Let me start by saying that I am not a SEO expert and like most bloggers I am employing a trial and error method when it comes to trying to get traffic to my blog from Google.
How can I get more Blog Traffic from Google ?
I wanted to share a very simple tip that I have been using successfully for the last couple of months. I actually discovered this tip by looking deeper into my Google Analytics on my Career Advice Blog . What I found was that a large percentage of traffic that came from Google was from keyword phrases that started with “How” or “Why” or “Can” or “What”. The reality is that many people use Google because they have a question that they are looking to have answered.
What I have started to do is actually write my blog post title is the form of a question. For example, this blog post on Career CoPilot is getting me some respectable constant traffic over the past month:
Do I need a degree to break into Pharmaceutical Sales ?
I have started using this same technique on this blog having recently written this blog post title:
What makes someone an expert blogger ?
Just a simple tip that some of you may already be doing. If not, give it a try and see if it gives you a boost in search engine traffic.
For more tips on increasing blog traffic, check out this post from Conan Hughes
This is very true, alot of people ask Google questions so good advice, what is interesting is that Ask Jeeves many years ago was set out for this purpose but has been overshadowed by Google
Hey thanks for buzzing and referring my post.
You have a nice SEO tip there. I just might try it out myself too.
I think that using a question format, would fall into the category of long-tail keywords. It is all about keyword search, related terms and keywords that make the title effective.
Another thing that is effective, is using a sub title. It can be used as a little description, link bait or even for SEO. I currently use one and it does help. Furthermore, I have such a plugin at the Spunky Jones SEO Blog and its free.
.-= Spunky Jones´s last blog ..Getting the Most Out of Your Blog Content, Utilizing Your Archives =-.
@Spunky Jones, a sub title is a great idea. I will have to swing by and check out that plugin
@Dan Keller,
Let me know what you think after you try it out?
.-= Spunky Jones´s last blog ..Getting the Most Out of Your Blog Content, Utilizing Your Archives =-.
Great advice! I try to remember to do this. I came across a post in my niche that was written entirely in question and answer format – a great way to get traffic from multiple long-tail search phrases.
.-= Liz@Cambridge Real Estate´s last blog ..Cambridge Mass Real Estate Market – February 2010 =-.
If you want to take it to the next level, then I’d suggest you do keyword research relating to the topic that you’re planning to write about.
Then you can craft a title that exactly matches a phrase people search for and boom! You’ve got a much better shot at ranking now because your title tag is a search phrase.
I use this strategy on almost every niche blog I own. Yes it can make for less interesting titles, but I’ll take less interesting titles over search engine traffic any day.
Chris
.-= Chris Guthrie@Make Money On The Internet´s last blog ..phpZon Pro Plugin Review and Contest Giveaway =-.
So asking questions in the title is a good chance of increasing search engine traffic! Good tip!
Glad I read this post. It was the affirmation I have been looking for. I do not blog much, but I submit articles for online marketing of my website. I truely believe that my site is often sought in a search with a question, although I have heard conflicting “expert” advice. Everyone has their own opinion. I am going with my gut next time – thanks for the nudge!
I was just searching for this for a long that how can I get more traffic from Google.I think I get my solution here.You have given good tip to get more traffic.I like this idea of Question format.This will work.
Good tip. I don’t really do it as a conscious thing but I had noticed that my “How to” articles on eHow get consistent traffic and rank really well.
.-= JamesB´s last blog ..Spanish law, tax and more: advice and practical assistance for English-speakers in Spain =-.
This is very true. Even the tweets on twitter fall on those messages that are in question format.I realized. So your trick is no doubt useful. I’ll be following it wherever applicable.
BTW, are you still using one word keyword or started to use phrases? I read somewhere a few weeks ago that long keywords are better targeted to receive converting visits.
.-= shkhanal@icttrends´s last blog ..Why Start Blogging with Blogger? =-.
Interesting. I’ve apparently been enticing Google while writing for readers this whole time, and didn’t even know it! LOL
I’ll explain…
I’ve been using this tactic for the longest time to draw readers…comment on a commentluv enabled blog with a question in the title and it’s like moth’s to a flame.
How cool it is to learn I’ve been massaging Google at the same time.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..$100 – 10 Winners – Comment Contest! ‘Till Months End… =-.
I’m using “How-to” in some of my title tags. I’ll try this tip for titles and see if it makes a difference.
Thanks!
@Ileane
.-= ileane´s last blog ..Diigo Extension for Google Chrome Browser =-.
By the way – what plugin are you using to display the amount of comments each commenter has written on this blog?
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Comment Spam, She’s Back: Dr. Ann Voisin From Linda Christas College =-.
I just wanted to comment because of the picture you’ve chosen for this post. It’s from my home country, so I’ve been over it a few times
Very nice picture!
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Comment Spam, She’s Back: Dr. Ann Voisin From Linda Christas College =-.
That is a really good point. Unless people already know what they want, they will more than likely just write their question into Google – I know i do!
.-= Tom@Market Samurai Discount´s last blog ..Cheap Article Writers | $1.60 An Article Interest You? =-.
This tip is really good if you want to get traffic, it has worked for how to add a retweet button for my blog and i agree how to are quite popular among readers.
.-= Gautam Hans´s last blog ..Great SEO tips for Everybody =-.
I wish I could find the link for you to the information, but I read somewhere that Google does not index words like “how to” or “what is” or “and” and other conjunctions etc. I will keep searching for the information and pass it on if I can locate it again, but you know how it goes, only Google knows for sure…..
Asking questions in the title is a great tip, readers want there questions answered and you are more likely to get a click that way. Sound advice for someone that doesn’t know what they are doing
.-= Keith´s last blog ..8 Main Factors that Affect Search Engine Rankings =-.
Great tip! Google Analytics is a great tool to find out how people are getting to your site. You can even take it further and do some article marketing using the Title tag variations pointing to that blog post.
.-= Jack | Online Marketing Blog´s last blog ..Do You Use These Top 3 Ways to Monetize Your Blog? =-.
Superb tip, maybe I should update some of my posts to a question format
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Top 5 FireFox Add-Ons to Help With Blogging and Commenting =-.
This is why I am following this tip when ever I can
good one!
.-= Hesham @ FamousBloggers´s last blog ..How to Get 4000 Creative Designers to work on Designing your Logo and pay only once =-.
I think it is because people use question format when ask google about something.
.-= Dana @ Blogging Update´s last blog ..Write Short, Please! =-.
@Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing,
I have a total of 8 plugins for WordPress. Many of them are for improving SEO optimization. I come up with the plugin concept and my coder makes the plugins.
You can find them in the WordPress plugin section on my Spunky Jones SEO Blog.
.-= Spunky Jones´s last blog ..Getting the Most Out of Your Blog Content, Utilizing Your Archives =-.