do.
Once that’s done, though, you have to get out of your blogging bubble.
In other words, you have to find your readers where they are.
This usually means that you need to get your message out on the big social media sites.
Or on forums, blogs and wherever else your target audience hangs out.
Special: FREE Guide… 4 Things I Did To Build My Blog Using Only Free Traffic
You see, you can’t just write great blog posts and wait for people to discover them.
You need to get out of your blogging bubble and put your content in front of your audience.
Share your content routinely and robustly in the places where they can be found.
5. Build Relationships
A big reason for you to get out of your blogging bubble is to start building relationships.
Build relationships with your readers, audience, other bloggers and even prospective business partners.
This kind of activity usually means becoming active on social media sites.
But forums and even leading blogs are also good places to connect.
Being “active” on social media requires that you actively seek people out.
It means that you are actively marketing yourself, your content and your ideas to them.
Be clean and be mindful of the goals you have for your blogging business.
Connect with audiences and individuals who will help you attain them.
You want to do this wisely, though.
If you’re posting videos, for instance, you don’t want to make them all about you, your blog and your business.
But you want to create authoritative, knowledgeable and entertaining video.
Use “teasers” that interest people and promise a solution to common problems in your niche.
Occasionally, direct them back to your blog.
I use Facebook Live videos to do this.
I actually have gained quite a number of new followers this way.
You can do this, too, either with video, engaging status updates and just by joining ongoing conversations inside of groups and comment threads.
Twitter is also a good place also to connect with blogging “tribes.”
Special: Get My Best Blogging Secrets Now (Free)
Using Twitter hashtags will help you meet so many people in the same niche as you.
All you have to do is start retweeting their posts and you’ll be setting the foundation for a strong blogging community.
6. Optimize Your Blog
Make sure your blog doesn’t get buried in the avalanche of other sites in your niche.
Practice the best SEO strategies to make your blog search engine friendly.
After all, search engines like Google and Bing can send you tons of free traffic.
But before they do, they need to know that your blog post matches their search queries.
Now, one of the most important SEO tactics to employ is to link to other blogs.
This is a really cool tactic because
- you will be linking to other blogs and sites that your readers will appreciate and value
- and, you will start building relationships with other site owners and bloggers
So, in the process of optimizing your blog, outbound links can help you
- raise your authority level with your readers, and
- build meaningful relationships with other bloggers
These are things that will get your blog noticed.
When your blog gets noticed, people start visiting, commenting and following.
Just make sure that you are linking out to really good blogs.
That way, you’ll always be
- sending your readers to articles that really help them, and
- creating and nurturing bonds with high quality bloggers.
7. Comment On Other Blogs
Each time you comment on other blogs, you build your relevance to others.
You also get noticed by people as you build your authority with them.
And you gain valuable backlinks to your own blog.
But you need to do it the right way.
Special: FREE Guide… 4 Things I Did To Build My Blog Using Only Free Traffic
First of all, always be polite.
This may be the most important part of driving traffic to your blog.
Be consistent.
Go to other blogs every day.
Read them.
Leave a meaningful comment.
As long as you comment in a way that acknowledges the author of a blog, and tells him/her what you got out of it, the blogger will be thrilled.
Then take a moment to share their article on social media.
So what do you think is going to happen?
Yes… ding ding ding… they will come to your blog to comment and share, too.
Remember sharing is caring!
When we care about others, it does show in everything we do.
7 Secrets For Getting Traffic To Your Blog
So these are my tips for getting traffic to your blog… or getting more traffic to it.
One thing I should underscore is this…
Blog content does not always mean written text.
People often think of a blog as a written article.
But I have found that video is especially powerful for getting traffic to your blog.
Why do I stress putting videos on your blog?
Because it is interesting for people.
People love to watch other people so live streaming is king of all video types.
Special: Get My Best Blogging Secrets Now (Free)
It not only shows who you are, but more importantly, shows how you interact with people.
And it all happens in real time.
Live video streaming captures you as you interact with people who are saying “hi” to you, or asking questions or commenting on your ideas.
As you interact with others via live stream video, you are showcasing how you interact with prospective readers of your blog.
Some of them can turn out to be loyal and avid followers.
You also benefit by demonstrating how you teach others.
So, here are my hot bonus tips for getting traffic to your blog…
- post videos to YouTube and include them in your blog posts
- refer people to your blog via live streaming videos on Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram.
Now, if you’re shy about video, just remember this… we all have different personalities.
Keeping this in mind, know that some people will instantly be attracted to who you are and what you share with them.
Your delivery, personality or message may not be a good fit for others, though.
Ergo… You can’t please all of the people all of the time.
So don’t even try.
Just be yourself.
Which of the above “7 secrets for getting traffic to your blog” is your favorite?
Let me hear from you!
Leave me a comment below, and then share this articles on your favorite social sites.
-Donna
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