Do you need real-time organic traffic, but have no clue? Keep reading…
Did you know that Google has more targeted traffic now, than ever before? It’s obvious.The same amount of traffic that was distributed to millions of sites – when the Panda, Penguin and EMDs were fast asleep can be shared by a few savvy website owners. Isn’t it great?
If you’ve no clue whatsoever on how to generate organic traffic, this post is for you. However, you need to read from start to finish – skimming is for lazy people. Lol!
The aim of this post is to spur you into action. As my custom is, I’d appreciate if you can take action at the end – that way, you’ll be able to measure your success and prove me right or wrong.
Here are 5 smart steps to drive organic traffic to your website, when you’ve no clue:
1. Rethink your SEO plans
Honestly, some of your SEO plans and tricks can’t work in today’s search engine ranking.
You need to rethink what you once held dear to your heart. If you still believe that incessant keyword insertion would lead to higher rankings and free traffic, you’re 97% wrong.
That’s why the first step towards improving your site’s performance is to reconsider your strategies and if you were tricky in the past – it’s time to get serious and creative.
These days, the motive behind your content can determine if you’ll ever succeed or fail. If you truly want to help people online, that motive would be infused into your content without you realizing it.
Believe me, the world of search engine optimization is a new realm – let’s think again. See next line…
2. Stop making excuses, take action
If your website/blog was affected by any of the wild beasts (Panda, Penguin or EMDs), you need to stop making excuses and start taking action. You’re not the only one – so spare me!
You must never allow Google or any other third-party to dictate what you can do in your own business.
Yes, Google controls the search engine world and it’s 100% impossible to do without them. But you do have a say as the CEO of your internet business.
The truth is, some websites and authority blogs weren’t affected by Panda or Penguin.
In the midst of those noises, some savvy bloggers are enjoying avalanche or quality traffic from the “same” Google search. Their daily traffic and income are growing beyond what they thought possible.
It was action that produced the positive results. The second step if you ever want to increase organic traffic to your blog is to stop pointing accusing fingers and start DOING SOMETHING!
3. Write list posts often
This might sound controversial to the expert’s advice, but I’m all for list posts. The best content I’ve ever written were list-type and I got great pageviews.
I wrote a post on 100 quick ways to engage blog readers a while ago. That page still receives thousands of readers every single month.
The benchmark is to research your topics before writing them. Google loves list post no matter what they’re doing behind their upper room. You know why?
Because list posts tends to provide more than one alternative solution to beginners. Yes, it’s directed towards beginners and intermediates. Make sure that your list post is valuable and evergreen (remains relevant for a long time).
Apart from ranking highly in Google top 10, having a figure on your headline can increase its click-through rate. The last time I searched for “search engine tips” on Google, I couldn’t click the first three results – because the headlines weren’t catchy.
I had to scroll down to the 7th web page when I saw “10 Simple Search Engine Tips for Bloggers” and clicked on it. If you’ve not been writing such type of posts, it’s not too late. Get started today but ensure that they’re worth reading.
4. Use a “twisted guest blogging strategy”
You’ve to pay attention to this step. Guest blogging is no longer a new phrase. In fact, it’s taking over the blogosphere and I’m happy about that.
Because getting traffic and building a successful blog was damn difficult in the past. It was hectic. I used to work my butt off in the past. But the tide is turning to our favor today as a result of guest blogging.
Now that we’re talking about organic traffic, guest blogging can help you. But if you don’t have a plan, it can be a total waste of time.
In other words, you don’t just want to write articles for any kind of blog. You only need authority blogs that are still ranking highly in Google homepage for some profitable keywords.
This way, when you successfully pitch a guest post idea and it gets approved, you’d start ranking within 30 days. And that’d amount to a sizable amount of organic traffic.
When I say authority sites, note that I’m not referring to pagerank, or alexa ranking. I’m talking about user-friendly sites that have built active communities. How do you locate those types of blogs?
Just visit Google and search for your primary keyword. That is, if you want to write a guest post about “content marketing,” just type the keyword and search for it. Visit the top 10 search engine result pages (SERPs) and study their popular posts. Then pitch your idea.
5. Entice organic visitors with “case studies”
I’ve kept this particular step for the last because case studies can boost your organic traffic by 384%.
I encouraged you earlier to write list-posts, which can be helpful as well. But if I were you, I’d turn my case study into a list post. This way, it’d be easier for beginners to learn the strategies I employed while climbing the ladder of success.
