How to Get Blog Traffic

You set up a free blog account, write a few posts and nothing happens. No one seems to be reading, commenting, or caring about what you're writing. It takes some time to build up a blog audience, but there are a few things you can do at the start to build up blog traffic so your personal musings reach readers.

1. Blog regularly. The more you post, the better chance you have to reach an audience.


2. Add the blog to blog search engines. Create a good, concise description for your blog, as well as relevant keywords.


3. Write comments on other people's blogs. People are always grateful for a comment. More often than not, they'll click on your link and return the favor.


4. Comment on people's comments. A blog is meant to be a community. Respond directly to people's comments, either in the comments or in a new blog post. This will engage readers so they'll come back more often.


5. Post on forums. If you write a niche blog, post answers to questions on forums; put your blog address in your signature. Don't spam forums; make sure your posts are relevant.


6. Write to other bloggers suggesting a link trade. Put up a link list of your favorite blogs and let those bloggers know about it. They might just reciprocate.

Put up a site meter. You can gauge where you're getting the most referrals. If you get a lot of traffic for a particular post, write another post on the same topic.

At the same time, write about topics that you enjoy, rather than just aimed at generating traffic. Your enthusiasm will come across.