Page Views, Rainstorms, and You: How to Get More Traffic on Your Associated Content Articles

Thoughts on Page View Success from a Clout 10 Writer

By Wanda Leibowitz, published May 25, 2007
Published Content: 365  Total Views: 1,121,455  Favorited By: 59 CPs
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As a clout 10 writer, I wanted to share what I've learned about winning page views. It goes against a lot of the wisdom coming from AC staff, and from other AC writers, but in my experience, it's the truth. The truth is that how many page views you get is not up to you. It's just not. Promotion doesn't get you lots of page views, clever topic choice doesn't get you page views, great keywords and clear headlines don't get you page views. You can't get page views. Read on to learn why, and to learn what you can do.

That doesn't mean it's worthless to promote your work. Don't get me wrong, I don't just throw an article into my queue and walk away. I believe in making my content discoverable to anyone who might need it. I try to make sure that somebody looking for the information that I have will find my articles-- that's why I try for best practices on keyword choice and keyword density, that's why I strive for appealing, descriptive headlines, and that's why I do some light tagging on social bookmarking sites. It's not worthless to promote yourself, and if you want lots of traffic it'll help if you email your friends and enemies, blog about your articles, and bookmark yourself on digg and delicious and squidoo until your fingers cramp and your eyes glaze. But, in my experience on the road to a top clout rating, I've learned that page view success on Associated Content isn't something that you can earn, or win.

I do the same promotion regimen for everything that I publish on Associated Content. I approach the same keyword density goals in all my articles. I use the same decision-making process when I pick all my topics. But my page views vary drastically from one article to the next. Some of my Associated Content articles earn me several dollars worth of page view bonus cash each month. Some of my Associated Content articles have earned under a hundred page views during their entire lifetime on the site. So what does this uneven traffic mean? Well, it reminds us, or reminds me at least, that we don't live in a clockwork universe. Like all things, internet trends are chaotic, weird, and unpredictable.

 
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Takeaways
  • Even if you promote two similar articles identically, one will do better than the other.
  • Internet trends are unpredictable, and traffic can explode for no apparent reason.
  • The best thing to do is to publish an array of quality content so you'll be ready when luck strikes.
Did You Know?
Traffic for an article can go sky-high months after you publish it. Sometimes, a story related to your keywords will make the news, and your traffic will suddenly go way up. This often happens months, or even years, after you've published your article.
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Actually, I don't agree that there's no information in this article, and I understand why it was recommended by AC. There's no magic wand you can wave (or social bookmarking tool you can use) to guarantee that an article is going to be successful. Instead, you illustrated the point -- write about a variety of topics that interest you, pay attention to (but don't make yourself crazy over) making it discoverable and promotion, and write well in a voice that is fun to read. There's an awful lot on AC that is really badly written, and I don't make it through more than a paragraph. This article I read all the way through. Thanks!

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Posted on 07/19/2008 at 3:07:08 PM

 
Very helpful info Wanda on the SEO of promoting our work here at AC. Thanks a bunch !

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Posted on 07/17/2008 at 11:07:40 AM

 
I thought this article was going to be an example of what to do. But in between your several points that there is little you can do, I found some diamonds in the rough. Social bookmarking. Tell your friends. Write things people can use. Look for new information to share with others. And of course, comment when you read. Get read by putting yourself in view.

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Posted on 07/11/2008 at 10:07:16 PM

 
Your article is well written but I found it to be, as others have said, mostly a rehash of the same old thing. I was looking for more suggestions as to "how" to increase PVs. I realize that it cannot be controlled but I am new here and can use all of the advice I can get . I am not saying the article was bad or boring. I simply found it a little shallow. It seems to me that someone who has been writing for a year with several articles to her credit would have learned something of value to share with others i.e. she would not have to "repeat" the same old things which have been said before.

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Posted on 07/09/2008 at 9:07:42 AM

 
Thanks for the tips!

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Posted on 07/08/2008 at 12:07:11 AM

 
I am with those saying this article did very little but to repeat there is nothing one can do about their page views. I am quite disappointed in the staff for using it as an example of what to do. There is nothing you can do to increase your page views, page views are as unpredictable as the weather, just keep writing and you'll (maybe) hit on something people want to know. :(

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Posted on 07/05/2008 at 5:07:37 PM

 
Thanks, Wanda. I'm new to AC and still learning the ropes of how to boost my "social connections." Been away from the Internet for a number of years and all this "social networking" didn't exist when I left. And I also would like to know about this "light tagging." Completely new concept to me. To: Harmony, just like the general public, writers come in all stripes and forms. Keep working on your writing and when the money comes, it will come to you. :-) I've been writing since forever. I do it for the love of words. If I become successful, fine. If I don't, that's fine, too. I write both fiction and non-fiction. Just stay in your "happy place" and don't worry about anyone else.

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Posted on 07/05/2008 at 9:07:16 AM

 
Popularity is indeed a lot like the weather. I never thought of it that way. But if you always carry an umbrella, it almost never rains. Your strategy of writing on a variety of topics and continuing to write on interesting and unusual topics can indeed go a long way. I am learning the art of social bookmarking too. Thanks for the focus.

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Posted on 07/03/2008 at 8:07:46 PM

 
Great advice Wanda. Thanks a ton!!!

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Posted on 07/01/2008 at 9:07:22 PM

 
was this supposed to be informational? Really? No, Really? Seriously?

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Posted on 07/01/2008 at 8:07:49 PM

 
I apologize, but this article actually said very little (other than the oft-repeated statement that one can do little to influence amount of traffic to a specific AC article). It was rather disappointing.

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Posted on 06/30/2008 at 12:06:04 PM

 
I would like to read more detailed instructions on light tagging in social networking sites that you do. Thank you for your article.

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Posted on 06/30/2008 at 6:06:21 AM

 
Very informative article. Congrats on your success. Definitely consistency is key.

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Posted on 06/29/2008 at 1:06:56 PM

 
Thanks for a very informative article. It's refreshing to see someone give a different opinion on page views...etc. Thanks much!

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Posted on 06/28/2008 at 5:06:49 PM

 
I enjoy humor. Perhaps by posting a reply to a popular article like this, I can generate a few views of my own.

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Posted on 06/28/2008 at 11:06:02 AM

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