How to Increase Blog Traffic: 21 Tactics You Can Use Instantly (original) (raw)

Why should you invest time in learning how to increase blog traffic?

Well, imagine this: you toiled away for months to start your blog. You agonized over the name, carefully picked a theme, wrote your best copy, and launched it with all the giddiness of a high schooler asking their crush to prom. And then—crickets.

Your blog is a ghost town. Tumbleweeds would roll down your homepage if they could. Not a single soul seems interested in your content.

In a panic, you try your best to fix the situation. You ask your friends and family to search for your blog’s name and click it to let Google know it exists. You even consider printing business cards with its URL and handing them out on the street. Maybe a different theme would help?

Doubts creep in. Perhaps blogging simply isn’t for you after all. Perhaps you were kidding yourself, and maybe what you have to share isn’t that interesting after all. And you start to consider giving up.

This is the last situation we want you to find yourself in. That’s why, in this blog post, we have put together a list of proven tactics and tips you can use to generate traffic to your blog. You can start implementing them right now, and doing even just a few of them can make a big difference.

Ready to give it a go? Then let’s not wait any longer.

How to get more blog traffic from SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the basis of traffic generation for most blogs. That’s because it’s mostly free to implement and pretty much “set it and forget it.” Once you have a good foundation, it works with relatively little maintenance. But how do you get it right in the first place?

1. Conduct keyword research

If you’re reading this article, you want to generate more traffic with your blog. Blogs that receive a lot of visitors are ones that are full of helpful content about topics that people search for and want to read.

A blog post can be the best-formatted, wittiest, and most thoroughly-researched piece of writing ever, but if the topic isn’t something that others are interested in, it likely won’t deliver the traffic returns on it.

Keyword research helps you avoid that by ensuring you pick subjects your audience is actually interested in. That way, you don’t end up figuratively yelling into a vacuum. It also helps you discover new blog post ideas.

Numerous keyword research tools exist, such as Ahrefs, Semrush, Google Keyword Planner, Keywordtool.io, or Ubersuggest. However, finding keywords is a lengthier process we could write a separate article about, so we’ll refer you to this primer on Ahrefs for now.

2. Cover evergreen topics

Evergreen content consists of blog posts that remain perpetually relevant and can drive traffic year-round. They contain information that doesn’t change or changes very slowly.

For example, “weight loss” is an evergreen topic. People are always looking for ways to slim down, and the principles (diet and exercise) stay mostly the same.

On the other hand, the results of the 2024 Olympic games are probably not a popular search topic beyond a certain point in time.

There’s also seasonal content. It can be evergreen for the same period every year, but it likely won’t bring in lots of traffic outside of a particular timeframe.

The perfect example for a seasonal search term.

In conclusion, make sure that at least part of your content strategy includes evergreen content. MailChimp has a guide on this topic with additional details.

3. Follow Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines

The acronym E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s not a direct ranking factor (i.e. something that formally impacts your content’s ability to rank) but a concept Google introduced to gauge the quality of web pages that appear in its search results. Therefore, if you want to increase traffic, you’d do best to demonstrate these aspects on your blog.

Here’s how you can do so:

Experience: Show that you have firsthand experience in your subject. For instance, if you’re talking about a product, actually use it. If you’re recommending a hotel or location, visit it.
Expertise: Create high-quality, in-depth content and link to reputable studies, data, or industry leaders to back up your claims. Highlight relevant credentials or qualifications on your About page or author bio.
Authoritativeness: Consistently publish top-notch articles to build authority in your industry, attract backlinks and mentions, and grow your reputation.
Trustworthiness: Ensure your website is trustworthy through security, transparency, and being ethical. For example, disclose affiliations or sponsorships clearly and provide easy ways to get in contact.

For additional information, check out Google’s official guidelines.

