5 of the Best Free Blog Traffic Tips You Need to Make More Money

By: | March 4, 2017 | Tags: , , , , , |

5 Free blog traffic tips to boost your blog traffic, SEO, and monetizationYou have heard that SEO is necessary.

Yet, this post will offer you free tips for boosting your web traffic without any SEO techniques.

In addition, after reading this post, you will be able to generate income from your blog as well as boosting SEO and traffic.

Have you read my About page?

My mission statement guarantees I will bring you what I learn about blogging and related topics.

One of the promises is that I will attend webinars and share with you what I learn. This post does just that.

This article is based on the work of Neil Patel, a blogging teacher so famous he’s been commended by President Obama himself.

His webinar, which this post details, is about customer acquisition. However, even if you don’t have a product, you still want traffic which is needed to sell products to people.

So, even if you’re not (yet) a marketer, the traffic generation tips in this post can help you.

According to Neil, there are four steps you should take before you can monetize your blog content.

This post will explain what they are and how you can follow his action plan.

  1. Free Blog Traffic Tips that Will Get People to Click Your Links

According to Neil, you don’t have to worry about implementing SEO techniques in order to rank well on Google.

Neil recommends improving your content. More people will click on your posts, and Google will raise your article to a higher position in its search engine. According to Google, more clicks on your posts indicates quality content. Therefore, even without any SEO techniques, you will move up in search engines and rank higher.

  • Go to Google Search Console. Click Search Analytics.
  • Make sure these three are clicked at the top: Clicks, Impressions, and CTR.
  • Click Pages.
  • This will show you what pages Google is ranking you for.
  • Clicks mean how many people found your link on Google and clicked it.
  • Impressions indicate the number of people who saw your link.
  • CTR means Click Through Rate. You want it to be high.
  • Click Queries

You will see what keywords you rank for.

Again, you will see the Clicks, Impressions, and Click Through Rate

If your click-through rate is under 5%, put the keyword in the title tag. That way when people go to search, your keyword will be in bold. Searchers will see it and click.

Look at the list below of secret words that will make readers click on your headlines when put in your title tag. Then look at my title tag. I have both best and free.
Free blog traffic is yours when you put secret words in your blog title

According to Neil, there are certain words you can put in the title tag that will increase your click through rate.

They are:

  • How to
  • A relevant number
  • Free
  • You
  • Tips
  • Why
  • Blog Post if it’s a blog post
  • Best
  • Tricks
  • Great

[Related: How to Write Powerful Headlines [Ultimate Guide]]

2. Free Blog Traffic Tips You Need to Beat Your Competition

Neil calls this “Competitive Intelligence.” He describes the importance of knowing what your competitors are doing. He says it’s a science, not a guessing game.

Go to SEMRush.

Enter your blog URL. You will see what keywords you rank for.

Put in a competitor’s site, and you will see the keywords they rank for. (Note: I found valuable information about my site by going to SEMRush, but when I tried to get information about my competitors’ keywords, I was asked to sign up for a pro account.)

I made a free account and went to

https://www.semrush.com/dashboard/

#SEMRush helps #bloggers find long tail keywords

Look: I found the keyword searches people are using to find my blog. I will make sure to use these going forward.

3. Free Blog Traffic Tips You Need to Build Links To Your Site and Boost Your SEO

The more websites that link to you, the better you do in search engines. If you get links with blogs that rank better than you, you do even better.

Guest posting for bigger blogs will get you a link to your site. Make sure you’re guest posting for blogs in your niche.

By going to Alexa.com, you can see if the blog’s Alexa score is better than yours. The lower the score, the better.

(Note: Another strategy I have found that works is simply asking a blogger if you can trade links. Many of the bloggers I’ve asked have swapped links with me. Others have offered me chances to participate in their interviews, and I get links that way.)

Neil also recommends asking people to link to you. He advises they be bloggers in your niche and you should write personal, not canned, emails to them when you ask.

[Related: 13 Best Free Tools You Need to Improve Your Long Tail Keywords]

[Related: This is What You Need to Know Before You Use Alexa.com]

4. Free Blog Traffic Tips You Need to Boost Your Subscribers

Lead Magnets are incentives that you give visitors for free so that they subscribe to your blog.

Perhaps while you were reading this post, my opt-in box came out and offered you a PDF of 89 free blogging tools. That’s my lead magnet.

Did you notice it has a “Yes” or “No” question near the top? According to Neil, sign-ups will increase between 20% and 30% if you add a “Yes” or “No” question to your opt-in box.

