Increasing traffic to my blog

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Pilling on July 5, 2009 at 1:34pm

HI Michael,

I really like your writing style! With regards to increasing traffic, it's just really going to take time, and networking/WOM.
Wordpress itself is likely to increase our traffic, as your posts will be picked up with Tags..
I will link to you from my site, and hope that helps! (If you like my site I'd be very grateful if you returned the favour)
I look forward to reading more of your insights & culinary journey.
Rachel

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Permalink Reply by Hayley Nichols on July 5, 2009 at 4:57pm

Hey Mike,

Before I started blogging I did a bit of research and built up a group of my favourite blogs that I really liked to read so that I got used to how a blog worked. I'm great with computers and the internet but when it came to blogging I was clueless! When I set mine up I contacted the writers of these blogs and asked for their advice. A lot of people are really pleased to hear from their readers and are more than happy to help you in any way they can.

Also, make sure you have a blogroll of the blogs you like somewhere on your main page, then it's not too rude to contact anyone on your blogroll (kind of like you have here) and explain that you're just starting out and could they return the favour by linking back to your blog. I think I used to get most of my traffic from people seeing the name of my blog on other people's blogrolls, they like the play on words and would just click on it to see what I had to say. Think of what attracts you to other peoples blogs and how you find new blogs...

I also used to comment regularly on TONS of blogs. Also don't just put your name and blog URL in the box above your comment, make sure you add it underneath your comment, like this:

'These look delish!

Love Hayley @ Away With The Fairycakes

http://awaywiththefairycakes.blogspot.com'

That way you will usually have a hyperlink at the top of your comment where your name is but you also have the address of your blog underneath your comment, and everyone else that comments will see it.

I don't know about Wordpress as I'm on Blogger, but I also tag all of my posts with relevant words, so for Victoria Sandwich I'd put: cake, sponge, strawberry, jam, cream, victoria, sandwich. That way you can get picked up easier on search engines. So you could get someone directed to your page if they searched for 'sponge recipe' or 'strawberry jam' as well as people searching 'Victoria Sandwich'.

The other thing I used to do is sign up to anything and everything, especially things like UKFBA and The Foodie Blogroll. I got loads of hits after I was featured as one of their five random blogs of the day, and as every member has to have the foodie blogroll widget you're immediately featured on 4346 blogs for a day. Also if you can hack it (I know I can't!) try signing up to one of the many monthly food competitions/ clubs, you know where you have to cook a soup of the month or Nigella recipe of the month etc etc. All the entrants are usually featured on a central blog for people to vote on and again you're kind of getting a bit of help from blogs with a lot more traffic.

I know how you feel though, I was desperate when I first started out and emailed all my friends and family and wrote a little introduction piece and asked if they could please visit or forward the email on to anyone they think would like to read it.

It does get easier but you do have to put a fair bit of work in to get yourself noticed. Sorry I've waffled but I hope I've helped a bit!

Good Luck!

Hayley x

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Permalink Reply by Fiona on July 5, 2009 at 5:12pm

Hi Mike - Rachel's comments are so true. Additionally, I run photo galleries on my website - see here The photographs in these galleries link directly back to blogs and articles - a great addition to my site (recipes2share) but one which helps promote the food blogging word too. Take a look and see what you think:)

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Permalink Reply by Neil Rankin on July 5, 2009 at 9:41pm

Mike

If I can make one suggestion it would be that a food blog would be greatly enhanced by some pictures of food. The nicer the better.

Content is key to keeping readership but first glance impressions are the hook.

neil

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Permalink Reply by Not Delia on July 6, 2009 at 9:47am

I definitely agree about commenting on other people's blogs. Most people will return the favour - and you can even make new friends that way too!

However, I strongly disagree with adding an extra link to your site in the comment posting itself. It looks very spammy to me. You've already been given the legitimate opportunity for a link. Attempting to grab another smacks of imposing on their good nature. I don't think it's good netiquette.