4. Optimize images for SEO

Images are prominent page elements that contribute to the SEO of your site. To ensure their impact is positive:

Use relevant images that add to the content you’re making.
Avoid using too many stock photos—visitors are very good at filtering them out.
Give your images meaningful file names (like pesto-pasta-with-tomatoes.jpg versus img-452.jpg).
Use fast-loading image formats like WebP or Avif.
Compress images before uploading.
Save your images to a reasonable size so that the file size is smaller and your images look crisp.
Include alt text and captions that describe the image and possibly contain your keyword.

Yoast has more details and additional tips for making sure your images are optimized for search engines and users.

5. Publish posts on a consistent basis

Content is the heart and soul of blogging. As a blogger, we probably don’t need to tell you that you should publish blog posts regularly.

But what does “regularly” mean? Orbit Media recommends publishing at least bi-weekly to achieve strong results.

Source: 2024 Blogging Statistics: 11 years of Trends and Insights from 1000+ Bloggers from Orbit Media Studios

This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule though. In the end, your blogging frequency depends on your goals, the length and type of your content, and the time you can invest.

To get on the right schedule for yourself:

Ask your audience.
Experiment with different posting frequencies.
Find a cadence you can sustain.
Focus on quality over quantity.

6. Avoid duplicate content

Duplicate content means two pages that contain exactly the same or almost identical material. This can confuse search engines about which of your pages to rank for a particular keyword.

Here’s how to avoid it:

If you reuse the same content somewhere else, include a canonical tag to the original so that search engines know which is the most representative of the topic.
Add descriptions to your category pages. It will distinguish them from other archive pages that might contain the same blog posts.
Switch off irrelevant archives, like tags, to decrease the likelihood of several archive pages displaying the same content.
Don’t paginate your blog comments. Pagination creates additional versions of your blog posts with the same content except for the comment section.
Use tools like Siteliner and Copyscape to find duplicate content so you can fix it.

We have an entire article on this topic if you want to learn more.

7. Add internal links

Internal links (or links to your other content from your own content) serve numerous purposes:

They allow visitors to discover more relevant pages and keep them engaged.
They establish relationships between your pages, helping search engines understand their context and how they fit together.
They distribute SEO value from incoming links across your site.

Therefore, when you create content, it’s recommended that you always link to related, relevant pages and posts on your blog. In addition, make sure to use clear anchor text, meaning the text that appears as the link on the page. Visitors should easily be able to understand what page they’ll land on when they click.

For detailed guidance on internal linking, check out this post on Yoast.

8. Use an SEO plugin

SEO plugins are helpful because they support you in optimizing your blog to increase organic search traffic. They give you lots of control over how your content appears in search results and often implement improvements automatically.

One of the most important features of these plugins is the ability to customize SEO titles and meta descriptions for your web pages.

Take advantage of this possibility for every post and page to make sure your titles and descriptions grab reader attention in search results and aren’t too long.

In addition, SEO plugins often come with content analysis options. Input your page’s main keyword, and they will tell you if you’re using it often enough, in the right places, and other ways to optimize the page.

Popular WordPress SEO plugins are Yoast, Jetpack, Rank Math, and All in One SEO. On WordPress.com, you can install plugins like these on the Business plan and above.

9. Gain backlinks

Links to your blog from other sources, called backlinks, are one of the main signals search engines use to determine where to rank your content. However, it’s not about the raw numbers; the quality of backlinks, meaning if they come from relevant and trustworthy websites, makes a huge impact (so don’t start buying backlinks).

The truth is, intentionally building backlinks isn’t easy. Here are a few practical ideas you can try:

Create linkable assets: Make your content so good that people naturally feel inclined to link to it.
Do outreach: Contact influencers and blogs in your niche or industry, and let them know about content they might find useful.
Guest post: Write posts on popular websites that let you link to your own site. This also exposes you to a new audience.
Do interviews: Interview well-known bloggers or industry leaders. They will likely link back to the interview once it’s published.

For more details, check out our article on backlinks.

10. Update your old blog posts

Up-to-date information is a sign of quality content. That’s why blog posts tend to drop off in search rankings over time. The antidote? Refresh your content regularly.

