How would you like to get free traffic to your site without having to pay anything? There are some ways to get free traffic to websites. This article shows you 52 methods to get free traffic to sites.
You might want to try these methods to get free traffic from Google or other search engines. The methods include using social media, submitting articles to blogs, writing press releases, and much more.
There are several ways to get free traffic. Some of them require little effort, while others take time and energy. If you don't have enough time to create quality content, then you should consider outsourcing it.
The Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is one of those things that sounds great in theory, but most people don't know how to execute well. There are a few ways to approach content creation, and we're going to break down each step into bite-sized chunks.
The best way to rank high on Google is to provide great content that satisfies users. This doesn’t mean stuffing your articles full of keywords. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Google looks for quality over quantity. So, don’t focus too much on getting back-links, especially if they are coming from low-quality sites. You want to make sure that users who land on your site aren’t disappointed.
Instead, focus on providing excellent content that is useful to visitors. If you do this, Google will reward you for your efforts.
1. Have a business blog
The most important thing about blogging is that it isn't optional. If you're serious about growing your business, having a blog is non-negotible. In fact, according to HubSpot research, companies that blog get 97% more linkbacks to their websites. They also get 55% more website visits than those that don't. And marketers who blog are 13 times more likely generate positive ROI. So what does that mean for you? More traffic, more conversions, and better brand recognition.
2. Generate High Quality and Credible Content
Search engines look for high quality and credible content. This includes things like original research, well written articles, and unique information. Search engines want to see that you've done some work to provide value to people, rather than just trying to rank your website.
Quality and credibility aren't the only factors search engines will consider. They'll also look at how many other sites link to yours, how much traffic those sites receive, and whether or not the sites themselves offer high quality content. If your content is good, but no one else finds it useful, it won't matter.
I'm going to assume that you already have a website set up. If not, no worries - I've got you covered. For now, let's just focus on getting some content out there.
There are three main steps to creating content for your site:
1. Researching topics
2. Writing
3. Publishing
3. Concentrate on topics that are timeless.
Evergreen content is content that will continue to generate traffic long after it’s published. Evergreen content is about providing value to readers, whether that’s information, entertainment, or something else entirely. News articles are usually considered evergreen because there’s always a demand for current events. But even topics like technology and health care can become evergreen once they’re established.
You don’t necessarily have to write about things that happen today; you could write about how to make a particular product better tomorrow. Or you might want to post a recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever eaten. Whatever your topic, focus on creating content that provides value to your audience.
The key here is to avoid writing about topics that go out of style quickly. If you publish a piece of content about a hot trend, you may see some initial spikes in traffic, but those trends change fast. When people start talking about something else, your traffic drops off. You’ll never find yourself stuck in the middle of a trend.
4. Create captivating headlines.
Headlines are one of the key components of every piece of content you write. They're what grab people's attention and compel them to read on. But how do you know which ones work best? And how do you craft your headlines to make sure they convert into sales? We've got some tips to help.
5. Invite others to contribute to your blog as guest bloggers.
Guest blogging is one way to add diversity to your online presence. Guest posts are usually written by people outside of your industry, and they provide different viewpoints and perspectives. In addition, they offer great opportunities to build relationships with influencers in your space. But how do you go about inviting someone else to write for you? Here are some tips on getting started.
1. Choose Your Topics Carefully
Before you start reaching out to bloggers, think about what kinds of articles you'd like to see. Are there specific areas where you'd like to see more coverage? Do you want to highlight a particular topic? Or perhaps you're looking for something completely different.
2. Reach Out To Influencers First
You don't necessarily need to reach out to every blogger who writes about your subject area. Start with those whose work you admire most and who seem to be doing well. You might find success by targeting blogs that cover similar topics and writing about things that interest them.
3. Be Prepared For Rejection
Not everyone will accept your invitation to contribute. Some writers won't even respond. If you receive no response, try again later. Don't give up too quickly; it takes time to build trust and rapport with potential contributors.
6. Incorporate video into workflow
Video is one of the most effective forms of online marketing because it engages audiences on multiple levels. People love watching short, entertaining videos that tell stories and give information. They also like seeing how products work and what they look like. Video content is especially powerful on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram where users spend hours every day scrolling through feeds. If you want to increase website traffic, embedding video into your blog posts is a great way to do it.
