2 Create a Website Blog

How I Doubled My Blog Traffic in 2 Months

Filed Under: Blogging, Build Traffic 485 Comments

I just got serious about blogging in December of 2007.

I had a blog on Blogger.com for 2 years, but rarely updated it.

Then in November of 2007, I installed Feedburner and discovered I had 430+ subscribers. I was shocked due to the fact I hardly ever blogged.

I didn’t want to lose those subscribers or the traffic, so I decided to challenge myself and see if I could generate an even larger readership.

After switching to WordPress last December, I got more serious about my blog efforts.

I subscribed to Darren Rowse’s blog, ProBlogger.net – a very informative and inspiring blog to newbies and seasoned bloggers alike.

Then I started doing some key things…

1. I am More Selective With My Topics

When I had my Blogger blog, I would often re-write information that was already on my site. I didn’t put much effort into the subject matter of my posts.

(Yawn!)

Now, I’m much more selective. I try to think more about my audience’s needs and what they would find interesting.

And even if I choose a topic that has been blogged about a lot, I try to add my own spin to make it unique. For example, how many articles have been written about “How to Write Good Content” or something similar?

Too many, right?

Well the reality is, most people don’t write good content and they find it a chore or get writer’s block.

So I blogged about this very issue and addressed it from a new angle in a blog post titled “Is Writing Content a Chore for You?” An email I received inspired much of the content in the post.

2. I Make Use of Some Handy WordPress Plugins

Some people go hogwild on the WP plugins. While there are some really cool ones out there, you don’t want to make your blog so plugin-licious that it’s difficult to navigate and read.

You can have too much of a good thing, but there are a few that really come in handy.

Two plugins I believe made a difference in my traffic and readership have been the SiteMap and Related Post plugins.

The SiteMap plugin is important because it generates and submits your blog’s sitemap (an XML listing of all your posts) to all the major engines. Once you install it, the plugin works its magic automatically.

Some of my posts get found in the search engines only hours after I create them.

The Related Post plugin is useful because it encourages people to read more of my blog. It helps them discover posts they might not have discovered had they not seen the “Related Post” link at the end of a blog entry.

Before installing this plugin, I noticed my most recent posts always received 95% of the traffic. Now, older posts are getting more traffic.

3. Visual Appeal

I doubt my graphics have made a huge difference in my traffic, but every now and then I get an email or comment from someone who says they love my blog images and graphics.

One lady says she can’t wait to see what kind of graphic I’ve created to go with the post.

Some of my graphics include pictures of people and things found on Photos.com (I’m a subscriber because I want to make sure I have rights to use the images on my site.)

Usually I’ll add my own flavor to the images with good ole’ PhotoShop.

However most of the graphics like the one in this post were created by me. Learning PhotoShop has been a great asset to my business.

While the content is what really makes or breaks a blog, a few appealing images and graphics can help round out your blog’s appearance and give it a more professional feel.

4. I Blog More Often

Blogging more often is not always a good thing. If you don’t have anything interesting to say then no point in blogging just for the sake of blogging.

It’s not worth losing your subscriber base so be sure your posts have substance.

When you blog often, the search engine spiders will visit more frequently, and this could help your traffic. Blogging often also keeps your subscribers coming back regularly and keeps you on their radar.

5. I Interlink My Blog With My Main Site

I am fortunate enough to have a site that already receives over 7,000 visitors per day, so of course that’s a huge help. When I create a new post, I look for relevant content on my site and provide a link to that entry.

When I used Blogger, I didn’t cross promote all that much. Now, I’m much more conscious of opportunities to interlink the two. So if you have a website and a blog, keep your eyes open for ways to link the two together.

6. Competitor’s Blogs Keep My Juices Flowin’

First and foremost I want to make it clear that I am not suggesting you copy someone’s content. Not only is it illegal but it’s highly unethical and dishonest.

But there’s nothing wrong with getting ideas from another blogger’s topics.

For example, if you see a blogger has written about the iPod Touch features (a topic that is overdone); rather than just re-wording what they wrote, create your own entry but take a different approach.

Maybe your post could be something like, “10 Reasons the iPod Touch is Better Than the Zune”. You’re writing about the same topic, but you’re taking the content in a new direction.

Not to mention you could capitalize on a new audience – people looking to compare the Zune and the iPod.

