20 Ways To Get More Traffic to Your Blog

20 Ways To Get More Traffic to Your Blog

Note: Get a free course at the end of the article.

Increasing readership of your blog is both art and science. Take a look at these 20 quick ways you can drive traffic and attract the audience you want.

Every business owner who’s ever hosted a blog has experienced the frustration of trying to gain readership. Though we’d all like it if readers just magically came to us, the reality is, it takes some work to build an audience.

It’s easy to get frustrated and just give up on blogging, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll understand that your blog can have a tremendous impact on your business by attracting traffic to your site, helping you build a social media audience and making an impression on prospects and clients alike.

Following are 20 proven strategies that can help you boost readership and increase traffic to your blog.

1. Write more.

Studies show that the more often you update your blog, the more traffic it will receive. Google gives higher priority to websites with fresh content, so if you want to get more attention from the search engines, update your blog at least twice a week.

2. Promote with social media.

Share each new blog post across your social media networks, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. If you spend time cultivating your networks and share great content, social media sites can become some of your top traffic sources.

3. Write better titles.

The titles for your blog posts are almost more important than the content itself. That’s because titles help potential readers decide whether they should click and read more. Pay attention to the article titles you see on magazine covers. They entice readers with promises and solutions. When you do the same, your readership will increase.

4. Know your niche.

While you may be interested in sea life, exotic travel destinations, Little League baseball and weight loss, you’ll confuse your audience if your content doesn’t follow a clear theme. Decide who your target audience is, what they want to read and what specific messages you want to convey.

5. Include photos.

Studies have shown that photos in blog posts boost readership. Not only does a photo make the post more visually appealing, but you can also include keywords in the Alt Image tag on the photo, boosting search engine optimization (SEO) for your site. Keep in mind that you can’t just pull any photo from Google because you risk violating copyright laws. Instead, locate royalty-free images from a site like Unsplash.com.

6. Incorporate keywords.

Speaking of SEO, keywords are at the heart of SEO. One of the easiest ways to generate more traffic to your website is to ensure that every page on your site has a keyword strategy. So for each blog post you write, choose one key phrase that you believe readers would use to find that post. Next, incorporate that phrase into the title of the post, the headline on the page, within the content on the page at least two times, in a featured image on the page and also as part of the page link. Keyword concentration helps Google understand what that page is about, which can ultimately lead to more traffic from the search engines.

7. Incorporate links.

When you mention another company’s product or service in a blog post, include a link to that company’s page. Not only does Google like to see outbound links on your site, the company you mention may also notice your post and link back to you. Plus, readers appreciate it when you provide resources to make it easier for them to find the things they’re looking for.

8. Add social sharing buttons.

At the top and bottom of your blog posts, make sure you include social sharing buttons for Twitter, LinkedIn and the other major social networks. Make it easy for readers to spread the word.

9. Retweet past content.

We aren’t all looking at Twitter at the same time, so when you share a new blog post link, the majority of your fan base won’t see it the first time. Repeat your tweets, and don’t be afraid to share past content. Readers don’t care when it was written as long as it’s still relevant.

10. Invite guest contributors.

When others write for your blog, you add more content that you didn’t have to write yourself. As a bonus, those contributors will also share with their networks and may ask you to write for them, opening up new readership avenues for you.

11. Add video.

Google owns YouTube, which is one of the many reasons that videos can drive more traffic to your site. Supplement the written content on your blog with short videos that are informative and entertaining.

12. Invest in promotion.

If you believe your audience is spending time on Facebook, occasionally invest in sponsored posts. For as little as $10, you can “Boost” a post and increase its reach significantly.

13. Conduct give-away events.

Create fun theme days such as “Free Book Fridays” where your readers can win a prize by submitting a comment or sharing your link via social media. You can provide prizes yourself or invite companies to donate or sponsor these promotions.

14. Write guest posts.

Locate other blogs that reach your target audience, and offer to contribute guest blog posts. If the site has a substantial audience, you can bet that readers will in turn want to engage with more of your content.

