How to Build Digg Traffic the Right Way

Digg is the leading news story submission and voting site in the Internet. Users "dig" good stories and "bury" bad ones. Because the community of users has control over the quality of content, Digg is "democratizing digital media." 

Understand the Digg Culture 

Digg's popularity makes it a good source of traffic for websites. To get that traffic, below are some things you first need to understand about Digg: 

1. Digg users influence your site's ranking. Unlike in search engines where your site is evaluated by search engine robots and algorithms. Your Digg traffic generation should factor in the human aspect in a major way. 

2. Digg submission is done once only. Duplicate submissions are not allowed. Unlike in regular SEO submissions where you can submit your site to many directories, search engines, or article sites. 

3. Submissions can be on links to news items, videos, or images. In regular SEO activities, submission is done on landing and other key web pages. 

4. Digg allows comments on submissions. The comment button for each Dugg story is similar to those in blog posts. Users who dug or bury your link can add their comment and feedbacks. You gain insight to what needs to be improved based on their comments. 

5. Digg traffic is fleeting. No site ever retains the title as the longest-running most-Dugg story. For web site owners, this calls for continuous "digging" or maximizing the big Digg traffic you generate. 


How to Digg for Traffic 

Getting Digg traffic is easy when you understand the Digg submission system and its users’ preferences. Here's how to do this: 

1. Be active. Dig or bury stories, and participate in the community. 

2. Digg quality content. Do not submit badly-written or unoriginal stories. Study the sites that made it to the top of Digg. If possible, revise your site to cater to this Digg standard on quality. 

3. Submit useful stories. "How to" and instructional articles are often liked by Digg users. Format your submission in easy-to-understand lists and bullets, with short yet clear content. 

4. Submit based on popular topics. Find the relationship between the popular topics and your niche, and write your stories based on this. For example, if you run a health care business, you can submit stories on technological advances in health care, if the popular trend in Digg is on technology. 

5. Package Digg with your marketing campaign. A "Digg this" button in your blog, a Digg reference in Facebook and Twitter, or a Digg link in your newsletter campaign can increase your Digg traffic in due time. 


Maximizing Digg Traffic 

When Digg finally sends traffic your way, here's how to get the most benefit out of it: 

1. RSS subscriptions. Digg users who troop to your site should see an invitation to RSS subscriptions. They have an option not to subscribe, but many website owners note an increase in RSS subscribers after a big Digg traffic surge. 

2. Great content. Digg-sent visitors will naturally explore your site to check the rest of the content. Make sure that the other pages are as good as the site that reeled them in from Digg. 

3. Email newsletter opt-in. Somewhere in your site, you can setup an opt-in form to increase your newsletter subscriber base. 

4. Blog comments. If ever visitors from Digg comment on your posts, reply to them at once and maintain the conversation for as long as possible with each commenter. 

Ultimately, the secret to getting to the top pages of Digg is quality digging and becoming a part of the Digg community. Your website must be prepared for the Digg traffic that comes your way, by assuring quality content and good design that converts this traffic into your loyal web site followers.