I encourage you to take a look at your competitor’s blogs, get ideas and look for ways you can create your own fresh, unique content.

7. I Switched from Blogger to WordPress

I wrote a post about this a while back, but it is worth mentioning again. I really do believe WordPress is a much better platform because of all the plugins and flexibility.

Blogger is probably easier to setup, but WordPress is pretty user-friendly too – especially if you have a Web host that offers CPanel. (I use HostGator and setup this blog in 5 seconds.)

I have much more control over my layout without having to edit the raw code (like you do with Blogger). Plus, WordPress breaks up the template into separate files so it’s easier to figure out what file controls what section of your blog.

Not to mention, WordPress has much better design templates, in my opinion.

And as I said above, additions like the SiteMap Plugin also help get your posts spidered and indexed faster.

8. I Craft My Titles More Carefully

I discovered titles that pose a question or contain a bit of shock value generate the most clicks. My recent entry “Would You Like $57,000 In One Month?” has a little of both.

Usually my newest post wins the “Daily Traffic Award” but this post is 2 weeks old and still beats out my newer posts on some days.

Taking time to develop a good title can make a huge difference. Particularly since more and more people use RSS to keep track of their favorite blogs.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make that title count!

9. I Give Away More Freebies

Who doesn’t love something free, right? Plus, it’s a great way to build loyal fans and viral traffic (because they’ll tell others who tell others and so on.)

But I have to be careful with this one because I want my freebies to have value. I hate it when I see Webmasters giving away items that have been distributed over and over again, or freebies you can find anywhere.

How insulting and unoriginal.

If you want your freebies to go to work for you, take some time to develop something useful and unique.

Here are some of my favorite freebies I’ve offered from my blog…

10. I Share My Personal Success

I wasn’t comfortable doing this at first. I felt I was bragging, but I slowly found it builds credibility. And I noticed other successful people often do the same thing.

If you’re trying to teach people how to do something, it helps to show them how your advice has worked for you.

While I don’t offer specifics about my income, I may display an AdSense check here and there or remind people I am making a living online.

It’s important that my audience knows I am actually walking the walk since I often talk about making money. See my record AdSense video below.

In Conclusion…

Doing the above things has not only helped double my blog’s traffic in 2 months, and my subscriber count is up by nearly 100 subscribers.

Which of the above strategies can you implement on your blog?

And if you’ve done anything to help boost your blog’s traffic that I haven’t mentioned here, feel free to share.

Comments

  2. By now i’ve read many posts for you Lisa in 2createawebsite, some are short and some are long but they are all quality content, it’s all about writting quality content for readers to make readers come again, but i have a question how to make you website fast?

    Reply

  3. Hi again Lisa,

    I just ran across this blog post again and reread it, taking away a lot of good information again. I was wondering how long you leave the Comments open, so thought I’d make a comment and see if it still worked. Do you have a set time that you close comments? I’ve set mine out about a year, but maybe that’s not such a good idea. Could you comment or blog post about that, please?

    Reply

    • Hi Cathryn,

      I don’t close them because I keep up with most of them and go in and respond to the ones I can. Obviously I can’t’ respond to all of them but I feel closing them will close off the line of communication and people may still have questions about the post. However, if you don’t actively monitor your comments and don’t ever go back to answer then you might as well close them.

      Also some people look at comment like extra content for the page (for SEO).

      Reply

  5. I really impressed with your traffic strategy that you applied to your website and I will try to my blogs to drive traffic, it’s really helpfull for me.

    Reply

  6. is it worked can you suggest how many article one should write daily and how to promote.If this the only way to double the traffic then it is somewhat difficult

    Reply

  7. Hello again Lisa, been out for awhile with two inches of kidney stones stuck in my ureter… ouchie.. but after much work.. I have managed to rank higher than you for keywords “tips on building website traffic”….lol… now 100 more pages to work on and maybe I can pay for my pain meds…lol

    Reply

  9. Great post! I have been following this same formula but unfortunately I’m not on full time. But what Lisa said is true. Consistent blogging will increase your traffic.
    Trending topics are good ones too but for a short period of time only.

    Reply

  12. hello dear Lisa,
    As you explained above I also create a blog before 1 year and i forget it. but before one month I just type my blog address in browser I shocked because the page views is more than 600. I also want to become best blogger like you. So please help me.
    Really I impressed with your website.

