There’s a feature available to most bloggers that not many people make good use of. I’m talking about trackbacks, the ability to share a bit of love with your fellow bloggers and get some valuable traffic in exchange. This is part 5 of a series that highlights useful tips to attract traffic and monetize your blog (see list of articles).
So, what are trackbacks and why should I care?
Wikipedia defines a trackback (yes, it has it’s own page) as a “method for Web authors to request notification when somebody links to one of their documents.” You’ve probably seen a section on most blog posts labeled ‘trackbacks’, usually stashed under the post itself or under the comments section. Within this trackbacks section is a list of links, each pointing to another blog post that links back to the current post you are reading. It is essentially a log of referrers for that particular blog post, notifying both the site owner and the readers of when someone mentions their post somewhere else.
More about trackbacks after the jump!
I’ve decided to add to the list of things I have tried to make money online. I am going to attempt to start a small-time, online publishing operation running on a string of culturally driven sites. I will try to enter a market that lacks serious online informational presence and hopefully capitalize on the fact that this will be essentially an industry first.
Currently I’m still in the developmental stage for 2 of the 3 sites, however one of them is nearly ready. I have collected 16 or so of the 21 needed articles for the inaugural issue. Hopefully I can get this thing up by the end of October, although it’s going to take some serious work.
The first publication, entitled EverydayDesi, is an online magazine targeted towards South Asians in the United States and UK. Like I mentioned, we’re still in need of a few articles for the first issue, so if you are interested in contributing, please contact contribute [at] everydaydesi [dot] com. I’ve had tremendous fun so far creating a magazine-style layout and readying the backend, however getting contributors has been a little more tedious.
If you have any experience at all with creating an online publication using content from multiple authors, I’d love to hear your input on the subject.
Another key strategy to remember when operating a blog and attempting to create traffic fast is the time of day you publish your posts. There are a few key variables to consider when publishing, including audience, content and consistency.
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This one is another no-brainer tip for anyone running a blog or website that has commenting system. If a reader spends the time and energy to write a comment, whether positive or negative, you owe him or her a response. This mentality will not only keep your reader engaged, it will make you appear more human in their minds. There are millions of websites around the world, but only a portion of these sites allow you to “talk” to them (their authors) and get feedback in return.
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This kind of follows along with the Tip #1 (Content & Consistency), as it meant to help keep a consistent schedule of posts on your blog. Readers return to your site in hopes of finding new content. Many RSS feed readers will update your feed only when there is a new post. Each reader and subscriber will help you in your ultimate goal of making a profitable website.
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