How to obtain website Traffic for free
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Viral Marketing
Well I started a website www.healthpad.org, as you probably noticed since that is my Hub name. My journey to make my website have at least a trickle of traffic I have gone through many "traffic related sites". I have only chosen free-traffic websites since my website is just a health blog which I did as a hobby. So the journey begins:
Ps. My favorites are Stumbleupon, Blog up, Digg and free traffic exchange. The rest where garbage if you plan on using adsense.
FreeViral ~ Stay Away from if you use adsense!
This is the first viral traffic website that I checked out. It had a interesting way of getting traffic to your website, but it was kind of false traffic which would only spend as much time on your website as it takes to get their little add code which you have to get to be able to sign up for the website. If you have a website or article related to viral marketing this could be a good option for you since people would stick around on your site longer then it takes the little add code to pop up.This is against the google ToC though.
Positives: If you are regularly on forums, write articles, have a blog or website this can be a good way to promote your website if done right.
Negatives: It is something that I would not count as "real" traffic since it is just what I call "click view exit" advertising which is something like an PTC site does. Probably against the google ToC too..
www.freeviral.com
Instantbuzz ~ Virus Stay Away
I would recommend staying away from this website. How this website works is you install a little bar on your browser on which you can view advertising on it. Each advertisement that is shown on it gives you points which are used to get you advertisement on it. I did not end up signing up for it. Why? Because it uploaded adwaregeneric.aft onto my computer! One sad thing about it is that google actually lets it be a "sponsored result".
Positives: It does work and will get you a few clicks.
Negatives: It uploads Adware onto your computer! And I recommend you do not use this website. It also plays an annoying song on it.
www.instantbuzz.com
Got back links right away! :)
This website helps you build back links to your site with is suppose to increase your ranking on Google and sites alike. How it works is you have to write a article and you put your website link within the article, then people who have volunteered for "free" content for their blog get the article put on their blog with the links which lead to your website. You can also volunteer your blog for "free" content. I would not do this on my own website though since I like the personal feeling that blogs give you.
Positives: It is rather easy to use and has the potential to help you build back links. Which do increase your Google ranking. Good videos that explain SEO & Google rankings. Not against Googles ToC! :)
Negatives: You have to write articles that are 450 words long which makes me always wish I put it on my own website instead of others websites. At first how to make an article is a bit confusing, but you figure it out quickly.
Adsenseeliteteam ~ Stay away from if you use adsense
This website is a traffic exchange program which if you surf on websites which it automatically generates on your browser then you generate credits. You then exchange these credits for so many views of your own websites. I did not sign up for this website since it is against the Google's ToC.
Positives: It will get you hits! And if your website is interesting, then the hits could stick.
Negatives: It is against Google's ToC. :(
www.adsenseeliteteam.com
My thoughts on traffic Exchange Sites
So far I have run into three dead ends, www.adsenseeliteteam.com, www.instantbuzz.com and www.freeviral.com all of these sites are dead ends because they are against the Google adsense ToC. They are "traffic exchange programs" I ran into so many of these I thought I would say what I think about them. The traffic you get from them is what I call "false" traffic since they come to your page sit there for 20 seconds wasting your bandwidth you paid for and move on. They only work well if you have something related to web design or traffic/advertising related programs. That is why getting traffic from Google from people who are searching "your topic" is a lot better since there is a better chance the person will click on adds or read your article.
My thoughts end and my journey continues....
This is a excellent way to promote your website through "digging" your own content. It is simple and easy.
Positives: Getting your articles to this many viewers could not get any easier.
Negatives: Hard to get noticed unless you have friends which can digg your articles too.
Stumbleupon has got my by far the most views out of all the things I have looked at so far. I signed up yesterday and have already got 5 views! :) If you post articles it is a *must* do.
Positives: Easy.. gets you traffic
Negatives: Some of the traffic is only there for a very short period of time.
Delicious is a website which shows which websites you have bookmarked. It's hard to see how effective it is but I guess I will find out!
I like this promotion tool since it looks good on my blog and gives just about what it takes. What it takes is that you have to put it on your blog and for every 10 blogs shared on your wiget yours is shown 9 times on another blogs wiget.
Positives: Looks good on your blog free to sign up, and get back what you give.
Negatives: The blog shows up very small on the wiget and it is hard to see what the blog is all about. Also it is only for blogs.
Another Back Link site, except this one you can register your blog and get the articles automatically posted on this website with your back link. All the front pages are filled with "movie star" related blogs and not only that, but the top "zimbio" articles are all movie stars which is a bit lame.
Positives: Good for backlinks, and easy to use.
Negatives: Probably no one will ever get to see your article on it. The categories in which you put your article in are not the best quality selection.
Slinkset is a website you put your website on some of their lists and people + or - them on the list. The lists are in "google" and it probably counts as a back link.
Positives: very quick and straight forward and you can make your own "news feed"
Negatives: Not a ton of people go on it, but it could get you a few hits.
If you have any health related articles or websites you can add yours too mine here
So I started to run out of options and moved onto Rss Feeds. These sites all you have to do is upload your rss feed to their website and your blog will be listed on their website.I went through a giant list and here are all the good ones :).
feedplex - easy to just submit your website, but more options cost $...
Rss-Network- Easy submission no costs
technorati- A little bit of work to get added.
feedboy - Easy feed network to add too
rssmicro-Easy to add & quick.
feedcat-One of the better feeds & also has a statistics page.
There was a lists posted at http://vandelaydesign.com/ which I went through a lot of them are now inactive some are viruses.
And the Journey ends, I have started to get a few hits most of them are from stumbleupon. My favorites where Stumbleupon, Blog up, Digg and free traffic exchange.
Well For now I am done if you have any additions you would like to make feel free to comment!
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Comments
I found that Digg and stumble upon can get you a few hits. But if you really want traffic it has to be something short, interesting and you need a few friends to increase its rating.
Thanks for the comment :)
Brett.
byee says:
2 months ago
Very informative. I, too, has always relied on Stumble Upon but am still looking for ways to get more traffic. Thank you!