    Reply

  13. Just a quick comment that I have followed your website for the last 5 months. You have some of the best materials on web building that I have found. This post is one of your best but you already know that by the many others who have left comments.

    Keep up the great work and all of us will keep following you online.

    Thanks
    Lladro

    Reply

  14. This article is very useful because I have been searching for a lot of topics regarding driving traffic to my new blog. This is the only article that I really learned something new. Thank you for this!

    Reply

  16. Hi Lisa, really a nice and informative posting. good tweeks on images. But as you pointed “I am More Selective With My Topics” is more relevant with my story. I started of blogging in 2005. My blogger blog at start had PR 4 and good number of traffic came from SEs. But my too much experimentation downgraded my PR and I lost regular traffic. So, I suggest bloggers to stick to one niche and key-phrases. Double check keyword density and other SEO factors and never try to make your blogs too saucy that it pervert your genuine content framework. Stick to basics and be personal, not too professional.

    This is all from my own experience.

    Reply

  17. Thanks for sharing this on your blog. I just started mine almost a month ago and I’ve trying very hard to get traffic to it. I’ll apply some of these tips you mentioned here and see what happens.

    Reply

  20. I think other website owners should take this site as an example , very clean and fantastic user pleasant style and design . “It is the sign of a week mind to be unable to bear wealth.” by Seneca.

    Reply

  21. Lisa, you are the hardest working woman in blog business. I am trying to gain more traffic for my blog but, it is just not happening and I think I found the reason… my url extension. It is a dot info, should I do away with it and change the url of the blog but, keep the content? The blog is about three years old and I love but, love is not making me any money. Thanks

    Reply

  22. The thing that keeps me coming back to your site is the personality you attach to your articles. It’s a hard thing to explain but it makes the readers (me) especially get this personal association with what you are trying to blog about.

    Reply

  24. The fastest way to make more money for your business is to double the amount of people who are coming to your site and then get them to buy! I know that sounds easier said then done… 🙂

    Great post!

    Reply

  27. Kudos Lisa! I love this article and I love your writing style. Having made the switch from blogger to wordpress as well, I really identified with that choice of yours and hope to implement the other helpful resources you’ve written about. You are an inspiration!

    Reply

  30. Hi,Lisa i am a newbie take a look at my site and tell me what is wrong. I want it to look good with some nice contents but it have the same wordings on each page.can you give me some help with this.

    Reply

  32. Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thank you

    Reply

  38. i definitely agree that photos boost traffic. last year, one pic made an article on my blog “breaking free” the article with the most traffic for two straight months.

    Reply

  39. That’s a pretty comprehensive list! Thanks for the advice. I would echo the sentiments regarding WordPress vs Blogger. It seems the Google team loves to craft platforms that are useful to programmers, but not really for people who have no clue how to set up a site. Which tends to be the vast majority of the world, of course.

    Reply

  40. Getting readership and loyal blog followers is a very big question and surely a mysterious one. You’ve made it look so simple. I’ve been struggling with getting good visitors to my blog. Its difficult; agreed, but not impossible. You’ve inspired me to try more of it. Thanks

    Reply

  41. I created a blog on blogger but I have gone too far without many traffic, just like 20 visitor a week, even though I have made many things to improve I even have my domain. should I change to wordpress and start all over again ?

    Reply

  43. Wow, fantastic. I’ve been reading similar post like this over and over again but this is the only time that I was amazed. I guess I have to re-invent my strategy again.

    Reply

  45. Nice article again Lisa…
    I usually have a plan for my site. but when the blogging day comes, my mind just blank… dont know what to write lol
    sometimes i squeeze all my juice in my brain too.. and it came out not too good for my audience .

    thx again.

    Reply

  46. Thank you Lisa

    I’m an IT Technician who knows how to repair and maintain computers easy, but when it came to making my own site I was clueless.
    After watching your video’s on YouTube I had an idea of where to start. I’m still learning the ropes so to speak and trying to get more traffic flowing to my site.
    If it wasn’t for your video’s I wouldn’t even be where I am today.

    Thank You

    Reply

  48. Writing more often does not mean one should write rubbish; I do agree with you. I think writing a few quality post will build your blog credibility.

    Reply

  50. Your start was also inspiring as you had 400+ subscribers without doing anything. Trying to focus on your tips. Thanks lisa. Your tips are helping me a lot.

    Reply

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