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At this point even the squirrel in your backyard probably runs a blog reviewing local bird feeders. To compete with that, you'll need a site with high-quality content, a decent understanding of Google keywords, and long-term commitment. There are plenty of steps you can take today that make a big difference to website traffic. The best results, though, come to webmasters who put in the work, experiment with their marketing, and engage with their audience. You've got this!
Steps
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Write attention-grabbing headlines. If the headline doesn't get people to click, the rest of your content doesn't matter. Spend at least 5 or 10 minutes brainstorming possible headlines before picking one that's clear, specific, and catchy (without over-promising). Some of the most effective approaches involve numbers, popular search keywords, directly addressing the reader, or answering a question.
- For example, "11 Breakfasts To Cure Your Hangover" tells the reader exactly what to expect, addresses them directly, uses a popular search term, promises a solution to a problem, and includes a number. [1] X Research source
- You can use WordPress plugins or standalone tools to A/B test your headlines, running multiple versions to see how they perform. This is most useful once your site already has a fair amount of traffic, so you can gather data quickly. [2] X Research source
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Make your content authoritative. Stand out from lower-quality sites by creating content that relies on extensive research or expert knowledge. If you can, hire professional text or video editors to make your content more engaging and polished. These efforts will build your site's reputation as an authoritative source, which helps you climb the search engine rankings. [3] X Research sourceAdvertisement
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Include some evergreen topics. It's tempting to only cover trending topics, but it's tough for an up-and-coming site to compete over these. A good strategy is to hedge your bets with some content that can keep attracting a steady flow of visitors for months or years. For example, write a research report on your industry or an authoritative guide to getting into your hobby. [4] X Research source
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Experiment with shareable formats. In the world of social media, shareable content is king—but that means different things on different platforms, and to different target audiences. Can you turn your content into infographics on LinkedIn? Memes on reddit? Until you try it, you won't know what hits that viral sweet spot. [5] X Research source
- Use your longer content as a source of raw material. That half-hour video tutorial probably has a dozen useful clips that you can share as standalone pieces of advice. [6] X Research source
- You don't have to condense every post down to a paragraph. Write long-form content if that's a better fit for your topic, then brainstorm ways to package that info into bite-sized samples or headlines that you can share on places like Twitter.
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Ask visitors to comment and engage with your site. Active participation keeps site visitors returning. This can be as simple as asking readers to comment with their feedback or suggest new topics for you to cover. To really build a base of visitors, dovetail these "calls to action" into other marketing efforts. For instance, ask readers to sign up for your mailing list or join your webinar. [7] X Research source
- Another option is to start a forum for your site's community to gather together and discuss topics. Keep in mind that this requires at least one moderator.
EXPERT TIPTechnologistTyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.Boost your website traffic by offering an RSS feed. This helpful tool allows your users to stay updated with your latest content. Users can subscribe directly to RSS feeds on your website or through RSS reader applications, like Flipboard, which organize RSS feeds, making your content easily accessible to more readers.
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Research keywords in your topic area. If you want to tailor your content to attract visitors, it's a huge help to find out what search terms they're using. Try free services like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends, and/or well-reviewed products like SEMrush, HyperSuggest, or Ahrefs. Use these tools to identify high-volume search terms that fit your website theme and your expertise.
- Once you've found some options, Google them and check out the top results. If you think you can make content that's more engaging, accurate, or comprehensive than them, you've found a great opportunity.
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Look for "long tail" searches. It's not all about the highest search volume. Aim for a mix of popular terms and more specific "long tail" searches. These have less competition and attract more invested visitors. [8] X Research source
- If you're selling products, prioritize high commercial intent keywords like "buy." [9] X Research source
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Use keywords as signposts to relevant content. The purpose of keyword research is to identify popular topics that you can write about with authority. Make sure the keywords flow naturally within the text, or use them in headers that accurately describe your content. Avoid over-stuffing your site with popular keywords, especially irrelevant ones, since this can result in a very low search ranking. [10] X Research source
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Help search bots with tags and metadata. Website owners can use meta tags and other HTML features to help search engines make sense of their site. Go through this checklist of best practices, and follow them either by editing your HTML directly or by using the features of your website creation service: [13] X Research source
- Add a unique description tag to each page on your website. Make the description short enough to display in a Google search preview, include relevant keywords, and use natural-sounding language.
