Hope you don’t mind if I get right down to the nitty gritty! Feel free to grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and make yourself comfortable. I have some good tips for you today!
INCREASE YOUR BLOG TRAFFIC WITH THESE 11 TIPS
1. LINK UP TO BLOG HOPS but participate with CAUTION! Before you move on, please read Blog Hops and Facebook (have you read Facebook’s terms)? I can’t stress this one enough! They are the best tool out there for bloggers to meet new people with similar interests. Most blog hops require you to follow the hosts and co-hosts, then you’re on your own. You are able to follow the sites you like and in return they’ll follow you back. It’s that simple! It’s a great way to drive traffic to your blog, increase your following and social media contacts. Feel free to visit my Link Ups Page for a list of active Blog Hops!
2. CO-HOST A BLOG HOP! Many blogs offer co-host spots for little to no money. Trust me it’s worth the $5 – $10. As a co-host, you are guaranteed to be one of the first few to link up. Others that link up will be required to follow you. So let’s think about this for a minute. If 100 people link up, you’ve just gained 100 new followers, 100 likes on your Facebook fan page, 100 Twitter friends, 100 followers on Pinterest, etc. I’m sure you get the point. Not too shabby if you ask me.
An example of a Blog Hop from The Life of a Not so Ordinary Wife!
3. NETWORK. A lot. It pays to put the time in and show a little interest in what others are doing. Networking is also a great tool to use for inspiration. I can’t tell you how many times I come across a website and am inspired by things like blog design, crafts, home decorating projects/makeovers, post content, photographs, recipes etc.
4. LEAVE COMMENTS. If you’ve been there, let them know. Let’s be realistic, everyone loves comments! It makes us feel good to know people are interested in what we are saying. Let them know how relatable their content is, inspiring, educational, or even just a simple thank you for sharing is always nice! If you are super impressed, pin their material (if they allow it) or share via a social network. I’m sure they would appreciate it. Some even return the favor! BONUS!
5. JOIN A BLOG NETWORK OR TWO! Something like Bloggy Moms, Better Blogger Network, or Blogher just to name a few. Make sure to participate in discussions or create your own. Blogging networks are a great tool for finding blog hops to link up to, guest blogger and co-host requests, button swap opportunities, subjects to blog about, blogging challenges, etc. The opportunities are endless!
6. DON’T PUBLISH A POST AND SHUT DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. Share your post links on all your social networks. Get the word out! YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND IT’S WORTH READING! And don’t be afraid to pin your own content! That’s right, I said it! I always pin my own stuff and not just to one board. My posts usually contain photographs which I’ll pin to my photography board, freebies like storyboards, frames, printables, which I’ll pin to my Freebies board, product recommendations that I pin to my Consumer Info. board and so on. It’s also a fantastic way to get repinned!
Don’t belong to any social networks? I highly recommend joining at least a couple. Make sure you belong to the most current and popular ones like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Check out Top 10 Review’s List of 2013 Best Social Networking Sites.
Do you belong to too many social networks? No worries. There are tools out there to help you manage your social networks. If you haven’t read my post about Managing your Social Networks, this is a must read!
Other social networks definitely worth considering:
Pinterest
Bloglovin'
7. REGISTER YOUR BLOG WITH SEARCH ENGINES like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. This will make it easier for people to find you.
8. REGISTER YOUR BLOG WITH BLOG DIRECTORIES such as Technorati, Blogher, Picket Fence Blogs, Blog Catalog, etc. You’d be surprised how many people refer to blog directories when they are looking for something.
9. BE MINDFUL OF YOUR POST TITLES. Post titles should be concise. Use headings, alt tags for your images, and tags for your posts. These things will help your page rank tremendously!
10. KEEP YOUR CONTENT FRESH AND UP TO DATE! Make sure your website is user friendly, clutter free, and consistent throughout. Check your website’s loading speed at Pingdom. Your page should not take a long time to load or you may lose potential followers. I know, I’ve done it myself. It’s sad, but time is precious and you want to be respectful of people’s time. If you have to make adjustments to decrease your site’s loading time, I would highly recommend it! Not sure how to do this? No problem, feel free to check out 10 Tips for Decreasing Web Page Load Times by Six Revisions.
11. READ. READ. READ. Did I mention READ? There’s so much to learn from others. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other successful bloggers. You’ll be surprised by how much people are willing to help! For additional blogging tips, feel free to check out the following websites!
a. Blogger Sentral
b. Problogger
c. bloggingtips
I hope you find this post helpful. I’d love your feedback. Have any blogging tips, tutorials, tools, to share? If so, feel free to leave a comment!
If you missed my previous post My Top 15 Men’s Gift Recommendations, come check it out!
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posted on 19 December at 15:59
I once wrote a post about overhead doors here in Edmonton (http://www.doorsurgeon.com/oh-link.php) and that was one of the most popular blog posts I had written! I was shocked. I mean, who knew people liked garage doors so much?