How I Got 1,450,000 Visitors in One Year – Blog Traffic Tips

Recently I read an excellent post from my favorite blogger Marko Saric, he explained how he went from 0 to 700,000 visitors in two and a half years. That post triggered me think about my traffic growth from the day I started blogging seriously in March 2010. To be honest, I was surprised and happy to see my achievement in one year. I got 1,450,000 visitors (which is more than double to Marko Saric’s result which he did in 2 1/2 years) in one year.

Blog Traffic Tips

Therefore, I decided to publish a post and share with you about how I got this much visitors in one year. Remember: I’m just a part time blogger and having a full time job in technology field.

Blog Traffic Tips

 

March 2010 was the month I started blogging seriously and wanted to make some money.

I did not start my blog as a ‘Blogging Expert’, I just started without any basic knowledge (including wordpress), still I regret myself for the wrong selection of domain name. Sysprobs is not having any related keywords which I wanted to target.

 

Here are the Traffic Generation Methods I have Used/or Worked for Me

 

I already published an article related to this topic. You can check that here.

 

1) Integrate Blogging with your Day to Day Life

For me, this is the first rule everyone should follow to become a successful bloggers. Do not keep blogging and your day to day life separately. Find out the ways to combine them  together to get better and more ideas.

Let’s say, you are an IT networking guy wanted to start a blog to make some extra bucks. You did a research and came to know that starting a blog in computer networking is not a good idea because its having more competition with top blogs. Sadly, you do not know anything else interestingly, but during the research you found out that starting a blog in ‘home gardening’ could be better because its having less competition and good paying keywords also.

What would you do now? computer networking or home gardening?

I suggest two things which will work definitely.

1) Dig the ‘Computer networking’ niche deeply and narrow the topic. For example, instead of writing about ‘computer networking’, you can write about ‘Windows 7 network’ or ‘ Linux Ubuntu network’..etc. This helps to reduce the competition and being top in specific topic.

2) Physically start a garden at your home. Make it success, then start a blog about it.

Because you must have good knowledge,working experience and personal interest on particular topic to blog in coming months.

Yes, if you are an expert and experienced blogger, then you can create micro niche websites on unknown topics to make some stable income. But, its not easy and not recommended for new bloggers.

In my case, I know that technology topic is over crowded by so many websites, but I specifically selected virtualization which I love to write and work. My day to day work is involved in virtualization and more over I like to install several operating systems in a single computer and play around. So, I decided to go with this niche.

 

2) Wait for the Turning Point

We all start blogs with some hopes and we are not sure whether it will be succeeded. All trial and error methods involved in blogging.

Here is my real example, during my office work I was assigned for one month to work in new place where senior people are using Apple computers with Mac OS X. I never touched or worked with Mac OS X in my life. So, I wanted to learn Mac OS X by installing it in my Windows XP PC with virtualization software, I thought it could be easy as installing Linux or other Windows OS, but it was not!.

I did not find any proper guide on internet for this. I had to go through several forums, user comments and other blogs to make this possible in my PC. Then, I combined a clear post with screen shots in my blog.

That was the turning point for me, it started to receiving more hits, my hard work paid the price. Though I don’t need to learn Mac OS X now, but still I keep on trying same topic in different platforms and versions, because it generates good traffic for me.

You can face the similar situation during your blogging, suddenly one post will be getting good hits. Analyze the potential demand for specific post topic and start writing about it. The catch is, you need to find the ‘hidden topic’ for your niche.

 

3) Content is Still King – Do something Extra

The information you provide in your each article  is the key in blogging. You don’t read or subscribe to this DailyBlogMoney blog because of Dinesh is a nice person 🙂 or blog design or anything else except ‘the content I write’. That is the truth, you want to read what I write. Understand the fact, nowadays most of the bloggers publish anything and everything without concerning the usefulness and uniqueness of the particular post. They do this to keep the publishing cycle frequent. I’m so concern about it. If I don’t have anything worth to write, then I keep silent for one week till I get ideas and points to write next post.

I like Daniel’s (Dailyblogtips) famous post on 4 ways to increase traffic. Creating killer article is the key for me. I try my best to publish one killer article per week after proper keyword research, analyze competition and usefulness.

Content is still king, do something extra on each post to attract visitors and search engines. Keep the human readers and search engine robots in your mind always.