- Organize your pages with other metadata as well: title tags, image file names, image "alt" descriptions, and link anchor text.
- Use short, descriptive text whenever possible in these tags, as well as in URLs.
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Keep your site and each page well-organized. Organize your pages by topic, date posted, or some other logical system, and create a sitemap. Break larger pages down into sections with descriptive headers. [14] X Research source
- Headers are a great place to put relevant keywords, but use them only as needed to help readers find what they're looking for.
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Maximize search engine function with structured markup. This web code helps search engines display your info. For instance, you can use this to make sure Google correctly lists your product names and prices, your opening hours, or even the right recipe names for your cooking blog. [15] X Research source
- If you're feeling code-savvy, get started by copying the example code at https://developers.google.com/search/docs/guides/search-gallery , or by using the free Google Search Console service's "Data Highlighter" feature. If this all sounds like gibberish to you, you can hire a web developer to set this up for you pretty quickly.
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Make a social media plan for your site. At this point, social media marketing is its own career path, but you can get the ball rolling on your own if you can't hire a professional. Research which social network is the most popular among your target audience, and start by building a fan base there. Post on a consistent schedule, and include posts that directly inform or entertain your audience, alongside posts that link to your site. [16] X Research source
- Social networks have their own culture, and users are quick to mock people who don't follow the right etiquette. If you're not already embedded in the network you're using, do some extra research on the "do's and don't's" of that platform. For example, many Reddit communities have strict marketing rules and dislike people who market without first participating in some discussions. [17] X Research source
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Give other creators a reason to link to your site . Offer to write guest blogs, propose a collaboration with another creator, or ask a well-known user of your product to post a review. Backlinks from opportunities like these are incredibly important for traffic—not only do they attract visitors directly, they also puts your site higher in Google rankings. [18] X Research source
- Go for quality over quantity: links from well-known sites with expert contributions are worth way more than links from tiny or low-quality sites.
- If your website is pretty new, don't be discouraged if people turn down your requests. Start by making connections with other creators, creating quality content, and linking to other people's content that you find valuable. The best links will come after you build up some trust and respect.
- Trading links with a professional contact or two is fine, but don't go overboard or make deals with sites you've never heard of. If Google suspects you're putting more effort into getting links than creating good content, your page ranking will suffer. [19] X Research source
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Post helpful content on forums and question-answering sites. If your website is based on your profession or hobby, join relevant communities on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Reddit, or answer public questions on sites like Quora. Put in the time and effort to respond to questions and give helpful advice under your website name. [20] X Research source
- Stay connected with other blogs that relate to yours. Leave comments on their posts and interact with the communities. Don’t advertise your site directly, but allow people to find their way to it via links on your profile or signature.
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Attract visitors with free materials. Who doesn't like a freebie? When done right, they attract new visitors to your site and leave them wanting to return. To make this more effective, combine it with social media posts announcing the giveaway (maybe with an added chance at winning something bigger if you engage with the post). [21] X Research source Here are a few ideas:
- Give away a free, short e-book.
- Hold free online classes or seminars.
- Give visitors a free entry into your contest or sweepstakes.
- Let visitors download free software, or a free trial version of your product.
- Offer free products to people who sign up to your email list, spend above a certain amount in your shop, etc.
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Pay for advertising on Google or Facebook. To get the most out of Google search ads (the links that appear next to search results), research affordable keyword searches that fit your site. If you'd rather promote your content directly in people's feeds, look into Facebook, the other online advertising giant.
- Of course, there's a reason Don Draper gets the big bucks. You could spend years learning how to run effective advertising campaigns, and no quick guide can identify the best approach for your business. Use tools like Google Analytics to track your ad engagement, and keep experimenting!
- If you run a local business, don't forget about the real world. Look into advertising options at local newspapers, business brochures, magazines, and signboards.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you increase unique page views on your website?Ross Taylor is a Marketing Expert and the Founder of Alameda Internet Marketing. With over 10 years of experience, Ross specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Ross’ boutique SEO agency is a Google Partner agency, which has been recognized for its dedication to honest communication and quality service with awards from UpCity, ThreeBestRated.com, and Clutch. Ross holds an Associate of Arts degree from Chabot College and certifications in Google AdWords and CompTIA A+.To increase unique pageviews on your website, create relevant content in your niche and answer specific questions to what people are searching for online. Other strategies you can use to increase your pageviews include promoting your content on social media.
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QuestionHow do I increase YouTube views?Community AnswerThere many tips to increase your YouTube views. E.g. Like and comment on other people's videos and promote yours on your social media. Learn the various ways to improve Youtube SEO and implement as many as you can.
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QuestionCan you suggest some sites where I can post a link to my new website to try to increase traffic?Community AnswerSearch for websites related to your niche, such as directory submission, article writing and guest posting.
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Tips
- A huge number of site visits today happen on smartphones, so the mobile experience on your site is very important if you want to keep traffic numbers high. Make a responsive website that adapts the CSS to the visitor's device. (If you're using a website-building service, double-check that it does this for you, or at least offers an option to create a mobile-friendly alternative layout.) [22] X Research sourceThanks
- You can hire people to create content for you, but it's usually best to write it yourself: who better than you knows your own business, hobby, or club? If your team isn't writing-savvy, you can hire an editor to help you come up with a writing plan and polish the quality of your work.Thanks
- Don't forget about your old content! If a post is still worthwhile, link back to it whenever the topic comes up in a new post. This helps new users find interesting articles from your backlog, and keeps people on your site for longer.Thanks
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Warnings
- Don't get caught up with website generators and internet tricks that claim to fool search engines or deliver instant website traffic. These rarely work and at best only give you short-lived results, before the search engine catches on and drops your ranking down to oblivion.Thanks
- Most websites have some pages that aren't helpful as search results—for instance, the pages used for shop checkout. Block these from showing up in search engines using your website creation service's tools, or by adding "<meta name="robots" content="noindex">" to your page's HTML. [23] X Research source More advanced users can write instructions in a robots.txt file. [24] X Research sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://act-on.com/blog/how-to-write-headlines-that-get-shared-and-drive-traffic/
- ↑ https://growwithless.com/ab-testing-headlines/
- ↑ https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/
- ↑ https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/
- ↑ https://www.quicksprout.com/types-of-content-that-will-drive-more-traffic/
- ↑ https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/
- ↑ https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/280701
- ↑ https://searchengineland.com/back-to-basics-what-does-long-tail-keyword-really-mean-311910
- ↑ https://backlinko.com/commercial-intent
- ↑ https://www.business2community.com/brandviews/presto-media/how-to-effectively-use-keywords-in-your-blog-posts-to-rank-on-google-02243845
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/crawling/special-tags
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/beginner/seo-starter-guide
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/beginner/seo-starter-guide
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/guides/intro-structured-data
- ↑ https://www.business2community.com/small-business/15-excellent-beginners-guides-to-social-media-marketing-for-small-businesses-01254481
- ↑ https://www.shivarweb.com/2644/how-to-advertise-your-website-online/
- ↑ https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/link-schemes
- ↑ https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/
- ↑ https://websitesetup.org/increase-website-traffic/
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianrashid/2017/06/13/5-essential-reasons-and-benefits-why-you-should-be-using-a-responsive-website-design-now/?sh=133df2b817c9
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/crawling/block-indexing
- ↑ https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/robots/create-robots-txt
About This Article
Article Summary
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To increase website traffic, make sure you’re creating useful content, like articles that help users solve a problem or find quality news, in order to get better rankings on search engines. Additionally, try organizing your content into easily shareable formats like “10 Ways to….” or “20 Signs That You’re….” Then, link your content to social networks with large audiences, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. You can also try guest posting on other sites, and invite guests bloggers to post on yours to attract readers that may not normally make it to your site. For more advice, including how to increase web traffic with balanced, visually appealing web pages, keep reading.
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