（#AdSense #Google #SEO）Reasons Why Traffic Plummets to "Zero Readers" After Publishing a Blog Post
A Blog Writer's Day
Alright, I finished writing the blog post.
After several days since registering my new account, I worked hard tapping away at the keyboard and writing.
I've created the ultimate article that might even win some kind of award.
I read it over and over again, adjusted the tone of the writing, and included images in key places.
I also added a ton of tags to increase traffic.
Since I covered a wide range of words, I should be able to attract as many users visiting through searches as possible.
The readers who see this are sure to thoroughly enjoy it.
Here goes...
Published!
| Day 1 | 2 | 2... A bit less than I expected? |
| Day 2 | 0 | 0? |
| Day 3 | 0 | ?, ?? |
| Ever since | 000 | Why~? |
Why~~~~?
Why Is There Traffic Only Right After Publishing, Then It Suddenly Vanishes?
A blog post you spent so much time and effort writing. "Published!"
Right after pushing the button, a few or maybe a dozen users visit, making your heart leap—but only for a brief moment.
After just one day, the traffic numbers cleanly drop, and a few days later, you are left looking at a row of "0"s day after day...
"Is my writing boring?" "Maybe I just don't have a talent for blogging."
Many of you might feel your motivation completely snapping like this.
However, please rest assured.
"Being viewed a little right after publishing, and then having the traffic vanish all at once" is a "normal process" that 100 out of 100 people experience in the early stages of starting a blog.
It is not because of your lack of talent, nor is it because the quality of your article is fatally bad.
The Mystery of Why a Few People Came to Look Only on the First Day
-
The Temporary Spotlight Called the "New Post Bonus"
Blog services almost certainly have features like a "New Arrivals List" or a "Timeline."
The moment you publish an article, your post is placed at the very top of that new arrivals list for just a brief split second.
Browsing users within the same blog service, or anyone who happens to be looking at the new arrivals list, might get drawn in by the title and click on it. - Traffic from Social Media
If you share it on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram at the same time you publish,
your followers or people tracking the hashtags might find it on their timeline and click on it.
But what if you have zero followers...? - Misidentifying "Crawler (Robot)" Visits as Traffic
Depending on the settings of your traffic analysis tools,
there are cases where visits from search engine robots (crawlers) are counted instead of human visitors.
When search engines like Google or Bing detect that a new page has been born on the internet, they dispatch a robot to investigate "what kind of content is written there."
It is highly likely that part of the "traffic of a few people" that occurred right after publishing was actually the footprints of these robots, not humans.
Since the robots leave once their investigation is finished, the traffic from the second day onward naturally drops to zero. - Countless Articles are Published Every Second on the Internet
In that single second, a vast number of articles are being published.
While you are thinking, "I worked hard to write and publish this blog post," there are many other people doing the exact same thing in that very second.
Within a few hours of publishing, your article will be instantly swept away several pages or dozens of pages back.
This is the biggest reason why traffic cuts off after just one day.
3 Reasons Why Traffic "Comes to a Complete Halt" From the Second Day Onward
After the spotlight of the new arrival list fades,
it becomes essential to get "traffic from search engines such as Google and Yahoo (organic search)" for your blog to be read continuously.
The fact that traffic drops to zero from the second day onward means that your site has not received any evaluation from search engines at all.
We will explain the reasons for this by breaking them down into three points.
[Indexing] It Is Not Even Registered in Google's Database in the First Place
The results displayed when we search on Google do not come from searching websites all over the world in real time.
Google instantly displays the most suitable pages from a vast "database (index)" that it has collected and organized in advance.
In other words, if your article is not "indexed (registered)" by Google, it is the same as if it does not exist in this world.
A newly opened blog has low trust from Google, so crawlers rarely come to visit it.
Even if you publish an article, it commonly takes a few days to a few weeks—and in some cases, over a month—for it to be registered in Google's database.
Just one or two days after publishing, you have not even stood at the "starting line" to be lined up on the search results screen.
[Keywords] You Are Writing Articles Using Words That Readers "Do Not Search For"
Even if it gets indexed by Google,
if an article is written entirely with words that readers would never type into a search box, traffic will never be generated.
A typical example of failure is a "diary-style" title and content.