7. Create stunning visuals
Designing graphics shouldn't be a chore. With Canva and vista create, it doesn't have to be. This free tool makes creating beautiful designs easy and fun. You don't even need to know how to code; just drag and drop elements together to build your masterpiece. And because it's built into Gmail, you can send your work directly to clients without having to worry about formatting issues.
Canva and vista create allow you to easily create infographics, logos, posters, invitations, flyers, brochures, banners, presentations, and much more. You can make text boxes, add shapes, change colors, apply filters, crop photos, and resize objects. Then, export your creation to JPEG, PNG, PDF, SVG, and EPS files.
You can choose from over 300 templates, including ones designed specifically for Google Fonts. Just type your text, select a font, and start designing. If you're looking for inspiration, you can browse through thousands of high-quality images, clip art, icons, and vector illustrations. There are even pre-made templates for social media posts such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube.
8. Create a resource center.
The days of simply posting videos and blogs are over. Today, people want more than just information—they want solutions. In fact, according to HubSpot research, 80% of consumers say they prefer to read articles online rather than watch video. So it makes sense that today’s marketers are turning toward other forms of content, like infographics, downloadable guides and templates, webinars and more.
But there’s one form of content that still gets overlooked: multimedia. While most people think of videos and blogs as the best ways to educate and inform, the reality is that many of the most successful marketing campaigns feature a combination of different media formats. For example, HubSpot found that nearly half of B2C companies had a library of multimedia content, including images, infographics, podcasts, videos, eBooks and more. And HubSpot also found that the average visitor spends almost three minutes reading a well-designed infographic.
So don’t let your multimedia collection go to waste. Instead, make sure you’re collecting every type of multimedia content imaginable, and then use it across multiple channels. This way, you’ll be able to keep educating your audience while building trust and authority. You might even find yourself attracting repeat visitors who come back to learn more about what you offer.
How to increase traffic to your website with SEO
So there's one problem with every single strategy we've discussed so far.
They're not going to drive visitors to your site if no person can find them. And with the first page capturing 71% of search engine traffic clicks, you need some sort of SEO strategy.
An SEO strategy is a whole different beast, but here are the basics.
1. Know what keywords people use to find your products or services.
2. Create content around those keywords.
3. Optimize your site for mobile devices.
4. Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Conduct keyword research
Keywords are one of the most important things to optimize for on your website. They help people find what they want, and they give you insight into how well your current content is performing. There are many tools out there to help you do this: Moz's Keyword Explorer is one of my favorites because it provides a ton of information about how much traffic a keyword receives, along with suggestions for how to improve your rankings. If you don't know where to start, here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind when conducting keyword research.
9. Long-tail keywords
The term long tail refers to the idea that there are many low-volume terms that generate much more revenue than high-volume ones. For instance, it could mean that you have a lot of products sold under $10, while only one product sells for over $100. In this case, the small number of items makes up a large percentage of sales.
This concept applies to both paid and unpaid search—it doesn’t matter whether you sell shoes online or make widgets; if you want to maximize profits, focus on the less popular keywords. You can use tools like Keyword Explorer to find out what people are searching for in your industry.
In addition to being able to see how often a keyword appears in searches, you can also check where it ranks in the search results. This gives you insight into how competitive each position is. If you notice that a certain phrase is showing up in positions 2–5, it might indicate that someone else already owns that keyword.
If you don’t want to spend hours checking every possible keyword, try using some free tools. WordStream offers a feature called Keyword Difficulty Index that helps you figure out which keywords are easy to rank for and which require a lot of work.
Keywordscape is another useful tool that lets you analyze your competition and find the best phrases to target. Simply enter your competitors’ URLs in the box above and it will show you their rankings and volumes for different keywords. From here, you can choose the phrases that look promising and start optimizing them.
10. Target keywords…
Keywords are the words and terms people use to describe what they want to buy online. They’re the most important component of your digital marketing strategy. If you don’t know where to start, here are five ways to find good ones.
1. Use Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to compare the popularity of different keywords over time. This tool lets you look up specific topics, such as "best dog food," and see how many times it was searched compared to another term like "dog." You can even set up alerts to notify you whenever certain keywords spike.
