SEO Tips: Using Google Analytics to Increase Traffic

Editor’s note: When Jeffrey Kishner, publisher of the number one astrology blog on the internet, Sasstrology offers to write a post for Astro Blogging, you’d be crazy to say no. And I wouldn’t, ever. Thanks, Jeffrey!.

by Jeffrey Kishner

The success of my current blog, Sasstrology, is partially a fluke. A few years ago, I was blogging regularly at Lunar Tunes Astrology. Most of my posts were about the New and Full Moons. However, I found – through the use of a blog statistics tool like Google Analytics – that many of my new readers found the blog by searching for stuff like, “How to get a Scorpio man interested.” Although I never explicitly wrote about the astrology of seduction, there was enough content in my blog posts (and from reader comments) that Google matched its googlers with my blog.

On a lark, I decided to try an experiment: start a new blog, and just write posts based on these romance-related google searches. Seduction Central – “the blog formerly known as Sasstrology” – was born, and it thrived.

Why? Because I was taking advantage of the long tail. Many folks may google “Taurus man,” but not as many google “How to get my Taurus man to come back to me.” Since I wrote blog post titles that targeted these less frequent search queries, my posts were more likely to rise to the top in these searches.

How to Find Long-Tail Searches Using Google Analytics

Once you sign up, follow the instructions in Googles Installation Guidefor installing the tracking code. There is also a plug-in for self-hosted WordPress Blogs. Unfortunately, you cannot install the tracking code on blogs hosted on WordPress.com.

When you scroll down, you’ll see the phrases that readers used to find your blog via a search engine. For example, the screenshot below shows the top 10 searches that include the phrase, “Taurus man.”

If I wanted to attract some good blog traffic, I’d write, “How to make a Taurus man propose.”

Of course, the types of posts you’d want to write about would be related to your current blog content, so instead of “Taurus man,” you might find searches like, “North Node conjunct Midheaven.” It is of primary importance that you cater to your current readers more than to Google, so don’t just write a post based on analytics. However, looking at keyword searches is a great way to find what your prospective readers are looking for, which will help you write content that both satisfies your fans and brings in new ones.

About the Author
Jeffrey Kishner is editor/publisher of Sasstrology. He is also a regular contributor at AOL Horoscopes. Jeffrey is available for professional consultations regarding WordPress blogs and social media optimization. You can contact him at jeffreykishner@gmail.com.