Beyond SEO: New Ways to Drive Traffic to Websites

Most small businesses are already well aware of the power of search engine optimization. Optimizing sites and content for search engines like Google, helps drive traffic to websites, introducing more potential customers to your brand. However, SEO isn’t the only way for brands to increase traffic to websites.

There are many tactics that you can use to help drive more traffic back to your site while building relationships with leads and customers. Some of them might require an up-front investment, while others just require your time and energy. The key is finding out which tactics work best for your business and focusing your efforts there.

Looking for new ways to increase traffic to your site? We’ve put together a list of just a few of our favorite ways to drive traffic to websites beyond just SEO:

1. Create great content. (And mix it up!)

Creating great content plays a huge role in your SEO. However, it goes beyond that. People are more likely to be interested in visiting a site with helpful, well-written content that offers some type of value.

They are also more likely to share great content online with their own audience. Which can drive even more traffic back to your site. Make sure that the content you create is relevant to your audience’s interests and engaging.

If you want to drive traffic to websites, you’ll need to mix it up when it comes to your content marketing assets. What we mean by this is that in addition to shorter blog posts around 500 words, you’ll also want to create long-form blog posts that are between 1,500 and 2,000 words.

Not only does this help your SEO, but it’s valuable to those who are reading your blog. The more in depth you can go on a topic, the greater chance you have of connecting with a potential customer.

Content marketing is a great way to connect with your audience, build relationships, and drive traffic to websites.

Though most small businesses are able to handle managing blog content on their own, some companies just don’t have the time or expertise to write quality content on a consistent basis.

That’s where blog writing services come in.

If you find it difficult to keep your blog updated with quality, optimized content, you may want to get help from a digital marketing agency.

2. List your business on online directories.

Listing your business on online directories and review sites is a simple way to increase traffic. Most of these sites allow you to create a profile that lists important information about your business while including a link to your website. Visitors will be able to find you on these sites when searching for relevant keywords or products and services and head back to your website to learn more (or even convert!)

Find directories that are relevant to your industry or area. In addition to industry directories like Angie’s List or Thumbtack, you can also list your site on local directories. Many areas have a chamber of commerce site or other local business directory where you can list your business and include a link back to your site.

In addition to industry or local business directories, you should also make sure that your business is listed on review sites like Yelp. Encourage your best customers to leave your business reviews on these sites. Not only will these reviews help your SEO, but they will also encourage those looking for brands like yours to visit your site and learn more.

3. Be active on social media.

Being active on your own social media channels as well as in social groups and message boards is another great way to increase traffic back to your site.

First, you will need to make sure that you promote blog posts or other useful content assets from your website across your social media channels. This will help get your followers to head back to your site to learn more and potentially convert.

In addition to sharing content on social media, you also need to be active in the comments. Answer questions, start a conversation, or even show your gratitude in the comments section of your posts.

Social media users like to know that the brands they interact with are listening and participating in the conversation. Communicating with your followers on social will encourage them to visit your site.

4. Guest blog on relevant sites.

Your own blog isn’t the only place that you can reach your target audience through great content. You can also guest blog on other blogs or relevant sites about topics that are important to your audience. When you write a guest blog, you are often able to include links back to your own site, which helps drive more traffic to specific blog posts or site pages.

The key to getting the most out of a guest blog post is blogging on sites that have similar or relevant audiences.

Once you have found relevant sites that will accept blog posts, you will need to carefully consider which topics are most appropriate for a guest blog pitch. Not only do you want to write about topics that are relevant to your audience, but they also need to be appropriate for the site you will be guest posting on.

5. Invite others to guest blog on your site.

Another way to increase traffic to your site is to invite others to guest blog on your brand’s blog. Having guest bloggers on your site helps you provide even more great content for your readers while still driving new visitors to your site. The guest blogger will promote their content on their own site and through their social channels, which boosts visibility for your own site.

If you decide to start accepting guest bloggers, you will need to create some parameters. For instance, what type of content will you accept and what is the process for pitching this content? Make these guidelines clear on your own site so that guest bloggers can submit the content they think is most appropriate.

