10 easy ways to increase blog traffic in 2024
Do you feel like you’ve poured your blood, sweat and tears into your business blog and are left wondering where all the traffic you expected is?
First of all, it needs to be said that blogging is a slow burn marketing tool and not an overnight answer. However, it is essential to any business.
Blogging is also so much more than quality copy. It can be highly technical, time consuming and quite frankly, exhausting. But it is fun, and it WORKS as an effective marketing strategy.
Are you ready to learn how to increase your blog traffic this year in simply, straightforward ways that almost anyone can do?
Read on.
1. Use clear blog titles
Clear, snappy titles that explain the value a reader will get from your blog are essential.
Take the title I have given to this blog, for instance. In it, I have:
Listed exactly how many steps the blog will go through (people, as well as Google, love list-style blogs and are more likely to read them too), the main angle of the blog and my use of the word “easy” makes it clear that anyone can follow the steps I provide and that they aren’t highly technical. Which is true.
I haven’t given false promises or used clickbait phrases that will alienate readers when they realised I didn’t deliver.
I have used the relevant keywords “increase blog traffic”, which Google will love.
See how easy that is?
2. A clean, easy-to-read format
Design-wise, people like to read clean looking blogs that are organised in an easy-to-navigate fashion.
A simple block colour background is more likely to keep someone on your page. A font that is easy to read against said background is also key. Yellow text on a white background? No.
In addition, using the right heading sizes, clear spacing, succinct bullet points, breaking up longer blocks with relevant imagery and video (see point 4), and steering clear of run-on sentences are all key to readers having a positive experience on your blog.
It doesn’t have to be flashy - just think of your audience and making their on-page experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible for them.
3. Use keywords (in the right way)
Keyword research is a whole industry of its own, and it’s taken me years to learn the skills I possess. And I’m still always learning! Keywords are one reason I highly recommend businesses hire an experienced copywriter and digital marketing expert.
However, if you do plan to write and update your business blogs yourself, it’s important to know even a few of the most basic skills surrounding keyword use.
Overstuffing keywords into your blogs is a BIG no-no. I shake my head when a prospective client asks me to include 10 keywords in a 350 word blog and expresses that keywords are everything. Google hates it, and you should too.
Keywords aren’t about quantity - they are about quality. The best performing blogs use only one or two targeted keywords per post. Others use three to four. But let me tell you, there is nothing more off-putting for readers than seeing endless keywords you have unnaturally stuffed throughout your blog. Keywords aren’t invisible. People can see them. Google can as well, and it doesn’t increase blog traffic by cramming a blog with keywords. In fact, it will only work to your detriment.
Keywords aren’t the be-all and end-all of increasing blog traffic. Every other point on this blog you are currently reading should be taken into account as well.
Lastly, I highly recommend using a free keyword tool that is easy to use (and actually free) like Google Trends or Google’s Ubersuggest extension to research the best keywords for a particular blog, or to target the kinds of customers you are hoping to attract. This is a good place to start.
4. Use relevant images and videos
People are visual creatures. They mostly skim over text to find what they need. They also gravitate to visuals and videos. Focus and attention span is at an all-time low. You have to get the readers attention quickly - and keep it.
Breaking up your blogs with relevant imagery and videos is mandatory. Not only for the overall reading experience, but as a solid SEO practice.
Writing as a travel copywriting for a leading travel brand for years, I learned the serious value of videos and imagery within blogs as effective SEO practice. Google loves high-performing YouTube videos, and it also loves imagery that has relevant metadata. For instance, images in this blog have be given file names related to “blog traffic” keywords, as well as general keywords surrounding copywriting.
5. SEO! SEO! SEO!
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an entire industry, and it is constantly evolving and extremely complex. This is why so many businesses hire SEO copywriting professionals to drive traffic to their website and to target the right customers and clients.
First of all, as I’ve said a million times, if anyone promises you top billing on Google - run. This isn’t a promise that can be made. It’s an out and out lie. However, there are things you can do to improve your chances of Google seeing your blogs as valuable and ranking them accordingly. This entire blog goes through 10 of them.
For this particular point, I am talking about updating the back-end systems of your blogs.
I can’t give you an exact play-by-play of how you yourself can do this. There are many different website builders and hosts. I use Squarespace, others use WordPress, Wix or others, and each is entirely different and allows for different levels of user input.
I can say that across the board, having worked with a few different builders, that you should be focusing on:
Giving your images relevant file names related to the primary keywords of your blog.
Indexing your site and any new uploaded blogs or pages on Google Search Console.
Following your website analytics to determine how blogs are performing, where traffic is coming from and what needs to be improved upon. Squarespace offers basic analytics, as does Google Search Console.
Adding a featured image for your blog that is high-quality and related to the topic of the blog.
Organising blogs into relevant categories with specific tags.
Turning on commenting for reader interaction.
Giving your post URL a relevant SEO-friendly name. For instance, I have named this one barflycopywriting.com.au/how-to-increase-blog-traffic.
