Starting a blog is easy but gaining a readership is a big challenge. You must have hoped readers would visit their websites instantly, but it takes some effort to build an audience. But you don’t need to be a marketing expert to figure out how to increase blog traffic. Here are the 12 ways to boost readership and increase traffic to your blog:
1. Write Better Content Frequently
If you want to increase web traffic, the best thing you can do is write better content. The more often you update your blog, the more traffic it will receive. Google prioritizes websites with fresh content. So if you want to grab more attention from the search engines, update your blog at least three times a week.
Bloggers must have heard the phrase “content is king” several times. However, creating “better content” is not just about quality. It also means being strategic with your content marketing efforts.
2. Craft Better Titles
You should always ensure that you are writing compelling headlines. Titles or headlines help potential readers decide whether they should continue reading your post or click the back button. Some even suggest that the title is more important than the content itself. Even if you have great content but a shabby blog title, that post will die quickly.
Always strive for a catchy headline that will build and grow your readership.
Don’t be afraid to play with different headlines. Share your post frequently with other headlines and see which style works best.
3. Promote Your Blog On Social Media
Internet users are into social sharing. That makes social media a big market. Share every new blog post through your social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. If you devote time to expanding your networks and sharing excellent content, social media sites can become some of your top traffic sources.
4. Find Your Niche
You might have millions of ideas floating around your head. Or sometimes, you might be struggling to finish one blog post.
While you may be interested in beach life, exotic travel destinations, shopping, e-sports, and fitness, you will confuse your audience if you don’t stick with a clear theme. Decide who your target audience is, what they want to read, and what specific messages you want to convey. Then, use it as your basis for finding your niche.
5. Include Photos
Studies have shown that adding photos to blog posts increases the readership. Pictures make the post more visually appealing. And you can also include keywords in the Alt Image tag on the photo, boosting search engine optimization for your site. Take note that you can’t just pull any shot from Google because of the risk of copyright violations. Instead, locate royalty-free images on websites like Pexels, etc. Or you can subscribe to a graphic design service like Penji to help you design your blog images and infographics.
6. Integrate Keywords In Your Blog Posts
Keywords are the lifeblood of SEO. One of the fastest ways to generate more traffic to your blog is to ensure that you have a keyword strategy. So for each blog post you write, pick one keyword you believe readers would use to find that post. Next, incorporate that phrase into the post’s title, the headline on the page, within the content at least two times. Keywords help search engines understand what that page is about, leading to more traffic from the search engines.
Keywords and SEO must be part of your strategy if you want to drive big-time traffic to your blog. The critical thing to note with SEO is to use it in moderation.
7. Incorporate Links
Include a link to a company’s page when you mention another company’s product or service in a blog post. Google prioritizes outbound links on your website. In addition, the company you showcase may also read your post and link back to you. Readers will also appreciate it when you provide resources to make it easier for them to find what they need.
8. Add Social Sharing Buttons
Here’s another tactic. Make sure to include social sharing buttons for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the other major social media networks. Place them at the top and bottom of your blog posts. This best practice makes it easier for readers to spread the word.
9. Optimize For Page Loading Speed
Your visitors aren’t going to sit and wait around for your website to load. If your page isn’t loading fast enough, they’ll hit the back button and move on to the following Google listing (i.e., your competitor) before you can flip a flapjack.
Need to check your site speed? No problem! Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool will give you your speed score and tips on what you can do to kick your site in the pants it might need.
10. Invite Guest Writers
When you allow others to write for your blog, you add more content without you lifting a finger. As a result, those contributors or guest writers will also share with their networks. And eve and may ask you to write for them, opening up new readership avenues for you. Watch out for a more in-depth blog about guest blogging in a separate post.
11. Add Video
Google owns YouTube, one of the apparent reasons that videos can bring more traffic to your blog. Support the written content on your blog with short videos that are both informative and entertaining.
12. Invest in Promoting Your Blog
If you believe your audience spends time on Facebook, try to invest in sponsored posts. For as low as $10, you can “Boost” a post that increases its reach significantly. So, you need to maximize the power of social media channels to increase blog traffic.
Now that you’ve learned how to increase blog traffic, it’s time to start improving your blog post structure. One of which is by adding photos or images. For your blog images and other graphic design needs, subscribe to Penji. Sign-up now and avail yourself of the 30-day money-back guarantee.