My opt-in box that comes out of the right sidebar asked if you want to increase your blog traffic, which is a yes or no question.

I am happy to say, I have seen phenomenal results with that opt-in box. I am happy to report my Email subscriber list is growing by leaps and bounds.

In contrast, I have another opt-in box that has produced disappointing results. If you look below this post, you will see an opt-in box without a yes or no question. This offers visitors a PDF of my free blogging dictionary containing 119 blogging terms and definitions.

Even though page views on the post lived up to expectations as far as traffic, do you want to know how many people filled in the opt-in box without the yes or no question? The last time I checked, only one.

After people type in their email, they are redirected to the PDF of my 89 Free Blogging Tools post or the post with the free dictionary.

I have other incentives as well such as a Pinterest board, a StumbleUpon group, a Link Directory, and a Follow to Follow Directory among others. Neil agrees you should have multiple lead magnets.

Feel free to ask your readers what incentive they would like that would help them solve a problem they are looking to you to solve. Survey Monkey might work for this.

Neil recommends a free tool that will help you generate leads, Hello Bar.

5. Free Blog Traffic Tips You Need to Make Money Blogging

Neil recommends using Tripwires which are irresistible offers you can’t refuse.

Offer your email subscribers a low-end deal. This is your tripwire. After, upsell them something more valuable.

For example, I could upsell people my blog consulting service after they buy my ebook which costs much less. Again, Neil recommends asking your readers for a product you could sell them that would help them solve a pain point.

Neil recommends continuing upselling but you should make the third product free.

Buzzsumo.com can let you know what topics are trending if you need help knowing people’s current concerns.

If you don’t know what to ask, Neil suggests using Survey.io. I am not familiar with the site, but apparently, the website devises the questions for you. Neil recommends surveying 30 people.

How many questions should the survey have? Five is the perfect number.

I surveyed my readers. They asked me for a social media ebook. Thus, An Insider’s Guide to Building a Successful Blog, my ebook, was born.

Neil recommends capturing the customer’s email when you sell them the product.

Here’s what I do: I offer my blog coaching clients 25% off my service if they subscribe to my blog. In this way, I am increasing my email list as well as monetizing my blog.

Wrapping It Up

Tip #1 explained how to get people to click your links. Tips #2 and #3 explained how to follow Patel’s advice in order to get free blog traffic coming from search engines. Tip #4 taught you how to increase your Email subscribers. Tip #5 explained how to monetize your blog.

Readers, please share this post. Whether bloggers are looking to boost their traffic or monetize, Neil’s tips have value.

Which of Neil’s tips do you feel have merit? Have you tried any of them you can recommend? Are there any other traffic building or monetization tips you can suggest? I look forward to your answers in the comments section.

Update: Readers thought Neil Patel guest posted for us. He did not. I attended his webinar and wrote up his tips.

Related Posts

This Is How to Monetize Your Knowledge & Make Money Blogging

How to Make Big Money with Your Blog: Content Marketing

This Is How to Be Successful at Content Marketing

  1. John Doe

    Thanks for the five new tips but especially the one number five that shows how to make money blogging

  2. Barbara

    Thank you Janice for another awesome post! Saving it for future reference.
    Have a great weekend.
    Barbara

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Barbara,
      Thanks for coming by today to comment on my post. Thanks for bookmarking as well. I’m glad you enjoyed! Thanks for writing to tell me.
      Janice

  3. Donna DeGuglielmo

    wow you go girl. love the info thank you for sharing is caring I need to study as you know. now with new comp hope to smeesh with it …. groovin Blessing to all. donna maria

    • Janice Wald

      Hey Donna,
      After writing you this week, I am also thinking of signing up with Jill’s for their social media management. Can you please let me know how it goes? What your impression is? What day are you speaking with Jill? Thanks for helping me make this decision and for commenting on today’s article.
      Janice

      • Donna DeGuglielmo

        hi there janice, i will let you know all the info she gives me. And I hope it goes well, see with me i think of secrurity and such do I have to share all my passcodes and such …. ? I am speaking to her on tues. she is on vaca for a few days and will be back then. so I will get back to you as soon as I can. blessings donna maria

        • Janice Wald

          There is another reason I would like to know if you go with them, they would owe me commission since I’m an affiliate of theirs.
          janice

  4. Heather LeGuilloux

    Great tips and reminder to step up my SEO game! I have already begun to do the cross-link posting, as well as guest posting on other blogs, and I think this will help a lot with traffic, especially reaching my specific niche readers (mental health & wellness).

