Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Everyone who builds a blog wants to succeed in some fashion. However, not everyone can create a successful website. In fact, there’s a lot of things that will lead a blog to not performing as well as you’d hope. But, that doesn’t mean it’s a failure.
It just means you need to put in a bit more effort to track down problem areas.
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6 Things to Check when the Blog Is Not Performing Well
While there are many parts of your site that will affect performance, I’ve narrowed it down to six of the most common problems you might have.
For this list, I am going outside of the normal coding things. For instance, poor HTML development or improper CSS management are their own blog post. Today, I’m focusing more on the practical reasons why a blog might not perform to expectations.
Luckily, many of these aspects are easy enough to fix. They include:
- Your Blog’s Niche
- Low Activity Level
- Lack of Marketing
- Poor Layout
- Topics of Your Posts
- Lack of Patience
I know there are probably a lot more than this. But these are often the things I come across when dealing with clients. Since they all use WordPress, we don’t worry so much about the coding elements of the page.
According to site tests, the coding part is spot on.
Your Blog’s Niche
The niche of your blog is going to have a very strong roll in its success. Some industries are simply more popular than others. And how far you niche down your topics is going to affect the kind of audience you attract.
Also keep in mind that you can limit your reach if you niche down too far.
For instance, take WriterSanctuary.com. I focus more on freelance writing and blogging in general. If all the content focused purely on content mills, I would miss out on those other visitors.
On the other hand, it’s easier to create the go-to blog for content mill information on the Internet should I choose to narrow down the posts.
My point is that what you write about will affect the number of people who find your blog.
And don’t forget about the competition. Are you writing content that is heavy with competing websites? You’ll have to offer something unique.
Low Activity Level
One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is consistency matters. Not only does writing regular posts get Google’s attention more often, but it keeps your returning visitors interested.
I know the more often I write content, the better the blog performs in search engine results. And it’s not just from the standpoint of new content, either. During months when I am more active, all of the blog posts get more visits.
Regularly posting content also works exceptionally well if you use something like OneSignal to send out push notifications to anyone who subscribes.
So, make sure you’re putting in enough effort and high-quality content if your blog isn’t performing well.
Lack of Marketing
If people don’t know your site exists, how do you expect them to visit? I was trying to explain marketing to one client and he told me, “I don’t care about success.” My thoughts were, “then why have a website?”
And yes, that was a real conversation I had about content marketing.
The whole reason behind a website is to share information with visitors. Whether you’re running an eCommerce site or a blog about cloth diapers, it’s all about delivering information.
Google search is going to be your biggest draw for visitors. However, using other methods to get someone’s attention only works to your benefit.
For example, you can:
- Set up a blog page on Facebook for free and build a fan-base.
- Spend an hour per day on Twitter as your blog’s account and engage potential visitors.
- Answer questions in sites like Quora.com and link back to your site.
- Be active on forum sites and use your links when logical.
- Create a YouTube channel for your blog (I did, and it works exceptionally well)
Go beyond search results and get your website in front of as many people as possible.
Poor Layout
I had one client who didn’t really care about the layout of his site. In fact, he loaded it with as many affiliate links and ads as possible. Not only did the blog perform poorly, but Google all but sunk the blog in terms of traffic.
How your website looks to a first-time visitor is vital. Remember, first impressions are the most important. And no one wants to look at a website that has potential to give him or her an epileptic seizure.
If you’re using WordPress, find a theme that fits your niche. Customize it, and turn the layout into something that isn’t an eyesore.
You also want to consider how the content is laid out. Take a look at how I have sentences spread out, short paragraphs and headers. This makes content easier to read and more engaging.
Topics of Your Posts
So, I talked about your niche earlier. But, the actual topics you cover will affect how a blog is performing in search results. For one thing, not everyone is going to look for the same information.
Let’s say you create a blog focused on gaming. Now, you can write a post on playing Diablo III, but it probably wouldn’t do well since that game came out in 2012. However, some people might still read the article.
This is part of why you need consistent activity while writing. The more content you have up, the broader the audience you attract. You could write about Diablo III, but then why not write a post about Red Dead Redemption, Subnautica and Grand Theft Auto?
My point here is to think about the topics you’re blogging about. Is it something your target audience wants to read? Who are you trying to attract?
But also keep in mind that being unique is a major selling point. You can have thousands of writers creating the same content. But a unique perspective or personality is what creates fans.
Lack of Patience
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why a blog is performing poorly is because you’re lacking patience. It takes a long time before any website starts to gain traction, especially in Google search.
For instance, every article I write on this blog will pick up exponentially after three months. If I write something in January, the bulk of traffic would increase by the end of March.
Building a successful blog isn’t going to happen overnight. The client I mentioned above who didn’t care about visitors, his website laid dormant for more than a year…and then he wondered why he wasn’t in the top Google search for certain keywords.
In that instance, though, the client simply didn’t want much content.
But this point boils down to being patient and growing your site over time. It’s extremely rare that someone can create an overnight sensation.
Avoid Your Blog Not Performing Well
By putting in the effort to maintain your blog, its performance will improve over time. Just make sure you’re paying attention to the points I made above. Because they will directly affect how often someone comes across your site or how often he or she returns.
In the end, it’s all about effort and how it will dictate success about how your blog is performing.
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