Ask any business owner what they need the most, and they will probably tell you “more customers.” Ask them what the next thing is they need, and they will say “increase website traffic.”
Increasing the traffic to your website is hard work! The old methods that people used 5 – 10 years ago are not as useful now and have left people feeling confused and lost about increasing their traffic.
Let's talk SEO
Four things you should never do! What’s working and what is not.
Keyword Stuffing
is when keywords are randomly placed throughout the article to fool Google and start showing up in searches quicker. Since Google’s Panda update, the overuse of keywords in the content has gone down. Here is Google’s Matt Cutts explaining what this means:
Paid Links
SEO companies and “gurus” would advise people to buy links from link farms, directories, and press releases. Still, today, you see “SERP packages for $99” that promises fantastic results – DON’T believes it. The reality is that purchasing these links do not work today. Instead of buying links on forums, Fiverr, and markets that advertise networks, focus your efforts on the quality content. Use create rich, meaningful content that people want to share.
Hidden Text
Hiding text and links in your content by changing the text color, hiding it behind images, using CSS to position off-screen, or setting the font to zero to manipulate Google’s search rankings will be seen as deceptive and a violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Again, focus on good quality content that people want to read.
Bolding Keywords
Just bolding your keywords will make your page look spammy. Instead, emphasize the important elements of your content. Write your articles in plain language and bold, catchy headlines that will be noticed.
Five easy ways to increase their traffic:
Content Creation
a.k.a. start a blog. People are sick of being sold stuff. They want to be engaged. They want to be informed. And they want to learn something. If you have a business, you should have a target audience, and your audience wants to hear from you. When you create a blog, you can use your articles in your content marketing strategy.
Advertise
It goes without saying, paid advertising is the quickest way to drive traffic to your website and get more customers. But a word of warning – paying for ads “willy-nilly” without a strategy will have the same effect as putting your money in a shredder. Your better off hiring someone who has a track record to set up your first ad – you will get better results.
Google My Business
Set up your Google my business account – it’s free! Google My Business is a business listing that allows your company to post information about your company. It will be displayed in various ways and allows your business to start showing up in local searches.
SEO
Do you want Google and other searches to find your site? Make sure your site is optimized for on-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO is what you do on your site to allow your website to show up in searches. Off-page SEO refers to social sharing, external linking, and other activities you do on the internet that drives people back to your site.
Contents and Giveaways
Everyone wants free stuff, especially if what they are receiving is perceived to have value. Are you good at helping people? Give away 15 minutes consultation. Are you trying to start a photography business? Give away ten mini photo-shoots to the first ten people who schedule a session. Get creative.