I always targeted 100 page views daily from each blog post I publish and I’m quite happy with the result too.

 

4) SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is Very important.

I’m not going to say anything about this, you must be aware of importance of the SEO in your each post and page in a blog. You do not need to be an expert to optimize your blog in SEO, just follow some basic guidelines.

Though I publish articles for users, but I mostly concentrate about SEO. I was not expert initially, but I learned few things day by day and started applying.

Do not ignore SEO any time.

 

5) Leave Valuable Comments in Famous Blogs

When I was busy with generating traffic for Sysprobs, I rarely left comments on other blogs. But I left valuable comments on top official blogs. For example, Microsoft, VMware and VirtualBox websites are related to me.

Blog Traffic Tips

The famous forums in my niche are included in top ten traffic sources as shown in above screen shot.

Make an important note – None of the social networking sites (facebook or twitter…etc) are listed here. I will explain that in next point.

Make sure you always keep eye on top websites and blogs related to your niche. This will help you to find out the latest trending topic or issue, then publish a post on that and leave some comments by linking your blog post.

I’m not against you if you leave comments in other ordinary blogs, which will definitely bring extra traffic, but always keep in mind the ‘Top Blogs’.

 

6) I Planned my Traffic Source – So Left the Social networking/bookmarking sites.

What’s your main money making method? is it CPC, CPM, CPA or Affiliate sales?. Mine is Google Adsense which requires search engine traffic. The direct, return, referral and social networking users do not click ads on a website most of the time, so I didn’t concentrate on social networking sites like facebook or twitter.

If I were to use them with the combination of Search engines, then my blog traffic would have been better. But, I didn’t find time to spend on them and I’m not interested too.

 

7) Do not Ignore Yahoo and Bing

I can’t compare these two search engines with Google which is much far better. Still, its important to optimize and submit your blogs for these two sites.

These two sites are still sending good traffic to my blog. The people coming via these search engines might click your Google adsense ads more than others since they may not familiar with Google ads because still they stick with Bing and Yahoo- I read this somewhere and believing it too.

 

8.) I did not read all blogs and follow all bloggers

Yes, I don’t read so many blogs and follow all bloggers on ‘how to blog or generate traffic’. I got chance to chat with few new bloggers recently, they are totally confused by reading all blogs and following all bloggers.

If you read too many blogs on specific topic, then you will be doing only ‘reading’ not ‘doing something productively’.

I followed only two blogs and bloggers mainly last year. One is Daniel from Dailyblogtips and other one Harsh from Shoutmeloud. The other top blogs on blogging topics are too advanced for me,  so I did not read all or follow all.

Now, I have formed my own formula with working method. I’m sharing it here with you and it depends on you to use or not.

 

That’s it. I’m sure these points would give some ideas and encouragements to stay in blogging and change the way of your blogging style. To be honest, blogging or making money from it is not very tough. The only thing is you need to understand the basics, reality and plan according to it.

The above my real story can refresh you in blogging and help you to plan your blogging strategy.

Feel free to share your comments and questions. Also, share this with your friends and other bloggers.

A part-time blogger who makes enough money to leave the full-time job, but still enjoying both jobs :) . Sharing the knowledge here to help everyone to build better blog and make money online.

  • Gr8 Tips Dinesh…….

    Specially point 2, 5, 7 are really point worth considering. Turning Point is what is not under one’s control but its really worth.. I am desperately waiting for that. Famous Blog commenting was really at the back of the mind but now after your post I will make sure that it must be done when I am satisfied with my content

    Yahoo and Bing is the better idea I got… Thanks a lot for the valuable info.

  • Hi Dines,
    You posted some awesome tips those are not get rich scams but really need hard work which pays for long term.

    I too experiencing great blogging years in terms f traffic and money!

  • Awesome post buddy ! We should always choose a topic for our blog on which we have experience .

