“I have started an online blog / forum on politics, news, entertainment and more and would like to know how to attract traffic.”
Here’s another question I noticed on Manta.com.
And here’s the answer I posted there, transcribed for my readers:
If you want to attract more traffic, start with some internet basics –
1. SEO Title – make sure the title of your website is not set to “Home”. Make sure it says what your site is about. Ideally, you will have done a little keyword research to determine the best keyword phrase in terms of traffic.
2. PPC – Grab a Google coupon for a free adwords campaign (you can find them almost anywhere online, just google it!) and run a test campaign using a huge variety of keywords you want people to find you for.
3. Write. Blog early and often. Each post you write gives you um-teen new ways for people to find your site. One things for sure – if you don’t blog, you won’t attract anyone new. Offer helpful tips and be of service to the world wide web.
4. Don’t Duplicate Content – If you are using RSS or auto-posting to fill out content on your site, it will not work. I’ve learned from personal experience and also by recently following a friend’s site. Duplicating content already present somewhere else will only get you so far. To attract new visitors, make sure you’re writing 100% unique content.
5. Turn your content into videos. I am always harping on the importance of video, so why not make each one of your blog posts the subject for a Youtube video.
6. Make friends. Search for other online sites in your niche and build relationships. You might offer them a guest blog post to gain referral traffic (and a link) back to your site.
Call me in Portland if you need help implementing any of the above 503-890-6663.