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Heather,
      I saw your comment come in yesterday. I appreciate your support. I agree with your strategies. Linking back to older posts and guest posting are great ways to improve your traffic. Thanks again for writing.
      Janice

  5. Emily

    These are really great tips! I will have to check out the tools you mention!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Emily,
      I am becoming a bigger fan of SemRush the longer I blog. Let me know if you find it helpful. Thanks for writing me on Saturday.
      Janice

  6. Donna Harvey

    Hi Janice, Thanks for this Post. I have been looking for ways to Monetize and get more e-mail subscribers on my Blog. i just didn’t know where to start! I always find help when I visit you.Thanks a lot. Now I’m off to try some of these suggestions. Donna

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Donna,
      What kind words, thank you. I am glad you found the tips in the post helpful. Thanks for writing to tell me.
      Janice

  7. Melinda

    Hi BBFFJ, thanks for stopping by my blog!
    And Thanks for having Neil guest for you. He knows his stuff!
    And of course, you do too, PLUS how to find the best guests!
    Love, Your BBFFM

    • Janice Wald

      Hi BBFFM,
      Neil didn’t guest post. I attended his webinar and wrote it up on my blog so people would know what tips he shared there.
      I miss you. Are you any closer to being back up and operational? Thanks for writing.
      BBFFJ

      • Melinda

        Oops,sorry! I got that mixed up.
        I thought I had it figured out, but Plan A fell thru.
        Working on plan B now!
        BBFFM

        • Janice Wald

          No problem at all. I’m just happy to hear from you considering your situation.
          Be BFF J

  8. mainy

    Hi Janice

    Another great post, so good that I’ve stumbled it so more people can enjoy:)

    Mainy

  9. Donna

    Once again, this is a very helpful and timely post with easy to follow tips that I could immediately put into action. Thank you so much!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Donna,
      I agree the tips in Taranpreet’s post are actionable. Thanks for pointing that out. Glad to hear it was timely for you.
      Janice

  10. Grammy Dee

    Thank you for sharing this post at the #WednesdayAIM #LinkUp #BlogParty. I shared it on social media.

  11. Julie S Pit Stop Crew

    Great tips to Attract more Free blog traffic …clever title Janice, because all these Tips ARE SEO 🙂
    I Specially like to use trip wires and also to Use Headlines that grab the attention of readers esp. passers by. Thanks for sharing at the Bloggers Pit Stop! 🙂

  12. Chris Mophart

    Long tail keyword are the best if you want to drive tons of traffic to your site. Not only are they cheaper to find but also have a high probability rate of converting. Organic traffic is all time the best traffic because it is accurately targeted to a specific niche. Try or learn how to leverage on long tail keywords and you can never go wrong

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Chris,
      You have no idea how timely your insightful comments are. I will be quoting you and linking to you in my publication this Sunday.
      Janice

      • chris mophart

        Thank so much Janice i love how you shower inspiration to your awesome readers which i am

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Chris, I appreciate having your readership. I will send you the post so you can see on Sunday.
          Janice

  13. Martha

    Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge! I had never heard of semrush, but signed up through you link. I’m always looking for more ways to advance my blog learning.

  14. Cathy Lawdanski

    I like you slide-in, Janice. Big enough to be noticed, but not intrusive. My e-mail new subscriber numbers have really dropped off. Need to think of a new lead-magnet and maybe a new pop-up service.

  15. Sara

    It’s always a pleasure to read your blog, Janice.

    I recall reading a post from Neil about this. It was the post he used to market this webinar. ^_^

    All good stuff as always. My mind puts up a do not enter sign every time I have to go into my analytics.

    I actually do think that if you write on topics that people are searching for (even if you don’t pay attention to SEO) you will get the attention you seek. Word spreads and then traffic will come.

    I think you’re a prime example. You write about the topics that your audience is interested in, PLUS you build a community around it. ^_^

    I’ve seen the TripWire in action (and it’s worked on me a few times) but I’ve yet to use it. I do think another word needs to describe it as the synonyms are set-up, snare, trap, mine, pitfall, mousetrap, etc. which comes off like your being dishonest. You aren’t.

    It’s actually not a trap, but a sorting of traffic by interest, right?

    If someone bought your ebook, they are more interested (NOW) in the topic (solution) than someone who chose not to buy your book.

    And, someone who goes on to invest in your consulting, is in deeper need of a solution (or willing to invest more in a 1:1 solution).

    Oh, well, I’m so glad that you stick to the mission and promise of your blog.

    Have a beautiful weekend.

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