- Example of Failure
"The Delicious Pasta I Ate Today, and My Recent Thoughts"
- Example of Success
"[France] Fully Satisfied for Under €10! 3 Best Exquisite Pasta Spots Recommended for a Solo Lunch"
If you are a celebrity or a famous influencer, fans will come to see a diary entry about "what I ate today." However, no one goes out of their way to search for the diary of an ordinary person.
Readers search with their own problems or desires (keywords) in mind, such as "I want to eat cheap and delicious pasta in France."
If those keywords are not included in the title or main text, search engines cannot match your article to their queries.
[Domain Power] The Reliability of the Entire Blog Is "Zero"
Search engines have a system that evaluates not only the quality of an individual article but also
"the reliability of the entire blog hosting that article (Domain Power)."
A newly created blog (especially a WordPress site that has just acquired a custom domain) is like a newborn baby.
From Google's perspective, it is a "site that was just made yesterday, and its origin is completely unknown."
Even if you pay money to get a custom domain, you are still perceived as just someone nobody knows.
Because of this, no matter how wonderful an article you write,
you cannot beat major sites or competing blogs—which have years of operational history and contain hundreds of articles—in terms of "credibility."
As a result, your article gets placed in locations that nobody looks at, such as the 10th or 20th page of the search results.
The "Mindset" and "Mental Toughness" to Overcome the Period of Zero Traffic
Before diving into specific countermeasures, let's talk about the most important "mindset" for continuing a blog.
If you don't understand this part, you will end up giving up halfway through, no matter how much know-how you acquire.
Accept That You Are an "Invisible Person" for the First Six Months
In the blogging industry, there is a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "Google Sandbox."
It is said that for websites with a new domain, there is a mechanism (or a corresponding algorithmic evaluation period) that intentionally makes it difficult for their search rankings to rise for the first few months (generally around 3 months to half a year) after going public.
This is Google's defensive measure to prevent spam sites (low-quality, automatically generated sites) from ruining the top search results.
Therefore, having "0" traffic for the first few months does not mean your articles are bad; you are simply caught in Google's security system.
Give yourself the peace of mind to accept that:
・"For the first three months, I am an invisible person on the internet."
・"It's only natural that nobody is looking."
・"Right now is a period to accumulate assets in the form of articles."
Specific Measures to Grow Traffic from "None" to "Some"
(SEO & Operation Edition)
So, what specific actions can you take to break out of this "traffic plunge loop"? We will explain the specific steps you can put into practice starting today.
1: Let Google Know You Exist (Technical Approach)
First, let's set up an environment to directly appeal to Google, saying, "I wrote an article, so come check it out!"
- Introduction of Google Search Console
This is an essential free tool for running a blog. Please make sure to link it to your site.
- Request an "URL Inspection"
Once you publish an article, enter its URL into the search box of Search Console and click "Request Indexing." This allows you to forcibly call Google's crawlers. Indexing, which used to take days or weeks, can then be completed in as little as a few hours to a few days.
2: Thoroughly Determine Your "Persona" and "Keywords"
Clarify "whose problem you are solving, and what that problem is." This will determine the direction of your blog.
- Setting the Persona (Target Reader)
Instead of something broad like "a woman in her 20s who likes traveling," imagine a specific individual, such as: "A 25-year-old female worker in her third year at her job, who works during the week. She wants to refresh herself on the weekend, but since coordinating schedules with friends is tiring and requires too much effort, she is searching for 'complete solo travel' or 'nearby hot spring inns' while in bed on a Friday night." The more specific your target is, the more compelling your writing will be.
- Utilizing Keyword Research Tools
Look up the actual words that readers are searching for.
・Keyword Tools (Free)
If you type "game" into the search box, it will provide a list of words that are frequently searched together (suggested keywords), such as "recommended games," "gaming PC," or "free games." It helps you find more specific, hidden-gem keywords (needs) beyond just the broad word "game"—such as "what kind of game are they looking for? (Is it for PC, is it free, or is it the latest release?)"・Google Keyword Planner
You can find out how many times a word is searched for per month (search volume). You can also track trend shifts to see what time of year a specific keyword is searched for the most. Furthermore, it allows you to check the level of competition and the approximate cost (cost-per-click) when running advertisements with that keyword. - Targeting "Long-Tail Keywords"
If a beginner writes an article targeting a single word (a big keyword) like "game" or "diet," they will absolutely never rank at the top because they will be crushed by major corporate websites. What you should target are "long-tail keywords," which combine three or more words, such as "France solo travel remote hotel." Although fewer people search for them, the competition is weak, making it easier even for beginners to aim for the number one spot in search results.
