Blog traffic is necessary to make money with a blog. Without readers to click ads and make affiliate purchases, there's going to be little, if any, money made from the blog. Getting blog traffic takes patience and effort, but it doesn't always have to take money. Spend just a few minutes each day on these promotional activities, and watch the blog grow.

1. Post Comments on Other Blogs

This is key to building a steady readership. Find other blogs in your niche and post comments on them. Make sure you read the post, and provide a valuable comment so as not to get confused with a spammer. Commenting on the same blogs will help provide consistentcy for the other blogger, but don't be afraid to add some new ones into the mix from time to time.When commenting, leave the same name and URL in the fields to increase efforts for the next method.

2. Utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO involves selecting keywords to write your posts around. Conducting keyword research and naturally inserting the phrases throughout the text will help boost search engine traffic. When the search engines find and rank the site high for a specific post, an increase in targeted traffic will happen. Use the keyword in the post title.

Another way to use SEO to boost search engine traffic is through posting frequently. The more updated the blog is, the more often search engine bots will crawl it to index it. Websites that aren't updated often tend not to rank as highly as those updated on a regular basis.

Ask people to link to the blog. Offer to add people to the blogroll in exchange for the same. The number of links going to and from a site is also a very important factor in how search engines determine their rank.

3. Join Online Forums

Find a few forums related to the blog niche, join them and become active in the community. Add a link to your blog in the signature file attached to each post. Provide meaningful content to the forum members, and some of them may click your link to find out more about the blog. If they like it, you may gain a loyal reader.

4. Use Social Media

Select a few favorite networks--don't try to use them all--and become an active member. Post updates when a new blog post goes live on the blog, and encourage people to read it and spread the word. Great social networks to use are Facebook MySpace, and Twitter. Don't forget social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon. List your blog in several different niche directories too.

5. Share Link Love

Link to other posts in your blog posts. Let people know a link to their site is on the blog. When using a photo from a Creative Commons source such as Flickr, let the photographer know about the post so he or she can see the photo in action. This will spread the word about the blog when people go to see the link to their site (or their photos in use). As people share with people they know, more readers will come.

These 5 methods are proven to help build a steady stream of blog traffic. Stay dedicated for the best results.