If you have a blog or have even considered starting a blog, I’m sure that you’ve read something or other about traffic. How much blog traffic do you need? How do you get traffic to your site? What in the heck does blog traffic even mean? Put quite simply, traffic is eyeballs on your site. It’s the number of real life people that are interested and reading what you have to say. Now, traffic isn’t everything, but it’s one of the easiest metrics to track, and it’s fun to know how many people are reading your blog!
The best part? Building your blog traffic doesn’t have to be overwhelming and crazy. If you’re anything like me, you read traffic and income reports from huge bloggers and you either get crazy inspired or crazy bummed out. It’s hard to figure out exactly what to do when the only bloggers sharing info are already huge. I am by no means a huge blogger.
I’ve been blogging just over a year, and I get a bit over 3,000 page views a month. Now, depending on where you’re at in your blogging journey, you might think I’m insane for giving blogging tips when I’m still so tiny, or you might want to slap me for saying I’m a small blogger with 3,000 page views. Either way, I’m doing it.
This last month I had three different people ask me about starting a blog, growing their blog traffic, or growing their blogging income. I would never have thought I was “big enough” to help anyone out with their blog, but since people are asking I figured I could help. I remember how overwhelmed I was reading about women who had been blogging 6 months and “only” had 30,000 page views. I would have loved someone with a smaller blog to give more practical tips than “post on facebook every 18 minutes” and “hire a VA”.
So, if you’re interested in starting a blog, growing your blog, or using your blog to grow your work at home income, I’ll be sharing more tips about it as time goes along! If you’re totally uninterested, I’m not offended in the slightest. I’ll catch you in a few days with a post about special needs or homeschooling!
Growing Your Blog Traffic When You’re Tiny
Get Self Hosted
Okay, I know. When you’re a teeny tiny blogger you likely have only a teeny tiny budget, and your husband may think you’re absolutely insane for thinking that you should spend money on a blog that no one reads yet. Here’s the thing. If you’re blogging on a free platform like blogger or wordpress (.com not .org, they’re different), it will really limit your options.
You can’t customize as much with a free site, and your blog will look much less professional. The free platforms have a time and a place, this blog was started on blogger, but I didn’t really see a spike in my traffic until I switched to self-hosted wordpress with bluehost. I did have to change hosts to Tech Surgeons when I had a post go viral and bluehost couldn’t help me keep my site up, but for smaller beginner bloggers it’s plenty.
This gives you your own domain, (autisticmama.com rather than thisoutnumberedmama.blogspot.com) allows you to fully customize your site, and opens up more options for monitizing your blog down the road. If you’re really new and growing your pageviews, I recommend bluehost with the understanding that you’ll likely have to upgrade to Tech Surgeons.
Join Blogging Groups and Networks
This is probably the biggest way that I grew my blog traffic in my first year blogging. There are tons of Facebook groups for bloggers that help you to get to know other bloggers in your niche and reach people you may otherwise never have met. In the past year I’ve grown so many friendships through these groups, it would be worth it for that alone.
However I also have grown new readers, connected with bloggers who I never thought would give me the time of day, and my blog traffic has grown a ton! Aside from Facebook groups, I’ve also joined the iHomeschool Network and the Kid Blogger Network.
These networks help to connect bloggers in similar niches. We help to promote each other, answer questions, and provide support and feedback for each other on our blogging journeys. The best part is that everyone in these networks is in a different place, so whether you’re huge or tiny, you’ll be able to use these groups to grow your blog traffic.
Find Relevant Linky Parties
If you don’t know what a linky party is, it’s basically a blog post on someone’s site that will feature many different links to many different bloggers’ posts. Usually the linky party will have a theme, like frugal living or homeschooling. The advice out there about linky parties is really hit and miss. Many bloggers will tell you they aren’t worth the time and effort, while others will say they are the easiest way to grow traffic when you’re small. My opinion is somewhere in the middle.
Linky parties can eat up a lot of time, and sometimes you don’t get much return for that time. That said, when you find a highly relevant linky party with a highly engaged audience, it can grow your blog traffic easily! For me, that linky was the special needs weekend link up at Love That Max.
I recommend trying out different linkies when you’re a smaller blogger (let’s say, 1000 page views or less) because even if you only get a few page views, it is still a boost to your traffic. Play around with different linky parties, watch your google analytics, and continue to post at parties that consistently bring you in the most traffic. Then once you’re bigger and making an income, you can pay a VA to do this for you!
Make Social Media Work for You
As a new blogger, social media can be extremely overwhelming. It feels like you need to be everywhere all the time, and if you really posted on social media as much as “the experts” tell you to, you would never post anything to your blog. Trust me, I’ve been there, and the overwhelm is real.
When you are a smaller blogger just starting to try and grow your blog traffic, my suggestion is to pick two social media platforms. Grow your following, post consistently, gain some traffic, and rock whatever two platforms you choose. Once you have those two going strong, add in one more.
The pyramids weren’t built in a day, and your social media stats won’t be either, sorry darlin!
Now which two to choose? That depends on your audience. Where do they hang out? If you’re targeting moms, you should probably start with Facebook and Pinterest. Aiming at millennials? Maybe you need to be all over twitter and Instagram. You know your audience, so post where they’re already hanging out to naturally grow your blog traffic.