15. Cross-promote to your mailing list.

Instead of writing all new content for your electronic newsletter, share the first paragraph from several recent blog posts and include a link to continue reading on the site. Not everyone is taking the time to read your blog each week, so this will help get your subscribers invested in your blog.

In addition to the tips above, the following smart strategies will also help increase readership:

16. Make your content easy to read by using plenty of subheads, bullets and numbered lists.

17. Promote your blog in your email signature and your bio in any online profiles.

18. Make it easy for blog visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed.

19. Invite readers to leave a comment, then respond and let them know you’re engaged.

20. Finally, have fun with your blog. If it feels like drudgery, your readers will notice. But if you enjoy producing the content, that will come across and have a tremendous impact on your success.

You can use this cheatsheet which I personally use Here!

How to Write Irresistible Headlines

How to Write Irresistible Headlines That Entice, Intrigue, and Insist on Being Read!

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” they say.

But unfortunately, we all know that we DO judge books by their cover, literally and figuratively.

And your article’s headline is its “cover.”

If you have a boring cover, it doesn’t matter how scintillating, meaningful, or amazing your content is — few will choose to click on it, and even fewer will actually read it.

In an ideal world, articles would be noticed and read based on their content value, not on their click-bait-y headlines.

But sadly, we do not live in an ideal world.

To give your article a fighting chance, you MUST learn how to write a good headline, using the following tips:

What your headline needs to do

Your headline, obviously, needs to grab attention. There is so much competing stimuli out there, millions of articles published every day, that your article needs a big “look at me!” to attract readers.

But how do you grab readers’ attention?

1. Promise a benefit

People usually don’t read your work because they just want to support you, or admire your amazing way with words.

They read because they want to find out what’s in it for them.

Especially people who read nonfiction articles on sites like Medium.

So tell people what your article offers, right there in the headline.

Does your article teach people how to get rid of foot fungus? Try “3 Fail-Proof Foot Fungus Removal Techniques.”

Or are you trying to help writers who are struggling with writer’s block?

In that case, “5 Ways to Come Up With Ideas When You Have Nothing to Write About” could be the perfect headline for your article.

Don’t try to be mysterious or clever. At least, not at the expense of clearly showing people how your article will help them solve or deal with a real problem in their lives.

I guarantee you that “You Can Control Alcohol Without Willpower or Wretchedness — Here’s How” is going to outperform “Random Inebriated Thoughts on a Rainy Indoor Thursday” any day.

2. Be shareable

The only way to get your article across to a large audience is to 1) post it in a place that gets lots of traffic (ie: Medium is better than your own hosted blog, if you are just starting out), and 2) get people to share it.

The problem is, you can’t really pay people to share your article. (Well, you can try, but it won’t last long, and your bank account will become very, very sad, very, very quickly)

So how do you get people to share your article with their friends?

By crafting a headline that makes them look and/or feel good when they share it.

For instance:

“How to Crush Regret and Recreate Yourself At Any Age” is more likely to be shared among, say middle aged or older folks because they want to be seen as optimistic, powerful people who still have a lot to offer.

(Especially in a youth-focused society where if you haven’t changed the world by your early twenties, you’re old news).

And it’s also encouraging to send something like this to a friend who has confided in you that he/she might be going through a mid-life crisis.

But no one will want to share an article titled “Warning: You‘re Unknowingly Sabotaging Yourself Because of These 3 Things; Here’s How to STOP” because it makes them either a) feel like a failure, or b) feel like they are telling their friends “you’re a failure.” (Yep, lesson learned!)

Then again, a headline like “3 Classic Novels That Have Changed Civilization” could go both ways. On the one hand, someone who shares this type of article on social media could look well-read and highly educated, which can be a good thing.

On the other hand, certain crowds might look at such a person as a pretentious, stuffy buffoon, which would hurt this article’s chances of going viral.