2. Look at Your Competitors' Landing Pages
If you’ve ever wondered why one product or brand seems popular among your customers, chances are you can figure out the answer by looking at competitors’ landing pages. These pages show you exactly what products and brands are being sold, giving you insight into customer preferences. By analyzing landing pages, you can learn what types of products and services are selling well and which aren’t.
3. Find Similar Products
Similar products are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually quite different. For instance, both a vacuum cleaner and a mop are cleaning devices, but they serve different purposes. A mop cleans floors, whereas a vacuum cleaner sucks things up. Both are useful, but each serves a different purpose. To find similar products, use a comparison shopping engine. Some examples include ShopSavvy, PriceGrabber, and Amazon Product Search.
11. Place your keywords strategically
On-Page SEO is the most important factor when it comes to getting traffic to your site. You want to make sure that your content is optimized for the keywords that are driving people to your site. If you don't do this, you're missing out on potential leads and sales.
You might think that you know how to use keywords effectively, but there are some tricks that you probably aren't aware of. Here are three places where you can add value to your content with just a few words.
Title Tag
The title tag is one of the most important elements of your web page because it appears directly under the link in the browser window. Search engines give weight to the text inside the title tag, so try to include your target keyword(s) here.
H1 Heading
Your H1 heading is the largest headline on your page. It should contain your target keyword(s). Try to keep it short, around 50 characters, and avoid long paragraphs.
12. When the keywords are just TOO competitive
I'm sure you've heard about the "keyword cannibalization problem." You know, those times where people try to rank for terms that are too similar to what already exists out there. For example, if someone tried to rank for "best dog food," it might look like "dog food review" and "best foods for dogs" are competing against each other. This is called keyword cannibalization.
In some cases, you'll want to avoid keywords that are too close together. But sometimes, you simply don't have enough data to make an educated decision. In those cases, here are a couple ways you can still rank without giving up on your keywords.
#2: Use Long Tailed Keywords
Long tail keywords are words that aren't very common. They tend to be longer and less specific. So, if you wanted to rank for "best chicken soup recipe," you'd use something like "chicken soup recipe" or even "recipe for chicken soup." If you want to learn more about long tail keywords, check out our guide on how to find them.
#3: Create Content Around Your Keywords
There are plenty of tools out there that help you create high quality content around your keywords. Some of my favorites include Moz Pro, BuzzSumo, and Ahrefs. I recommend creating different types of content such as guides, infographics, videos, etc., depending on what type of content resonates best with your audience.
#4: Use Schema Markup
13.Offer to sponsor the content
The problem with getting into the cannabis space is that there are tons of people already doing it. If you want to sell products like Ardent does, you've got to offer something different. And one way to do that is to become an influencer within the space. You could start a blog about how great CBD oil is, write articles about the benefits of cannabis, or even just talk about how much better weed tastes now that it's been decarboxylated.
But none of those things would actually help Ardent grow its business. Instead, the company should look for ways to partner with brands that already have credibility in the industry. For example, Ardent could buy ads on blogs written by companies like Leafly, High Times, and Weedmaps. Or it could pay to promote content from influential bloggers. In either case, the goal is to make sure that customers can find your brand without having to type in keywords.
14. Guest post on their site
Guest posting is one of the most effective ways to build links to your own site. This tactic is particularly useful for building links to high-ranking domains. One way we do this is by guest blogging on authoritative sites within our niche. We've found that publishing on powerful sites quickly expands our reach and lends credibility to our brand (and good links, too).
More importantly, it gives us instant ranking power for competitive keyword phrases. After publishing on influential sites like Search Engine Land, I've been able to rank for some highly competitive keyword phrases such as "SEO services."
Even with an authoritative site, there are still challenges to ranking for these competitive terms. But leveraging the authority of industry sites helps. For example, I could write about how to rank for "SEO services" on a site called "The Best Places To Find An SEO Services Company In Your Area." Then, I'd publish the same article on the SEO blog of an industry leader like Search Engine Land. Both articles would link to my client's website, giving her both local and national exposure.
15. When you can hijack "brand alternative" keywords
If you are trying to rank for a keyword that’s highly competitive, it might seem like there aren't many opportunities left for you. But there are ways to come up with alternatives that don't sound too much like your competitors. Here are some examples of how brands have done it successfully.
