*Beep, Beep* Where My Traffic Comes From

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Photo Credit http://morguefile.com/creative/ppdigital

As a follow up to yesterday’s post about diversifying traffic sources, I’ll share some of where my traffic to this blog comes from.  I’ve picked out the most interesting and/or top links to share here.

Top sources of traffic to my site over the past day or so, based on my stats:

Social Networks: Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon are the networks I’m most active on.  I tweet and share my posts on Facebook (yes, it’s automated!), sometimes on LinkedIn, and I actively share my own content as well as other valuable content on StumbleUpon.  It does drive traffic back to my site.  I also ask and encourage my readers and friends to share any posts or pages they’ve found valuable with their social networks.

In addition to seeing Twitter, HootSuite, Facebook, NetworkedBlogs and StumbleUpon in my stats, related sites like CoTweet, HootSuite and Paper.li show up.  Watch your stats for links like:

  • http://paper.li/tag/blogboost
  • http://stumbleupon.com/refer.php?url=http%3A//michelleshaeffer.com/if-i-were-brave/2010/11/20/
  • http://networkedblogs.com/aP1rX
  • http://facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmichelleshaeffer.com%2Fare-you-a-fish-climbing-a-tree%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2F&h=3eb90

Articles I’ve Written: This morning, these four articles have sent traffic my way so far from Ezine Articles.   In a typical day I see a dozen or so different articles sending traffic to my site.

  • http://ezinearticles.com/?Schedule-a-Business-Strategy-Day-and-Plan-Your-Way-to-Success&id=2758964
  • http://ezinearticles.com/?Twitter-Tips—How-to-Add-a-Link-to-Your-Tweet&id=5089094
  • http://ezinearticles.com/?Domain-Registration-Privacy-Protection—Do-You-Need-It?&id=1978838
  • http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Promote-Your-Business-With-a-Customer-Welcome-Kit&id=1838347

Articles I’ve written and submitted for publication at other websites also send traffic daily.  Some I submitted directly to the website and others picked up my articles from EzineArticles.com or WAHM-Articles.com.

Guest Blogging Posts: My guest blog posts send traffic back daily.  I’m currently guest blogging regularly on three websites.  But even an occassional guest post can help you build good traffic.

  • http://cwahm.com/wordpress/2010/cwahm-blogs/jills-blog/how-30-minutes-of-meal-planning-can-save-you-hours-of-frustration/
  • http://sophiezo.com/exciting-news-introducing-michelle-shaeffer-michelleshaeffr-my-newest-guest-blogger/
  • http://wahm-articles.com/blog/2010/11/guest-post-making-connections-finding-support-when-you-work-from-home/

Comments on Other Blogs: I have quite a few blogs in my reader and while I never try to read every single one of them every day (that’d be like trying to keep up with the 6,000+ people I’m following on Twitter–an impossible task!) I do watch for interesting posts and comment on several most days.  Here are some that sent traffic back to my site this week:

  • http://authenticlifeempowerment.com/empowerment/empowering-women-do-you-ever-feel-like-quitting-dont-quit/
  • http://www.yourwordsyourvoice.com/sometimes-making-the-sale-is-the-worst-thing-you-could-do/
  • http://communicatevalue.com/blogging/5-reasons-wordpress-super-simple-headachefree-site/
  • http://www.newbielifeline.com/ (I think I was showing up in the recent comments list on this page)
  • http://www.melaniekissell.com/2010/11/why-blog-if-your-niche-is-already-stuffed-to-the-gills/ (another one I was showing up in the commenters list)
  • http://www.building-blocks-coaching.com/teamwork-quotes.html
  • http://coachingbytambre.com/life-coaching/after-before-blog-if-today-was-the-day

RSS Readers: I use Feedburner to manage my RSS subscribers and offer subscribe by email options. But I can also see stats showing Feedly and Google Reader click throughs. RSS Readers are a source of traffic to really appreciate because they’re returning readers!  :)

Testimonials: Testimonials I’ve shared show up frequently, almost daily, in my stats as driving traffic to my website.  Here are a couple:

  • http://takechargesolutions.org/organise-your-home
  • http://myfabulousva.com/about-2/

My Affiliates: I offer an affiliate program for my ebooks and classes, and my affiliates do a great job of promotion.  I encourage them to also promote the free ecourses and gifts I offer since if someone signs up then purchases later the affiliate will get credit for that sale.  A great example of this is: http://melaniekissell.com/free-treasure-chest-2/ (and it shows up frequently in my stats, thank you, Melanie!)

