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November 02, 2012

Research with Google to Drive Traffic to your Blog or Website | Part 4 of 5 in a “get traffic” series

Find FREE Traffic for your Blog/Website with Google There are many ways to use Google to help you with finding (and quite possibly) driving traffic to your blog or website.  This post deserves to be so much longer, but today we’ll touch on 4 simple ways to inspire you in your traffic search.  Our bet […]


Find FREE Traffic for your Blog/Website with Google

There are many ways to use Google to help you with finding (and quite possibly) driving traffic to your blog or website.  This post deserves to be so much longer, but today we’ll touch on 4 simple ways to inspire you in your traffic search.  Our bet is you’ve heard of at least two of these tips and we hope to teach you something new with the other two.

All week we have been tackling part fo a larger post on FREE ways to open the way for traffic to your site.  Our goal has been to introduce you to simple methods you can immediately try.  By using these methods consistently you should see an increase in traffic to your site or blog. We’ve covered Social Media strategy and Engagement Tactics.  It’s now Google’s turn to take the spotlight.

4 Google Resources to help find where the traffic is

1. Use the Google AdWords Keyword tool for developing content and post titles

Need help in developing a blog post idea?  One that, hopefully, is of interest to the reader, thus driving traffic to your site? Give the free Google AdWords Keyword tool a whirl.  If you have seen low traffic to your blog posts or website pages, you may be titling them wrong or not speaking to the keywords that people are searching for.  Before writing your next post – search your chosen keywords for the topic in the nifty keyword tool.  Google will return how many people are searching for that keyword (or phrase) as well as show suggestions of other, similar phrases.  The results can get pretty granular but my point is to just get you to give the tool a shot.  Choose a blog post title from the terms that people are naturally searching for so they can find you. Consider giving those keywords a whirl or two in the content of your post.  Don’t forget to entertain your audience with a unique perspective and content on the topic they searched for.

2. Google Analytics helps you identify opportunities and the things you are doing right

The free Google Analytics tool takes a little effort to initially set up – but its effort well worth it. This google service will give you transparency into where your traffic is coming from, how long they are engaging with your site, where they like to click, and other pages they are interested in.  Obviously, you’re doing something right on the pages with higher traffic.  Keep it up champ! Instead, we want to encourage new traffic so let’s look at how to find the opportunities.

Navigate to find your traffic sources.  Pay attention to the following:

-Are you receiving lots of google traffic that bounces?  Look at it as an opportunity to find out why they searched your keywords and change your message to speak to them. Keep them on your site.

-Do you notice that another site is sending you traffic?  That means they have linked to you and this is great news!  Keep this opportunity going by returning the favor or reaching out to establish a mutually beneficial relationship.

-Do you see social media resources sending traffic?  Are you using that social media platform?  If not, join now – there’s a natural buzz for you to develop and turn it into more traffic!  Need help on how to use certain social media platforms?  The answer may be here: Using Social Media to Drive Traffic to your Blog

The main lesson for traffic is view where you current traffic is coming from – then get to engaging and encouraging those sources for more.

3. Scope your competitors angle or new perspectives with Google BlogSearch

I fell in love with Google BlogSearch! This google search only returns results of blogs.  Try searching those keywords you identified with the Google AdWords Keyword tool (or wing it with your own phrase) and view exactly what other bloggers are writing about the topic.  You’ll be able to sort the results by time frame to see what’s most relevant for right now.  Use this information to adjust your content to captivate your audience so the traffic returns or chooses your title to read over another similar blog topic.  Added bonus if you view the competing blogs.  See where people are commenting.  Blogs that have lots of comments are definitely hot topics that can deliver traffic.   Go get it!

4. Google Reader will show you more than just your favorite sites you like to keep up with

It will also show you the subscriber count and how often blogs post per week.  If you’re smart with this data you can use it for traffic.  Consider reaching out to blogs with high subscriber counts and number of posts per week.  Engage  them by offering to guest post.  Or look at some of the medium size blogs (who may be looking for additional subscribers) and offer to share traffic between the two of you with a link exchange or cross promotion. TRAFFIC!

Of course these are not the only Google options for traffic, but as you develop your traffic we figured these were quick and free methods you could employ today.  Earlier we bet that you may have at least heard of two and may hear about two new ones.  Our guesses were that you’ve at least heard of Google AdWords and Google Analytics.  Google BlogSearch and Google Reader are two cool tools that we think don’t get much attention. (but they should!) Give ’em a shot and let us know in the comments below your favorite Google Tips.

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We hope you’re enjoying this “Get Traffic” Series.  Next up (and completions of the series) are basic SEO tactics for traffic.

Wanna view what you may have missed?

Part 1: FREE Ways to get Traffic to your Blog or Website this week | Part 1 of 5 in a “get traffic” series

Part 2: Using Social Media to Drive Traffic to your Blog or Website | Part 2 of 5 in a “get traffic” series

Part 3: Using Engagement Tactics to Drive Traffic to your Blog or Website | Part 3 of 5 in a “get traffic” series

 

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