Blogging is very much different from the past. It used to be easy to rank on Google by simply stuffing keywords but that’s not the case anymore. Google has a very smart algorithm to deliver the most accurate search results ever. Hence, more bloggers are struggling in terms of Google traffic these days.
Many bloggers quit due to lack of traffic or income. Even though patience is really important, sometimes the direction isn’t right as well. Here are some warning signs that you should heed to know if your blog isn’t going the right direction.
1. You have less than 10 daily visitors even after 6 months of consistent blogging
Assuming you post at least 2 to 3 times a week consistently for 6 months, you’re bound to have more Google traffic. Perhaps even at least 100 visitors a day from Google. At least that was what I experienced.
The problem of not getting enough Google traffic is usually when you write articles that are way too short or if you’re going against highly competitive keywords. If you try to break into niches or topics that are extremely popular, short articles won’t cut it. It’s as simple as that.
If that’s not the case, were you penalized by Google? It can be due to link buying or other black hat tactics that are frowned upon by Google. Remove those problems and Google should lift your penalty.
To get more exposure, always try to promote your blog posts on social media or even on forums. Do it in a non-spammy way and you should definitely get more than 10 visitors a day.
2. You have zero comments on your blog posts other than spam
A lot of bloggers these days take part in comment for comment threads on Facebook. Sometimes you’ll see lots of comments on a blog post but they may all be non-genuine ones, i.e. only written by way of an exchange.
I used to do that a lot but I stopped once I realized it wasn’t really helping. I want genuine followers, not forced ones.
If you still have zero genuine comments after months, it’s a sign that you’re either not getting enough traffic, or nobody’s interested in what you’re writing. It can also be that your comment box isn’t working well. Ask for opinions from others on Facebook to see what’s wrong.
3. You no longer have an idea of what to blog next
This may be a sign that you weren’t interested or passionate about your niche in the first place. Perhaps you started a blog just to make some money online.
Passion goes a long way in blogging, since blogging is an endless journey, or up to however long you want it to be. Do differentiate this from writer’s block. Everyone gets writer’s block sometime in their blogging journey. If you’re still unable to think of a topic after weeks, then perhaps something is wrong.
Is your niche too narrow? Or do you lack passion? Try re-examining these questions and perhaps expand on your niche or find a niche that you really love.
4. You have no clear direction for your blog
Sometimes you lose your direction along the way and that’s normal but always remember why you started it in the first place. Did you intend to make money via advertisements, or did you plan to earn by making affiliate sales?
Think it through again and decide on a clear direction, otherwise your posts will suffer. Don’t be easily swayed by others. Just because some things are working for them, it doesn’t mean you have to change your blog’s direction to follow theirs.
Set your own goals and execute them if you want to succeed some day.
Conclusion
Blogging is not a fixed journey and you can always redefine what it means to you along the way. Find your direction and work towards it for a better chance of success.
Thanks for reading.
