We all want more traffic. We're all little traffic-greedy creatures counting on every single hit like a miser counts his pennies. There are countless tips on how to increase traffic. Yet what works for one person won't work for you and vice versa. I've compiled a list that might help (though the results are unpredictable) get you those much needed views.
1. Use social networks. Since I started my blog in September of 2010, I've been tweeting every single post I've posted. You're running a blog, a media outlet to get yourself heard. Don't be static. And don't ONLY post links to your blog. Make yourself accessible. Make yourself a dynamic character on the intrawebs that people can get to know. I personally love Twitter more than any other outlet. And as I've learned from my stats, a majority of my visitors come from there as well. So use Facebook, use Twitter, use Tumblr. They're all free. So why not?
2. Connect. This is something that consumes time. A lot more time than some of us have, but it's worth it in the long run. Visit other blogs, comment on posts that you actually read (its surprising how many people comment on posts without actually reading them - and believe me, we notice). Link back to your blog at the end. You don't necessarily have to say "Visit my blog". The best way to put it would be your name and your blog's name,
linking your text back to your blog. You'll be surprised how many people actually come back.
3. Reread your posts before posting them. This may sound like a no-brainer, but its surprising how many of us forget to use a no-brainer. We're human, we make mistakes. But we can reduce the number of them by spending some time. Check your spelling. One of the most common errors I come across: than instead of then. It's a small mistake, but that small typo can go a long way in judging your professionalism. And the number of people who'll revisit you tomorrow.
4. Participate in memes. When I started blogging, I had no idea what memes were. According to the dictionary, a meme is an image, video, etc. that is passed electronically from one Internet user to another. In the book blogging world, memes are hosted by a single blogger. Other bloggers participate by following the easily-laid-out rules and posting the meme on their blog. You link your post on the host-blogger's blog afterwards. Memes make it easy to connect with a bunch of bloggers. Its an easy and fun way to find new blogs, make some friends, and learn a little bit more about the blogging community along the way. Did I mention it helps boost your traffic too? Yeah.
5. Tag it up. When writing up a post, it takes only a second or two longer to add a tag (or label) to it. If you're writing a review, tag it as such. If you're posting an interview, giveaway, or whatever, label it to match. Not only does it make it easier for your visitors to search for related posts, but search engines pick up labels quicker. They're more visible to search crawlers than your post content.
There are a lot more tips to help boost traffic to your blog. A lot. For now, try these, and see if they help. At least one of them will.
Do you have any tips to share? Leave them in the comments!
And if you've got a post idea you would to see discussed, feel free to say so!
