You've just spent your afternoon polishing a blog post that you're really proud of.
You've done your research, so you know that the best SEO practices in 2022 to boost blog traffic involves thorough keyword research, understanding the user intent of your target audience, and structuring your blog post in a way that makes your blog SEO-friendly for search engines. You use Surfer's Keyword Research Tool to never run out of blog post ideas and you write consistently.
If you're at a more advanced stage of your content creation journey, you've also probably linked Surfer's Free Chrome Extension with Google Search Console, and can navigate Google Analytics and Surfer's Audit tools like a boss.
If you're a content creating, blog-posting rockstar, you've definitely finished Surfer's SEO Writing Masterclass and are Surfer Certified. No? Not yet, well, make sure to add that to your to-do list!
But, even doing all of the above, you find that traffic to your blog still isn't where you'd like it to be.
Basically you're here because updating your organic traffic strategy is necessary before sit down at your desk and write one more blog post, no matter how great the idea.
Below, I'll offer you 5 simple steps to help you increase blog traffic, make the most of new blog posts, and have more organic success on search engine results pages (aka SERPs).
Whether you write for your own blog, or a client's these tips will help you gain more traffic and get results.
Let's be real, there's nothing worse than writing a new blog post with so much excitement which you hope will provide real value and also drive blog traffic, and watching it flop.
How to Increase Blog Traffic: 5 Ideas to get you started today
1. Use social media
Facebook groups, Reddit, and a tapped-in Twitter community can do wonders to drive traffic to your blog. If you haven't done so already, create a Facebook page for your website so that you can easily share updates.
This will help you create a strong online presence and hopefully boost your blog's traffic!
2. Fine-tune your on-page SEO
The best shot you have to bring traffic to your blog organically is on-page SEO. Creating content is not something that you should do without first understanding the importance of on-page SEO.
There's a whole article on how to write SEO friendly blog posts for better organic search results, but here's the TL;DR:
- Attract traffic by using a proven target keyword(s)
- Write fresh content that's easy to read, skim, and share. Use headings and social meta tags that allow your readers to share your content with a click!
- Add internal links
3.Try a quote round-up
Here are 4 facts in no particular order: most people would rather get free direct traffic, than paid traffic. Everyone wants to increase traffic to their site, so they create content, but that can often feel like a never-ending task. Traffic generation can come in a variety of forms such as social media, online communities, or as I'll explain now: a quote round-up. The fourth fact is people love talking about themselves and what they know!
If you want more blog traffic, one idea is to reach out to other blogs in your area of expertise and ask their professional opinion on things. By adding their quote, and maybe even an image, you drive traffic to their site, your own website (as they'll be likely to share the article) and bring warm leads and targeted traffic to your blog.
4. Write relevant, value-adding guest posts
When you write guest posts, there's a wrong way and a right way to go about it. My advice: don't be spammy. There's nothing worse than getting a very obviously canned email asking for an opportunity to contribute to their site and blah, blah, more traffic, blah.
First off, choose your medium. LinkedIn, social media, email, Quora, Medium, Reddit; no matter which platform you choose to use, make sure you've done your research.
What does that mean exactly? Are they accepting guest blog posts? How much traffic does their page receive more or less per month? Do you have a similar writing style? What value can you bring to their audience? Have you read their other posts? Is your niche complementary, or are you purely trying to force it in hopes of trying to bring traffic to your website?
All of these questions can be answered with a quick Google search before you reach out.
Other bloggers rely on one another, it's true, because increasing blog traffic is a job that's sometimes all hands on deck, but no matter how you decide to reach out, simply be respectful and prepared.
Perhaps you could propose some blog post titles in your pitch, suggest some long tail keywords, and share some of your own work that would tie in nicely and drive traffic.
The benefit of a good guest post is that you create relationships with other bloggers, establish domain authority, get to show off your own content and create valuable links. A helpful post can do wonders for targeted traffic.
5. Optimize existing blog posts for low-hanging fruit
How, you may be wondering? I've said this one million times, but I'll say it again: your job isn't done after you've published a post.
There's a reason why Surfer has an entire tool dedicated to post-publishing optimization. Has your content score dropped? How efficient is your page speed and load time? Are there any major keywords you've missed that you can add to boost search traffic towards your post? Is your meta tag description at the optimal length?
These are all questions which can be answered using Surfer's Audit tool. The idea behind this tool is to help writers, content managers and content creators make meaningful and impactful changes to their blog posts after publication which will help them continue to show up on search engines as time passes. We all know that blog content, just like SEO itself, aren't really evergreen.
Don't forget:
Only link and work with reputable websites for backlinks and link building!
Know your primary keyword, and always do keyword research (including long tail keyword phrases)!
Don't forget about the power of social media and community building!
Optimize older content!
And when in doubt, check out Surfer :)
Read also:
- How to Use Surfer to Increase Guest Posting Conversions
- 15 Tips on the Best Content Promotion Strategy for Killer Results
- Ultimate Guide to Link Building Strategies
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Want to get Surfer Certified?
All you need to do pass the exam with 85% or higher, and complete the practical activation task of writing a blog post of 1500 words within Surfer's Content Editor! If you're successful, we'll send you an official Surfer Certificate that you can share, and a badge for Linkedin!
