Can I be straight up with you?

95% of the advice on the web about how to increase your website traffic is totally useless.

It’s outdated, overly simplified, or just plain wrong. Here’s how I know:

Over the last eight years, the sites I’ve built have received over 200 million page views. I’ve also worked with thousands of students in every imaginable niche, and I’ve seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t.

And lots of the advice out there… it just doesn’t work.

In particular, five myths really bother me. If you’re struggling to increase your traffic, chances are it’s because you’ve bought into one of these myths.

Let’s jump in…
More

Frustrating, isn’t it?

You work tirelessly on your content – but no one reads it.

It’s like giving a presentation to an empty room. No matter how much insight you have to share, nobody’s there to even notice.

You feel certain that if you could only get some more traffic to your blog, the content love would flow.

But even when you promote the heck out of your latest post, the following week you have to start the process all over again.

It’s exhausting.

But what if there was a strategy that could drive traffic not just to your latest post, but future ones too?

And what if that same strategy was as effective as guest blogging for getting new visitors, but was quicker, easier and didn’t require you to pitch your ideas to anyone?

What if by using that strategy you’d be rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names on the web?

Wouldn’t you want to know what that strategy is?
More

Frustrating, isn’t it?

When you publish another article you’re not sure anybody will read.

And you don’t know if it will attract traffic – or crickets.

Even if readers do show up, you don’t know if they’ll engage with the content or lurk in the shadows, staying silent.

Every new post is a toss-up – and it’s agony.

You know it shouldn’t be like this. It feels as if something’s missing.

And you’re right. You should listen to your gut. Something is missing on your blog.

It’s the magic cure to the frustration of never knowing whether your next post will even get noticed.

What is it?

Community.
More

Traffic.

That’s the good stuff, right?

And naturally, you want more of it for your blog.

But did you know that constantly striving to gain traffic can actually lead to a problem?

It’s a problem that can undermine much of the hard work spent building your blog.

Want to know what it is?

By focusing on ways to gain traffic, you may be completely ignoring certain factors that cause you to lose it.

Because sending traffic to a blog that makes readers bounce is like pumping water down a leaky pipe.

In that situation, what’s the smarter move – pumping more water, or fixing the leak?

Exactly. Fixing the leak.

And these days, one source of traffic is more likely to bounce than any other:

Mobile.

So, is your blog leaking traffic?
More

Well, yes.

And no.

Actually, it depends.

Look around the web, and you’ll find dozens of posts saying variations of the above, all referencing this post by Google’s Matt Cutts titled “The decay and fall of guest blogging.” They contradict each other, split hairs, and generally try to be as confusing as possible.

After reading them all, you probably feel like looking at the computer and shouting, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!”

Let’s examine the facts:
More