You get LOTS of emails for consulting, software and other business services to assist you increasing your website traffic. There probably is some merit in many of these offers but you may be stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.
Go through this quick list and see if you are devoting enough time on these 5 most effective strategies to increase your web traffic before you go diving into a more comprehensive program that may or may not product the results you are looking for.
1. Optimize your SEO.
And NO you don’t need an agency to go through each and every page of your site. But at a minimum, do this:
First and formost, make sure you have content that your customers will actually want to read, and find compelling. If Google sees content on your site that people stumble on and immediately leave, that will hurt your rankings. You used to be able to trick people into landing on a page but not any more. You will be punished for your bounce rate.
Use Keywords and optimize your content for those keywords. Remember that Keywords are the words that people are using to actually search for your product or service online. You should know them by heart.
Here is a new one, update your website content on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean that you need to be a slave to site at all, but your business isn’t static so your website shouldn’t be either. Content freshness is a Google ranking factor. Add a blog post, refine your landing page or use it to post seasonal specials or events.
Good SEO takes time, don’t look for front page results right away, but look for steady progress.
2. Set up or Update your Google My Business Page
Go here: https://business.google.com/create
Almost 60% of all businesses haven’t claimed their Google My Business Page. Yikes! Complete all the fields, don’t forget to add your location, ASK FOR AND RESPOND TO REVIEWS, upload photos (good ones I hope). This is specically important if you have brick and mortor locations.
3. Start a Blog
Most business have a CMS website like WordPress in today’s day and age but most DO NOT utilize the blog feature which is essentially why the platform was developed in the first place. This is basically where you can create new content that brings people to your shite without disrupting the rest of your site architecture. You don’t have post something every day, once a month is better than never. You should never finish up one blog without knowing what the next one is going to be about.
4. Backinks
A backlink is a link to you from another website. A good place to start is to make sure your most important vendors link to your site. Another way is to submit your business to each and every directory that may be relevant to your business.
Finally offer your expertise on topics to the website of others.
5. Get Social
Most business participate in some form of social media but make the cardinal mistake of simply make posts and offer content that resides on that platform whether it be Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or other. Try to configure most of your messages so they can lead back to your website.
If you are offering a new dish for a Wednesday special, post a picture of it on social but link the recipe to your website Blog, Gallery or New Menu. Have an event? Post a brief tease on Facebook but full details on your website.
Once you are in the habit you will supercharge your website traffic and rankings will begin to climb. I guarantee it!
Slow and steady will win the digital race every time. Need some extra help, Imagica can map it out for you to implement yourself or help you along the way.
