Don't Rely On Google Alone for Getting Traffic to Your Blog

Blogging is one of the easiest and fastest ways to publish material on-line. Every blog post becomes a Web page itself, which increases your Internet footprint and makes you more attractive to Google. But Google traffic alone isn't the only way to get visitors to your blog.

Here are some other ways to get "eyeballs" to your blog:

• Link to it from your Web site. This seems obvious, but many Web site owners don't have a link from their Web site to their blog, or vice versa.
• Every time you write a blog post, tweet it. You can use a free service like TwitterFeed.com to automate this process.
• Subscribe to other blogs about your topic area and comment on them whenever they mention your topic. This helps build a relationship with those bloggers and their readers. The curious ones will visit your Web site and blog.
• Find and participate in on-line communities on these topic areas. Again, this is a way of establishing your reputation among the community of people in your field.
• Put your blog address - in addition to your Web site address - in your e-mail signature.
• Make it appear automatically in your Facebook profile. Facebook has apps to show your blog posts automatically on your profile.
• Add a link to it in your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn, too, can show your blog posts on your LinkedIn page.
• Make it appear automatically in other on-line communities. If you're a member of other on-line communities, check whether they will allow you to show your blog posts on your profile page. Look for the ability to add your "RSS feed" - that's your blog.
• Add a link at the bottom of your newsletter, so regular e-zine readers know about your blog. You can even encourage them to visit the blog to add their comments to a topic you mention in the newsletter.
• If you publish a podcast (an audio newsletter), write a blog post every time you issue a podcast episode, with additional information - for example, links to Web sites you mention in the podcast. Encourage your listeners to visit the blog for this information, and to leave their comments.
• If you participate in on-line forums, include your blog address in your forum signature (if appropriate).

The point is, it's not just one thing. It's about being passionate about your area of expertise, and then you'll naturally find ways to promote your blog.