  • “Apple computers with Mac OS X. I never touched or worked with Mac OS X in my life. So, I wanted to learn Mac OS X by installing it in my Windows XP PC with virtualization software, I thought it could be easy as installing Linux or other Windows OS, but it was not!.
    I did not find any proper guide on internet for this. I had to go through several forums, user comments and other blogs to make this possible in my PC. Then, I combined a clear post with screen shots in my blog.”

    i like those lines it’s impressive man
    check out my site

    http://smahkin.blogspot.com/

  • Hi Dinesh
    Your “Find us on facebook” link on the blog landing page is opening Social Plugins developer network.
    Please rectify that to open your like page.. 🙂
    Just for your info. Hope you must be knowing this…

    • Tony, there are few blogs and bloggers recovered well from Google Panda update. Make sure your content is unique and nobody is stealing your content. Then doing some modifications and SEO will help you to regain the traffic.
      Good luck

  • Hi Dinesh
    Published Part-II of the earlier Report…
    This post of yours is extremal good one for the third part of the my Series.:-)

    • Shekhar,
      Thanks a lot for the post at your blog. Even I never did a study on my journey as you did. As you hinted I always wanted to step in to Affiliate business which needs more time on work with each product I will be recommending. I don’t find time for it, and I’m satisfy with current income with less work (thats the advantage of ad networks).

      Anyhow, I’ll be expanding my blog network and earnings in comings months.
      I wish you good luck in your blogging career, I can see the time and effort you put in your blog.
      Never give up blogging, one day it will turn as a money making machine.

  • Hey there…I noticed your bounce rate was awfully high…why do you think that is? Is each of your posts targeted to a specific subject or do they bounce around quite a bit?

    I also wanted to know what you thought about AdSense vs. infolinks. Wouldn’t you rather have the higher CPC from AdSense? Why allow leakage through Infolinks with a lower eCPM?

    • Hi Justin,
      Thanks for the comment and I’m happy to find your website with Adsense and Flippa tips.

      My main traffic source is Google search engine and people bounce back after they find what they wanted in my each post. I think the bounce rate is quite OK for tech blog mainly running with organic traffic. Also, when your traffic increase the bounce rate also increase.

      I don’t know how Google Adsense CPC will be affected by removal of Infolinks, but I guess it will influence the CTR. Yes, I agree that there is a leakage by Infolinks with lower eCPM which I can’t compare with Google Adsense. Anyhow, as long as it makes approx 100$ monthly, I decided to go with it.

      Thanks for your valuable comment and I need to learn more from your blog 🙂

  • Thanks for the valuable advise, I am new to blogging and want to build up traffick to my site. At this time I am not selling or advertising any products.

    I lecture at University in Thailand, and specialize in Jobs, Education, Future and Human Trafficking.

    Thanks again.

    • Hi Peavy,
      Good to know about you and interesting content you have in your blog.
      For you blog type, I think social networking and referral traffic will work better, also try all search engines.

  • Quick Question Dinesh, I know it says you started focusing on your blog march and march is missing from the graph, roughly what was the traffic for your blog (number of visits) in march and when did you start the blog anyway. I’d like to know so i can figure out how long it will take me to get to 1,000,000 visits just like you!

    • Chris,
      I included March 1st 2010 in the graph ( see the date period).

      579 visits on 1st of March in 2010. 500 to 600 was the average daily visits on March 2010.
      Hope, this will give some ideas.

  • I have did a basic tools to increase my traffic. However, the traffic visit per day is very low. It is just average 10-15. Its very disappointing. 🙁

    I have committed my time Day to Day life to blog, blog link exchange, forum blog, but still not much result acquire.

    Dinesh. Please guide me on how to get 1,000,000 visits like you do. Coz, my blog is mostly about financial blog, therefore it is much more tough to compete with the global blog. I havent get my first pay from google adsense either. Therefore, I need your expertise to guide me.

    Please do visit my blog, and give me your recommendation and tips to help me on the traffic site.

    thank you

    • Jen,
      You agreed that its more tough to compete with global blogs, because ‘finance’ is a crowded topic.
      You need to find out the ‘small holes’ in this topic and keep writing. Do not write what you wanted to write or tell, because you will not find readers for that or its already covered in top blogs.

      I suggest stay away from blog link exchange when your blog is new. Do not ever join automated blog links exchange programs.

      Do a proper keyword research for each post and write about it. Just see what people are searching but not covered on internet so far. Before write any post just think as a normal user ‘will this be helpful for others? how others will find this post?’

      May be above questions will give some ideas on how to blog.
      Good luck.

  • dinesh
    great tips from ur side. can u suggest me what kind of ad i can put in my site. to earn some revenue. alteast 1$ a day. 6 to 7 k visitors a month. it was started 4 moths back.

    • Google adsense is the first choice.
      Make sure you are getting reasonable visitors from search engines too.
      1$ per day could be possible, I think………

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