Case studies are those types of content that detail the steps taken to achieve a definite goal. For instance, if you took distinct steps when building your email list, you could share the same content with your readers.
Truth be told, such types of content can be easily picked by search engine spiders. Because the inspiration/motivation is from your inner being and experience. The insights contained in a case study are not manufactured (I’m talking about honest case studies).
And when your content reads natural, your target audience could sense that and stay a little longer reading, taking notes and sharing the post.
Those are juicy activities that Google spider loves – and if your pages are loved, it’d amount to free organic traffic continually. That’s the SEO ultimate formula for ranking highly.
Organic traffic hack
If you’ve given up on organic traffic, just because you’re afraid of Google slapping you, I want to encourage you to step up and rethink your plans.
And our thoughts to a large extent control our lives, which in turn dictate how we write and optimize our pages for the target audience.
Follow the tips highlighted herein with the right mindset and I can assure you of rich, targeted and consistent free traffic. Leave a comment below, see you at the top!
Image by eleephotography
My name is Michael Chibuzor. I'm an author, a freelance writer and founder of content marketing up. Do you want to reach new audience and grow your business? Hire me to write for you. I specialize in ghostwriting, blog post writing, guest post writing and so on.
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I’m grateful to you Stacy for featuring my piece the second time. I’m confident that your readers would find it helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… 5 Content Marketing Mistakes You Make Unknowingly [Fix them Now!]
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Stacy Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Thank you, Michael, for another fantastic post!
Stacy invites you to read… We have lift off!
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Organic traffic indeed is one of the most important factors to account for when you’re thinking of your blog’s visibility online. I believe some try to avoid going this way because it can take quite some time until you get up there, but it is definitely worth it!
Now that you’ve mentioned it, list posts indeed seem some of the most efficient ways of getting traffic, because they do 2 essential things: they’re great for search engines, AND they truly make you want to Click!
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Yes, list posts are good for search engines and they’re loved by readers. Those two parties are important when optimizing your content. Thanks for reading…
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… Step-by-Step Guide: How To Make $1000 From Your Blog Every Month
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List posts seems right to me.
People are busy and don’t have time to read long posts.
So list posts become handy because we can pick the tips we want.
Involuntarily, I tend to click more and my Google Reader on article like X Ways to build Y, X Things You Didn’t Know About Y.
Good stuff Michael!
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
I agree that people are really busy these days. We need to draw them inside the article with our headline. I’m glad the post helped you.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… 3 Best Secrets You Can Use To Drive Free Traffic
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Good tips especially the last one. The higher the value of the content the more attractive and useful it is to people.
What types of case studies have you found to be most effective?
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Very true. My blog was one of the affected sites when Google made some changes and I have turned to writing more content. I increased my word count and have turned to guest posting as well. I like your tip on making list posts. I have observed that it’s become quite a fad in the blogging world and it’s no surprise because lists really do make posts more interesting. The number factor just draws you in especially when you’re looking for a solution to a problem. 5 ways to solve this and that….How can anyone pass that?
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 10th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
I appreciate your comment Blanco. Yes, list post can seem like a fad in the blogosphere, which is because it’s effective and easy to write. Having figures on the headline really does help.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… 5 Content Marketing Mistakes You Make Unknowingly [Fix them Now!]
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Hi Michael,
Thanks for sharing this wonderful info with us, I’ve also been a victim of your number 2 Tip……Stop making excuses, take action. But that will be part of my new year resolution….Never to allow any excuse to stand on my way.
I don’t have much to say here except thanks for all the knowledge you’ve impacted on me so far.
Thanks.
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Yes, if a blogger truly want to help his/her readers, it won’t remain unnoticed. Just like with this very post – your tips are really helpful and encouraging. Thank you very much for them
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This is a great post, and I totally agree with you about list posts.
I don’t know about you, but even when I want to learn more about a subject I’m not really well versed in, I ignore the longer, more technical looking blog posts for those segmented into lists. They’re so much easier to digest, especially for novices.
The great content route might take a little longer than black-hat techniques, but it’s so much more valuable to a business and it’s site visitors in the long run.
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Good information in this post. Especially the idea about lists posts and the to just get off your butt and “do something”. Attention grabbing headlines don’t hurt either!
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Excellent post.
Very well written article. I agree on what you wrote especially about writing on a particular niche and not just writing about anything. Find your niche and stick to it.
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
If you find your niche and stick to it, you’ll definitely build a profitable blog and engage your audience.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… Blog Redesign: 7 Cool Factors You Must Consider
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This is a wonderful post, as always, Stacy! Awesome information and easy to follow. I especially like the lists advice. Sometimes my posts tend to be a little too essay-like, and this is a really good tip to try and change that. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for the great post, Michael.
