Filmmakers hope people will see their movies just like you hope visitors come to your website. Don’t let your website languish in obscurity like a film that goes straight to DVD. Draw traffic to your site with these 10 pro tips.
- Create compelling content
Whether it’s an original ecommerce infographic, an entertaining how-to video, or your critique of the newest soy latte on the block, share content that people can’t find anywhere else on the web — information they’ll want to link on their own websites and social media profiles.
- Optimize content with search-worthy keywords
Once you have amazing content, be sure it’s optimized for search engines. Do a little research into the keywords people enter into search engines to figure out what’s popular. Without going overboard — or “stuffing” — your content with keywords, incorporate them into your content in a manner that reads naturally.
- Start a blog
Blogs extend your reach to both existing customers and potential new ones. They let you showcase your personality, give insights into your products and services, and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Not to mention that all this fresh content appeals to search engines.
- Build links
Nothing says, “this site has something to offer,” like a link from another trusted website. Encourage partners in your space to share links. Offer guest blog posts, videos or other unique content to encourage sharing and linking back.
- Get listed with search engines and local listings
If your website is brand new, search engines might not have found it yet. Take the time to list your business info on search engines and local listings one at a time.
- Connect on social media
If you’re not active on social media sites like Twitter®, Facebook® and Pinterest® (to name a few), you might be missing out on serious opportunities. SearchMetrics recently came out with a list of the top search engine ranking factors, and seven of the top ten ranking factors now involve social media.
- Join related communities
No matter what your website is about, chances are there is a large community of people on the internet talking about that topic. Participate in forums, blogs and chats related to your market. Comment often with meaningful statements, and include links back to relevant content on your website.
- Use email marketing
Some customers won’t return to your site unless you go directly to them — to their inboxes, that is. Keep customers coming back by maintaining regular contact with them through email campaigns and newsletters.
- Get offline and local
In today’s digital world, we often forget about traditional marketing tools. Joining a local business organization, distributing print materials and advertisements, and participating in networking groups can lead to increased online activity.
- Track and analyze your traffic
You don’t know where to go if you don’t know where you’ve been. Set up Google Analytics on your website to find out where your viewers are coming from, what pages they leave your site from, and where they linger. This will give you clues about what content attracts your audience and where to continue to find them.
