When you search “how to grow your blog” on YouTube, most of the videos are about getting thousands or millions of views a month. If you have no idea what to write about or are just starting your blog, those numbers can feel daunting. If you set them as a goal and you fail to reach them within the first couple of months or years of blogging, you’ll find yourself wanting to quit.
You may be thinking then – what’s a good goal to set then?
I’d say 100 viewers per month is a great start. Blogging is sort of like investing in index funds. You’re in it for the long haul. You will never get famous and make $$$ overnight.
So now you might be thinking – only 100 views though? That’s not much.
And you’re right. It’s not…but…
According to a 2022 study by Ahrefs, about 90% of online content receives zero organic traffic from Google. ZERO. If you reached 100 views per month from that standpoint, that means your blog would be in the top 10% of blogs. That’s pretty good.
So this post is about how to grow your blog in small and doable steps. If you are just starting a blog or have been writing but have seen no traffic, this post is for you.
I first want to briefly share my journey into blogging. It’ll provide some background to the 5 tips I provide later in this post.
How I got started blogging
I started my blog at the beginning of 2022. Like most people who start new things, I had no idea what I was doing. So I watched tutorials on how to start a blog on YouTube. I came up with a blog name, set up my DreamHost account, and used a free WordPress theme.
For the first 3 months, I probably wrote 1, maybe 2, blog posts a month. I didn’t check how many views I got during those first 3 months, but I’m 99.99% sure I got 0.
Around the fourth month, I realized I wasn’t actually trying to grow my blog—I was just writing without a clear goal. Everything from my writing consistency to my website design felt off.
So I purchased Sophia Lee’s course on how to start a blog. I changed all parts of my blog.
First, I completely changed the domain name and website design (used a paid website design). I focused on my blog being more of a personal blog. My niche would be focused on personal development. Then I started learning and applying SEO techniques for Google.
I also started a Pinterest course, but I felt too busy trying to make Google SEO work…
I quickly found out that some of the mental health and personal development topics I wanted to write about were too hard to rank on Google. So I turned to Pinterest for extra traffic to my blog.
I also set a schedule to write one blog post a week and have stuck to that schedule ever since.
Hitting 100 viewers a month in February
I hit 100 monthly viewers in February this year. I still remember getting the email from Google Analytics. I was at my friend’s place in Bellevue and literally in shock because I never thought I would get 100 people to visit my blog. Seeing that number gave me hope and motivation to keep going. So thank you readers!
Now that you know how I got here, here are 5 tips you can use to grow your blog traffic from 0 to 100 viewers a month.
5 tips to grow your blog from 0 to 100 viewers
1. Write About Something You’re Genuinely Interested In
It can be tempting to write about trending topics just to get views, but if you’re not interested in your niche, it’ll show in your writing
According to Ahrefs, there are over 600 million blogs out there on the web. That means your blog needs to stand out in a crowded space. If you’re not passionate about what you’re writing, you’ll likely burn out or produce lower-quality content, which hurts your chances of growing.
But if you write about something you care about, it’s easier to stay motivated. Authentic interest leads to more original, engaging content.
2. Write Consistently
Consistency is key—not just for building your writing habit, but also for helping platforms like Google understand and trust your content.
Google has revealed that the more pages you have in the Google index, the more likely your content may show up in the search results.
Remember: attention is the currency of the internet. The more consistently you publish, the better your chances of attracting readers.
3. Learn and Apply Best SEO Practices
You want people to find your blog when they search for the things you’re writing about, right?
That concept is what SEO or Search Engine Optimization is all about. As it turns out, most of my traffic has come from organic search (people Googling something, finding my post, and clicking on it).
You don’t need to master SEO all at once. Just start learning the basics and apply them consistently. And remember—SEO isn’t the same across platforms. Google SEO is different from Pinterest SEO, and both are different from YouTube SEO.
The question and topic “Is SEO dead?” is still being debated. I believe it is not because people are still searching for answers and information online every day. If that ever stops, then we can talk about SEO being dead.
4. Use Social Media Platforms
Platforms like Pinterest and Instagram already have large audiences that can help drive traffic to your blog—but ranking there takes effort too.
To be honest, I haven’t gotten a ton of traffic from Pinterest yet. I’ve had a lot of impressions (people seeing my pins), but not many clicks. That said, I’ve recently started seeing more pin clicks, which tells me people are becoming more interested in my content.
Here is a comparison of my February (top) vs April (bottom) metrics on Pinterest:
Here’s a quote that I think really resonates well with this idea of continuing to post on social media to gain more blog traffic:
If you hang around the barbershop long enough…sooner or later you’re going to get a haircut
denzel washington
5. Tell Your Close Friends About Your Blog
If you’ve got close friends or family who won’t judge you, ask them to check out your blog. Even if you only get 1 or 2 clicks—it’s still a win. When you’re just starting, anyone looking at your blog feels like a victory. And who knows? Maybe one of them shares it with someone else, and suddenly your traffic starts picking up.
Yes, it’s scary at first. You might worry about being judged. But eventually, you’ll realize this hard truth: most people don’t care about you—they care about how useful your content is.
I hope these 5 tips on how to grow your blog traffic were helpful! I am still applying a lot of these tips myself to get to my next goal of hitting 200 viewers/month. If you think there are any other tips that are important for bloggers who are trying to hit their first 100 viewers/month, I’d love to hear it!
BONUS: Lessons learned from blog growth
Take Classes on Blogging
Blogging has been around forever. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Whether it’s a free course on YouTube or a paid class, learn from people who’ve already done it.
Yes, blogging classes can be expensive. But you’re not just paying for information—you’re paying to save time. Some courses even give you access to communities of other bloggers, which can help keep you motivated.
Learn Pinterest
Pinterest is still a huge traffic source for many successful bloggers. You can find free tutorials on YouTube, and if you can afford it, take a paid course. I’m doing both.
Also, I discovered that Canva offers free and premium Pinterest templates. Using those helped me go from 0 to 100 impressions in just one day. Impressions are not clicks to my blog; it’s a stat that says “hey somebody saw your pin when they searched for your keyword”.
Don’t Worry About Picking the Perfect Niche Right Away
This might sound like it contradicts tip #1, but it doesn’t. If you’re interested in lots of topics, write about all of them at first. I write mainly about personal development, but I’ve also written about volleyball and Korean dramas.
Once you’ve posted a bunch of articles, you’ll start to see what you enjoy writing most—and what your readers respond to.
Know Why You’re Blogging
If your goal is to make money, then make sure you’re writing for your audience. If you only write about yourself, it’s going to be tough to gain traction—unless you’re already famous.
There’s nothing wrong with personal blogging, but just be honest with yourself about your goals. I got really discouraged at first because I wasn’t getting traffic. It took time to realize that blogging is a long game.