When I see the word organic, one of the things that comes to mind is ‘genuine’.
I notice that all your suggestions focus on working in a smart way, and in a way that is in line with our passions, and what we’re trying to communicate. Which seems to me the most genuine way to reach our goals and build traffic naturally . I’m really wary of SEO ‘tricks’, so your post was especially useful for me.
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 13th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Thank you so very much Dave. I’m glad I could help with my content.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… 100 Proven Headline Ideas You Can “Steal” Right Now!
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Organic and natural traffic in fact is just about the biggest elements to take into account whenever you are thinking of ones blogs visibility on the internet. I believe a few avoid heading using this method due to the fact usually it takes quite a while before you get up generally there, but it is probably more than worth it. Ever since you have described it, record posts in fact appear many of the most efficient means of traffic generation, since they accomplish only two essential things: they are an excellent option for yahoo and google, And so they truly help to make you intend to Press
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Some great tips made that I’ll surely be bearing in mind for the future.
Thanks a lot!
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Organic traffic is what each one of us, desires for. Although attaining organic traffic is the most deadliest task. These are great pointers which are surely capable of driving organic traffic. A slight change in the SEO plans, taking into consideration the present scenario can surely do the trick. Thanks for these great tips.
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Thanks Michael for the tips you shared on your post.. Since the google update, yes, many businesses online have been slapped by google because of spamming, abusing and posting links on unrelated niche. Today, if you focus on making high quality content and content and content.. it is more likely that it will drive traffic back to your site.
Anyway, I haven’t tried guest posting and maybe this time I need to take some try as you mentioned that we can benefit from it..
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I couldn’t help but laugh as soon as I read #2. This is definitely my problem. I’ve came up with all sorts of excuses and I think it’s high time to stop with it. Thank you for sharing your suggestions. I’ll be keeping this in mind.
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Excellent feature Stacey, Michael sure has brilliant ideas up his sleeve. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Stacey invites you to read… Using Organization Data, Pictures, and More on Layouts in Visio 2010
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Show, don’t tell. That’s very nice of you Stacey to share your wonderful ideas about taking charge of organic traffic.
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In my experience, organic traffic is one of the most useful and valuable factors you have to consider while you’re promoting your website. You’ve shared some pretty useful tips there. Thanks a lot.
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Yes I agree with you, organic traffic is super-targeted. I hope your blog would attract more of such traffic in the coming year.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… Blog Redesign: 7 Cool Factors You Must Consider
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Great pointers you have shared about organic traffic which is quality traffic for your blog. Readers look for stuff that they can relate you and that is empathizing and that’s what helps increasing your blog’s visibility.
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I agree with you that it really helps if you reorganize what’s in your SEO plans. Maybe you’ll have to reexamine stuff and iron out little kinks too.
Kelly invites you to read… Using Organization Data, Pictures, and More on Layouts in Visio 2010
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Great list you wrote there. I could not agree more, that organic traffic is the most valuable one of all. And if you’re smart there are lots of ways you can get it for free. Keep up the good work.
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Hmm, these tips seem interesting enough. I will have to consider the case studies part, but I agree with most of what you wrote. Keep it up
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I like the idea of list posts and have done some of them for sure. But I never realized that they rank higher with google. Thanks for the tips.
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 19th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Yes, a valuable list post can garner thousands of pageviews from organic users. Thank you so much for supporting me.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… Blog Redesign: 7 Cool Factors You Must Consider
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I guess you could say I’m guilty for misstep 2. I just wish for things to go instantly, can’t wait for something. Ah well, I think I’ll learn with time.
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Nice article, blogging is simply hard work. Once you realize this and add smart work to it, you are on the path to being successful. Nice article!
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Lol at the driver comments. I can’t tell if they were serious or just joking. In any case, this was a good post, keep up the good work.
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As per me, the title and article doesn’t match. The title suggested about ways to drive, but article is about what to do.
But it makes some worth points that a webmaster much re-check when he/she reaches saturation point!
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Michael Chibuzor Reply:
December 28th, 2012 at 4:19 am
It depends on how you see the article. A lot of people found the post helpful. Maybe you should reread it for clarity.
Michael Chibuzor invites you to read… 13 Content Marketing Lessons For “Traffic” In 2013
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Hello Michael
Your have enlisted all points that are milestone for organic traffic but all work must be with frequency and consistency.
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