It’s a sunny, summer morning and you’re in the car, headed to work. Cruising along, you catch up on the latest episode of your favorite podcast — and that’s when the brake lights start to flash.
“Why is everyone slowing down?”
Then you see it. There’s a lane closed up ahead, causing a major traffic jam. The stress sets in. You obsess over the clock, watching the minutes tick by. You’re already late for your 8 a.m. meeting.
Traffic. It’s a word that can cause tension in any context. Either you’re stuck behind miles of cars, watching the snails pass you by, or you’re feeling the pressure to build a successful and engaging blog.
While we might not be able to help you out with your morning commute, we can certainly help you answer the question, “How do I get more blog traffic?”
1. Make your content SEO-friendly
Search engines offer a substantial opportunity to drive traffic to your blog, so it’s important to bridge the gap between the world of writing and the world of SEO. Remember, making your content SEO-friendly isn’t about stuffing in keywords. Instead, focus on using terms that will help people find the content they’re looking for. When a person types search terms into Google, Google makes an effort to understand what exactly it is they hope to find, and whether your content will answer their question.
2. Keep up with Google algorithms
It’s no secret that Google’s search engine receives constant updates, but you don’t have to be an expert to understand what’s going on. From there, you can simply follow the rules. For example, refreshing your website content often and using original content on every page are some of the attributes Google keeps an eye on.
3. Think outside the box
Who says a blog has to be post after post of text using the same topics as your competitors? Get creative to make your blog stand out. Use video, images, infographics — whatever you can to differentiate your website and draw readers in. Use content that tells a story and post about subjects that will bring excitement to readers. Who are you targeting and what do they really want to see?
4. Use analytics and pay attention to what you see
At the very least, you should be using Google Analytics to see where viewers are coming from, which sources bring in quality traffic and what people are saying about you when they share your content. When you have this information, you’ll be able to see which sources and strategies are working, instead of putting effort into less effective marketing paths. Applying analytics helps you learn from your mistakes and capitalize on areas for growth and potential.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of meta descriptions
When your blog appears in search results, the meta description is the two lines that appear under your website’s name. It may only be two lines of content, but the benefits of adding a strong meta description are often overlooked. The meta description should be a factual yet inviting message that will make a user want to visit your site. Understand the messaging that your target audience is looking for. Include terms that will hit their pain points, solve their problems or meet them in a moment of need. Many content management systems will prompt you to write a meta description and even count characters so you don’t go over the limit. You’re out of excuses for letting meta description slip through the cracks.
Either way you look at it, traffic doesn’t have to be stressful. The next time you find yourself in a jam of cars, just use those extra minutes to think about ways to improve your blog.