Here’s how to improve older content on your blog:

Tailor posts more strongly to search intent, meaning make sure you’re answering the purpose of a reader’s search fully.
Update information to reflect the latest data.
Include new keywords.
Improve the writing to make it more helpful.
Add new links, both internal and external.
Improve formatting and readability.

The Blogsmith has a great write-up on this topic.

11. Make sure your blog loads quickly

Website speed is a major factor in user experience, so much so that Google has adopted it as a ranking factor. Therefore, if you want to do well in search results, make sure your blog loads fast.

If you host your blog on WordPress.com, you already have a leg up on this. Optimized and scalable servers, built-in caching, fast themes, and a content delivery network are included with every plan. These features ensure your website is blazing fast.

However, there are also speed factors you need to take care of on your end, such as:

Optimizing images.
Keeping the number of plugins on your site to a minimum.
Reducing third-party scripts.

For more details, check out our post on how to speed up your blog.

12. Add structured data to your blog posts

Structured data is what you see in search results when content displays images, ratings, prep time, and other additional information, known as rich snippets.

While using structured data won’t automatically make your content rank higher, it can help because search engines can better understand your site content with it. It’s also an effective way to increase click-through rates, which are a positive signal for search engines as well. It shows that your content is relevant to their users’ search intent.

Structured data exists for different types of content, from recipes to reviews, and can add different features to your content. One example are the handy, styled recipe cards you often see in food blog posts.

You can hard-code structured data, but the easiest way to incorporate it into your content is to use one of the many plugin solutions for structured data.

Most SEO plugins also include options to assign structured data to your content. Once you have set up the markup on your site, use Google’s Rich Results Test to make sure it works correctly.

Increase blog traffic using email marketing

Email remains a marketing channel with one of the highest ROIs.

Source: Email Marketing vs. SEO: What You Need to Know for 2024 (New Research) from HubSpot

It makes sense, as most people guard their personal email address fiercely. Therefore, if they like your content enough to hand over their address for your newsletter, you’ve found someone who is likely to return.

In addition, your email list belongs to you. It can’t be taken away, and nobody can limit your reach the way a social media algorithm upgrade can.

For that reason, building an email list you can use to increase blog traffic should be an absolute priority.

13. Add email subscription options to your blog

The first step in building a newsletter audience is to equip your website with a way for people to sign up. On WordPress.com, you have that ability out of the box.

All you need to do is go to Settings > Newsletter (or Jetpack > Settings > Newsletter on plugin-eligible plans) and enable ways for people to sign up.

You can also manually add sign-up options with the Subscribe block. Once you have subscribers, you have the possibility to automatically send new content to them.

The Newsletter menu lets you customize the look of your emails, set up a paid newsletter, and compose a welcome message. You can have unlimited email subscribers, import them from other platforms, monitor open and click rates, and much more.

Ready to sign up with WordPress.com? Start your website journey here.

Your email subscribers are already engaged with your content, making them ideal advocates for your blog. You can leverage that to increase blog traffic by encouraging them to share your posts, like so:

Make it easy to spread the word: Add links that allow subscribers to share your posts on social platforms.
Encourage subscribers to forward your emails: Use friendly language like, “Know someone who’d love this? Forward it to them!”
Offer incentives: Provide free resources, discounts, or entries into a giveaway for each share.
Feature your most engaging or useful posts: Highlight these in your newsletter and ask readers to share their favorites.

Every little bit helps. When you notice someone sharing, be sure to express your gratitude.

15. Reach out to other bloggers

Collaborating with other bloggers who have an established audience can help boost your blog traffic. It exposes your content to more people already interested in your niche.

