The goal of almost every person in the blogosphere is to increase their traffic. Traffic is used as a metric for success and the blog value. If you have a large amount of traffic, endless opportunities await you because it brings backlinks, RSS subscribers, comments, Alexa and Google rankings, pagerank.

Traffic opens up a whole new world of opportunities. So how do you get traffic?

1. Content – the key to getting quality traffic to your blog is content. Content is still king no matter what some say otherwise. Are you writing for yourself or for the readers? Too often, bloggers are focused on their own needs while hoping to monetize their blogs through heavy traffic. You need to learn how to write content that satisfies the needs of your readers.
2. Offer a solution – when people buy a blender, they are not buying the blender…they’re actually buying the shake. You have to know what the readers need and focus on it by offering the “blender”.
3. Focus on your blog design – appearance is important for a blog. It may seem superficial but have you ever wondered why the most successful blogs have great design as well? When you have an ugly blog, it will not look appetizing enough to read.
4. Update regularly – while there is really no need to write several times a day on your blog, regular updates will be appreciated.
5. Comment – network with fellow bloggers by leaving meaningful comments on their blogs. It shows that you have something substantial to offer.
6. Be social – take advantage of social networking sites. Stumble, Reddit, and Digg are just some sites you can take advantage of.
7. Interact with readers – remember to communicate with your readers. There is a vast opportunity with building relationship with your loyal followers as you’ll see if you try this out.
8. Guest posting for others – writing guest posts for other bloggers can drive traffic to your site. This is especially true if you submit useful posts to other blogs.
9. Accept guest posting – when other bloggers want to write a guest post in your blog, say yes. They will surely provide you with links that will increase your traffic count.
10. Search engine optimization – this is essential for any website or blog. Search engines can drive a great deal of traffic to your site if you focus on your optimization efforts.
11. Forums – post actively on popular forums and link your site in your signature. Although Digital Point and Site Point are great places to start, you should concentrate on forums within your niche.
12. Opt-in mailing list – having a list of subscribers will definitely help improve your traffic count. One-time visitors are unlikely to forget you when they regularly receive your newsletters.
13. Use pictures – photographs and images will increase the attractiveness of your site. This helps build a loyal following that creates the traffic jam for your blog.

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