Getting Traffic To Your Blog Involves Getting The Blog Properly Indexed

We continue to see evidence of frustration about getting a blog indexed, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.

I can find the blog using the URL - but my visitor log shows nobody is reading the blog!

People who report this problem do not understand that getting traffic to the blog involves more than getting the blog indexed, using the URL of the blog.

Getting your blog indexed, so you get useful traffic from the search engines, requires effort.

1. You have to get the blog indexed.
2. You have to get the blog indexed, in searches where people actually read.
3. You have to get the blog indexed, with good position, in searches where people actually read.

Getting the blog indexed, so you can find the blog by searching for the URL, gets the blog indexed by the URL. Use Google Webmaster Tools, and look at the "Search queries" list on the dashboard. How many Impressions do you see, which reference the blog by Title or URL? How many Impressions are from people, other than you, checking to see if the blog is indexed?

If you want new viewers, you need to get the blog indexed, appearing in a search engine results page that people (besides you) are using - and appearing in a good position on that page. Examine the observations, referencing SERP Page One, from Click Distribution & Percentages by SERP Rank.

Position #1: 45.46% of all clicks
Position #2: 15.69% of all clicks
Position #3: 10.09% of all clicks
Position #4: 5.49% of all clicks
Position #5: 5.00% of all clicks
Position #6: 3.94% of all clicks
Position #7: 2.51% of all clicks
Position #8: 2.94% of all clicks
Position #9: 1.97% of all clicks
Position #10: 2.71% of all clicks
Total: 95.91% of all clicks occur on Page #1 of SERPs

Your blog, linked from SERP Page One Position One, stands an equal chance of getting a new viewer, than appearing in All Other Positions, combined. And only 1 in 20 viewers will even look beyond SERP Page One.

Remember that this is a double edged sword. No matter what the subject - or search terms - there can be only one blog linked from Page One Position One.

• The more popular the subject and search terms, the more readers you have a chance to get.
• The more popular the subject and search terms, the more other people will publish blogs to that subject.

Would you prefer being a small frog, in a large pond - or a large frog, in a small pond? A pond without other frogs can be a lonely place.

Finally, if you want new viewers who will return, and who will send you other new viewers, you'll need content, regularly added.