6. Don’t neglect your email marketing strategy.

Though SEO is certainly the show runner, when you want to drive traffic to websites, it’s important not to neglect your email marketing strategy. By including relevant links to content and site pages within your email marketing content, you can work to drive more relevant traffic back to your site.

If you don’t currently have an email marketing list, you’ll need to build one.

Start by asking your current customers to subscribe to your email list. You can also include a subscribe CTA on your site as a way to stay connected with those who have visited your website. You’ll need to make sure that you have something worthwhile to send, so take some time to brainstorm what types of emails and messaging you can send to your subscribers to encourage site traffic.

A great way to consistently stay connected with your email marketing subscribers and drive more web traffic to your site is through an email newsletter service. When you work with a digital marketing agency to create monthly ongoing email newsletters, you can ensure that you are consistently touching base with your audience and staying at the top of their minds (and their inboxes).

7. Use PPC ads to supplement organic efforts.

While SEO takes time to drive traffic to websites, paid search ads can provide more immediate results. Making them the ideal supplement to organic search efforts.

PPC ads appear when search engine users type in relevant keywords and phrases in the search tool bar. These ads are at the top of the search engine results page, boosting visibility for brands that may not have worked their SEO magic yet for the same keywords and phrases.

Don’t have the time, resources, or expertise to manage your own PPC efforts? Working with an AdWords agency can save you time and help you get more for your search engine ad spend.

Rather than guessing at what works and wasting money in the process, you can hire a team of PPC experts to set up and manage your AdWords account so that you can maximize paid advertising results.

8. Develop a social media ad strategy.

In addition to PPC ads, social media advertising is another great avenue for driving some serious traffic back to your website. No matter who your target audience is, there’s a good chance that they spend time on certain social media sites. Once you find out what those channels are, you can take advantage of the opportunity to reach your audience and drive traffic to your site through social media ads.

Facebook has one of the most killer ad platforms out there. With advanced targeting features, you can narrow down your audience to make sure that those who are seeing your ad are the people who are most likely to be interested in your brand and what you have to offer. You can target based on demographics like location and age or interests that are relevant to your brand.

If you need help getting started, learn more about our Facebook advertising services and how they can help you get better results from your social media ads.

9. Use LinkedIn to find connections and build relationships.

LinkedIn can be a powerful platform to help you drive traffic to websites. As the most popular social media platform for professionals, LinkedIn offers its users the opportunity to connect with others in their industry as well as potential hires and leads. Being active on LinkedIn can help you grow your professional network while building relationships with potential customers.

One way that you can use LinkedIn to drive traffic back to your site is by publishing content on the platform. Go beyond just status updates or your thoughts and insights. You can actually use the LinkedIn publishing platform to post blog content that your connections may find relevant or interesting.

This is a great way to build authority in your industry while driving traffic back to your site through internal links.

Another way to use LinkedIn to drive traffic to websites is simply by connecting and engaging with others on the platform. Did your company write a blog you think some of your connections would find valuable? Why not write them a message and share the link? This not only brings more traffic to your site but ensures that the traffic is relevant since you know the connection would be interested in the topic.

You can also share links to your site and content in the comments or in LinkedIn groups. It’s important to not be spammy about sharing links in comments on an individual’s post or in a group.

Only share a link if it’s relevant and the user would find the content helpful. In addition, try to be active outside of sharing links. Answer questions, provide feedback, and offer advice. All of these actions reflect positively on you as a professional and your brand.

10. Answer questions on Quora.

Answering questions on Quora is a great way to get free business advertising online that drives traffic to websites. Quora is a question and answer platform that allows users to ask questions about nearly any topic. Other users will provide answers along with unique insight in the platform to address these questions.

Quora is a great place to connect with leads by giving them the answers and insight they need to address their greatest challenges. In addition to building trust with your audience by demonstrating your expertise on Quora, you can also drive traffic back to your website through links to relevant content on your site.

For example, let’s say that you encounter a question that’s relevant to your business, such as “how much does a wedding photographer cost?”

As the owner of a small photography business, you can take the opportunity to address this question while also linking to a relevant blog post that you’ve written on the topic. Not only will the original user who posted the question see your answer but so will anyone else who is searching for a similar answer on Quora.