Keep Perspective and Don’t Give Up
Growing your blog traffic is going to take time. Yes, there are bloggers out there who have a post go viral really early on in their blogging journey, and they capitalize on that, but these cases are rare. For every blogger earning $10,000 her first year, there’s another blogger who’s been at it for years and makes just pennies on adsense.
Try to keep in mind that every single page view you get is someone who read your words. I remember being so excited when I got 200 page views. I called my best friend and we both flipped because how often are 200 people listening to your opinion about something?
The first month I hit 3,000 page views I remember feeling bummed that I wasn’t at 5,000 yet, so I decided to look at how many page views I had the same month the previous year. I had 255. In one year going from 255 to 3,000 is a pretty big deal to me.
When you start feeling discouraged because “so and so has x page views and you only have y”, take a look at where your blog has come from. Honey, if more than your mom and your best friend are reading your blog, you’re well on your way. Keep writing awesome content. Keep sharing it with anyone who will read it. Soon, your blog traffic will grow and you’ll be getting asked how you’re doing it!
Social media is very powerful. I think if you use it right, you can gain yourself a TON of new traffic.
That is so true! Social media is one of the best ways to get new eyes on your blog. :)
These are really great tips, I’ve only been blogging for 8 months and I am thinking of self hosting but I so scared of doing it as I really haven’t a clue! I will have to research it more.
It can be intimidating when you’re just starting out! If you have any questions feel free to reach out. :)
My goal for 2016 is to grow my traffic to my blog. Right now I am smaller than you are but each month it’s better than the last so I’m happy. I find the more I write, the more views I get… if you write it, they will come!
Heather you are so right! Writing consistently is a huge part of getting good traffic to your site. If you have any questions feel free to reach out!
Such a good post, I have been blogging five months now and i would like to increase my traffic but I am doing very well considering the short time I have been blogging in. I want to monetize my blog but without using adverts. Is that even possible?
It’s totally possible! You can create sponsored posts where you create helpful evergreen content for your readers that naturally features a product that would truly benefit them. Many companies would love to work with bloggers like that. Also, you can create your own products like eBooks, courses, printables, or really anything! The sky is the limit when it comes to blogging. :)
Joining Blogging Groups is a great tip to growing your website traffic.
Great tips for new bloggers. I definitely find that utilizing social media and blogging groups helps expand views and send more people to the blog.
You’re so right. I feel like I’m just hitting the tip of the ice berg when it comes to blogging groups and how they can help to grow traffic!
Always looking for ways to grow the blog and I just love your perspective on it. I used to do a lot of link parties, probably for a two years before I needed a really good break for awhile. It’s def a way to grow the blog and meet other bloggers.
Yeah, linkies can be really time consuming, but they’re definitely worth it when you’re first starting out!
Truly great tips! It is all hard work but so worth it because it pays off <3
That’s so true! When you have your first post go viral you couldn’t care less about the hard work!
Blogging groups can really increase your exposure. Great tips!
Thanks Deb! I love blogging groups on Facebook. :)
I agree, going self-hosted is SO important! It was the best decision I ever made for my blog and I don’t regret it!
Kelly B. recently posted…The Gluten Free Holiday Survival Guide
Yes! It can be intimidating investing in your blog, but it makes a huge difference!
Great ideas! I know traffic is something that I always have to work at
Yeah, I feel like as bloggers we’ll always be working to build up our traffic!
These are all great suggestions. Finding blogger groups can be extremely helpful. Linky parties are great too for making new connections and finding new content!
Oh that’s a great point, Kirsten! I love to save content I find in linky parties to share on social media. Two birds with one stone!
Self-hosting…that is the one I really need to do, but I have been blogging on my own domain on blogger for 5 years, and the thought of trying to move all of that content…without losing any of it. That is scary!
I started on blogger, and moving was really not as scary as I thought! Some hosting companies will even do it for you!
Thank you for sharing these tips. I’m a new blogger myself, and tips like these are very valuable. I feel like I enter deep forest as started my blog.
Rose Sahetapy recently posted…MIXED FRUIT WITH GINGER SYRUP
I’m so glad that you found the tips helpful! I remember when I was a brand new blogger sometimes tips from the HUGE bloggers was intimidating. Glad I could help!
Omg great tips!!! Blog traffic is definitely on my 2016 list of things to improve on so this was great to read!
I’m so glad that you found it helpful, Courtney! If you have any specific questions please let me know! :)
These are great tips! It’s always important to have a starting point when you’re trying to grow your blog! <3
Glad you liked the tips, Susannah!
Thanks for this post! Very insightful information and I can’t wait to try some of these tips!
So glad that you found the post helpful!
Hi kaylene,
Great tips and inspiration for new bloggers. Most people think that as soon as they start a blog, they’ll start getting a ton of traffic.
What they don’t realize is that it takes a lot of hard work to grow a blog. I personally think that you did very good for your first year. I’ve been blogging for a year now and my biggest month right now has been 3500 page views per month.
I make it a point to work on my blog each and every day. I think it’s important to treat your blog like a business. As long as you do something on a daily basis to grow, I have no doubt that a blog will grow.
The most important thing is to not compare yourself to others. This can literally drive you crazy and can make you think that you’re doing something wrong.
Thanks for sharing these tips.
Have a great day :)
Susan