In an ambitious experiment, the author of the Niche Pursuits YouTube channel set out to publish 1,000 blog posts in 12 months.
The goal was to significantly increase traffic to their website. Although they fell short of their target, publishing 878 articles, the results were impressive.
This article summarizes the key strategies and outcomes of this experiment.
Table of Contents
The Experiment and Its Results
The author’s website initially attracted 2-3,000 visitors a day. After a year of intensive content creation, daily visitors surged to 15-16,000, with a peak of almost 22,000 in a single day.
This represented a 472% increase in traffic in one year. Notably, organic search traffic from Google accounted for nearly 75% of overall traffic.
Seven Steps to Increase Website Traffic
The author followed seven key steps to achieve a 585% increase in their website traffic from Google:
Cleaning Up Old Content
The first step involved removing or redirecting underperforming articles.
The author used Google Analytics to identify articles that were attracting fewer than 10 visitors a month.
Articles without valuable links or that didn’t serve a topical cluster purpose were deleted, and a 410 redirect was used for those URLs.
Restructuring the Site
The author restructured their site by creating and removing categories to better fit the new direction of their content.
They also conducted a full internal link audit and used the Link Whisper tool to manage internal links.
Creating a Professional-Looking, Mobile-Friendly Website
The author redesigned their website to look more professional and increase trust from visitors. They also made the site more mobile-friendly and worked with a tech person to ensure they were passing all core web vitals.
Standardizing Publishing Processes
The author standardized their publishing processes and hired over 20 authors and multiple editors to help with content creation.
They developed a spreadsheet for all authors to access and follow standard operating procedures.
Publishing a Lot of New Content
The author focused on creating a topical cluster of articles that would link back to a pillar article on the main topic.
They used a WordPress export plugin to analyze their existing content by category and identify gaps in their topical coverage.
Regularly Updating Content
The author updated 119 articles throughout the year.
They used Google’s search console and analytics to identify keywords that their articles were ranking for and to create new content targeting those keywords.
Optimizing the Site to Make More Money
The author optimized their site to make more money through affiliate commissions and call-to-action buttons.
They also added display ads to their site, which is a smaller source of income but is starting to add up.
Tools Used in the Experiment
The author used several tools to streamline their processes and improve their website’s performance. These included Google Analytics, Google’s search console, Link Whisper, and a WordPress export plugin.
Conclusion
The author’s experiment demonstrates the potential of intensive content creation to significantly boost website traffic. Despite falling short of their goal of 1,000 blog posts, the strategies they implemented led to a 585% increase in organic traffic from Google.
This case study provides valuable insights for anyone looking to increase their website’s visibility and reach.