1. Use a different spelling/punctuation
In the example above, the brand uses a different spelling of the word "coupon." This helps make it stand out because it sounds less like a generic term.
2. Use a synonym
Another way to avoid sounding too similar is to use a synonym. In this case, the brand used the word "promotional code," which is a synonym for coupon.
3. Add an adjective
A third option is to add an adjective. For example, the brand could say "promo codes for X." This makes it sound unique because it's not just another phrase.
16. Taking advantage of store closures
We could wait for Teavana to shut down completely and hope that customers stop looking for alternatives. Or, we could take advantage of the situation and start selling our teas directly to consumers. We chose the latter option.
Teami’s strategy was simple: sell directly to consumers where Teavana had failed. We set up shop in every major city across Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Charlottetown, and St. John’s.
The response to our product was incredible. Our sales increased tenfold within weeks of opening stores. This growth continued throughout the fall as people began searching for Teavana substitutes.
17. Optimize your SERP appearance
When you're optimizing your site for search engines like Google, there are many different ways to do it. There are plenty of guides online about how to properly structure your code, what keywords to use, and how to write great content. But we've noticed something over the course of our work: while those things matter, they aren't necessarily enough.
Google wants to give searchers exactly what they want. In fact, Google says that "the most relevant answer appears first." This means that if someone searches for something, they don't just want to see one piece of content. They want to see everything related to that topic. So, you might think that making sure you include the best keywords, writing compelling copy, and creating useful content are the keys to getting found. However, according to Search Engine Land, Google has recently begun testing a feature called featured snippets. These snippets show up directly under the search box, and provide a quick summary of the page's content. If a snippet looks good, people tend to click it. And because Google knows that people are clicking snippets, it wants to ensure that the snippets look good.
So, if you're looking to rank well for certain terms, here are three tips to help you do that:
1. Include the Keyword in Your Title
The key phrase you'd like to rank for is likely in your title. While your title doesn't always need to be long, it needs to be clear. Use the same words that people use when searching for the product or service you offer. It's tempting to try to stuff as much into the title as possible, but keep it short and sweet. Try to avoid using too many keywords; instead, focus on providing a concise overview of what your page is about.
2. Optimize Your Description Tags
Your description tags play another big role in helping Google understand what your page is about, so make sure they're optimized. Don't repeat the same keywords throughout the entire tag. Instead, use descriptive phrases that describe the page's main points. Also, make sure that each individual paragraph uses unique keywords. For example, if you sell shoes, you could say that your shoe sizes range from 2E to 4E, but if you only list one size, your page won't stand out.
18. Link internally
- A quick guide to link building"
When people think about link building, they often think about getting external links. But there are plenty of ways to build internal links too. In fact, internal linking is one of the most important things you can do to rank well in local searches.
In this post, we'll take a look at some of the best practices for building internal links. We'll talk about how to find good places to put them, what types of pages work best, and why it's important to include them.
19. Improve your page speed
Speed is a major ranking factor, especially since the Page Experience Update rolled out in January 2018. When it comes to mobile devices, loading times matter less because people tend to scroll down the page anyway. But for desktop users, slow sites are frustrating. They might close out of the browser window and never return. And that could cost you money.
According to Google, “The average person spends about 10 minutes each day online, and nearly half of those moments are spent reading webpages.” In fact, most of us spend 90% of our time consuming digital media. So, how do we make sure that our sites don’t turn off potential customers?
20. Make your site responsive
Today, more traffic occurs on mobiles than desktops, so if you're designing your site to fit one size fits all, you are essentially telling your visitors to go somewhere else. If you do want to make sure that your site is accessible and comfortable to view across a range of devices including smaller smartphones, there are some things you can do now to help ensure that it is. Here are five ways to improve how your site looks and functions on different types of devices.
1. Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design (RWD) allows you to adjust the layout of your site based on the device being used to access it. This helps your site look great no matter what type of screen it is viewed on. RWD is easy to implement, and most modern browsers support it natively. You can use tools like Bootstrap 4 to build a fully responsive website without having to code anything yourself.
2. Mobile First Approach
The mobile first approach is another way to make sure your site works well on small screens. Rather than building a site that works best on larger displays, start with smaller versions of your site and gradually add features that work better on bigger screens. This makes sense because people tend to browse sites on phones more often than larger tablets.
