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It’s much easier to start a blog than it is to maintain or grow it. Setting one up couldn’t be easier today thanks to the wealth of different plugins and applications to help your blog look and function its best. All you really need is a very good idea, some determination, and a way with words. It really is that simple. But once you’re up and running and writing regular content, how do you get more eyeballs on your work? That’s easier said than done.
Research is, of course, a primary key to unlocking the full potential of your blog. It’s vital that you perform all the traffic data analysis to make sure you know where you’re going right (or wrong). Using that, you can make the necessary adjustments to boost your blog. For beginners in the world of blogging, though, it’s not that easy. That’s why we’ve compiled this definitive list of the best practices so that you, too, can increase your blog’s exposure.
These methods are utilized by thousands of bloggers all around the world. Every single day, they adopt these strategies to make sure their readership continues to grow at a steady rate. And you know what a bigger audience means? More money will be coming your way, at least if you’re smart about the way you operate with Adsense. And if you get these tips right, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be able to turn your blogging habits into a bonafide career.
Sound good? Of course it does, now let’s get started on building up your blog.
Boost Your Search Engine Presence
Searching is the way that most people find web pages on the internet. Whether it’s Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other of the search engines, they’re your best friend when it comes to populating traffic. That’s why it’s critical that your blog appears at the top of a page of search results. At least, if you’re serious about growing your blog.
There are a group of people that will tell you that SEO is a failed medium, and the last of a dying breed. While there is some element of truth to this claim when it comes to digital marketing, it isn’t so black and white in the world of blogging. Especially if you’re using a blog hosting medium like WordPress, where SEO still reigns supreme.
Some people totally underestimate the power of search engine traffic. Others still don’t dare dip their toes in the water out of fear or confusion. You need to learn that SEO is not a topic to be danced around. You don’t need to be afraid of it. And you definitely need to use it as your secret weapon. Although it’s not easy to get your head around, it’ll pay dividends if you can dedicate some time to learning the best practices.
Avoid black hat SEO techniques like your life depends on it. Sure, these practices will land you some short-term gains, but they aren’t sustainable. And you’ll definitely be penalized by the search engines if you’re caught. And, make no mistake, everyone gets caught out in the end. Search Engine Optimization should not dictate your content. Don’t fill your blog with articles written with the sole intention of spamming keywords. Instead, think of it as a supplementary approach.
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Get Involved In Your Community of Choice
This is a pretty big step and, admittedly, it’s one that often goes neglected. When people enter the world of blogging for the first time, they’re often wrapped up in their own thoughts. So much so that they forget about everything else going on around them. And that’s okay, we get it. This is a brave new world and uncharted territory for you. You’re likely to be some kind of combination nervous, overwhelmed, and excited.
Once that novelty wears off a little (not that it ever truly subsides if you love writing), you can start to think more clearly. And one area where many of us could do better is by participating in the communities around us. Think about it. There are a collective of people all conveying their thoughts in one place, and they’re all like-minded. They could have a great interest in your content; they just don’t know it exists.
One of the keys to getting your name out there is to make sure that your name pops up as often as you can. Curiosity gets the better of people. We’ve all been in a position where we find ourselves browsing the web, on an unspecified quest that leads us somewhere unexpected. Bouncing through Wikipedia pages, clicking related links. It’s all good stuff, and ideally, you want somebody to ultimately land on your homepage at the end of it all. And they aren’t going to do that unless your link appears in front of them.
There are a couple of ways to achieve this. And don’t worry, they’re all tried and tested methods. Huge corporations spend millions on trying to figure out their audience’s browsing habits. You probably don’t have that kind of financial pull or wealth of resources. And that’s without mentioning the fact that your link is only as good as the person reading it. Put it like this, what good is your hipster fashion article if it appears in front of a retiree?
You can perform a miniature version of these trials without any of the expense AND make sure that you appear in front of your target audience. In one fell swoop. You’re going to be getting targeted appearances in front of an audience that is likely to want to read your blog. How? By posting on communities and message boards that are already driven towards your target audience. I’m not saying you should be spamming their sites with your link. But participating in conversations will get your name out there.
Make Sure Your Content Goes Viral
Going viral is the dream of any blogger. It results in massive exposure with hardly any work. Once you’ve nailed it, your blog will spiral into previously unscalable heights. If you’ve ever had an article go viral, you’ll know the sense of pride and accomplishment that goes with it. As thousands of people begin to share your posts on social media, your momentum goes with it, spiraling into success.
Understanding your audience is the first step to going viral. You’ll need to know what they want to read and, thus, what they’re more likely to share. Blogs should primarily be about writing for yourself, above all. This should be your passion. And you should get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Writing about subjects you’re knowledgeable in is going to improve the quality of your writing. Not to mention the believability. And you need to target an audience that is going to look at your posts in exactly the same way.
Think about the things that you’ve seen go viral before. More often than not, people love a good story. Whether that’s an informative infographic, an intimate photo, or a heart-wrenching video. This stuff is like gold dust for your blog, and it’s what people will be reading and sharing on their lunch breaks. And they’ll be doing all the legwork for you, increasing your blog’s exposure with minimal effort.
Try to consider the primary reasons that people read your blog. Is it for entertainment purposes, the pursuit of knowledge, or even just for your opinion? We all have our own ideas of what constitutes a good blog, and we all have our own preferences. Use them to your advantage, and you’ll find that your audience shares your posts a lot more often. The result? Massive and unparalleled exposure. Remember, social media is your greatest ally and the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal.
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Be the Best That You Can Be
Okay, so I’ve given you a bunch of different tips that WILL increase your blog’s exposure, but there’s one more that is of paramount importance. I’ve included this at the end so that it lives long in your memory. No degree of tactical awareness is going to help you if your blog is substandard. If your writing is thoughtless and your design is atrocious, nobody is going to stick around for long.
In a world filled with web design solutions, especially on blogging platforms, there is no excuse for careless blog design. Equally, poorly considered writing has no place amongst the blogging world. Writers can always hone their craft further, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for outright bad writing. Practice, as they say, makes perfect. Write every single day of your life and, even if it ends up in the trash pile, you’ll learn to improve with time.
The very best way to market your blog is to have content that is certifiably dripping with quality. Every word should hang on the tip of the reader’s tongue. Every idea should be conveyed accurately and concisely. Every picture should have its place. Every headline should be eye-catching and attention grabbing. Nothing can be left to chance. If your blog is of great quality, it will invariably find a measure of success organically anyway.
