Industry guru Dave Taylor answers free tech support questions about a wide variety of business and technical topics, including blogging, Google AdSense, MySpace, Sony PSP, Apple iPod, Mp3 players, management, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Microsoft Windows.

How do I get traffic to my Web site?

A reader writes:
I've really learned a lot from your book Creating Cool Web Sites with HTML, XHTML and CSS, but now that I have a site, I'd like to find out more ways to build traffic and maybe even make a few bucks off advertising. Can you help?

Dave's Answer: The key idea behind all traffic generation is that content begets traffic. Whether you're talking about search engines or the people that are looking for information, it stands to reason that the more "stuff" you have on your site, the more likely people are to find it and explore.

To produce content, think about what kind of short articles you could write and post. One way to codify this is through a weblog, of course, but even with just basic HTML you can build a library of useful pages. Intimidated about producing content? Keep an eye on your email: I find that sometimes I send 5-10 paragraph email messages to some lists that turn out to be very nice little articles unto themselves with just the tiniest tweaks.

Once you've done that, here are some places to explore:

  • Free Web Money is my wryly named weblog focused on search engine optimization, advertising, and affiliate programs. You can glean oodles of great, free, information there.
  • I Need Hits is a nice, very inexpensive, submission engine that will help you spread the word quickly about your site to dozens of different search engines. I use it whenever I launch a new site.
  • Big List of Blog Search Engines has a very nice, comprehensive list of places where you can garner publicity for your new Weblog, if that's the path you choose.
Good luck, and feel free to share the address of your new Web site with us here too. Finally, if you want to see one of my experimental sites focused on search engine-focused information presentation, check out college finances.com.


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Comments

I've read that some people have had a lot of success with content generators. Is this true? I'd like to try it out for myself, but don't know if i trust computer generated content. I just don't see how it will make any sense.

Posted by: Dave at April 20, 2006 12:55 AM

Dave, I have to say that I am adamantly against any sort of content generators and view them as basically the same as pollution machines in real life. If they work, it's surely only for the very shortest of possible terms until Google and other search engines figure out how to filter them out and penalize those sites. They certainly not adding anything to the Internet and are even far worse than sites ripping off legit content: they're creating nonsense.

My take: run, don't walk, away from this sort of tool.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 21, 2006 4:02 AM

Yes I tried one of these web site generators and it really is a joke. I eventually began rewriting all the generated content with my own original content. NOW they are getting some traffic.

In the end it comes down to fresh, real, original content. If we do that then we will always succeed no matter what the search engines change in their algos.

"It's a question of your honesty....yeah....your honesty" - RUSH

Kenny

Posted by: Kenny at June 2, 2006 9:09 AM

I rather prefer making my own content. I have heard a lot of people saying that website generators after a long time can be banned. That's why I prefer my own content. :)

Posted by: Samuel Colon at September 4, 2006 1:49 PM

thanx

Posted by: Enes at October 18, 2006 3:33 PM

I agree with you but how do you generate traffic to your site without it costing a fortune.
Everyone has a little sting in the tail and you read reams and reams of gumpf onlt to find that pay $49 dollars reduced from $500 what alot of dribble surely people have got wise to all that trash.
I run a charity site, which links into the united nations I make no money from it but give people the opportunity have their say and when I have sufficient votes pertaining to a particular category I send in the category and the number of votes to a contact I have at the UN in new York.
A way of letting the united nations know what the people think without the press getting involved.

Posted by: mannie at November 1, 2006 10:56 AM

Thank you for your insight, it has really helped. And as you requested, I am sharing my site with you. www.FeedTheBull.com is a user driven, social content website for everything stock related. It allows the user community to submit stock related news and blogs to the site and allows the rest of the community to vote and comment on what they like best. The articles/blogs that get the most votes is then promoted to the front page to let everyone see. It is a way to give power back to the readers.

Posted by: Ron at November 8, 2006 9:32 PM

Dave, I refer all my subscribers to this site as a first place to look because it's a real shortcut to fast answers.

People make a big deal about getting traffic to their sites, but if you know the right tricks and tools to use it doesn't have to be as difficult as people make it.

As you requested that we share our sites, here's one of mine that may help anyone trying to get more traffic to their sites - www.TrafficMadeEasy.com

Posted by: Roy at December 8, 2006 5:13 AM

As always Dave, your thoughts and theories are always awesome. I have been reading your posts for many years, and I really really enjoy them. They have helped me a ton!

Cheerful Trails,

Christian

Posted by: Christian at March 31, 2007 4:50 PM

Dave, that was some simple useful information. Thank you.

I think I've been doing well getting traffic following mostly advice I've gotten from blogs like this.

I do agree with some of the comments about people selling things that are mostly "fluff" with just maybe one key point. I also find it funny that someone who has made millions sells their ebook at all. Why not just give the information away? That is what the millionaires behind my site are doing.

Of course, there will always be a cost in time, money or both to really get anywhere and people need to realize that.

Posted by: Kathy at May 14, 2007 2:19 PM

Hi Dave!

Your information is always helpful and finding good information about getting traffic can be like pulling teeth! I would stay away from content generators as mentioned on this page. I have had great success with getting traffic, but it took almost 2 years of trial and error!

I write a lot of movie reviews and they do bring me a great deal of traffic from Google. It is a lot of work, but I am doing it the right way! Over the years I examined and tried other methods that did not work and the more "exclusive" content you have the better!

Once you have a decent page rank, then keep writing "exclusive content". Submitting to directories helped immensely starting out! Article directories helped me with page rank 2 years ago, but now I just write articles for my site and not article directories.

Posted by: DeWayne(FilmFreak) at May 31, 2007 10:12 PM

Dave,

I've been reading your blog now for a couple of months and do enjoy the great content you lay out.

You hit the nail on the head with "content begat traffic". I too have found over the years that content is indeed KONG!

There is no replacing live content as proof in your own site and this post. Written over 1 year ago the performance of this single post to drive traffic to your web site is very powerful.

Solid advice!

Posted by: Greg at June 5, 2007 10:11 PM

Like your talk man just launch this site hope to get some traffic

Posted by: vikram at October 3, 2007 8:05 AM

Great tips thanks from a newbie

Posted by: Rachel Harding at October 23, 2007 4:50 AM

I think that this tips are very useful for getting more trafic to you site. Good job Dave!

Posted by: Anton at November 22, 2007 10:18 AM

Hi, Dave! First I want to thank you for all of your useful information on your blog. And, I do believe that content is very important as well as keeping a website maintained and update, etc. I have just built an outstanding website in Costa Rica. It's an advertising site for Costa Ricans, but for other Americans too: solidamerica.com

Posted by: Gino at January 28, 2008 5:30 PM

cool stuff... u all can also joint trafficswarm.com.. i already a member..

Posted by: joe2008 at February 24, 2008 5:24 AM

Thanks Dave. I am sharing my site www.judaysia.com I am a hairdresser and I need help getting hits as well. I have written articles for e-zine which has brought traffic and I have a blog. My blog gets 200-300 hits a day but my site only gets a few. I am adding content to my web site almost everyday and I search for keywords and I also have google ads on my site and my blog. If any of you have any ideas to help me get more traffic please e-mail me. I do not have the cash to buy traffic. Has anyone had any success with advertising their site in the Enquirer or something like that. Thanks

Posted by: gyp at June 11, 2008 8:18 PM

I would like to know how to get more people to my website to buy my product. I have a book for sale. Does anyone know of where I could get the right content to sell this book and what exactly I should to do. I'm not techie so tell me in simplified words,, please...tks.

Posted by: Sandy at June 12, 2008 10:21 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!









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