Ensuring your blog (and website) is mobile-optimised. More people read blogs on their phones than their computers, and nothing is more off-putting than a blog that isn’t optimised for a mobile screen. People click out.
6. Build back-links and internal links
I’ll be honest. Acquiring backlinks is my least favourite part of blogging and often the most challenging element for most bloggers. However, they are important.
In short, backlinks are how Google sees and understands that you have an online reputation within your industry, and that other websites or blogs are linking back to yours. This can be done through a number of ways, including guest posting and by offering free things to readers, but often requires some upfront cashflow. This backlink guide is the Number 1 result on Google about backlinks and provides some priceless information. By linking to them just now, I’ve provided them a backlink, which will only further their Google reputation. See how that works?
Regarding internal links, these are easy to do. Much like the Call-To-Action, the internal link takes a reader to a separate but related page. For instance, I will hyperlink relevant keywords (very important) within a blog to link to another one. You can see this throughout this blog. It’s all about adding value for the reader.
If you offer a product, you can link from a new blog to your product page. Say you’re a fashion brand and your new blog lists capsule wardrobe essentials. Hyperlinking keywords like “classic black blazer” through to the actual product page of a classic black blazer you sell is a seamless way to convert blog readers into customers.
7. Regularly update your existing blogs
I can’t overestimate how much updating your existing blogs is SO IMPORTANT. Hitting “publish” and leaving your blog to wallow in the ever-evolving annals of Google isn’t good enough - it won’t help you.
I regularly go into my old blogs and refresh content. It doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. Just enough for Google to see that I am keeping things up-to-date - and they love that.
If we tick over into a new year, I may go into a blog and add (2023 Update) into the title and ensure the content of the blog is up-to-date, so that readers know my list is current.
If I have an old “listicle”, I might log on and add a new list point as it comes to me, to update the videos in there and so forth. I have a relatively new list from 2021 on my blog of all of the countries that currently offer digital nomad visas. As information changes, I’ll go in every few months and update links, add countries or simply change the title so that it is current as of 2023.
New and fresh = good.
Old and stale = bad.
It’s pretty easy.
8. Position yourself as an expert in your field
Nobody wants to take advice from someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about, lies to their audience or even seems unsure of what they are talking about. As consumers, we want confidence and delivered promises.
Blog-wise, there are billions of blogs on the internet, some offering zero value and some offering endless value. The goal is to nail down a solid niche that your blog will cater to, and to find an audience that wants to hear what you have to say because you have proven that you are trustworthy time and time again.
Think about what turns you off a consumer of information. Clickbait headlines, outright lies, inauthentic content and disengagement from a target audience are just a few reasons I have unsubscribed from blogs, podcasts, e-newsletters, YouTubers, Instagram profiles and others.
Avoid these things in your own business. Build a reputation on being an well-researched and interactive business owner and blogger who knows their stuff and provides value. That’s what it’s all about.
9. Clear CTAs
There isn’t a business out there that doesn’t benefit from the humble Call-To-Action (CTA), but if you’re selling a product or service, they need to be your best friend.
If you look throughout my website (and every blog - including this one) you’ll see square pink buttons that ask you to perform an action. It may be “read more blogs from me”, “click here”, “contact me today”, “read more”, hire the best beauty blogger” - and the list goes on.
These are solid CTA’s. When it warrants it, I remind my reader “Hey! I love that you’re enjoying my blog but remember that you can get me to write one for you too - and here’s how!”, and I direct them to my contact page. It streamlines the entire process.
I manage a number of social media clients, and each and every post I write for them will have some degree of a CTA within it. “Click in my bio for tickets”, “link below for this recipe on our website”, “work with us here”.
If you’ve worked in sales, you know the priceless value of a Call-To-Action, and as a blogger you should too.
10. Never stop promoting yourself
Don’t rely on Google to do the heavy lifting promoting your blog for you. You need to do your part too. That means promoting your blogs to your own audience.
Share clear links to your blogs on social media and offer value in your caption to ensure people are more likely to click on them. Linktree is perfect for this.
Add your blogs to blog directories. There’s so many out there.
Answer questions on Quora related to your niche, and provide your blog link.
Buy paid ads.
Link new (and existing) blogs in your weekly / monthly newsletters to your followers.
Talk up your business and its blog in-person.
Ask friends and followers to share your blogs to their own networks.
Build backlinks (see point 6).
I’ve found that the vast majority of my blog traffic comes from my own promotional efforts, so don’t neglect this step.
Remember, blogging is a marathon marketing strategy - not a sprint. But if you commit yourself to your blog, produce quality content and do all of the things we have discussed, you will be on the path to success. Good luck!
I have been a professional copywriter, social media manager and business blogger for over a decade, and I would LOVE to work with you. Barfly Copywriting works with clients both in Australia and across the globe.
Read more about what my clients have to say about me on my ‘Testimonials’ page.