Whether you’re running an eCommerce site or a blog for your business, all of that effort means nothing unless you have the traffic to go with it. While there are plenty of ways to get traffic, you still need a solid plan to start.
Create and Distribute Quality Content
There was a time when all you had to do just a few little things to get your content some notice. Search engines have gotten a lot smarter since then and creating quality content is no longer an option. Quality content means that you’ve got something that users want. Whether it’s a new way to do something or some piece of knowledge that can come in handy almost immediately. That kind of content that’s consistently shared on your site will generate the kind of organic traffic that will build over time. But you don’t have to have it just on your site. You can create this type of content on YouTube, on Slideshare, distribute it across multiple channels so that you get exposure from more people you would have missed if you’d just stuck with one channel.
Think Long-tail
One of the most important parts of search engine optimization (SEO) is keyword research. The key is to not just go for keywords but to think of key word phrases that will put you in the path of your ideal reader/visitor/customer. Long-tail key terms are three or more words that your ideal customers use to find the product or service they are ready to buy. They won’t necessarily give you more traffic but they will give you the right quality of traffic. Using a site such as HitTail will help you to find those particular terms. The next step is to focus your content around those terms so that you build up the kind of traffic that converts.
Optimize Your Articles
Part of search engine optimization is to optimize your articles so that they’re easier to find. That means when you come up in the search results, people aren’t wondering what your article is about. Your meta title, description and keywords are all aligned to answer that question immediately. So make sure that all of your articles have those pieces of information filled out and ready.
Build Quality Links
Building links is another great way to get more traffic. That means having credible sources point to your site using a specific keyword. The best thing about link building is that it doesn’t cost you anything. You can ask vendors, partners, or clients to link to your site from theirs using a specific keyword related to your product or service. Some bloggers use guest blogging to create valuable links to their site as well as get some additional exposure for their site. Remember quality trumps quantity.
One of the most important parts of building traffic is longevity. Having a site that you’re building for a few months is one thing. Keeping that going for years is where you will see a big difference in your traffic building efforts.
