Even if you don’t offer your services and products online, your business’s presence on the Internet is a driving force in how customers find and perceive you — even when the work you do happens on a local level. Because people are turning more and more to online searches in order to find restaurants, window cleaning services, leather boots, and everything else under the sun, you need a traffic-grabbing strategy that will help you stay competitive. To that end, here are eight ways to increase your web traffic simple enough to implement today.
1. Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords
While primary keywords are still the main way most people conduct searches, and you should definitely keep using them, there’s no reason for you to focus on them solely due to the sheer volume of other sites already doing so, who are effectively burying your site ten pages down in a search engine’s rankings.
Instead, post blogs, articles, and landing pages with words and phrases related to your primary keywords that are more specific. Known as long-tail keywords, these words and phrases capture potential customers and readers who know exactly what they’re looking for. For example, if you’re a shoe store, embedding long-tail keywords like “men’s New Balance trail running shoes” in your content will give you a higher ranking when someone types that query into a search engine.
2. Improve Your Headlines
If you want to improve the amount and quality of web traffic you draw to your website, you should probably retool your old headlines, and commit to writing catchier ones in the future. Because a headline is the first thing a reader sees — and they’re probably the only thing other potential readers see when an article or blog post is shared — headlines need to quickly capture attention and stoke curiosity.
3. Answer a HARO Query
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is an online resource where 30,000 reporters and bloggers reach out to thousands of potential sources to get information, tell stories, promote brands, and generate news. Answering a reporter’s pitch won’t take too much of your time — you should only answer queries related to your areas of expertise after all — and if you get quoted, you’ll get plenty of PR, inbound links, and traffic coming directly to your website.
4. Post!
There’s no shortcut to this one. The more you post high-quality, shareable content, the more you’ll drive traffic to your site. If you’re busy, commit to posting a blog or article at least every couple of days, and if you’re busy but serious, do it every day but Sunday. Write on topics your customers would likely want to know about including tips, how-to articles, and stories related to your industry. Avoid selling anything, and instead share your expertise — that approach will help you develop a business relationship with your readers faster than any other.
5. Add Social Sharing Buttons
By placing social sharing buttons on every page, article, and blog post you pen, you increase the chances that someone with share what you’ve written (and therefore, what you’re selling) on social media. While too many buttons can get visually tiring, including at least Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest is essential.
6. Send Out an Email Newsletter
Email is still one of the most effective ways to market your business or blog and increase web traffic, which means if you aren’t gathering customers’ and readers’ email addresses, you need to start doing so immediately. Twice a month, craft a well-written and visually pleasing newsletter that links back to your website. Include information about upcoming events and products, and if you really want to boost traffic and sales, include a time-sensitive coupon.
7. Comment on Other Relevant Sites
There are plenty of other websites within your niche who either offer what you do or complement your offerings in some way. Leave thoughtful comments on posts and articles at these other sites without including a pitch of any kind. Doing so will help establish you as knowledgeable within your field, and people will eventually find their way to where your blog or business are located.
8. Get Rid of Errors
Put simply, if search engines can’t index your website in proper fashion due to any number of errors, your search engine rankings and web traffic will take a hit. Head over to Google Webmaster Tools for a list of common problems that you can troubleshoot and solve in no time.
Increasing your web traffic is an endeavor that can only be accomplished through regular effort. Thankfully, most of that effort can be undertaken in a short amount of time, which is why — if you set your mind to it — you could utilize all eight of these tips and increase your web traffic today.