Hayley wrote:

"I also used to comment regularly on TONS of blogs. Also don't just put your name and blog URL in the box above your comment, make sure you add it underneath your comment, like this:

'These look delish!

Love Hayley @ Away With The Fairycakes

http://awaywiththefairycakes.blogspot.com'

That way you will usually have a hyperlink at the top of your comment where your name is but you also have the address of your blog underneath your comment, and everyone else that comments will see it.
"

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Permalink Reply by Hayley Nichols on July 6, 2009 at 10:24am

Each to their own I suppose, but funnily enough I had a comment on my blog this morning and that particular reader had done exactly that, left her comment and then put her blog URL after. If I'm perfectly honest it doesn't bother me in the slightest, I think it highlights the fact that she's trying to attract traffic and so I've quickly visited her blog, had a scroll down and added myself as a follower. For me it's a give and take thing, she's taken the time to read my blog so the least I can do is go and read hers. It's not the first time somebody has done it and I'm sure it won't be the last. We've all been there at some point where it feels like your blogging into outer space so I'm perfectly happy to give a helping hand to anyone I can, I guess I think of it as good blogging karma!

I guess it's something to be aware of though, everybody's different. There's no real blogging rules and so what some people are fine with can offend other people.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Lupton on July 6, 2009 at 12:04pm

1) Try commentluv - then when you comment it'll come out as your blog name, without you having to shoe-horn your blog name in like this http://www.vegboxboy.blogspot.com ;-)
2) Signing up to the foodieblogroll gave me a big boost of hits initially, but that died off. Blogcatalog provides a slower but more ongoing source of hits.
3) Signed up to google analytics? - if you haven't then do so. Put what you want to get searched by in the comment tags. Try to be a bit obscure 'recipe' will bring back a million hits, so the chances of a new blog coming to the top for that are slim.
4) Keep posting. Google likes regular posters
5) Really desperate? - you could always pay for hits through adwords

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Permalink Reply by Katie Deacon on July 9, 2009 at 11:33am

Hey there! I think the best way to gain followers is just through commenting on other peoples blogs and gaining their friendship.

One thing that increased mine substantially is joining a baking group, before that I hardly got any comments (woe is me).

Good luck, I'll add you as one to follow so then you have me as a visitor :D

Kate xox

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Permalink Reply by Jo Dyson on July 9, 2009 at 3:30pm

I am fairly new to blogging myself but I would recommend joining twitter so that you can tell people when there is a new post. It can be a bit hit and miss but its a good start. I also became a foodbuzz featured publisher which seems to help as well. However, I do still the think the best way is to comment on other people's blogs. You then get known in the world then.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Jo

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Permalink Reply by Nic - Cherrapeno on July 10, 2009 at 5:44pm

I agree with most of the other comments here, but I don't think you need to add an extra link on your own comments to other blogs, people will always check you out and your own blog via your profile/comment link. Some blogs will just delete these extra linking comments.

PLEASE add some photos on your blog of your dishes and recipes - food blogs need pictures - we want to lick our screens and drool over your food.

Then, get your photos posted on either FoodGawker or TasteSpotting my hits quadruple when I have a photo on these sites.

Another way to increase traffic is to join food events - there is a great blog listing some of the foodie events here: Is My Blog Burning?

One last tip - link, link, link!!

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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline (holler) on July 12, 2009 at 11:51am

Hi Michael,

There is a lot of good advice here and they are right, food bloggers are a friendly bunch and once you start visiting blogs and leaving comments, you will find you will make new friends and this will result in people visiting your blog too. I also get a lot of traffic from google. Go to google, hit the about google link and then go into submit your content and leave your blog info, also make sure you have good links at the bottom of each post.

Good Luck
Jac
:)

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Permalink Reply by No Red Meat Dan on August 6, 2009 at 5:28pm

That's a great tip, thanks Jac!

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