Most webmasters think about search engine optimizing, not traffic. This is the first post in a series I created after helping manage two blog communities.

1. Ping to as many blog search engines as possible. This is easy with Wordpress. Enable the automatic ping feature in most blog software platforms.

2. Customize your template. Optimizing it to put the content at the top is ideal. Try changing the alt tags of images, or changing enough of the code to make the site appear unique.
3. Use meta tags on the web page, not CSS code. Do not use more than 5 keywords per blog post. Use headings that duplicate the keyword meta tags.

4. Enable RSS and run it through a service such as www.feedburner.com Promote the RSS feed through sites such as squidoo, and other places where visitors can find your website.

5. Create a Google Site Map. If you don’t know how to make a real site map then use Google’s tool to create an RSS feed that will be used as a site map.

6. Create static pages that support your main keyword phrases. These should be linked to the home page using a features or ‘page’ module.

7. Submit to search engines. Use manual submission if possible. Do not submit more than once every few months.

8. Create an account at Technorai and Digg. These are the dominant Social Networking/Traffic sites, but there are more.

9. Post at least twice a week. Try to write articles that are worth reading, and longer than 300 words with sub headings.

10. Build at least 10 inbound links a week.

There are other tips, but the most important aspect of blog marketing is to remember that blogs are a social tool. Talk to visitors who post comments. Visit their blogs and comment there. Discuss topics in forums and redirect visitors to articles on your blog.