- \n
- The total number of active blogs has crossed 600+ million, increasing competition drastically.<\/li>\n
- Readers now prefer blogs that solve problems rather than those that just share thoughts or updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These days it takes considerable effort to build a high-traffic blog that can also earn you money. The sad truth is that some blogs won\u2019t attract much traffic or earn much money. Their niches just aren\u2019t popular or profitable enough. No one wants to hear it, but it\u2019s true. As a consultant I\u2019ve turned away considerable business, because I just didn\u2019t see a way some blogs could ever turn into what the owner would consider a success.<\/p>\n
Some blogs, though, have the potential. And new bloggers have all the<\/p>\n
opportunity in the world to create high-traffic, profitable websites. Those clients always ask one question, and it wasn\u2019t until recently that I had a good answer.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/delhicourses.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/websitetraffic.png\")
<\/p>\nThey ask: What\u2019s the biggest thing I can do to grow my traffic?<\/h2>\n
The answer is so simple that you might bop your head for not knowing the answer before. If you scroll down a bit you\u2019ll see an unmistakable message in big letters. But for now let\u2019s go over blogs that will not attract lots of traffic or earn much money.<\/p>\n
News Doesn\u2019t Pay<\/h2>\n
Before I meet with potential clients I examine their websites for certain criteria. What\u2019s their topic? What\u2019s the niche angle? How\u2019s the writing? How\u2019s the format? The checklist includes about 20 questions, and for most blogs I go through every one of them.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s just one exception.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Additionally:<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- \u201cNews blogs\u201d require real-time posting and deep industry access, something beginners rarely have.<\/li>\n
- Competing with large publishers like NDTV, Times of India, or TechCrunch is nearly impossible for new bloggers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If the site contains nothing but a regurgitation of the news, there\u2019s a 99 percent chance I\u2019m going to reject it outright. Reblogging the news just doesn\u2019t do it anymore. The only exception is if the news is in a niche that few other blogs touch. If you dig real deep into a niche and talk about one tiny aspect of a big subject, there\u2019s a chance you can attract a decent amount of traffic. Otherwise? The news doesn\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n
Think about it this way: the newspaper business is going under. People are getting their news from varied sources, and so advertising dollars are spread thin. That\u2019s because the news is the news. You can get it anywhere. Before blogs, newspapers made plenty of money because news was scarce. You had precious few places to find it. But now you can find it anywhere, even if you\u2019re not looking for it.<\/p>\n
If you want your blog to succeed you have to differentiate yourself from the pack. Reblogging the news, even with added perspective, just won\u2019t do that. The competition is too great and too established.<\/p>\n
Your Opinion Stinks<\/h2>\n
Another type of blog I typically won\u2019t take on as a client is one full of opinions. Sure, opinions can differentiate you from the crowd. They can be what separates your blog from the thousands of others in your niche. Even then, you might not generate enough traffic. Why?<\/p>\n
Because everyone has an opinion.<\/h2>\n
In the old days, opinion sold. Writers who expressed controversial opinions generated plenty of business for newspapers. But that was a one-way conversation. In modern times we have two-way streets, and readers are privy to that. They all have their own opinions, and it\u2019s harder than ever to convince them of anything else.<\/p>\n
CASE STUDY:<\/strong><\/p>\n
A lifestyle blogger who published only opinion pieces saw traffic stagnate at 2,000 monthly views for 18 months. After switching to \u201chow-to\u201d guides and tutorials, traffic grew to 25,000 monthly views in just four months. The shift from opinion \u2192 value-based content<\/strong> changed everything.<\/p>\n
Sure, you might be able to generate some traffic by expressing against-the-grain opinions. You might even cash in that traffic for some money. But the well runs dry quickly. Unless you\u2019re a Grade A essayist who can consistently incite the masses, you\u2019ll flame out. And if you were a Grade A essayist, someone would pay you to write for them. If you\u2019re even Grade B, people will leave soon enough. They\u2019ll get sick of your opinions. It has happened a thousand times, and will happen thousands more.<\/p>\n
So what can you do to generate high traffic and earn money?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
Teach Them Something<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s so simple, yet so true. Teach your readers something they didn\u2019t know, and they\u2019ll appreciate you. They\u2019ll recommend you to friends. They\u2019ll spread your message through social media outlets. And, most of all, they\u2019ll come back time and time again.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s really it, folks: the one rule for building a high-traffic site is to teach your readers something they didn\u2019t know. Why do you think that Delhi Courses blog is in the Alexa Top 20,000? Because when you come to Delhi Courses Blog you learn something about blogging and running websites. If this site were just opinions about blogging, it wouldn\u2019t even be in the top 100,000. But the posts here teach people something that they can take to their own blogs.<\/p>\n
So how can you teach someone something?<\/h2>\n
Start with what you know. If you know a lot about fitness, teach people how they can get themselves in shape without spending hours at the gym. If you know a lot about books, teach people about some hidden gems they won\u2019t find on bestseller lists. If you know a lot about home improvement projects \u2014 and this is a good one for many reasons \u2014 teach them why they will save money by installing a tankless electric water heater. However you choose to do it, though, make sure that the reader comes away with something she didn\u2019t know before reading your post.<\/p>\n