3: Creating an "Article Structure" That Solves the Reader's Problems
Once your keywords are decided, consider the reader's "search intent" (why they searched for that specific word) and write an article that satisfies it 100%.
- Hooking the Reader with the Introduction (Lead Paragraph)
Readers are impatient. If they open an article and think "this isn't relevant to me" within 3 seconds, they will hit the back button. In your introduction, present the conclusion or benefit right away, stating, "By reading this article, your problem here will be solved."
- Keeping the "PREP Method" in Mind:
This is the basic framework for easy-to-understand writing.
・P (Point): Conclusion (We recommend XX)
・R (Reason): Reason (Because it is XX)
・E (Example): Specific Example (For example, here is the menu and price range)
・P (Point): Restating the Conclusion (Therefore, we highly recommend XX)Just by keeping this framework in mind, the unnecessary diary-like feel vanishes, and your writing evolves into an easy-to-read, persuasive, and "helpful article."
Don't Rely Solely on Search. "Social Media & External Linking Strategy" to Support Initial Traffic
As mentioned earlier, it takes about half a year to build up credibility from Google (SEO). However, that doesn't mean you just have to endure zero traffic the entire time.
While waiting for search engine evaluations, let's create a setup to draw in traffic from "alternative routes."
Interlinking "Social Media Management" Centered Around X (Formerly Twitter)
X (formerly Twitter) has the best compatibility with blogs.
If you simply tweet, "I updated my blog! [URL]"
nobody will click on it. The trick to getting clicks on social media is to "make the helpful information complete right on the timeline."
[Example Tweet]
I found 3 amazing pasta spots in Shibuya that are super welcoming even for a solo new-grad female worker!
・1. ◯◯: Fresh, chewy pasta for 850 yen
・2. ◯◯: Plenty of counter seats, lots of solo diners
・3. ◯◯: Keeps serving lunch even after 2:00 PM
Detailed access for each restaurant and the recommended menus you should order are explained thoroughly with photos on my blog
[Blog URL]
By sharing information that is useful even within the tweet itself and guiding people who want to know more details to your blog, you can explosively increase traffic from social media.
Boosting Domain Power by Acquiring Links
One of the most powerful ways to increase your credibility with Google (Domain Power) is to "get links (backlinks) from other trusted sites."
That said, nobody will link to you at first. Therefore, let's work on "self-backlinking" within the scope of what you can do yourself.
・Registering on Lit.link
Include your blog URL in your profile service.
・Registering on Blogarama and Feedly
By participating in communities where blog users gather, you can get traffic from there and secure your initial backlinks.
・Utilizing Wix or Medium
If you use WordPress as your main platform, you can write short explanations on platforms like Medium and link back to your main blog for details (*Avoid overdoing this to prevent being flagged as spam; do this only with high-quality articles).
By thoroughly implementing these measures, Google's crawlers will find your site more easily, which will ultimately speed up indexing and boost your search rankings faster.
This Is Not "Zero" Traffic, but the "Real Start" of Your Blog From Here
The fact that your traffic dropped just one day after publishing does not mean you failed.
It is "proof that your article has departed from the temporary cradle of the new arrivals feed into the vast open ocean of the internet."
The essence of blogging lies not on the day it is published, but in "becoming an asset that stably brings in 5 or 10 readers every single day from search engines three months after publishing."
What you need to do right now is not to swing between joy and sorrow by looking at the numbers in your traffic analysis.
- Choose keywords that solve your readers' problems,
- Write articles with an easy-to-read structure,
- Request indexing via Google Search Console, and
- Deliver that information to the people who need it through social media.
Try to repeat this cycle calmly while enjoying yourself, stacking up 10 or 20 articles.
Half a year from now, when you suddenly open your traffic analysis, you should be able to see "evidence that someone is reading your articles (real-time traffic)" without interruption throughout the day.
Aiming for that moving moment, let's start writing the next article for your readers!
