How to Improve Your Blog Traffic – Blogger Tips and Tricks

No matter what you write about in your blog, there’s bound to be other people out there who are blogging about the same or similar subject. Becoming part of this community of bloggers is a good way to get more people to read your blog. People who know you and who share your interests are likely to read your blog posts and even recommend them to others. 

Being part of a blogging community can also make writing your blog more enjoyable. When you’re not sure who’s reading your blog, writing can feel a little bit like shouting into a void. In contrast, when you’re part of a community, you may feel like you’re participating in an established discussion. Many bloggers like the feeling of writing for an audience of friends.

You probably already read at least one blog that discusses the same topic as yours. Many bloggers frequently post links to other blogs. Following these links can be a good way to find similar blogs with relevant, interesting content. 

If you’re not familiar with any other blogs on your topic, consider searching for blogs using a blog search service like Google Blog Search or Blog Catalog.

Engaging in discussion with other bloggers is a great way to get them interested in what you have to say. The best way to start doing this is to leave comments on the blog posts you find notable. 

Many sites require you to register and create a profile in order to comment. When signing up, look for a field that lets you enter a link to your website. If you enter your blog’s URL, people will be able to navigate to your blog from any comments you make. 

You can also include links to your blog within your comments. However, be careful not to post too many links. If it seems like you’re more interested in promoting your own blog than responding to someone else’s writing, you’ll seem rude—not a great way to get other people to read your blog. Only share a link to your blog if it adds something to the discussion.

Consider using Twitter to keep up with people who are interested in the same subjects as you. By replying to their tweets and posting relevant updates of your own—including links to each of your posts—you can build up relationships with people and encourage them to read your blog. (If you’re not familiar with Twitter, visit our Twitter 101 tutorial to learn more.) 

This sharing strategy isn’t just for Twitter. You may also want to try using Pinterest, which lets you share links with a broad audience of people who have interests similar to your own. (Review our Pinterest 101 tutorial to learn more.)

When you find other blogs you like, consider including links to them on your own blog. You can do this either by referring and responding to other blogs in your own posts, or by setting up a blogroll. 

A blogroll is simply a list of blogs that you want to recommend to your readers. People usually add blogrolls to a sidebar on their blog, or on a special “links” page. Most blog templates include a space for you to add favorite links. This is a easy place to put your blogroll.

When you link to someone’s blog, they may choose to link back to yours. However, linking back isn’t required, and it’s considered very rude to ask someone to include you in their blogroll or confront them if they don’t.