So figure out who you are writing for, how your ideal reader sees him/herself, and what s/he is most likely to want to share with friends. Then design the perfect headline based on what you’ve discovered.

But now that we’ve discussed WHAT your headline needs to do, let’s talk about HOW it does so:

4 Headline formulas that work

1. How-to’s

Remember we talked aboout providing a benefit in the headline, earlier?

Well, the how-to is the most ubiquitous headline formula that clearly promises a benefit.

• “How to Plan the Perfect Vacation in Jamaica,”
• “How to Cure Anxiety,” and
• “How to Use the Ridiculously Powerful Magic of Writing To Transform Your Life and Revolutionize the World”

…will appeal to people who want to a) travel to Jamaica, b) be free from anxiety, and c) use writing to transform themselves and their world, respectively.

Each of these headlines clearly promise a straightforward benefit that readers will come away with after reading the article. There’s no confusion, just an irresistible invitation (to the right audience).

2. Numbered lists

Using numbers in your headline promises that your article is skimmable.

And let’s face it, internet readers skim.

When people are surfing the ‘net, the last thing they want to do is get bogged down by a novel-length article, even if it promises to cure the common cold.

Which means that they like numbers because most likely they already know most of whatever you are promising to help them with, whether it’s how to teach your toddler shoe-tying or how to rid your house of fruit flies.

They’re looking not for all of the USUAL problem-solving methods, they want to see if you have an interesting idea that they haven’t thought of before. No one has time to read all 13 of your Ways to Rid Your Closet of That Awful Mothball Scent…they just need one or two ways.

And if you use a number in your headline, you are promising your audience that your article offers succinct, listed methods from which they can easily find and pick their favorites.

Click!

3. Negative Words

Loss aversion is real, people!

What is loss aversion? It means that to you and I, the pain of loss is usually worse than the joy of gain.

What does that mean when you are crafting your headline?

It means that a headline such as “12 Heinous Hotel Horror Stories” is more likely to get someone’s attention than “How to Have a Lovely Hotel Experience.”

Because while everyone would love to have a “lovely hotel experience,” (whatever that means), they would love even more to avoid losing sleep over cockroaches, leaky sewer pipes, or opportunistic thieves.

So you might notice that a lot of the best-performing headlines like to use words like “Never,” “Avoid ___,” or “___ Doesn’t Work, Here’s How to Actually ___.”

Readers want to know what they are doing wrong (but again, don’t overdo this), they want to know about hidden traps to evade, and above all, they want to know how to mitigate — or completely avoid — loss.

So use that to your advantage when writing your next headline.

4. Power Words

Power words are words that trigger a strong emotion. Some examples of powerful words include:

• Words that evoke negative emotions: Jealousy, Limiting, Toxic, Lose, Addiction
• Words that can evoke positive emotions: Win, Overcome, Triumph, Unstoppable, Empower

Emotions are critical to decision-making (such as the decision readers make about whether or not to click on your headline), so learning which words evoke “click me!” emotions, and how to use those words is a must for writers.

The above are just some examples to get you started. With practice (through reading and writing many headlines), I am sure you can come up with many, many more examples.

Be an ethical writer

Now that you know how to write a good headline, don’t abuse your new powers by enticing people to read cruddy content. In the long run, that kind of strategy is going to end up dumping you on your head in a deserted alley.

Marketing tools are just tools. And just like a hammer can be used to build or destroy, it is up to you whether you use your communication skills to build or destroy.

Some old hands advise newer writers to:

• Start by choosing a headline and then write content to suit the title.
• Spend as much (or more!) time on your headline as (than) you do on your content.

That may work for some, and certainly, you DO need to practice writing headlines to get good at them.

However, I would add a note of caution: in the end, the headline is not the most important part of your article — the content is.

Use proper, helpful formatting and structuring so that you can get your message out to a lot of people, but most importantly:

Make sure you have a message WORTH getting out to a lot of people.

Don’t just write for the sake of getting a lot of eyeballs to view your content. Write so that you can change someone’s life for the better.

That’s the best and really the ONLY true reason to write.

Ready to be a Brilliant Writer?

I’ve created The Brilliant Writer Checklist to help you clarify your message, reach more readers, and change the world with your words.

Get the manifesto here!

Does God still give visions to people today?

Question: "Does God still give visions to people today? Should believers expect visions to be a part of their Christian experience?"

Answer: Can God give visions to people today? Yes! Does God give visions to people today? Possibly. Should we expect visions to be an ordinary occurrence? No. As recorded in the Bible, God spoke to people many times by means of visions. Examples are Joseph, son of Jacob; Joseph, the husband of Mary; Solomon; Isaiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Peter; and Paul. The prophet Joel predicted an outpouring of visions, and this was confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts chapter 2. It is important to note that the difference between a vision and a dream is that a vision is given when a person is awake while a dream is given when a person is asleep.

In many parts of the world, God seems to be using visions and dreams extensively. In areas where there is little or no gospel message available, and where people do not have Bibles, God is taking His message to people directly through dreams and visions. This is entirely consistent with the biblical example of visions being frequently used by God to reveal His truth to people in the early days of Christianity. If God desires to communicate His message to a person, He can use whatever means He finds necessary—a missionary, an angel, a vision, or a dream. Of course, God also has the ability to give visions in areas where the gospel message is already readily available. There is no limit to what God can do.

At the same time, we must be careful when it comes to visions and the interpretation of visions. We must keep in mind that the Bible is finished, and it tells us everything we need to know. The key truth is that if God were to give a vision, it would agree completely with what He has already revealed in His Word. Visions should never be given equal or greater authority than the Word of God. God’s Word is our ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. If you believe you have had a vision and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your vision is in agreement with Scripture. Then prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to the vision (James 1:5). God would not give a vision to a person and then keep the meaning of the vision hidden. In Scripture, whenever a person asked God for the meaning of a vision, God made sure it was explained to the person (Daniel 8:15-17).

What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice?

Question: "What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice?"

Answer: There is only one place in Scripture where God is said to speak in a “still small voice,” and it was to Elijah after his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40; 19:12). Told that Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel, was seeking kill him, Elijah ran into the wilderness and collapsed in exhaustion. God sent an angel with food and water to strengthen him, told him to rest, and then sent him to Horeb. In a cave there, Elijah voices his complaint that all of God’s prophets had been killed by Jezebel and he alone had survived. God instructed him to stand on the mountain in His presence. Then the Lord sent a mighty wind which broke the rocks in pieces; then He sent an earthquake and a fire, but His voice was in none of them. After all that, the Lord spoke to Elijah in the still small voice, or “gentle whisper.”

The point of God speaking in the still small voice was to show Elijah that the work of God need not always be accompanied by dramatic revelation or manifestations. Divine silence does not necessarily mean divine inactivity. Zechariah 4:6 tells us that God’s work is “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” meaning that overt displays of power are not necessary for God to work.

Because He is God, He is not confined to a single manner of communicating with His people. Elsewhere in Scripture, He is said to communicate through a whirlwind (Job 38:1), to announce His presence by an earthquake (Exodus 19:18), and to speak in a voice that sounds like thunder (1 Samuel 2:10; Job 37:2; Psalm 104:7; John 12:29). In Psalm 77:18 His voice is compared to both thunder and a whirlwind. And in Revelation 4:5, we’re told that lightning and thunder proceed from the throne in heaven.

Nor is God limited to natural phenomena when He speaks. All through Scripture, He speaks through His prophets over and over. The common thread in all the prophets is the phrase, “Thus says the Lord.” He speaks through the writers of Scripture. Most graciously, however, He speaks through His Son, the Lord Jesus. The writer to the Hebrews opens his letter with this truth: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2).

The difference between God speaking through the thunder and the whirlwind, then through the still, small voice, can be also considered as showing the difference between the two dispensations of law and grace. The law is a voice of terrible words and was given amidst a tempest of wind, thunder, and lightning, attended by an earthquake (Hebrews 12:18–24), but the gospel is a gentle voice of love, grace, and mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and the free gift of salvation through Christ. The law breaks the rocky hearts of men in pieces, shakes their consciences, and fills their minds with a sense of God’s fiery wrath and the punishment they deserve, and then the gospel speaks gently to them of the peace and pardon available in Christ.

It is less important how God speaks to us than what we do with what He says. God speaks most clearly to us in this day through His Word. The more we learn it, the more ready we will be to recognize His voice when He speaks, and the more likely we are to obey what we hear.

How do I hear from God?

Question: "How do I hear from God?"

Answer: Every Christian has probably wondered at one time or another, “How do I hear from God?” The question is natural because we want to know what God has in store for us, and we are eager to please our heavenly Father. The range of answers, however, has caused much confusion and controversy. We need to be biblical when we answer the question how can I hear from God?

The Bible tells us how we hear from God: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV).

Before the Incarnation of God the Son, God spoke through the prophets. We heard from God through men such as Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Malachi, and the other prophets. They relayed messages from God, and often their words were written down and preserved so we would always know His promises, His law, and His redemptive plans.

There were times when God spoke directly to people. Abraham and Joshua, for example, conversed with God directly at times (Genesis 12:1; 17:1; Joshua 5:13–15). Others, such as Jacob, heard from God through dreams (Genesis 28:12–13). Ezekiel saw visions (Ezekiel 1:1). Saul began to hear from God and spoke for Him when “the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him” (1 Samuel 10:10).

But, in most cases, people did not hear from God directly; rather, they were responsible to read God’s written Word or seek out God’s chosen mouthpiece. On at least two occasions, King Jehoshaphat asked to hear from a prophet of God (1 Kings 22:7; 2 Kings 3:11). Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, sought to hear from God through the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 8:7–8). Isaiah told the people of Judah they had a responsibility to “consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning” (Isaiah 8:20); that is, they were to read written Word of God already delivered to them.

With the birth of Jesus, things changed. John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Through the ministry of Jesus, God spoke directly to us. Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Plain, and the Olivet Discourse; and His pronouncements of being the Bread of Life, the True Vine, and the Good Shepherd are God’s direct revelation of who He is. Jesus’ words “are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).

The writer to the Hebrews says, “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” The “last days” are the current dispensation—the church age. Jesus Christ was the pinnacle of God’s revelation; He is the Final Word to us. In the Bible Jesus’ words are recorded for us. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, He left behind hand-picked apostles who were given the special task of recording what Jesus had said and done. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these men were authorized by God to speak and record God’s words to His church so that all of the church can truly hear from God. We now hear from God through His written Word, which is the Bible.

So, basically, we hear from God by reading our Bibles and hearing it preached.

For many people who want to hear from God, hearing, “Read your Bible,” is not very satisfying. They desire a more “direct” and “personal” communication. There are many problems with such a desire, starting with the fact that neglecting or rejecting the Bible in order to seek a “new” word from God is spiritually dangerous. It is arrogant for someone to think that he is so special as to receive direct revelation from God, especially when God said in the first century that He has spoken through His Son, who is “appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2). We can’t top Jesus. There are no modern-day apostles or prophets who function in the same manner as the biblical apostles and prophets.

God does speak to people today, but the means He uses always include the Bible. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and gives gifts to them as He chooses. Some are given gifts to teach, correct, admonish, and encourage other Christians. There is no new revelation being given (see Revelation 22:18), but God has gifted people in the church to be able to speak into the lives of other Christians. Exhortation and the offering of biblical advice are important within the community of believers.

A pastor’s instruction from God’s Word is one way we hear from God today. A friend’s advice, tied to Scripture, is another way we hear from God. A directive issued by a God-ordained authority figure is another way we hear from God.

We should never neglect praying and meditating on God’s Word. As we meditate on a passage of Scripture, and we pray for God’s direction and understanding, we hear from God. When we feed daily on the Bible, the Holy Spirit points us to truths that we know are from God because they come directly from His Word. What a privilege it is to have God’s Word readily available to us!

“I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word”
(Psalm 119:15–16)

A Collection of Free GIS Related Books

A Collection of Free GIS Related Books:

Map projections: A working manual:
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1395

GIS in Sustainable Urban Planning and Management : A Global Perspective:
http://oapen.org/search?identifier=1002491

GIS for Public Safety:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIjjlbY5P8ekedECt5T8eUlnvYStLVvD_3baZjWrbVixMUyA/viewform?formkey=dHBNY1JkUGt1T0U0Qy1wTkdMOGZqQnc6MA

Essentials of Geographic Information Systems:
https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf

Python Scripting for Spatial Data Processing:
https://chris35wills.github.io/papers/python_scripting_for_spatial_data_processing.pdf

Cartography - A Tool for Spatial Analysis ( Carlos Bateira) :
https://www.intechopen.com/books/cartography-a-tool-for-spatial-analysis

Nature of Geographic Information:
https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/

GIS Commons: An Introductory Textbook on Geographic Information Systems:
https://giscommons.org

Application of Geographic Information Systems:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/application-of-geographic-information-systems

Google Maps API Succinctly:
https://www.syncfusion.com/ebooks/google_maps_api_succinctly

Geospatial Analysis 6th Edition, 2018:
http://www.spatialanalysisonline.com/HTML/index.html

Principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS): an Introductory Textbook:
https://webapps.itc.utwente.nl/librarywww/papers_2009/general/PrinciplesGIS.pdf

Map projections: A working manual:
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1395

Satellite Positioning:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/satellite-positioning-methods-models-and-applications

Global Navigation Satellite Systems:
https://www.intechopen.com/books/global-navigation-satellite-systems-signal-theory-and-applications

Google Maps API Tutorial:
http://econym.org.uk/gmap/

Principles of the Global Positioning System:
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-540-principles-of-the-global-positioning-system-spring-2012/#

Map Scripting 101: An Example-Driven Guide to Building Interactive Maps:
https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=qAHb_Zn9MWsC&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

ArcGIS books::

The ArcGIS Imagery Book:
https://learn.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-imagery-book/#home-overview

The ArcGIS book; 10 big ideas about applying the science of where:
https://learn.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-book/#home-overview

Essays on Geography and GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/essays-on-geography-gis-vol7.pdf

Managing GIS 3:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/managing-gis-3.pdf

GeoLearning:
https://www.gisday.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/about/events/gis-day/geolearning.pdf

Crossing Borders:
https://www.gisday.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/about/events/gis-day/crossing-borders.pdf

Enterprise GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/enterprise-gis.pdf

Return on Investment:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/return-on-investment.pdf

Geodesign: Past, Present, and Future:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/geodesign-past-present-future.pdf

ArcGIS Online in Education:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/arcgis-online-in-education.pdf

Geodesign in Practice: Designing a Better World:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/geodesign-in-practice.pdf

Farming the Future August 2013 cover photography courtesy of Derek Tickner GIS for Agriculture, Vol 2:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/farming-the-future.pdf

New Eyes on the Old World:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/new-eyes-on-the-old-world.pdf

Geomedicine:
https://www.esri.com/library/ebooks/geomedicine.pdf

125 Years of Topographic Mapping at USGS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/125-years-of-topo-mapping.pdf

GIS is a Green Technology:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/gis-is-green.pdf

What is GIS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/what-is-gis.pdf

Using GIS with GPS:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/bestpractices/using-gis-with-gps.pdf

The New Geographers:
https://www.esri.com/~/media/Files/Pdfs/library/ebooks/new-geographers.pdf,

LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES

LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES: Background

• The latitude of a line is its projection on the north-south meridian and is equal to the length of the line times the cosine of its bearing.
• The departure of a line is its projection on the east-west meridian and is equal to the length of the line times the sine of its bearing.
• The latitude is the y component of the line (also known asnorthing), and the departure is the x component of the line (also known as easting).

 

---

CLOSURE OF LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES

• The algebraic sum of all latitudes must equal zero or the difference in latitude between the initial and final control points
• The algebraic sum of all departures must equal zero or the difference in departure between the initial and final control points
• If the sums of latitudes and departures do not equal zero, corrections must be made.

 

DEGREE and RADIAN MEASURE

Trigonometric functions require input data to be stored in radian measure, but the field measurements are in degrees. Therefore a conversion is necessary. Remember that there are 2*pi radians in a circle.

• To convert from degrees to radians, multiply by azimuth by pi/180
• To convert from radians to degrees, multiply by radians by 180/pi

 

---

CALCULATION OF LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES (Using azimuths)

Station	Azimuth	Length	Latitude	Departure
A
	26° 10'	285.10	+255.88	+125.72
B
	104° 35'	610.45	-153.70	+590.78
C
	195° 30'	720.48	-694.28	-192.54
D
	358° 18'	203.00	+202.91	-6.02
E
	306° 54'	647.02	+388.48	-517.41
A
MISCLOSURE			-0.71	+0.53

For example, look at the calculation of latitude for the angle from station A to station B:
With a calculator:

26° 10' = 26.16667°
26.16667° * pi/180 = 0.4566945 rad
cos(0.4566945 rad) = 0.897515
0.897515 + 285.10 ft = 255.88 ft

Or in one operation using R:

cos((26 + 10/60) * pi/180) * 285.1
[1] 255.8815

likewise for departure

sin((26 + 10/60) * pi/180) * 285.1
[1] 125.7245

or in Excel:

SIN((26 + 10/60) * PI()/180) * 285.1 = 125.7245

As you can see, setting this up in Excel is fairly straightforward. You will have a record of your measurements and any transformations of those measurements, and it will allow you to check your work easily.

---

ADJUSTMENT OF LATITUDES AND DEPARTURES

In order to calculate corrections for latitude and departure there is a simple formula called the Compass (or Bowditch) Rule, which is used when angles and distances are measured with the same relative accuracy. There are other methods for different measurement accuracy differentials as well, but this method is simple to implement and works well enough for our purposes.

Station	Azimuth					Length	Latitude	Departure
A							+0.08	-0.06
	26° 10'					285.10	+255.88	+125.72
B							+0.18	-0.13
	104° 35'					610.45	-153.70	+590.78
C							+0.21	-0.15
	195° 30'					720.48	-694.28	-192.54
D							+0.06	-0.05
	358° 18'					203.00	+202.91	-6.02
E							+0.18	-0.14
	306° 54'					647.02	+388.48	-517.41
A
TOTALS						2466.05	-0.71	+0.53

For example, look at line AB.
correction in latitude = -total latitude misclosure / traverse perimeter * length of AB = -(-0.71 / 2466.05 * 285.1) = 0.08
correction in departure = -total departure misclosure / traverse perimeter * length of AB = -(0.53 / 2466.05 * 285.1) = -0.06

Once you have calculated the correction factors, simply add these to the original latitudes and departures to get balanced latitude and departure values..

					Balanced	Balanced
Station	Latitude			Departure	Latitude	Departure
A	+0.08			-0.06
	+255.88			+125.72	+255.96	+125.66
B	+0.18			-0.13
	-153.70			+590.78	-153.52	+590.65
C	+0.21			-0.15
	-694.28			-192.54	-694.07	-192.69
D	+0.06			-0.05
	+202.91			-6.02	+202.97	-6.07
E	+0.18			-0.14
	+388.48			-517.41	+388.66	-517.55
A
TOTALS			-0.71	+0.53	0.00	0.00

For example, again look at line AB
original latitude AB + correction = 255.85 + 0.08 = 255.96
original departure AB + correction = 125.72 + (-0.06) = 125.66
Also make sure that your balanced latitudes and departures sum to zero, respectively.