7 Expert Tips on How to Get Web Visitors

It's not easy to get web visitors. Here’s the conumdrum. You have a new site. Because your site is new and has very little history, Google doesn’t rank it very highly. In order to improve your ranking you need backlinks. In order to get backlinks you need visitors, but you have a new site…

New site= no history= no ranking= no visitors= no backlinks= one frustrated website owner

Is this familiar to you?

Believe it or not there is life outside Google and there are some great ways of getting web visitors without relying on web search optimization or Google SEO.

Last week we asked a number of experts to share their top tips for getting blog traffic. We asked -

How can you make your blog stand out from the rest and get the traffic that it deserves?

Here's seven of the best:

1. Fun And Interactive

Create a blog that people can have fun with. Most posts are just opinion pieces. But yours will have contests, videos, polls and have readers begging to leave their two-cents worth. They will suscribe and visit over and over again just to see who's winning the contests. Make your readers the stars of the show. It's a place where their thoughts matter and they can have an interactive experience with other readers. Personalization and user input builds popularity. And above all, show you care!

Thanks to Colin Martin of Self Help Business Center

2. Use Photography And Video

Take photos and videos and then post them on your blog. I love taking photos and weaving my blog post around the pictures, same with video. If I'm writing a blog about "It's OK to Make Mistakes," why not shoot a 3-minute video around this subject and then place it within the post. Not only will you attract more visitors through your video with it being on YouTube, you'll have your visitors get "sticky" on your site, meaning they'll stay for a while instead of leaving after 0 seconds.

Thanks to Alice Osborn of Write From The Inside Out

3. Own Your Own Mall

I show people how to make more money and have fun doing it. I spread the word through communities. Want to save money? There are plenty of blogs about how to save. Need a vacation and want to go for free? - Check out all the travel related sites. Kids vitamins that are gluten free and sugar free and don't rot your teeth? There are lots of Mom sites out there. Join communities, get to know people, have fun and get organized. You don't have to do it all on your own, use virtual assistants to find the blogs and place the comments.

Thanks to Lily Steiner of MyMultipleIncomeSteams.com

4. Don't Bog Down Your Blog

If you're going to spend the time it takes to maintain a blog (or pay someone else to do it), you want it to be successful. One of the best ways to do this is to ask, "How can I be of service to my readers?" A good way to accomplish this is to be timely--tie into local or breaking news and be up-to-date about what your talking about. Don't bog down your blog talking about yourself or your business. For instance, if you have a real estate blog, don't be obsessed with covering your new listings.

Thanks to TC McClenning of Top Cat Creative Services

5. Be Yourself! Attract Your Audience!

Each of us has our own interests and special gifts, and if you stick with them, they will shine through and attract your audience to you. In my case, I'm a grammy-nominated songwriter and I love pop culture. So I try to find examples of great marketing from artists, television shows, newspapers and movies.

I've talked about everyone from Donald Trump and Celebrity Apprentice to Donny and Marie! It makes marketing fun, and relateable. So write about what interests you and you'll stand out!

Thanks to Ellen Violette of Create A Splash, LLC

6. Be Authentic

No matter what you blog about, there are probably thousands of others covering the same topic. To make your blog stand out, you have to stay away from the same old tips that everyone else is offering, and inject your own personality. Instead of just describing a particular strategy or resource, talk about some of your own challenges and mistakes and how it has helped you to overcome them.

Thanks to Janet Barclay of Organized Assistant

7. Say Something Controversial

So many bloggers are afraid to say what they really think. The best reactions I've ever had have been to posts where I say something controversial that can start a discussion. As author Roy Williams said, "the risk of offense is the price of clarity." If you want clarity (to be noticed) you need to run the risk of causing offense by saying something attention grabbing and controversial.

Thanks to Steve Jones of Brand Like A Rock Star

Do you have opinions or expertise you would like to share? This week we're asking: