Why Isn’t My Blog Growing?
Time for a more reflective post on myself, and this blog. I started the blog about two months ago, and initially it grew pretty fast. I had over 200 readers in a few weeks, and people were loving the blog. Over the past few weeks though, traffic and readers have seem to pretty much stagnate. I’m not seeing that rapid growth, and I’m trying to figure out the reason why. Hopefully by taking a look at the reasons why my blog isn’t growing, you can find out some possible reasons why yours may not be getting as much attention as it deserves. So for starters, I want you guys to comment here and tell me the reasons why my blog isn’t growing. I’m going to give a few possible reasons why I think this is happening :
 
- Lack of links. I really don’t know why that many people aren’t linking to the blog, I try and make all the information I post actually useful. A lot of my posts do contain the exact strategies I use when it comes to affiliate marketing. Maybe people don’t want to share because they don’t want other people knowing? I don’t know. I don’t want this reason to come off as conceited at all, but the information I post can actually be used to make money.
- My lack of involvment in the blogging community. Most people say one of the best ways to get traffic to your blog is by commenting related blogs. To be honest I don’t really do this at all. Why? Because I don’t really read other blogs. For the most part it’s kind of a waste of my time, people aren’t willing to share their secrets publicly, and the most popular blogs are filled with the most unhelpful post-useless-garbage-just-to-post-everyday posts. So while I read this blog and a couple others, I’m not really active in the whole blogging community. Maybe I need to change that if I want this blog to grow.
- My lack of posting. I don’t blog every day for a couple reasons. One, I’m trying to run a blog with only useful information. If I try and force myself to blog every day, I’m going to post things like “Google Makes Mystery Meat Available in the Work Cafeteria for Employees”. Nobody wants to read that, it’s not going to help you make more money. And in a world with a million and one “make more money” blogs, I want to have one that stays as true to the title as possible. Second reason being, I don’t have the time to blog every day. I’m not sitting in zillions yet and I’m still optimizing and testing new campaigns daily. I’m not a blogger, I’m an affiliate marketer.
- No linkbait. I really haven’t posted anything baiting links. The only post that did that REALLY well was my Shoemoney guest post. That was right at the start of this blog though and was my way of getting initial traffic to it.
So those are the main reasons I can think of. I’m sure there’s more, so post them up. Hopefully I’ll be able to correct some of those mistakes in the future. Maybe you’ll even see this blog start posting about Google’s Lunch Updates every other day, I’d be the next blog phenomenon!
Well, for one:
“For the most part it’s kind of a waste of my time, people aren’t willing to share their secrets publicly”
You’re also sometimes guilty of the above — there are times where you mention some great thing you have been working on, but you explicitly say you are not going to mention it here. You mention you know people making X hundred thousand dollars a day, but that’s all you say. You’ve been asked a number of times how much it is that you’re earning, but you don’t respond to those comments.
If you don’t want to share the juicy stuff, then by all means don’t. Think about Shoemoney’s cheque and how many people that brought into his blog. Ditto with your facebook post. But since your Facebook post, you’ve been somewhat reserved on disclosing your recent successes.
A how-to guide is one thing, but showing readers some of YOUR numbers is gold and totally legitimizes what you say. Otherwise, you’re only giving advice…and there’s PLENTY of other blogs on the net to get good advice from.
Are you the real deal or not?
Yeah I have to agree with Warren a little about that part about showing numbers.
People are just suckers for numbers – Shoemoney’s Adsense cheque brought a shitload of traffic for him, and I believe so has his recent CJ commission screenshots.
You do post some really good stuff, no doubt about that. But its true that sometimes you tend to keep stuff mysterious.
Nothing wrong with that – I don’t tell everybody all my secrets as well. But I was watching a video by Eben Pagan the other day, and he talked about “Moving the Freeline”.
I’m sure you might have heard of it – heck you might have even bought his “Get Altitude” course as well. If you give away your best secrets, people will really start listening to you – because if you can give such good stuff away for free, people will wonder what other information you’re keeping to yourself.
Nevertheless, this is a great blog, and I really enjoy visiting and reading your posts. Just not everyone is meant to be like Problogger, John Chow or Shoemoney in the blogosphere :)
Cheers,
Ben
I love the blog man, and I recc. it to everyone! Comparing your blog to ShoeMoney or John Chow does not give it any justice. Your blog is like 100% better with so much more information. I’m not knocking ShoeMoney or John Chow, but I never get anything out of reading those blogs, now it seems like just a journal about their extremely busy/extremely wealthy lives. You actually give out great information, and people will start to notice!! Keep up the posting, I look forward to reading!
P.S., “Warren” seems right. I think if you posted a check or somthing with a large amount of money on it, post on DigitalPoint, your blog would skyrocket!
Well something you have to realize is your audience is very niche. Shoemoney/John Chow are “make money online”. Yours is make money online with affiliate marketing through PPC. If you look at similar blogs, they all top out at around 500’ish RSS readers.
Another thing is to look at your recent posts. You had some GREAT posts with affiliate espionage and the facebook thing, but the posts lately kinda suck. A post about your macbook and one about your fake RSS feedcount? Don’t those qualify as “useless” posts you’re criticizing others of?
Love your site, specifically because of the quality posts and the fact that you’re not posting crap every day. I already dumped chow from my rss feed for his useless posts, and I love shoe but he’s on the brink of going as well – I’m tired of seeing pictures of him in new t-shirts. As you say, only so much time to be reading blogs. Usually I don’t even take the time to comment, but yours is a site worth supporting.
Personally i love your blog because you are a young person doing rules, i think that you blog has not so much readers because is just so specific, shoemoney, and john chow speak about a lot of things, they have wide audience and the other side your readers are people starting o doing affiliate marketing like you, for this reason you public is more focus, other point is about show your difference, more difference more people create a mind space in their head to you, this are two little point that i believe :)
Warren – an Azoogle screenshot or something is just what I may have to do. I don’t like posting those kinds of things because I don’t want to just come off as some arrogant showoff. But I suppose it would just show my readers that I do make decent money through what I teach.
Lylaster – I agree about the useless post thing, but this blog was created for my enjoyment. So while I’m not going to blog every single day about nothing, it’s still going to have a personal feel, because it’s my personal blog. If I’m excited about something, I’ll blog about it (like my MacBook). Also I disagree that my posts lately suck. My last post was about my full experience with ad:tech : could give some good insight to people who have never been to an event. A couple days before that I posted about an Adwords tip that saved me like $500/day. I posted about my fake feedcount like a week and a half ago lol.
All others – thanks for the kind words, they’re appreciated.
Have you tried using social bookmarking? I read somewhere ( I think on WickedFire) that permalinks can increase blog traffic by 45%. You have some really awesome posts up here and I know I for one would click those “digg”, “permalink” and other fancy buttons to get your blog out there to the community. I really think you should give this a try.
I would like to see more of case studies with real offers. I wanna see how you drive traffic, etc. How your landing page looks like and stuff like that. =D
I think it’s your lack of updates… I really don’t think it has anything to do with how much money you earn…. The question wasn’t why are you mad at me, the question was why does your traffic never grow and increase was it not? It’s a pretty decent blog you just don’t update it enough, so stop being a lazy bum and take an extra 10 or 20 minutes a day to throw a post or two up. You will be surpirised just what that does for you. I “think” I know why didn’t update until today though, lol.
I like your site as well. I am also struggling with bringing my rss feed subscriptions up. I can’t seem to break 18 readers!!! How’s that for pathetic!? What seemed to bring in the most traffic though was posting in forums.
Needless to say you’re in my reader so you have me on the hook for now.
Paul, this is one of my favorite IM blogs because you give some great advice in your posts with none of the fluff.
I would suggest as others have said to post some numbers. but for some link bait, write a solid step-by-step with a technique that you don’t use so much nowadays and just watch the links roll in.
What’s happening is that there is far to much noise going on the internet. It’s just making is to difficult to spend quality time searching for quality blogs. I think a good place to start is with your own following. May be you should put up a poll asking “how did you hear about me?”. .,..and build some marketing channels around the feeedback.
For example, the road map that led me to your site is as follows; million dollar wiki article > jim chow > shoemoney > your facebook posting.
I do agree with some of the posts above, more specifically the first two (Warren/Benjamin).
Showing a copy of check is one thing, but, sharing some depth of the strategy used is more valuable. Of course, I’m not suggesting you give away the your current strategies.
I think a lot of people just don’t know about your blog. I wouldn’t go outta your way to disclose your revenue/stats etc unless you don’t mind doing so, but I wouldn’t do it just to increase blog traffic. Ya Shoe’s check helped, but he also has said in the past that he was pretty active on Digital Point and got a lot of his initial traffic from there, which would be highly relevant traffic.
Matthew J. – it’s not the fact that I’m a “lazy bum” that is the reason for my lack of posts, like I said I try and keep most of the posts actually useful. Believe it or not I’m not the god of internet marketing, and I don’t have 365 (or 730) useful tips to post in a year. Like I said I can post bullshit posts that don’t help you guys at all every day, I’d just rather not do that.
I also suppose I could write out a strategy article. I’m going to be testing something out in the next week or so, so maybe I’ll describe in depth what I’m doing.
Mate, I think the content on your blog is infinitely better than those ‘A-list’ bloggers. You just need to get more exposure out there. I think you need to comment more on other people’s blogs and forums. A big check helps because people immediately know you’re for real.
Although, don’t overdo it like that superaffiliatemindset guy. He’s so full of it that sometimes I wonder if he’s done the old “fake it til you make it “
While I understand you want to post relevant useful information, what may seem useful to some may not be to others. Many want to know the secrets into making it big, not personal development posts and hints of making money “tips”.
Your Facebook post on ShoeMoney was great but it also came after Facebook caught onto it. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s still a great post. Preferrably I think people want more info success secrets than tips on the surface.
Hey Paul,
I think the quality of your posts is VERY high. That can’t be the problem.
The fact that you are not that active in the blogosphere though can certainly affect it. Remember how you mention in your posts that networking is important? Networking by being active in other blogs and forums can be the missing key to grow your readers and traffic. Whether you want to do that or not, is something you’d have to decide, as it does take time.
In the meantime, I look forward to every new post of yours.
Keep it up.
It’s alright.
Look at me, my blog is/was nothing. 50 readers in the past 5 months of time. I’m not selling anything or talking about making money, I’m just me. I have a contest for 15 days for an ipod video nano, 140 comments. WoWza
I blog almost everyday after that and zero comments. Meh that’s how the internet is, as a AM you should know that. It’s a good blog, and I’ll keep reading because I’m trying to get in the AM game.
Paul,
Honestly don’t be too concern about that, it will take sometime until your blog becomes a huge success in the blog world. Quite frankly I have to agree that other blogs like Jonhchow and Shoemoney is getting too much now with T-Shirt day, dinner day or ReviewMe…type posts. No more wasting time there for me.
On the other hand, I do agree with some people that you should somehow disclose your earnings once in a awhile, cause that will bre a load of visitor to your site, plus it will proof to all of us that you are the guy. I do believe in your powers as a AM, however, some people mind doubt of how much money you are really making.
Cheers
I’ve left your blog on my feedburner because it occaisionally has a helpful post every now and again… But, I hardly see it as a substitute for any of the ebooks i’ve read in the past and here’s why:
Everything is too vague. It’s like: “Hey, do some keyword research, make a landing page, get into PPC marketing and poof! You’re making money.”
My biggest annoyance with all the affiliate marketers out there and their blogs is that they rarely post anything helpful about good landing page design. Nobody ever goes over how to design a good and profitable landing page from start to finish. It’s always some vague crap about having some extra links to satisfy quality score and all that, but never the meat and potatoes.
Anyways, hope i’ve provided some insight into what your readers want.
Thanks for asking.
Paul, if you truly want more visitors you are going to have to post on a daily basis with consistent content. The big bloggers like John Chow, Shoemoney, Problogger, etc, get tons of traffic because they make their blog personal and update with fresh content frequently.
Except for Problogger, most “make money online” blogs don’t post tips or relevant information daily… but one thing they do manage is to write content that appeals to the readers in some fashion. Whether it be pictures they had for dinner or the UFC fights they attend they are bringing the reader into their own lives and what they are doing.
You write good, useful content but frankly it’s really nothing ground breaking. The quality is better than most but there are still A LOT of other affiliate blogs doing the same thing.
If you want to do something different and get attention do a live case study with an affiliate campaign and let people follow your steps. Show them a step-by-step guide on how to actually make money. Take screenshots of everything and show all the numbers involved… people LOVE to see real numbers and sales figures.
I think you are doing a fine job with this blog. I don’t mind off-topic posts every once in a while, because they show you’re a normal person like the rest of us.
I would personally like to see more posts about the mistakes you have made and how you corrected them to make more money. Your AdWords International Traffic post was a good example of this.
You should definitely start taking advantage of the social networking sites to promote your blog. I recommend you add the Feedburner Feed Flares to your posts and RSS feed.
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the number of people that will Stumble or Digg your post if you make it easier to do so.
Hi Paul,
keep up writing the good blog posts, you’re starting to convince me that you know a thing or too about PPC. Don’t go ruining the blog with the lazy posts, such as the one about your new Mac. I know you defended it in the thread above, but it’s a turn off. I iknow it’s your personal blog, but it’s also a personal blog called uberaffiliate. I think you’ll pay the price for too much off content posting. We all like the off topic stuff, but if it’s going to be there keep it funny and/or meaningful by having it relate somehow to affiliate marketing.
Your older posts about Google’s CPC targeting was I thought good. Now tell us how to take advantage of it.
I think showing some numbers on what you have made certainly brings in the crowd, no doubt about it. There’s so much noise out there.
jeff
Hey Paul, you may also want to try bumpzee since its specific to the affiliate marketing genre. While its not a huge load of traffic like getting at the top of digg, its a large consistent piece of traffic and by those interested and targeted well for affiliate marketing. It sends about 200 unique visitors a day to my blog.
