How to Increase Blog Traffic

www.pakpositive.com There must be thousands of "how to increase blog traffic" posts and articles out there on the internet. From experts in SEO to link-builders to black-hats to comment-spammers to link-buyers to ping-traffickers to directory submitters.

But simple things are often forgotten.

It is true that having a blog means nothing if you don't have people to read it. Pakistani bloggers too, like almost all bloggers, yearn more readership, for recognition, fame, and thanks to Google AdSense, fortune. Here I'm attempting to share some experience with fellow bloggers. Some of the tips below may sound terribly obvious and no-brainers, but these are tried and trusted.

Having said that, building traffic and loyal readership is harder than getting instant traffic. You can buy instant traffic with AdWords and the likes. But that's not what good blogging is about. It's about writing and adding value. If you really are into blogging for long term gain and even profit, build your blog like a project over time, not just hoping for hits that can be bought easily.

Blog what you love

Write and share what you really like, what is your passion and what you think adds your own unique perspective about a subject you consider yourself to be good at. Most new "blogs" are just an excuse to make money. Many bloggers simply jump on to the "niche" bandwagon of blogging to increase their ad revenue. If you really want to be a successful, long term blogger, blog from the heart and money will follow. It's not the other way round.

Be specific and topical

Most bloggers tend to write about every thing under the sun, from their pet turtles to sick Aunty Salma to their new iPod. Sure, if you're a superhot celebrity, everyone wants to know what you think about the weather or a particular news item. But most of us are not rock-stars. Keep a thematic value to your blog. Don't stray from the topic. If you blog about, say, Pakistani Folk Music, keep your topic tightly focused. Readers interested in Pakistani music will find your voice an authority over time only if you keep that authority focused.

Don't waste someone's visit

If you don't have something interesting to write -- Don't! Nothing spoils a person's visit to your blog to discover a one line with something like "check this out!" Don't assume that people visit only your blog on the internet and have no clue what else is there to check out if you dont' tell them! Make your readers' visit a worthwhile experience. DON'T BLOG FOR THE SAKE OF IT!

Plan your blog posts

Don't just jump onto your Blogger or Wordpress thinking "what will I blog now?". Keep a small notepad with you. You never know when a topic occurs to you. If you blog about Music, you never know you might discover that you should create a post about something while listening to a new song, or even driving in your car, listening to a bad song.

Don't take it too seriously (yup!)

Yes, I know you'll roll your eyes. But blogging should be fun! Like most fun things in life, have a sense of humour about it and don't take blogging so seriously that it hurts you when some troll or Anonymous commenter spoils your day or something like that.

Don't blog for comments alone

Don't be discouraged if you hardly receive any comments. If you blog consistently enough, your blog will become more noticed by people through Google and good blog collections like Pakpositive's Pakistani Bloggers, and people will trust it more. It's very tempting to get swooned by a hundred comments for a post. But remember that people also get easily cheesed off by a blog just because they read something on its comments section by someone else! So keep your commenters happy, but don't blog for comments alone. After all, blog posts are a comment to begin with!

I know some of you will be very cynical to these suggestions and "tips". To those I say nothing. But those who are not, these are simple things which should be at the back of your mind while blogging.

Specially written for Pakistani Bloggers - //www.pakpositive.com/pakistanibloggers - Please do not reproduce in any way. blog traffic NOT www.pakpositive.com