How to Get Your First 100 Readers (Google Analytics for Beginners)

Traffic doesn’t appear by magic. Here’s how to get your first real visitors – and track them.

You’ve written a few blog posts. Your site looks good. But when you open your dashboard, you see… crickets. No comments, no traffic, nothing.

I’ve been there. After publishing my first article, I checked my stats every hour. Zero. Two days later, still zero. It felt like shouting into an empty room.

But then I learned that traffic is earned, not given. And the first 100 readers are the hardest – but absolutely possible.

In this guide, I’ll show you:

  • How to set up Google Analytics (free) to track visitors
  • Where to share your content to get those first readers
  • What to do after someone visits (so they come back)

No paid ads. No shortcuts. Just honest, beginner‑friendly strategies that work.

Part 1: Set Up Google Analytics (So You Can See Your Visitors)

If you don’t track anything, you won’t know what’s working. Google Analytics is free and tells you:

  • How many people visit
  • Where they come from (Google, social media, direct)
  • Which posts they read
  • How long they stay

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics account

  1. Go to analytics.google.com
  2. Sign in with your Google account (or create one)
  3. Click “Start measuring”
  4. Create an account name (e.g., “My WordPress Site”)
  5. Set up a property – give it your website name and URL
  6. Choose your industry category and reporting time zone

Step 2: Get your tracking code

After creating the property, you’ll see a screen with “Web stream” details. Look for “Measurement ID” – it starts with G- followed by letters and numbers.

Copy that ID.

Step 3: Add the code to WordPress (easiest way)

You don’t need to edit theme files. Use a free plugin: Site Kit by Google.

  1. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New and search for “Site Kit by Google”
  2. Install and activate it
  3. Go to Dashboard → Site Kit and follow the setup wizard
  4. Sign in with your Google account and connect Google Analytics

Site Kit will automatically add the tracking code to every page. No coding needed.

💡 Alternative plugin: If you prefer something lighter, use “Insert Headers and Footers” by WPBeginner. Just paste the full Analytics code snippet into the header section.

Step 4: Verify it works

After 24‑48 hours, open your Google Analytics dashboard (or Site Kit plugin in WordPress). If you see “1 active user” (probably you), it’s working.

Part 2: Where to Find Your First 100 Readers

You have a blog. Now shout about it – politely.

1. Share on Social Media (But Don’t Just Dump Links)

Post your article with a genuine question or insight.

Example – instead of: “New post: How to install WordPress”
Try: “I broke my site 3 times before I figured out how to install WordPress correctly. Here’s what I learned (so you don’t make the same mistakes).”

Where to share:

  • Twitter/X – use relevant hashtags like #WordPress, #Blogging
  • LinkedIn – great for professional/tech content
  • Reddit – find subreddits like r/WordPress, r/blogging, r/juststart (read rules first – no spam)
  • Facebook groups – WordPress beginner groups

2. Engage on Other Blogs (The Golden Rule)

Don’t just post and leave. Find 5‑10 blogs in your niche. Read their articles. Leave genuine comments – not “Great post!” but real thoughts and questions.

Sometimes, include a link to your relevant article if it adds value. But mostly, be a real person. People will click your name and find your site naturally.

3. Write on Quora or Reddit

Search for questions like: “How do I start a WordPress blog?” or “What’s the best hosting for beginners?”

Answer helpfully. At the end, say: “I wrote a step‑by‑step guide here if you want more details: [link]” – but only if it’s truly relevant.

4. Email Your Friends & Family

Don’t be shy. Send a personal email:

“Hey, I started a blog about building WordPress sites. Here’s my first post – would love your feedback.”

They don’t have to be your target audience. But they’ll visit, read, and maybe share. Those first 10 visitors matter.

5. Internal Links (Already Published Posts)

Every time you write a new post, link back to older ones. When someone reads your latest article, they’ll click through to previous ones. This increases page views per visitor.

Part 3: What to Do After Someone Visits (Retention)

Getting a click is hard. Getting a second click is even harder. Here’s how to turn one‑time visitors into returning readers.

Add a “Subscribe” Option

Collect email addresses. Use a free plugin like Mailchimp or ConvertKit (free tier up to 1,000 subscribers). Place a signup form in your sidebar, footer, or after each post.

Why? Email is the only channel where you own the audience. Social media algorithms change, but your email list stays.

Suggest Related Posts

Use Kadence’s built‑in “Related Posts” feature or a plugin like YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin). At the bottom of each article, show 3‑4 similar posts.

I set up a simple “You might also like” section using the Kadence Post Grid block – it automatically pulls posts from the same category.

Make Your Site Fast & Mobile‑Friendly

If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, people leave. I covered performance tips in earlier articles, but the basics:

  • Compress images (ShortPixel or Imagify)
  • Use a caching plugin (WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache)
  • Choose a fast host (I use managed WordPress hosting)

Ask for Comments

End each post with a question. For example: “What’s your biggest struggle with getting traffic? Let me know in the comments.” People love sharing their own experiences.

📊 Understanding Google Analytics (The Only Metrics That Matter)

Don’t get lost in dozens of reports. Focus on these three numbers:

MetricWhat it meansGood target (for a new blog)
UsersUnique people who visited100+ per month in month 1
SessionsTotal visits (one user can visit multiple times)Slightly higher than users
Average engagement timeHow long people stay on your site1–2 minutes for blog posts

Where to find them:
In Google Analytics dashboard → Reports → Acquisition → Overview.

Also check “Traffic acquisition” – it shows where your visitors came from (Google, Twitter, direct, etc.). Double down on what’s working.

🎯 My First Month Results (Real Numbers)

When I launched this blog, here’s what my first month looked like:

  • Week 1: 47 users (mostly friends and Twitter)
  • Week 2: 112 users (after a Reddit post got some upvotes)
  • Week 3: 203 users (started seeing organic Google traffic)
  • Week 4: 341 users

That first 100 took 10 days. Then it got faster. Not because I did anything special, but because small efforts compound.

If I can do it, so can you.

📋 Checklist: First 100 Readers

  • Google Analytics installed and tracking
  • Shared every post on at least 2 social platforms
  • Left 5 genuine comments on other blogs this week
  • Answered 3 questions on Quora or Reddit (with link to your post where helpful)
  • Added an email signup form
  • Added related posts at bottom of each article
  • Asked a question at the end of your latest post
  • Checked Google Analytics once (don’t obsess, just check weekly)

What’s next?

You have traffic. Now let’s make sure those visitors stick around and come back.

👉 Next article: How to Build an Email List from Day One (Even with Zero Subscribers) – coming soon.

What’s your biggest traffic challenge right now? Leave a comment and I’ll help you figure it out.

First published: May 2, 2026
Last updated: May 2, 2026

📌 Key takeaways (for skimmers)

  • Set up Google Analytics via Site Kit plugin – free and easy.
  • Don’t just post – share on social, answer questions on Reddit/Quora, comment on other blogs.
  • Email list is crucial. Start collecting emails even with 10 visitors.
  • Make your site fast and mobile‑friendly.
  • Focus on Users and Traffic sources in Analytics.

🔗 Internal links used in this article