In the end, you will learn that gimicks, scams and free traffic tools can make you a few quick bucks, but original content and lots (I mean LOTS) of it is one of the keys to long-term lasting success.
It's interesting that bloggers or webmasters like myself can read this from other sites, but we still don't believe it. I have been blogging since December 31, 2005, and now I am a believer!
I have learnt some things in these two months, and also have some observations.
Why did I even bother with Blog Explosion, Blog Advance, Blog Clicker, etc, etc ???
After creating this site on Blogger.com, I immediately thought about the next challenge: how to generate traffic? At that time, it did not occur to me that what I want is targeted traffic. So, after searching the web, I registered with Blog Explosion, Blog Clicker, Blog Advance, and Blog Soldiers. Basically, they are traffic exchange sites, where I can view other blogs, and get traffic in return.
The problem
- Virtually all the blogs on these exchange sites are after the same goal. There is a few opinion sites, but most of the blogs have Google Adsense or other pay-per-click ads, and some are clearly article sites geared towards making Adsense money. So, I am swimming with sharks! I have NEVER clicked on someone else's Google Adsense ads, so why would I expect any of the bloggers to click mine?
- Since the key is to get targeted traffic, the chance of someone on Blog Explosion or other traffic exchange sites to find my content valuable is slim to none. I am only basing this on what I think of other people's sites. I have no real interest in political opinions, information on gadgets, or stay-at-home mommy blogs, so how can these bloggers find a financial blog useful?
- Take one look at my referrals and site stats, anyone can figure out that such traffic exchange sites do not work. Not a lot of people stay for longer than 25 secs, which is the required length of time for Blog Explosion. You may get the odd one, but it's just not worth the effort.
Why is Hitsntraffic.com working for me???
Even though I am bashing traffic exchange sites, I am puzzled over my stats with Hitsntraffic.com. Unlike BlogClikers and other blog traffic exchange sites, Hitsntraffic.com allows not only blog sites, but other commerce sites as well. It is still not a great place to generate targeted traffic, but for some bizarre reason, it is doing quite well for me. My stats show that most of the hits from Hitsntraffic.com stay on my site for longer than 10 minutes, and view at least two or three pages. Since I registered with them, I have been receiving more clicks as well. So, for now, I will keep Hitsntraffic.com.
Possible Reasons for the Success
- Hitsntraffic.com does not have a lot of blog sites being circulated. So perhaps my site is an oddity!
- To be honest, I am not sure why it's being good to me. The surfing is automatic, so you don't even have to be at the computer. Then, it should actually backfire in terms of generating traffic. My assumption was that these people were not even looking at my sites (because really, I am not looking at theirs), but apparently this was the wrong assumption!
- If someone knows why this is and has had similar experiences with Hitsntraffic.com, please let me know.
I Am Finally Gitting Hits from Search Engines
This site does not have a lot of content yet, but recently, I have been receiving a few hits from Google search engine. I am excited, and it is motivation to actually write original content on a daily basis. For example:
Some one searched "Investing $4000" on Netscape, and Full Change Jar is ranked #4
Some one searched "E-wealthology" on Google, and Full Change Jar is also ranked #4
There were others, including one from some one who also has a "weakness for Starbucks Coffee". These are small victories!
Google Adsense TOS Rules Bother Me
We are not allowed to reveal Google Adsense revenue figures, and also not allowed to reveal the nature of our sites. I am okay with this. However, these rules help scam artists to cheat people. Typically, this is what I see on some scam sites "I can't tell you what my sites are or how much I make, but you can make the same amount of money or more if you buy my product." If I will spend money on your products, I want to see your books.
Link Swap Does Help (at least for me)
One of the best linkbacks to my site is from Retire Young and Wealthy. What I need is more linkbacks from other quality sites.
More "Unknown" Referrals
I am also getting a few "unknown" referrals. This is great news. This means that some people have bookmarked or remembered my site, and are arriving here directly without any help from search engines. It's always good to have groupies :)
So, with the increase in Google Search Engine hits and what I've learnt in the last two months, my goal now is to commit to writing at least one original entry each day. I will circulate this blog on Blog Explosion and other blog traffic exchange sites for a little longer to get some feedback on what others think, but after that I will no longer participate. I will remain loyal to Hitsntraffic.com, as it is working for me, but I have to find out why it is working (it really shouldn't).