Search Engines: Despite my lack of focus on them, search engines do send traffic to my site.  Write good content, build links to your website, and they’ll send traffic your way.  Here are some of the search terms people used this week to end up at my blog:

  • blog without writing
  • fivver guide
  • long term clients
  • wordpress regular website
  • small business minimize distractions
  • widgets + subscribe to blog via email
  • michelle shaeffer
  • marketing plan template
  • how to put together a marketing plan
  • business goals
  • how to make your tweets retweetable
  • putting together a marketing plan
  • do vision boards work
  • free professional fonts
  • tips for following on twitter
  • staying organized in business
  • free marketing plan template
  • speed up wordpress
  • michelle shaeffer blog
  • how to identify ideal client
  • life is like a cup of coffee

Other Regular Sources of Traffic: Traffic also comes from fun things like the Ultimate Blog Challenge, 31 Days Blog Challenge, telesummits or teleseminars I participate in, and seasonal promotions.  I also post on forums from time to time which sends traffic my way.  When I send out my ezine on Tuesday traffic jumps as well and I get about twice as many page views as the other days of the week.

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  • http://www.crazyforthecountry.com Amy

    Facebook is a biggie for me. Along with Mr Linky links from other blogs.
    Amy\’s last blog ..Blog Share WednesdayMy ComLuv Profile

  • http://topsy.com/michelleshaeffer.com/beep-beep-where-my-traffic-comes-from/2010/11/24/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention *Beep, Beep* Where My Traffic Comes From | Michelle Shaeffer — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Terri Zwierzynski and Solo-e Feed, Michelle Shaeffer. Michelle Shaeffer said: Blog: *Beep, Beep* Where My Traffic Comes From http://bit.ly/epCMcQ #blogboost [...]

  • http://www.newbielifeline.com Sheila Atwood

    Thanks Michelle,

    I this really is a nice overview of traffic sources. I had not thought of testimonials.

    You ezine articles are on really great subjects. I can see how you get traffic from them.
    Sheila Atwood\’s last blog ..How to Get Better Visibility on GoogleMy ComLuv Profile

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    Thanks, Sheila. And yes, I’ve found testimonials send a surprising amount of traffic. Nice benefit.

  • http://www.myfamilyexercise.com Jeff Wise

    After using some of these strategies over the last few years one of my sites is now receiving the majority of traffic from the search engines.

    I really need to take advantage of these ideas for my newer sites though. I’m using PPC to drive some targeted traffic currently.
    Jeff Wise\’s last blog ..Recipes For Kids During The HolidaysMy ComLuv Profile

  • http://www.AllAboutGratitude.com/blog/ The Gratitude Guru

    Hi Sheila -

    I am glad I found your site! I have just started to read your content and love it already!

    These traffic sites are great! Similar to guest blogging, I have found that having interviews typically always bring a spike in traffic (and thus subscribers) to my site. I have recently done a few of these with other site owners (where there is a synergistic match, of course) and I have found some very nice results.

    Be Well.
    Paul.
    http://www.AllAboutGratitude.com
    The Gratitude Guru\’s last blog ..Black Friday GratitudeMy ComLuv Profile

  • http://melaniekissell.com/blog Melanie Kissell

    Fab-O-Matic! This is one heck of an awesome list, Michelle. With all of your traffic-generating experience and positive results, I can envision you doing a teleseminar or webinar on this topic. :)

    I’m using some of the same sources you’ve posted here and I also get a fair amount of traffic through a core of loyal readers whose audiences ultimately discover my blog.

    Thanks so much for the mention! Your Free Treasure Chest of Solo Preneur goodies deserves its own tab and page on my blog. I’m proud to show off your treasure chest as a unique, standalone gem and I’m even more proud to be an affiliate.

  • http://eventstrategysolutions.com Daphne Bousquet, CMP

    This is a great list. I know generally where my traffic comes from. Where can I see the exact site in Google Analytics? I just see that they come from ezinearticles.com, not which article. I know I still have tons to learn…

    I did see a huge boost in my traffic during the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Looking forward to the next one.

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    Facebook really is a great traffic generator – and I love that it’s sending people who specifically want my content. :)

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    At some point I need to jump in and try PPC. I haven’t yet, but I keep hearing it works well if you plan smart.

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    Great point – interviews are a great way to build your traffic especially when the audience is a perfect match. Thanks, Paul.

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    I’ll have to add that to the list of teleseminar ideas, Melanie. :)

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com Michelle Shaeffer

    Hey Daphne, I use awStats and the WordPress.com stats plugin to see referrers but I’ve got Google analytics setup so I’ll see if I can find that info for you. :)

  • http://articlemarketingtoolcase.com/ Maurita Cuppernell

    When evaluating article banks as to whether or not to distribute content to them, it is best to pay special attention to the alexa ranking and not so much to the directory’s pagerank value.

  • http://michelleshaeffer.com/wahm-articles-blog-tour/2010/12/07/ WAHM-Articles Blog Tour | Michelle Shaeffer

    [...] I shared last week, one of the steady sources of traffic to my website is the articles I’ve written and shared through sites like [...]

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