Why Blogs Fail to Get Traffic
The days of easy Google traffic are over and I hear the complaints all the time.
How can I attract more traffic? Will Google ever notice my blog posts?
Well the answer is YES, you can attract great traffic and yes Google WILL notice.
Well…sort of. Someday.
In this post I’d like to address a couple problems holding you back from getting more traffic.
I’ll help you look at blog traffic in a different light.
As usual, feel free to comment.
The 7 Facets of Confident Writing
Some days I look at my blogs and absolutely hate them.
I wonder why anyone would ever hit “Like” or consider commenting. I’ll write half of a new post, then trash it, then repeat 4 more times.
Truth is I’m not confident. I’m an anxious, over-thinking mess of an average writer who works for hours on each post. What you see here was not easy.
But, I do know a few little tricks for finding confidence.
If you start up a blog and struggle to keep writing, this article is for you. Let’s take a look at 7 ways to “get in the zone” in blogging, and stay there.
Google Plus: An Easy Guide to the 3rd Social Network
I know I already disclosed my New Year’s resolution to the email club (it’s to “ask for more” this year).
Here’s another one: Totally dominate Google+ in 2013
Why? What’s the point when Facebook and Twitter already waste huge chunks of my time?
Well as you’ll see below, Google+ actually holds a lot of possibilities for us bloggers. It can help us gain authority as a content developer and personalize how readers see us in Google Search.
In this post I’ll get you totally up to speed on my new favorite network. At the end, I’d love to hear how you use Google+ to help your business or just to have fun.
The Shot Glass Technique: How to Upsell for More Conversions
In 2011 the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore sold merchandise to crazed fans and tourists. It was reported they sold nearly 500,000 shot glasses in one summer, which Adweek says helped Viacom (the guys who own MTV) seal off a $2.4 billion year.
These kids who loved nothing more than “gym, tan, laundry” used an advanced technique of upselling – the art of selling a bit more to an already interested costumer – to make millions during summer 2011.
When I heard this story on the news, I had one of those “wait, our blogs can do this too!” moments that I think you’ll want to read about.
P.S. And make sure to watch the hilarious video at the end.
The Landing Page Strategy I Should Have Sold
When I began Dear Blogger a few months ago, I really wanted to get people excited about what I was doing here.
I had information on how to reduce bounce rate, new blog posts, even an army of guest posts sending hundreds of visitors here each day. And yet in those first few weeks of existence, I hardly captured any of that excitement on the blog.
I realized pretty soon that I was failing to make use of landing pages.
My readers were enjoying the content here but weren’t sure how to join into my business. I was losing people left and right.
In a fury of frustration at my losses, and over 7 long nights (I think I drained an entire Starbucks bag) I pioneered, almost accidentally, a landing page strategy that now basically operates like it’s on 4 Redbulls. Looking at it now, I bet could sell this landing page strategy for a couple grand in consulting fees. That’s how nice it is.
Brief Blogging: How to Get More Points Across with Less
I had a revelation last week.
It struck me like a highly charged doornob of static electricity. Youch!
It had to do with my blogging, and yours too probably.
And I just couldn’t not write it down.
How I Got Google PageRank 3 in 3 Months with Only 28 Backlinks
This post (published Nov 9, 2012) was inspired by a conversation I had with blogger Ehsan Ullah. Thanks, Ehsan!
In this post I’ll answer a ton of questions regarding building PageRank. I’ll explain what Alexa Rank is, talk about why Google built PageRank, and even offer white hat and black hat methods to use on it.
Hint: You should only use the White Hat ones!
You should also use this post to discuss Google Panda.
PageRank is the founding principle behind Google Search, and earned Stanford University just over $330 million back in 2005. So yeah, you want to know about it.
The Truth about Premium WordPress Themes
If you’re a serious blogger you’ve probably heard of these things called “premium wordpress themes”. They’re luxurious, flashy, and often expensive. Maybe you’re searching for one right now, or maybe you’re flat out intimidated by them (like I was at first).
Well, having used and modified several premium themes over the years, I’d like to tell you a discovery I made that hasn’t been written anywhere online and most definitely will piss off some big names in the industry.
Are you ready? Here goes: All premium themes are almost exactly the same.
Let me explain to you why this is the case, and introduce you to to the premium theme I use on this blog.
How to Make a Niche Review Site that Earns You $1000/Month
Update: Reader Nick pointed out that the FTC requires a disclaimer these days that you have an affiliate relationship with the companies you are reviewing. Make sure to create one!
What’s a review site?
Why do bloggers love them?
It’s a blog or website where you write about your favorite products, like coffee machines, Mac laptops, or even cat toys. Wikipedia has a slightly better definition.
One of my best blogs is in fact a review site. If you’ve ever thought of writing about your favorite stuff, now might be the ideal time to start.
You’ll learn right here how to setup a profitable review site. Everyone’s trying to make money online these days, and this is just one way to do it.
It’s all about writing profitable articles that earn through affiliate links.
NEED YOUR HELP: If you do start a review website, please comment and let me know. Hearing about your successes and mistakes would really help everyone in the Dear Blogger community, and remember, every comment link is a useful back-link too.
Email Marketing 101: All the Basics to Getting Blog Subscribers
What’s the most important thing you focus on as a blogger? Ads, writing posts, Facebook and Twitter?
Sure, these are all important aspects of blogging. But the one factor that will sustain a blog through think and thin? That’s email subscribers.
This post is dedicated to just one thing: helping you start your own email list. It’s exciting stuff that you’ll wish you had started months ago.
How to Create an Everlasting About Me Page
As I mentioned in my Playboy post at Darren’s blog, the most successful writers on the web do one thing really well.
They make every attempt to connect with their readers.
Why is this important? Why is this worth spending hours on?
Because when you connect with readers they’re more likely to return to your blog. And these connections begin on your About Me page, the #2 most important webpage on your blog.
I’d like to show you how to create About Mes that people talk about, that are downright unforgettable. I’ll even show you some really random ones that people love.
And, I’ll end with a WordPress trick even the pros aren’t using. Think you’ll use it?
On Comments, The Golden Age, and a new Social Media
Sometimes life throws you lemons and they hit you square in the face. This past week, I was sent running, actually running, from my NYC apartment as Hurricane Sandy approached. My apartment lies in Zone A, the Hurricane’s wheelhouse. I scrambled onto a couple trains and arrived at my mates house totally soaked as the worst of Sandy hit.
Don’t worry though, this story has a silver lining.
Within a few days, my mate and I were able to set up internet. It was probably the only thing that kept us from tearing eachother’s heads off after a lot of time cooped up indoors. I hopped online but at that point it had gotten eerily quiet around here. What is going on here, you guys wondered. Where is the Blogger!?
Here are a few messages you guys sent in during that time of semi-disaster:
These really made me smile. It’s awesome to know you’re around here, exploring articles and discussing blog topics, even when I can’t create new content.
When I finally returned home (to an unlivable apartment
) I noticed my blog traffic had spiked. Sort of immensely. Then it hit me. This is the silver lining, and it almost makes my current state of couch-surfing seem not all that bad. For one, I was published on THE largest blog in Malaysia (Hongkiat). What’s more, I also appeared on ProBlogger for my second time.
Talk about lemons to lemonade. I enjoyed about 75 new subscribers as I scrambled to find a place to live.
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