Using Tags to Get More Traffic to Your Blog through Blog Directories

Tags are generally ignored by site owners and bloggers in terms of potential. They're small, for one and very often easy to overlook. Furthermore, those who do not understand their use or significance or at least why and how they work may not often appreciate their value. This is unfortunate because tags can help increase the traffic coming in to your blog from blog directories. Learn what tags are and how they work so you can maximize their use.

Tag – you're it

A tag, also referred to as a meta tag, is a keyword that is used to label specific information found on a web page. A meta tag uses HTML tags that are hidden from plain sight but clearly 'visible' to web crawlers.

A tag functions mainly for identification of an article, for example, or a title, subheading, site description or image – hence the name 'tag'. They are often used as tools to ping multiple search engines, create a presence for use in social bookmarking and to drive traffic to your site, especially your blog. With tags, it will be easier for your site, article or web page to be found in search engines where they are supported.

Put simply, a tag is a small piece of identification on your blog that informs a search engine bot or spider what your site is about and how it should be indexed. If you can choose and design the right combination of tags for your blog, you will be able to manipulate the number and type of traffic that reaches your site from blog directories legally.

Using tags on your blog to drive more traffic

Blog directories are repositories of information and news regarding the types of blogs available for a particular topic or subject. As such, they can be very useful sources of highly targeted traffic for your own blog. To maximize the use of blog directories for this purpose, consider doing the following:

Choose your words carefully

Keep in mind that your blog is just one of millions out there vying for attention. Even if you're trying to build a reputation within a relatively smaller niche industry, you will still be competing with at least a dozen others in your market segment. Careful consideration in choosing the specific keywords (or tags) to use with your blog will help you stand out in blog directories.

There are three important tags that you should focus on when designing your blog for traffic increase from blog directories. These are the title tag, the description tag and the keyword/s tag.

The title tag. The title of each blog entry you have should contain the most essential keywords that appear in your write-up or are relevant to your content. This will help optimize your entry and make it easier for search engines to find and index.

Prospective visitors who perform a search using Google, Yahoo! or MSN Search, for example, will be able to reach an optimized blog, since it's more likely to appear in a search engine list. As a result, you drive more traffic to your blog.

The description tag. Although description tags are ignored by some search engines, adding this to your blog can help influence how your blog (or at least its web pages) is described.

The keyword tag. The keyword tag is the word or phrase that you will repeat within the content body or web page in question. Used strategically, these keywords can help increase your blog's results in search engines and bring in more traffic to your site by allowing visitors to easily find you.

Don't be afraid to combine keywords, though. That's how you will be able to create highly targeted key phrases to optimize your blog. Three- to four-word key phrases will do. Multiple word tags are advantageous to single word searches as well. If you use a keyword phrase tag that says 'rock paper scissors', for example, your blog still has the potential to show up in case someone uses only the word 'rock' or 'paper' in his search.

Don't overdo the use of tags

If you don't watch out, tags can be addictive. It could reach a point where you might find yourself using tags that have little relevance to your blog. This usually happens when you try too hard to make sure that your blog or web page appears in more listings.

Although it may seem like a good idea to help increase traffic to your blog particularly as a means to shine in blog directories, overuse of tags can be counter-productive. Try to be careful in choosing only the kind of tags that your blog truly needs. Leaner but highly targeted tags are much more effective than generic ones.

Follow through

A good tag can gain initial interest in your blog and increase traffic coming from blog directories. However, it can only do so much. Now that traffic is beating at your door, you should be able to throw a real party thereafter. Make sure that the content associated with your tag/s is well worth your visitor's click. It should offer specific information for a specific purpose and should include the content that you so readily promised in your links.

Otherwise, you won't earn the trust of a loyal readership or following. A baited title that lacks the backing of useful content will be viewed as a cheap trick and won't earn you a lot of respect – or traffic.

Do's and Don'ts for Reciprocating Traffic to Promote Your Blog

Some mockingly call it as the mutual admiration society and wherein people praise – and link to – each other in order to generate traffic. No matter how way you look at it, reciprocating traffic works not just for promoting websites but blogs as well. Here are several dos and don’ts to take note of if you’re in the mood for sharing some love with your fellow bloggers.

How to Reciprocate Traffic for Blog Promotion

Reciprocating is easier than you think. You just have to take note of what other bloggers are doing for you and return the favor. Of course, you can also consider initiating things by being the first to post a comment, include a link in your directory, respond with a blog entry, or review another blog.

As long as what you’re doing places focus on you and the other blogger, you’re doing the right thing!

Make your reciprocation valuable

If you are going to reciprocate a favor, be sure to make it valuable and meaningful for the other blogger. It would simply be a waste of web space if all you’re going to say is hi and goodbye. If that’s what you’re going to do, it’s best not to reciprocate at all.

To make reciprocation valuable, consider which areas you can make the greatest contributions – pages which, even better, the other blogger would appreciate to gain more traffic for. Look for questions that coincide with your fields of expertise.

