Rising Creators Forum

I’ve been seeing so many new blogs that look great with clean designs and nice photos, but get almost no Google traffic. It used to frustrate me until I started doing things differently myself. So I thought I’d share what most blogs get wrong and what I changed to start getting some real visits.


What I used to do wrong

Before I figured out SEO, my mistakes were everywhere. I want to admit them so you don’t repeat them:

I wrote topics I liked, not what people were searching for.

I never updated old posts, once published, I moved on.

I ignored internal links, thinking each post should stand alone.

My site was slow, and mobile layout was messy.

I treated keywords like magic and stuff them everywhere.

I didn’t track what was working (or failing).


Because of that, Google would sometimes index my posts, but they’d hardly appear anywhere meaningful.


What changed — my new approach

Once I started treating blogging more like solving problems, things shifted. Here’s what I did:

1. Write for real people first
Instead of obsessing over “SEO formulas,” I began to write posts that answered questions I’d see in forums or DMs. Then I gently sprinkled in relevant keywords.
This matches what SEO experts now advise. Content should help people, not just chase algorithms.

2. Fix and update old posts
I went through my worst-performing posts. Changed titles, improved intros, added new data, cleaned up grammar. Some posts I merged together. In a few cases, traffic to those posts jumped within days.
SEO guides call this “content freshness” and treating your old content as an asset.

3. Use long-tail keywords and topic clusters
Instead of targeting “blog traffic,” I went after “how to grow blog traffic without ads 2025”, “SEO tips for small blogs,” etc. These smaller searches are easier to win.
Then I grouped related posts so Google sees that I’m an authority in that area. This concept is supported by current SEO thinking.

4. Internal linking and siloing
Now every new post links to related old posts, and vice versa. I build “pathways” so someone gets hooked and stays browsing.
Also, I sometimes delete or merge very weak posts to prevent “content bloat”. Google doesn’t love a lot of low-value pages.

5. Speed + mobile optimization
I swapped to a lightweight theme. I added caching, compressed images, lazy loading. My site went from 6–7 seconds load to about 2 seconds on mobile. That alone improved rankings.
Google’s own guidelines emphasize site performance and usability.

6. Building real backlinks (not spammy ones)
Instead of cold emailing random sites, I started contributing to communities I belong to, helping others, linking when relevant. Also guest posting for smaller blogs in my niche.
These backlinks also drive referral traffic, not just SEO juice.

7. Measure, test, repeat
I used Google Search Console and analytics to see what keywords brought clicks, which posts had high bounce, which ones stayed longer. Then I iterated, changed headings, added FAQs and improved content.
GSC and performance reports are insanely useful tools.

Some results (not perfect, just progress)

A post I updated in April had nearly zero traffic. By June, it was getting 800 visits a month.

My average session duration increased as people spent more time reading.

My new posts started showing up for more keywords (not just the ones I targeted).

I got a few organic backlinks from blogs that linked to my better content.

Slowly, I had more “email replies” from readers saying my content helped them.



What I’ve learned (lessons, not rules)

There’s no one “hack” that solves everything. It’s many small fixes.

Sometimes growth feels non-existent. So, those months are to test you.

Your voice matters. If your content sounds like everyone else’s, people won’t care.

Not every post will rank. Focus on your winners.

SEO keeps changing and you must keep adapting.


The big lesson: Google traffic comes from trust, utility, and consistency, not any shortcuts.


What’s one post on your blog that surprised you with how well it did (for whatever reason)? What changes did you make that helped it perform better?

Let’s swap those stories, I’m sure someone here will find a tip that helps their blog blow up.

Wow, this post hit me right in the gut . I literally did everything on your “what I did wrong” list last year. I wrote a ton of posts about stuff I found interesting, but never checked if anyone was searching for it. No wonder my views were dead.

I recently started updating old posts too, just small edits, like changing titles, adding FAQ sections, and embedding a short video, and my impressions actually went up in Search Console within two weeks.

Your point about long-tail keywords is crucial. I used “start a blog” for months and got nowhere. Switched to “how to start a lifestyle blog in Nigeria 2025,” and boom, got page 2 on Google already.
Thanks for sharing this. Sometimes we overcomplicate SEO when it’s really about staying consistent and being useful.

This is so on point, I learned the hard way too. I started my travel blog in 2022 and thought posting daily would do the magic. Nope. Google barely noticed me .
Earlier this year, I spent an entire weekend merging five short posts into one detailed guide, “Traveling Europe on a Budget 2025 Edition.” That single post now brings half my traffic.

You’re right about backlinks too. The only ones that actually helped came from real conversations in travel groups, not the spammy “link exchange” DMs.

Also, props for mentioning internal linking. I started doing that recently, and visitors are spending double the time on my site now.

This thread’s a good reminder that blogging is a long game. Appreciate the transparency, mate