Blogs are popular ways to create an online presence for personal and business reasons. You can build a blog for free and begin posting content right away. But, what good is that content if no one is reading it. Here are ten ideas to bring in the traffic your blog needs to survive.
Of all the successful blogs on the Internet, hundreds more have failed. Running a blog for your business is like running a business. Unless you are willing to put the time in and treat it seriously. Your blog won't last long and it won't generate income or customers for your business.
Building the blog doesn’t mean that people will necessary come to you. You need to pursue the audience and give them a reason to see what you have to say. 
To increase the traffic to your blog, try these FREE ideas.
Fresh Content – no one wants to visit a blog day after day and see the same posts. Update your blog content at least twice a week. This will be easier if you write several posts ahead of time and upload them at the appropriate times. There are many tools that allow you to schedule your posts ahead of time, weeks or even months ahead. If writing isn't your cup of tea, hire a ghostwriter.
Overlay Your URL on Your Blog Post Images – create an overlay that includes your URL. When the image is shared, readers will know exactly where to go to find more.
Social Networking – these sites are everywhere. Join Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or even Pinterest to make connections. You can join groups of likeminded bloggers, entrepreneurs and influencers in your field.
Infographics - turn your data heavy posts into Infographics. If you have any data centric posts you can turn them into infographics. Watermark it before you share it, so that people can find your website.
Use RSS Feeds – RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” Readers can subscribe to your feed and get email updates when you post new content. It is an easy way for them to keep up with your blog.
Submit Blog/Website to Search Engines – Get your blog ranked by submitting it to search engines. Google or Bing (Yahoo!) are the most popular search engines you want to crawl your website. You will need to verify your site with both. Submitting your site does not guarantee top ranking, though. You’ll have to do a little more work – SEO (see below) to move up to the first page.
Harness the Power of LinkedIn Groups - Search for LinkedIn groups that interest your target audience. Join one or two at a time. Actively participate in the groups for a few weeks or months. Leave the groups that don't suit your needs. Be picky! You want to build an engaged audience.
Join a Message Board–Become a member of business forums and message boards. Become an involved member of the community by asking questions, answering questions, and commenting. Let your bio and signature speak for you. Blantantly selling on someone else’s message board is not cool. (add a link to your blog in the signature line)
Visit other blogs – Share the love. Show your appreciation to visitors to your site by also posting comments on their blogs. It is a kindness that shows others you are not just out to advertise your blog alone. Add links to your blog in your comments.
SEO Marketing – whatever you write, use relevant keywords. Keyword density between three and ten percent is good for getting higher page rankings in search engines. Learn about and use keyword research.
Plus a BONUS:
Social Bookmarking – In the past, social bookmarking was vital to generate backlinks. Link-building to increase SEO is not as effective today. Now social bookmarking is an opportunity to build an authentic audience. Submitting posts to social bookmarking sites allows others who are members of those sites to track you back to your blog. Some sites to try:
Using any of these ideas will start the traffic moving in your direction. It takes time but you will build the readership you want. Building an engaged audience over time is more profitable for your business than just generating clicks.
For more ideas, pick up the Free Ebook:
