It’s no longer enough to have a website with great content. “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t apply anymore. Here are five ways to increase your website traffic, all free to implement.
1. Optimize for search engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a pivotal role in driving organic traffic. Start with keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your audience is actually searching for, then work them into your content: headings, meta descriptions, and image alt text. Make sure the site loads quickly, works on mobile, and has clear navigation, all things search engines weigh when ranking.
2. Create high-quality content
Give people a reason to visit. Beyond listing your products or services, value-added content brings visitors back.
Collaborate with your writers. Getting your developers and content writers on the same page is key. If you don’t already have a shared workspace, set up a Google Drive or Dropbox so everyone stays organized on what content exists. We wrote more about this in how to organize and prepare website content.
Get specific. If you’re not familiar with SMART goals, the acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, an idea that has helped businesses stay focused for decades. Ask yourself:
- Does the language on the site resonate?
- Are the images engaging?
- Is the information relevant and interesting?
Your website should be built for your number-one client and nobody else. That’s hard to do, because we’re afraid of losing everyone else. But once you know who your best client is, doesn’t it make sense to focus on attracting more of them?
Insider tip: choose your words carefully. With a tool like Google Ngram you can see which words have grown or faded in usage over time. For example, instead of “boost” or “grow,” we chose “increase” for this page’s title.
3. Leverage social media
Social media is a powerful way to promote your site and pull in traffic. Find the platforms your audience actually uses and build a real presence there. Share snippets of your content, blog posts, videos, infographics, and testimonials, to draw people back to your site for the full story.
Engage: reply to comments, answer questions, and start conversations in your field. Collaborate with complementary businesses or influencers in your niche to reach a wider audience.
4. Email marketing
Email remains one of the most effective ways to nurture your audience and drive traffic. Encourage visitors to subscribe by offering something worthwhile: exclusive content, a discount, a free resource. Then send regular newsletters with updates, announcements, and useful content that lead people back to your site, personalized to subscribers’ interests and behavior.
5. Google Business Profile
Google holds over 70% of the search market, and much of that is people using Google Maps on their phones. A Google Business Profile is free, links to your website, and a verified listing adds to your site’s credibility.
Verify your business. We claim your business and verify it, which proves authenticity to Google and is the first step to controlling your listing.
Your business info. We make sure everything is correct and current: hours, address, website, location, and description.
Photos and videos. Adding photos, and even video, influences walk-in traffic, phone calls, and website visits. Bonus points for a 360° photo of the inside of your location.
Reputation and reviews. Since people use Maps to find businesses like yours, make sure yours has reviews. They build authenticity and sway the decision toward you over a competitor.
Set up your Google Business Profile with us.
That’s a lot to take in. Need help?
Sure, you can do all of this yourself. But do you have the time? The technical know-how to get it done well and quickly? Wouldn’t you rather do what you do best and leave this part to us?
Request an engagement and we’ll take it from here.