How to get my blog off the ground?

by Theory5

Posted: 13 years ago 11 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

So I started a tech how-to blog, and I started backlinking to promote my site. I was getting around 7-15 views a day, but when I stopped backlinking I stopped getting views. I got a list of backlinks (some from .edu and .gov sites) from fiverr that i am still waiting to receive (should be later today). I have also been posting on a couple tech support forums. It does seem like people are looking at my blog but then going away, instead of reading it. I was wondering how you guys can get enough views to make money off of your blog? Am I doing something wrong? How long did it take you until you were getting regular viewers?

#blog #ground

Johnny B.

13 years ago

Make sure your working your backlinks for a specific keyword and not just backlinks in general, that's how you get targeted organic traffic. Gaining an online presence for your blog in other sectors (forums, social media) is very challenging and can take months. Be patient and keep working.

Thanks
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PTaubman

13 years ago

Theory5 / Milandon -

Is it safe to assume that Don't Panic. is your site? If you are open to some constructive criticism, I offer the following:

1. Add more white space in your posts. You have a lot of text that is not pleasant to read since it is all jammed in.

2. Use Headings in your posts since you have a lot of content - this will help people read.

3. You only have 6 posts - update on a daily basis and give it time.

4. You probably can increase your on-page SEO if you host the site yourself (as opposed to blogpost).

5. Where are the backlinks coming from? Are they on relevant sites? If you can get them on other tech sites you are better off.

Hope this list of a handful things helps out.

Be Well.
Paul.

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Theory5

13 years ago

Originally Posted by PTaubman

Thanks for the help. I actually named my blog PC Jargon, but I have been playing around with the title and description. I like the fact that the "Don't Panic" is in large letters right at the top. Its sort of my tribute to Douglas Adams, plus many people freak out when there is something wrong with their computer, even if its a tiny simple thing to fix. I am aim to provide a blog (and eventually website) that helps people with any level of difficulty fix their computer and keep it running smoothly without having to pay someone to fix it whenever anything goes wrong.
I am trying to update regularly, but its not going so well.

I'd ditch the big, "Don't Panic."

For people who don't recognize it, it just doesn't look descriptive of anything in particular.

For people who do, they may just take you as a clown trying to be cutesy by co-opting Douglas Adams' stuff. Doug, for as good as he was at what he did, was not a very serious or helpful writer. Just a fun one. And that's not why anybody wants to read your PC how-to blog.

Replace it with a sentence or headline descriptive of what you offer on your blog, preferably compelling enough that people might find a reason to stay and begin reading.

There are a couple reasons why I chose "Don't Panic". Yes it was as a tribute to Douglas Adams, but like I said, people tend to freak out when confronted with something new or confusing on their computer. The old people are afraid they broke something that would cost hundred of dollars to fix, and the younger people just ignore it or get confused. I thought the "Dont panic" was a clever and humorous way to keep people from getting all excited over nothing.

Thanks

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Dan C. Rinnert

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Theory5

Are you sure those views are coming from actual visitors as opposed to bots? I get probably a couple dozen visits per day that are just from bots. So, if your views are that low, I'd double-check your stats package to make sure it's not including known bots as visitors.

How long did it take you until you were getting regular viewers?

Two days.

Thanks
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Theory5

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

Could be from bots, Im not sure.
Could you expand on how you started getting regular visitors? What did you do?

Thanks

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Oxbloom 13 years ago

Originally Posted by Theory5

It does seem like people are looking at my blog but then going away, instead of reading it.

I'd ditch the big, "Don't Panic."

For people who don't recognize it, it just doesn't look descriptive of anything in particular.

For people who do, they may just take you as a clown trying to be cutesy by co-opting Douglas Adams' stuff. Doug, for as good as he was at what he did, was not a very serious or helpful writer. Just a fun one. And that's not why anybody wants to read your PC how-to blog.

Replace it with a sentence or headline descriptive of what you offer on your blog, preferably compelling enough that people might find a reason to stay and begin reading.

***

Then, put a title on the first blog post, too. Right now, it's just a big, imposing block of text with no indication what it might be about. It's a recipe for clicking away.

***

Then, maybe consider changing the color of the titles/headlines within the blog. They don't pop. Light blue on white just isn't all that visible and attention-grabbing. You want a title to be the workhorse that draws attention to the content beneath. Yours are essentially camouflaged.

***

Lastly, consider breaking your text up into smaller, friendlier, bite-sized paragraphs.

A sentence or two.

Then some white space.

Kind of like this.

This aids readability, and also makes a post look more user friendly and approachable. People don't stick around to read text that looks scary.
- Thanks
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Lazy 13 years ago

Your site needs some design work. I didn't want to read your posts because the lump of text was really hard on my eyes. use linebreaks and paragraphs.

Also, it's very plain. You need some graphics on the top and side of the page. It'll keep people on your blog.
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- Dan C. Rinnert 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Theory5
  
  Could you expand on how you started getting regular visitors? What did you do?
  
  Find out where your prospective visitors are and hang out there. Participate and don't just drop links.
  
  Originally Posted by Lazy
  
  Also, it's very plain. You need some graphics on the top and side of the page. It'll keep people on your blog.
  
  Graphics are often over-rated. Content is what keeps people on a blog, not graphics.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
  Dan's content is irregularly read by handfuls of people. Join the elite few by reading his blog: dcrBlogs.com, following him on Twitter: dcrTweets.com or reading his fiction: dcrWrites.com but NOT by Clicking Here!
  
  Dan also writes content for hire, but you can't afford him anyway.
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3113992].message }}
  
  tpw 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert
  
  Find out where your prospective visitors are and hang out there. Participate and don't just drop links.
  
  Agree.
  
  Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert
  
  Graphics are often over-rated. Content is what keeps people on a blog, not graphics.
  
  Agree.
  
  Getting traffic to your website is a two-step process.
  
  Effective advertising, and the second drives repeat traffic -- good content.
  
  Links are good as an advertising medium, but what near that link convinces people that YOUR blog is worthy of their time?
  
  That is why I distinguished "effective advertising".
  
  Your ads must attract the attention of people most likely to appreciate your blog. Then the nearby copy -- esp in article marketing, forum marketing, press releases and social media marketing -- should make the case for people visiting your website.
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
  
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  drmani 13 years ago
  
  My VERY long article titled "How To Blog" has some information
  you might find useful in promoting your blog.
  
  All success
  Dr.Mani
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
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  AnitaCross 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by PTaubman
  
  Theory5 / Milandon -
  1. Add more white space in your posts. You have a lot of text that is not pleasant to read since it is all jammed in.
  
  Originally Posted by Oxbloom
  
  Lastly, consider breaking your text up into smaller, friendlier, bite-sized paragraphs.
  
  A sentence or two.
  
  Then some white space.
  
  Kind of like this.
  
  Breaking up long paragraphs would make your English teacher cringe, but it is excellent advice for any web page! There is a big difference between reading text on a printed page and reading text on a monitor.
  
  If you want people to stick around and read, you need to make it easy on their eyes.
  
  Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert
  
  Graphics are often over-rated. Content is what keeps people on a blog, not graphics.
  
  I agree with Dan.
  
  Graphics for the sake of graphics is pretty much a waste of time on any web site. But graphics that illustrate your point, or make a concept easier to understand add value to your information.
  
  The right image in your header or background can make it easy for the visitor to see at a glance what your site/blog is about. The wrong graphic will just add to the confusion.
  
  Respectfully,
  -Anita
  
  Thanks
  
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