I think you’re being too hard on yourself, I really do. Getting 300+ subscribers in 2 months is pretty good in my opinion, you need to remember that a lof of the blogs you are comparing yours with have been online for much longer. RSS growth tends to be exponential and if you continue to write good posts you will see traffic increase over time.
This blog has a nice design and your writing good posts so my advice is, be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day :)
Hey,
I have around 30ish Internet Marketing related blogs in my feed reader – it’s not productive to read them all. Perhaps that’s just what happens, I know I often will deliberately skip an interesting post because I know that it will not directly make me any more money than the other work I’m about to do that day.
I think that to gain any respect in this niche you have to prove yourself again and again and again to know what you’re talking about. To post amazing content all the time, and I mean amazing content. There are blogs out there that do this – where almost every article can make you stop and think. These people get more and more respect in the minds of their readers and so raise their profile.
You have posted good content, dare I say some even amazing. There’s no reason why you can’t grow – I think it will just take time for the buzz to be created around you as a brand and for people to really believe that you are one of the best. I reckon if you stick at it you’ll see the growth you’re looking for – it might be a few months, maybe even a few years, but it will happen if you keep focused on it.
WHO CARES!?
Your blog is good, and that cool that you don’t post everyday. But you should use this blog as a way to showoff your skills, after all, you are the expert. I doubt anyone will judge you as a “showoff” and if they do, whatever, haterz will always hate.
Why bother blogging if you have nothing to blog about? I skimmed your comments here, and yes, there are some bloggers who just put up crap just to fill the “1 day a post” quota.
Garbage.
Take your time, but if you want to see increases in traffic, response, then give a reason for people to come back. You started off strong, but recently you posted about your trips and stuff. Granted that was where you have been, but I’ll be honest – I thought your earlier posts on the Uber Affiliate Marketing Guide was absolute killer. Not to say I don’t like laughing at a bunch of computer nerds heading to a nightclub (I’m kidding! I’m a nerd myself … I admit it.)
Maybe, if you get a chance, maybe see if there are just one or two more links you can add to the Affiliate Guide, just to keep it updated.
Your doing an excellent job. Don’t worry about the numbers, they’ll come if you worry about your content.
Later, brah!
You may want to consider posting more of your techniques on your site. The fact is that making money techniques are constantly changing so even if it makes money for awhile, you know that its not going to work for long. Perfect example would be your shoemoney guest post. Oh by the way, my site is linking to yours man!
louie
What kind of growth do you want? Mainstream or growth in your niche? Who do you want to appeal to?
Paul, I think your doing a great job. I like checking in once and a while and I have learned a lot from you.
One question, how did you learn so darn much at your age?
later,
Corey
I think part of it is defining your blog theme. If you consider your blog personal, then market it as a personal blog, otherwise people will come here getting the wrong idea. Look at John Chow’s reader base, they practically start a mutiny everytime Chow writes about food. They only come to learn how to make money, and many (not all) could care less about John’s personal life. Is that the kind of readers you really want to have?
Your profits don’t come from blogging, so just keep on writing and the rest will take care of itself.
As for the concern of giving away trade secrets, you might want to think about develop a premium forum or blog that’s accessible only by paid subscription. Apparently some of the most successful bloggers rely on this type of business model for their most lucrative income. :-)
As we all know, it just takes time to build up a base. Anyhow, I really appreciate the hard work you’ve put into this site. Yeah, you have some great ideas that don’t want to share from the outset but I wouldn’t expect any other approach – who really gives away the secrets of their wealth as soon as they start earning from it. Even John Chow has admitted he doesn’t post all his ideas from his mastermind group immediately.
On a personal point; I’m impressed with your work and (as a newcomer to AM at 36 years old) and am happy to take hints from a ‘seasoned pro’ ;-).
Well.. lack of sexy photos maybe?
:-)
be more present in the blogosphere! comment elsewhere expressing that you have something useful to say! most regular readers won’t come through stumbling upon your blog. link to others! this will bring link love. linking is like giving credit to others but also returning favours.
and remember above all: the only true booster for sustainable blog growth is word-of-mouth!
congratulation on you success, this have to inspired all blogger, marketer or affiliater. the things is, very hard to attract traffic far turn them to potential buyer/clicker. some of the marketer may success because of blog viral. and i notice that they don’t care about newbie which give them more traffic and viral.
i think people expect or think they deserve success to quickly. dedication and hardwork (as well as some cash) are the only answers to real success online imho
well i think its important to read other blogs, keep abreast of what other bloggers are upto and interested in helps keep the traffic flowing
First of all, I love the site, just discovered it and am reading post after post and there is very useful information.
Why don’t you try and submitting your blog to blog directories? That helped me a little bit, even though my blog is still very very small.
Thanks for the information and effort, keep it up!
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Thanks for making such a valuable blog, sincerely Kobos Mathers.
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