So you started a freelance writing blog. Congrats!

A freelance writing blog can open doors to so many opportunities, and it can help you impress clients, show off your talents and build your brand.

But before you can reap any of these benefits, you first need to attract visitors to that blog. And sadly, the old “if you build it, they will come” adage doesn’t really work on the web.

The truth is you have to work to get blog traffic. After all, there are millions of other blogs out there. If you really want the masses to come calling, you have to put in some effort – and more effort than your competitors do.

Fortunately, I have some experience in that area. I’ve been running my Freelance Writing Riches blog for years now, and I’ve picked up on a few strategies that can help.

Do you want to get more traffic to your freelance writing blog? Then let’s dive right in:

1.   Create consistent content

A post or two every other month won’t cut it. If you want traffic, offer high-quality content on a regular basis, meaning twice a month at the very least.

2.   Promote your posts on social media

If you have Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or other social accounts, use those to your advantage and share your posts on each network. Consider setting up separate social accounts just for your blog. Then, you can really start connecting with your audience and building a following.

3.      Add it to your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is a great resource for freelance writers, and a lot of clients and businesses use it when seeking out talent. Add your blog link to your profile as soon as it goes live, and update your page whenever you upload a new post. Keep your connections in the loop! They’ll be your best supporters.

4.      Advertise.

Consider using Google Ads or Facebook Ads to drive more traffic to your blogs. Sometimes, even just a $5 “boost” on a Facebook post can bring hundreds of new visitors.

For more information on how to use Facebook ads, check out Jon Loomer’s blog. He offers a lot of great content on the topic.

5.      Go where your audience goes

Find out where your audience congregates on the web. Are their forums or message boards they like? Do they attend weekly webinars with a certain industry pro? Join them in their exploits, and get your name out there with the movers and shakers in your niche. Often, a little exposure is all you need.

6.      Use Google Analytics

Install Google Analytics on your blog, and monitor your stats regularly. See what content gets the most hits, and find out what times and days your traffic peaks. With this info, you can create a content and posting strategy that maximizes your visits 24-7.

7.   Focus on SEO

A little keyword and SEO research can go a long way in creating blog traffic. Figure out what keywords would work for your blog, and then start working those into your posts and content.

Learn more about beginner SEO tips for bloggers here.

8.   Make your content shareable

Want a hands-off way to get more traffic to your freelance writing blog? Then put your existing readers to work. Create content they love and want to share with others. If they post it on their social accounts or on their own websites, that’s more exposure and more traffic for you!

9.      Link back to old posts

When you’re creating content, look for places where you can link back to your older posts. Not only is this valuable for SEO purposes, but it also keeps readers on your site longer. Who knows, you may have just converted a fan once you’re done!

10. Link to other bloggers

Other bloggers need traffic, too, and many of them are willing to create reciprocal links to get it. Check with other bloggers in your niche, and see if they would be willing to cross-link with your site. It could be a beneficial relationship for you both – especially if you share a similar audience.

11. Use social sharing sites

Sites like Reddit, StumbleUpon and even Pinterest make sharing links easy. Consider joining one or all of these, and start getting your blog the attention it deserves.

12. Write guest posts for other sites

Find sites with complementary subject matter and a little audience overlap, and see if their owners would be interested in a free guest post. They’ll likely jump at the chance to get free content for a day. Just make sure you are allowed to link to your blog in your bio or the content.

13. Interact with your readers

Interact with your readers by asking them questions, replying to their comments and conversing with them on social media. You want them to feel connected to you so they keep coming back for more.

14. Give away a freebie

Entice new visitors by giving away something for free. Maybe it’s an eBook, a special report or another piece of valuable content. Whatever it is, ensure it’s something your readers will get value from.

15. Start an email list

When you give away those freebies, keep the email addresses on file, and use them to start building an email list. Use that list to keep subscribers in the loop about your site, your content and your services.

16. Enable subscriptions

Make it easy for fans to stay updated with your blog without having to check your site. Add a subscription box to your homepage, and let readers get immediate email updates every time you post a blog. You can also set up a Feedburner RSS feed, so readers can subscribe in their favorite feed reader, too.

17. Add your blog to your email signature

As freelance writers, we use email regularly, so we can use this to our advantage. Fill out your signature with your blog links, your social accounts and maybe even a link to your latest post. Every visit counts.

18. Create aggregated posts

Create an occasional blog post of curated, aggregated content from across the web. Gather the latest headlines, articles or news tidbits that your readers would find useful or interesting, and put it all in one convenient post.

This does three things:

• It establishes you as a resource for your readers – somewhere they can go to read the industry information they need
• It helps with SEO – Having solid external links of related content can boost your search engine rankings.
• More exposure – The people you link to may find out you linked to them and as a result, they will be exposed to your blog for the first time. This is a good strategy to get influencers in your niche reading your content.

19. Comment on other blogs

Visit other blogs your audience might be reading (or blogs of potential readers), and start commenting. Start discussions, answer questions and get involved in conversations with the people who congregate there. Include a link to your blog in your profile or signature so anyone you connect with can head there easily and quickly with just one click.

20. Try out different mediums

I know we are all writers, but it’s okay to offer content in a different form. Include infographics, charts, videos and all kinds of posts. Videos and infographics are not only highly shareable, but they’re also great for readers in a rush or on the go. Canva is a free program that can help you make professional-looking infographics even if you have no design knowledge.

21. Create great headlines

Your post headlines are the first thing people read, and a great title is what will compel people to read on and digest more of your content. Headlines that “pop” are exciting, enticing and attention-grabbing.

I love this free tool from Hubspot. You enter your keywords or blog topic and it spits out 5 potential titles you can use for your blog. Use this to tool before you start a blog because it can give you topic ideas to create a blog around.

22. Get to know your audience

Take the time to get to know your audience. Find out what they need, what they like and what their challenges are. Then, tailor your content to solve your audience’s problems. The more you do this, the more they’ll connect with your content and the more they’ll want to share it with others. Monitor conversations on social sites and Q&A sites like Quora and Yahoo Answers to find out what your audience is talking about and what their frustrations and pain points are.

23. Add social sharing buttons

At the bottom of each of your posts, add social sharing buttons so readers can easily share your content to their Facebook, Twitter or other accounts with just the click of a button. You can even make the social share buttons a part of your template if you’re on WordPress or another blogging platform.

24. Use guest posts

Though providing guest posts is a great tactic for bringing in traffic, using guest posts can help, too – especially if it is good, quality information your readers can use. Just make sure the guest content you post is relatable to your audience and that it offers something of value to them.

25. Get visual 

No one wants to be inundated with huge chunks of text – especially if they’re reading on a tiny tablet or mobile phone screen. Break up your text into readable form by adding sub-headlines, pull quotes, bulleted lists, bolded and italic formatting and keep your paragraphs short. Also, include nice visuals and graphics in your posts to keep the reader’s attention all the way through.

That’s 25 strategies to getting more traffic to your blog. Have any more? Please share them in the comments!

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