Make it mutually beneficial

Reciprocity is not merely an exchange of links. It also includes mutual acknowledgment – and maybe even recommendation – of each other’s expertise. When you post a comment or display a link in your website, make sure that the information you provide not only reflects positively on the other blogger but on yourself as well.

Pay attention to house rules

Reciprocation means visiting another person’s blog and as they say, when in Rome, it’s important to do as the Romans do. Every blog has its own set of house rules and you must pay attention to them. One example of house rules is the inclusion of links in your comments. Some bloggers prefer not to have any links displayed without their express permission.

Acts of rudeness commonly result from simple misunderstanding and ignorance of rules. If you’re unsure about your statement, you can always email the other blogger and ask for confirmation as to whether your reply is adequate or not.

Don’t be condescending

It’s easy to be so without even being aware of it. When you are visiting a blog that’s less popular than yours, don’t act or speak in such a way that you’ve made it very clear to everyone the other blogger should be grateful for you little act of reciprocation. That’s a big no-no to do, and you’re sure to receive unpleasant feedback even if it’s true. Such things are better left unsaid.

Always return the favor

Last but not the least, remember to return every favor you receive! This is the golden rule of all golden rules and to violate once or several times is something that no Internet marketer forgets. Soon, tales of your infamy will spread and you shouldn’t be surprised if the popularity of your blog starts declining.

Regardless of how much or how little you’ll benefit from reciprocating the favor, do it anyway. It’s called good business!

7 Ways to Leave Comments and Drive Traffic Back to Your Blog

People say that to make an impression, you'll have to open your mouth. While that is physically impossible in the virtual world of the Internet, saying your piece is not entirely difficult to do. Thanks to forums and discussion boards, you can leave a comment or start a discussion thread about virtually any topic from anywhere in the world. And yes, you can even leave comments to drive traffic to your blog and increase your readership.

Leaving effective comments

You're probably old enough to know that not every comment that gets thrown into an opportunity for interaction creates the desired effect, much less become appreciated by those who hear or read it. If you don't use this technique carefully, you will either waste the opportunity or simply allow it to create the wrong impression. Here are 7 ways you ought to do it:

Choose the sites you leave comments on

Ever wondered why Tiger Woods is great? Because he chooses his battles well. You'll never find Woods swinging his club at a lesser known tournament – not because he's a snob but because he focuses on the games that truly matter and on being on equal ground with other greats.

Keep this in mind before you leave comments on a website. Just because you have the burning need to drive traffic to your blog doesn’t mean you can just drop by a site – any site – and write there.

Choose the sites and blogs whose forums you participate with. Find out if the site deals with a topic or subject related to your very own blog. Practice only purposeful commenting – the kind where you leave only well-crafted comments on sites that will help build the buzz about your blog.

If the site is completely irrelevant but you have the urge to leave a comment, do so only during your spare time. Otherwise, focus your energies only on more productive activities.

Know what you're saying

Before you leave a comment with the purpose of driving traffic to your blog, at least write one that is useful. Your goal is to be noticed AND respected for your opinions so leaving useless and dead end comments such as 'Cool!' and 'Way to go!' just won't cut it.

If this is the best you can do, forget about leaving comments right now and focus on other strategies to drive traffic to your blog. Better avoid this technique than be embarrassed or be viewed as lame or mediocre.

But if you can write and have something meaningful to say, by all means, do so. With every comment you have, make sure you keep it short, concise, to the point and useful. Talk about relevant topics and avoid those that will do nothing for your purpose.

Avoid strong language

Of course, some sites will probably allow you to leave comments that are strongly worded or at least camouflaged as symbols such as !#$%&*, but there are ways to get your point across, regardless of how angry, upset or argumentative you are.

Furthermore, majority of sites and blogs impose certain regulations that restrict the use of certain words. Try to rephrase a sentence without losing its main thought. Use an online thesaurus, if necessary. Remember that once a comment is posted online, there's no way to get it back especially if it's not your site. You can leave that comment there to rot but you can never take it back.

Do not be rude

Have a sense of humor. The Internet is a vast expanse of space, currently limitless. In fact, it's a whole universe unto itself. If people leave comments on your post that seem to insult you or argue with you, don't fight back without thinking.

First of all, we are a democracy and people have every right to their own opinion. Second, firing back with the same kind of idiotic language will not be a good reflection on you. Third, you're way better than that. If you must defend your stand, do so with class.

Calm down

Please, if you must drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments on other websites, keep it professional and tone it down. DON'T LEAVE MESSAGES LIKE THIS ONE!!!!!!

A good rule of thumb is to follow accepted structure of the English language or whatever language it is you're using to post. If you must use exclamatory points, make sure they are truly needed. Otherwise, avoid them.

Leaving comments written in purely bold or capitalized letter smacks of desperation and unprofessionalism. It's hardselling and makes people stay away in droves.

