If you have a website or blog, you may be experiencing traffic problems. I’m not talking about the 5 o’clock rush hour kind, either. I am talking about bringing people to your website, one of the biggest struggles that business owners experience. Let’s discuss how we can learn to drive more traffic to your website effectively.
This post contains affiliate links. I may be compensated a small amount if you click and purchase something. This is at absolutely no extra cost to you.
Table of Contents
Social Media
This one is so huge and obvious. In 2021 it is estimated that somewhere around 2.14 billion people will be online. This is why you really need to build a professional account on as many social media platforms as possible.
I recommend making yourself a business account on Pinterest if nothing else. Pins on Pinterest have the longest life of any post on social media. Pins can last for up to a week, while a Tweet or Facebook post lasts over an hour to mere minutes. It is no wonder why so many bloggers and businesses are showcasing their posts on Pinterest.
A Functional Website
It sounds like yet another obvious thing to have, but you’d be surprised how many people let their websites go to shambles. While you don’t have to spend an eternity tweaking your website’s appearance, you should at least look into its functionality.
If you have broken links, posts that lead to dead pages, or a home page that is confusing, you are going to lose potential visitors and fast. You have seconds after a visitor arrives to really impress them and grab their attention. If they manage to make their way to your website and something they click on doesn’t work, they will likely give up and leave. Having an engaging website that is appealing to the eye and functional will help you keep visitors for longer and encourage them to come back.
On-Page SEO
Good SEO is always a top priority. Your site’s SEO qualities determine whether or not it can be indexed or ranked on search engines. Make sure that you utilize keywords in your post. Use your keywords in the title and the first paragraph and sprinkle them naturally around a few more paragraphs.
You can use your keyword as much as you want, but make sure it appears natural and not repetitive. Once you have used your keyword, you can write as normal. I highly recommend getting a program such as Yoast SEO for your WordPress site if you have one. It is a plugin that lets you know how well you are doing with your on-page SEO. Here are some other key factors for proper SEO.
Internal Links
Internal links are links that link from a page on your website back to another page on your website. You should have at least a handful of these.
Keyphrase Density
Your keyphrase density is how many times your keyword or keyphrase is found in your writing.
Meta Descriptions
Your meta description is the bit of text that will appear when your post appears in a search engine. I recommend using your keyphrase in this description. If you do not edit this yourself it will take a small bit of text from the post instead.
Image Attributes
Your image attributes are the name file associated with the image in question. For example, when you save an image you created in Canva, use your keyphrase and description in the picture’s name when you save it to your computer or mobile device.
Outbound Links
These links will not necessarily help your page rank, but I personally recommend linking outwardly to other high-quality content and creators. This way you can open doors to helping others get recognition and gain some good karma in the blogging industry.
Text Length
A good rule of thumb for text length in any blog post is 500-1000 word posts. It is thought that the longer your post, the higher the chance of getting ranked if the post is of good quality. However, do not sacrifice quality for length.
Domain Names
While there are exceptions to every rule, in general, a site name with a .com extension will rank much better. The .com extension is what most people assume is the norm for any business. Not to mention .com has more pull when it comes to Google and keyword ranking. The .org extension is best used for charities and other organizations. Your domain site can still become ranked with a .net or something entirely different like blogspot.com. Many factors go into being ranked. I would personally recommend a .com domain name.
Networking
This is an invaluable piece of the traffic puzzle. You certainly will not gain much traffic by absorbing your time selfishly into your own website. While you want to focus on your quality and content production, getting lost in your own world for too long will not get you the traffic you desire. I suggest working with other bloggers. Try doing some guest writing, or shoutouts with your social media.
Getting to know other bloggers with more experience or helping bloggers who are just starting out is a great way to forge relationships that may help give your blog or website an extra boost. People visiting another website where your link appears can become visitors to your website as well. This is something to keep in mind. Most successful bloggers recommend networking as one of the most important ways to effectively drive more traffic to your website. If you aren’t networking, you should give it a try!
Promotions
People are looking for value. If one blogger offered a service for X amount of dollars and another blogger offering the same service offered a promotional price of 75% off all new sign-ups, who do you think would end up making the most money and gaining the most traffic?
Promotions are excellent ways to give incentives to visitors. Most affiliate programs offer promotional adverts that you can personalize, which will make your visitors feel special. You can send these in your email newsletter or post them on social media. Special offers will always drive traffic. Have you ever caught yourself clicking on a post with a good deal? I know I have. Your visitors will do the same, and they are more likely to share a promotion with a friend.
Paid Advertising
Utilizing paid advertising services is a guaranteed way to drive traffic. It is up to you how much you are willing to pay. Some will say it takes money to make money. Many businesses use advertising and thrive from it. I do not recommend anyone going out and spending a fortune on advertising unless they are certain that they will make more in return. Do your own research and decide if paid advertising is right for you. You can spend as little as a dollar per day to thousands a day. Either way, paid advertising is a route you can go to effectively drive more traffic to your website.
Copy
Be sure to always use great copy when you share your most recent blog post. If you are making a Pinterest pin be sure to make a detailed description about the post. Your description of the post should be well-written and easy to understand. Make your post actionable with words like “click here” or “read further for details” so that your reader is more likely to perform an action. This will result in more clicks and more potential for your content to be seen. If you are selling something, be sure to describe how your product will solve the reader’s problem.
Email Lists
Building an email list is an essential part of being a successful blogger. Your most loyal readers will likely subscribe to your website via email. Keep these readers interested and engaged by sending them emails regularly with your new content and special offers and promotions. The people subscribed to your blog are more likely to perform actions and view you as a credible source.
These people who subscribe will often look forward to your content and will be regular visitors to your website. Keep them happy and with more of what they want. Use a service such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact to keep your emails scheduled. Building an Email list early on is a great way to engage your readers and increase traffic because these people are more likely to share your content with others.
Be Consistent
Consistency is key to growing traffic. Post quality content regularly and promote you posts daily. Over time you will grow your website and traffic.
I hope that after reading this post you will find yourself capable of effectively driving more traffic to your website.
- If you want to learn how to make a media kit – Click Here