If you’re anything like me, you’ve done some blogging. And, if you’re anything like me, you’ve found that after you’ve invested a great deal of time and energy in your site, you can’t get over that one-reader mark (Thanks, Mom!) and find new additions to your audience.
Just because you haven’t found your audience doesn’t mean your blog is no good. The web’s a big place, and it’s often tough to find a website even when you’re looking for it; well-intentioned and great websites all beneath the search engines’ radar all the time.
Don’t be caught in this blogger’s limbo–try some of these simple online marketing tips that will help you and your writing rise above the pack.
1. Do what You’re already doing.
A blogger, by nature, is a writer. That’s a great asset to have, when you’re looking to make your website more noticable. There are a ton of websites on the web searching for the great content you have to offer. Write a piece for them, and you’ll be introducing yourself and your own website to a whole new audience. While you’re at it, add a link back to yourself in the byline, and Google will like you better for it, too.
2. Know your niche.
Is it better to own a blog half about cats and half about outer space, or one blog about cats and one blog about space? Well, I can’t say which is better, but I do know that its a lot easier to gain a following for a blog with a solid focus. A blog that delves into your personal interests too specifically can begin to alienate your readers. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to put yourself out there, but there’s only one person who wants to read a blog about the fine details of your life–your Mom. Having a specific focus also helps search engines learn more about your blog, and boost your rankings.
3. Know Your Audience.
There are a lot of topics out there, and there are a lot of people who are searching for them. If there were some way to predict what people would search for most, it would be easy for any blogger to reel in a bunch of new visitors.
You’re in luck: there is. With just a little effort, Google’s keyword tool can tell you who’s searching for what, and let you know how your blog is doing when it comes to keyword coverage.
Okay, some people might claim this is “selling out,” and trading if your integrity for the sake of some viewers. I disagree. Some of my best work–ideas I would never have thought of otherwise–has come from ideas which I got from the keyword tool.
4. Be Opinionated.
Look, Google doesn’t know if folks are taking your advice–they don’t even know if people respect your opinion–they just know if people are referencing your work.
Anyone who has an opinion to offer has an incredible asset. Unlike a news story, or a how-to, an opinion piece reaches out to an interested audience, and cannot easily go stale, or be in danger of being repeated or duplicated. It’s original to you, and it’s usually assured to get some attention. There are plenty of successful bloggers out there who have grabbed lots of attention by taking on the role of the villain within the blogosphere. Nobody has to like them to give them attention–and that’s all that counts to search engines.
None of these strategies are too tough to achieve, and not all of them are required to make your blog a success. With a few tips and tricks from the realm of internet marketing and search engine optimization, you can bring your writing to a whole new audience.
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About brandonrhodes
I have a blog , but it is not hot.