The following are strategies you can use to increase blog traffic.
1. Choose the right custom build or blog software
Choosing the right blog CMS is very important. You could opt to use a custom blog solution such as Blogger, WordPress or MovableType. However, building from scratch will allow you to be creative with formatting and functionality.
The best CMS is one that is easy for writers to use and incorporates features that enable the blog to thrive. Think about how you would want archiving, comments, categorization, user accounts and multiple feeds so as to narrow down your options.
2. Host your blog on your domain
Hosting a blog on a separate domain from the primary website is the worst mistake anyone can make. A blog hosted on your domain can draw attention, links, trust, search engine rankings and publicity. From worst to best, your blog can be hosted on a free hosting solution (like WordPress or Blogspot), on a unique domain, on a sub-domain or as a section of your primary domain.
3. Participate in related blogs and forums
Whatever niche or industry you are in, there are forums, bloggers and an online community that is already active. Depending on the exactness of your focus, you might want to think on a level wider than your own content. An ideal way of finding such people is using Technorati to carry out searches, then sort out by number of links.
4. Write title tags for two audiences
First and foremost, write title tags for those who will visit your website or have a feed subscription. Title tags that are snappy, short, catchy and on-topic are imperative. You should also think about search engines when creating the title of your posts, because search engines can help draw traffic to your blog.
5. Invite Guest Bloggers
Asking a recognized personality in your field to write a short blog is a great way of growing the reach and value of your blog. You will almost be certain to earn a link to a respected site or at least a connection with a brand that can attract readers.
6. Have more than text in your posts
Blogs that only contain lines of text are quite difficult to read and less interesting than those which offer interactive elements, images, clever charts and graphs, and occasional multimedia content. If you are having challenges with non-text content, think of how you could format the text using indentation, block quotes or bullet points to create a more attractive block of content.
Which of these tips will you use to increase blog traffic?
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