Here’s how to pull it off:

Identify relevant bloggers in your niche or complementary niches with active email newsletters.
Build rapport by commenting on their blog posts, sharing their articles on social media, or mentioning them on your own blog.
Craft a personalized pitch, mentioning specifically how your content can add value to their audience.
Highlight mutual benefits, such as featuring their work on your blog, promoting their newsletter, or providing content their readers would appreciate.
Share your most polished and valuable posts for consideration that resonates with their audience and aligns with their standards.
Alternatively, ask them to write a blog post on your blog (with a backlink) or interview them and then ask to share the interview with their audience.

Social media is an established and important marketing channel. Here are ways to use it to increase the traffic to your blog.

You probably don’t need an introduction to how sharing on social media platforms works. Any blog promotion plan should include regularly publishing your content there.

An important question is which platform(s) you should choose. This depends on a number of factors. For example, if your content includes stunning visuals, like a travel blog, a platform like Pinterest or Instagram might be a good option.

For written content that you can break down into bite-sized facts, LinkedIn and similar platforms come to mind.

One that deserves special mention is Bluesky. It’s particularly friendly to bloggers since it doesn’t suppress links, and you can customize your Bluesky handle with a custom domain from WordPress.com. Other popular networks like Facebook and X try to keep users on their own site, making it more difficult to use them for traffic generation.

Take the time to learn each platform’s rules and conventions, and focus on a maximum of two or three at first. You can always branch out later.

By the way, in WordPress.com, you can auto-post your content via Jetpack Social. Just go to Tools > Marketing > Connections and connect your blog to your accounts.

After that, you can choose to automatically share posts when you publish them.

Including social sharing options in your content allows visitors to easily post it on social media. They are also easy to set up and configure on your WordPress.com blog.

If you’re using a legacy theme, go to Tools > Marketing > Sharing Buttons. Determine where buttons should appear and what the buttons should look like.

If you’re using a block theme, you can take advantage of the Sharing Buttons block instead. It allows you to display buttons wherever you want with many ways to customize them to your needs.

18. Create a link-in-bio page

A link-in-bio page is where you consolidate links to all of your web presences and most important pages.

It’s a great place to include your blog in order to direct social visitors there. In addition, it’s easy to create, thanks to w.link, which fully integrates with WordPress.com and is customizable.

We have a detailed tutorial on how to use it.

Other traffic generation tips for blogs

Finally, here are a few more tips on increasing blog traffic that didn’t fit in the other categories:

19. Use analytics to inform your content strategy

Analytics tools help you understand what resonates with your audience. By identifying content that performs well, you can create more of what attracts your readers.

You can connect your WordPress.com blog to Google Analytics and/or use the built-in Jetpack Stats.

Here’s how to use the information they provide:

Identify which topics receive the most views, likes, and comments to create more content on similar themes or expand on related subtopics.
Check the search terms people use to find your blog to reveal what information your audience is actively seeking.
See which sources refer traffic to you to focus on platforms that drive the most visitors.
Look at which formats (e.g., listicles, how-to guides, case studies) generate the most engagement and create similar content.

20. Minimize clutter on your blog design

A clean and streamlined blog design helps readers focus on your content. Cluttered designs can be distracting and hurt user experience, making you lose visitors.

While all WordPress.com blog themes feature clean and well-optimized designs, here are additional tips:

Choose a simple theme.
Ensure your blog has enough spacing between elements.
Simplify navigation by grouping similar pages or posts under clear headings.
Use pop-ups sparingly and strategically.

21. Leverage the WordPress.com Reader

The Reader allows WordPress.com users to find content based on their interests from all the sites they follow, including yours.

To make the most of it:

Use relevant tags and categories to increase the visibility of your posts.
Interact with other bloggers by liking, commenting on, and following their posts.
Publish regularly to stay visible to potential readers.
Feature your best-performing posts to attract new readers who explore your blog through the Reader.

For more information on using the Reader, check out the documentation.

Get your blog the traffic it deserves

More blog traffic means a wider reach, a bigger impact, more possibilities, and an increase in the ability to earn money from your blog. If your traffic could be better, don’t panic—there are many things you can do to improve the situation. Pick strategies from above that resonate most with your goals and abilities and build from there.