Check replies to your blogs

Maximize commenting on other sites and drive traffic by frequently checking back on the forum you participated in to see if there are any replies to the post you left. This is a good way to build buzz and network.

Check your facts

If you will be quoting someone or citing a certain study, make sure your facts can be corroborated. Don't use make believe or newly invented figures and statements or even half-truths and try to pass them off as legit. You will be exposed. If you want to drive traffic to your blog by leaving comments, make sure you don't tarnish your reputation with the effort.

Social Networking to Improve Your Blog’s Traffic

There is no doubt that blogging is qucikly becoming popular and there’s no stopping its popularity. The fight for supremacy heats on. The battle for the highest ranked blog or the most frequently visited blog is now at its peak. It is also no surprise that blogs now are becoming popular because of its use as a vehicle for earning extra bucks.

What do you need to increase your blog’s traffic? It requires no extra complication as a matter of fact, all you need to do is to maximize your networking skills. That’s right! No need for additional special skills – just plain old networking skills. So how do you start?

First you need to have a constant appearance online. You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well. It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog provides. Aside from forums, you can also chat with other bloggers online.

Advertise your blog online. You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well. It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog provides. Aside from forums, you can also chat with other bloggers online. Advertise your blog online. It requires no extra complication as a matter of fact, all you need to do is to maximize your networking skills.

That’s right! No need for additional special skills – just plain old networking skills. So how do you start? It requires no extra complication as a matter of fact, all you need to do is to maximize your networking skills. That’s right! No need for additional special skill, just plain old networking skills. So how do you start? First you need to have a constant appearance online. You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well.

It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog provides. First you need to have a constant appearance online. You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well. It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog provides.

All you need to have a constant appearance online. You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well. It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog contains.

You can visit other blogs as well, in that manner bloggers will see your blog entries as well. It’s more like a give and take relationship. You can also participate in blog forums and recommend your blog to those people who are seeking information which your blog provides.

In short, social networking is the key to improve your blog’s traffic.

Top 10 Proven Ways to Drive Targeted Traffic

...to Your Affiliate Marketing Site

When you're involved in affiliate marketing, easily one of the most major concerns you'll have to face is driving traffic to your site. And not just any traffic – you'll need targeted traffic. Here are the top 10 proven ways you can drive quality traffic to your affiliate marketing site and increase your income-generating potential:

E-mail campaigns

Used carefully, e-mail campaigns can easily drive targeted traffic to your affiliate marketing site. This can be done by providing highly relevant and valuable information on the body of the message and then offering a link that will bring the recipients into your site.

You can do this two ways: one is by providing the full content in the e-mail message and then offering a link inviting the recipient to view more similar write-ups on your site. Another is by giving only a portion of the content and offering the rest on the affiliate site. A linked e-mail signature should also be included.

Articles

Informative and how-to articles, especially well-written ones, are proven traffic baits for affiliate marketing sites. Include links to similar or additional information within the content body that can only be read from your site and provide additional links on your signature.

Newsletters and e-zines

People love information, particularly those about subjects they are curious about or are involved in – which explains why targeted methods to drive traffic to affiliate marketing sites work best.

Offer e-newsletter and e-zine subscriptions, making sure that links bring recipients to your site. Use a separate landing page to handle the subscription process for your visitors' convenience.

Blogs

Other than your affiliate marketing site, use a blog to get in touch with prospective customers and members. Blogs are considerably more personal and lighter in tone than most affiliate business sites and they can be a great source of information, news, advice and tips from you to your prospects. Include a link from your blog to your affiliate marketing site.

Social bookmarking sites

These sites are a rich source of targeted traffic that you can drive to your affiliate marketing site. Your market demographics are also easier to define so sending out invitations to potential leads and members is a lot easier.

Discussion forums and boards

By leaving useful and thought-provoking comments on discussion boards and forums, you encourage other members to react and send you a reply. You'll be able to build a networking relationship from here. Make sure to sign with a link back to your affiliate marketing site.

Guest blogging

You could drive another blog's captured traffic to your affiliate site by becoming a guest blogger. If you can write well and can offer unique and useful content, the site's readership will find you interesting enough to follow you to your own site.

Allow bookmarks on your web pages

If you have content, you can drive traffic to your affiliate marketing site by allowing your readers to bookmark certain pages. This will help promote those pages and your website to other people who might be interested in the same subjects.

Host a contest

Locate your target market and then promote a contest through ads or e-mails. All details must be found on your affiliate marketing website so you can drive traffic there. Registration must also be performed on one of your landing pages. Just make sure to offer prizes that visitors who will be coming in will find useful.

Freebies!

There's nothing like a nice gift to drive targeted traffic to your affiliate marketing site. It's easy to implement and can be relatively cheap. Furthermore, you offer these visitors an incentive to sign up for whatever campaign it is you're promoting.