3. Optimize Your Site For Search Engines
Search engines such as Google take into account many factors when determining where to rank a particular piece of content. One factor they consider heavily is the quality of the content on your site. By optimizing your site for search engines, you can give it a boost in rankings. There are three main areas you can focus on:
21. Implement Schema markup
Schema markup is one of those things you hear about sometimes, but don’t really understand how it works. But, once you see the benefits, you’ll want to implement it into every single page you publish. Here are some reasons why implementing schema markup might help boost your rankings:
1. Better Rich Site Summary (RSS) Feeds
As mentioned above, Schema markup makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your webpages. This helps to provide a richer experience for readers who use RSS feeds to keep up with what’s happening on your site. In addition, having a well-formed RSS feed increases the likelihood that your blog post will show up in someone else’s feed reader.
2. More Clickable Links
Search engines love clickable links, especially ones that link directly to your homepage. By adding a few attributes to your HTML code, you can tell search engines exactly where to place each link within your content. For example, if you add rel”author” to a paragraph, Google will know to associate that author with the rest of his/her work. Adding rel”next” and rel”prev” tags lets search engines know whether there are additional pages related to the current one. These tags also help to ensure that visitors aren’t redirected offsite.
3. Better Search Results
Google uses Schema markup to determine whether a webpage is relevant to a particular keyword. If you include certain keywords throughout your content, Google will rank your page accordingly. You can also use Schema markup to define the type of information you want displayed in the search results. For instance, if you specify the category of your product or service, you’re giving Google a heads up that it should display that data in the search results.
22. Regularly refresh your content
Evergreen content is one of the best things about digital marketing. Your posts keep getting shared, people link to them, and it keeps bringing in traffic. However, even the most evergreen content eventually becomes stale, and it starts losing its luster. You might think that refreshing your content isn’t worth the effort because it doesn’t rank well anymore. In fact, regular refreshes can actually help boost rankings and bring in additional traffic.
Here are three ways to refresh your evergreen content without making major changes:
1. Change a few words
Sometimes changing a few words can make a big difference. For example, I wrote a post called 10 Ways To Get More Traffic From Evergreen Content. If you look closely, you'll notice that there's barely anything different about the post itself; however, the title changed, and the publish date updated. This small tweak bumped me up several spots on the SERP.
2. Update the metadata
Metadata is information about your content that appears in search engines such as Google. Metadata includes everything from the author name to the publish date. Changing the text in the metadata can have a huge impact on your rankings.
3. Add a new image
23. Get backlinks
One of the most important ranking factors for Google is how many backlinks there are to your website. A lot of people think that the best way to build links is to buy them, but it turns out that the best strategy is to make sure you have lots of good ones already. If you do, you’ll see your rankings go up naturally over time.
The problem is that getting links isn’t easy. You don’t want to spam someone, and you definitely don’t want your competitors doing it either. So what do you do? Here are some tips on how to get backlinks without having to resort to spamming anyone.
How to increase traffic to your website using social media
Social media marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies out there. But it’s not just about posting funny memes and pictures of cats; you want to use social media to promote your business, too. In fact, according to HubSpot Research, over 80% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family members. And while Facebook and Twitter might seem like obvious choices for promoting your brand, they don’t always work best. Why? Because people tend to follow brands on social media, rather than individuals. So what do you do if you want to attract followers to your brand? You could start following influencers, but that takes a lot of time and effort. Or you could try starting conversations with people on social media. This way, you reach out to people directly, which makes it easier for them to connect with you. Plus, it gives you another opportunity to build relationships with potential customers.
Here are some tips for how to make the most out of social media:
1. Post often. If someone follows you on Instagram because you post once every week, they won’t stick around long. Make sure you’re sharing interesting content frequently, whether it’s videos,
24. Promote your content on social
Social media marketing is one of the best ways to promote your brand online, especially if you want to reach a wide audience. But while producing great content isn't enough, you still need to know where to post it. Here are some tips to make sure your content gets seen on the biggest platforms out there.
Twitter - This microblogging site allows you to publish 140 character messages called tweets. They're perfect for sharing quick links or photos. You'll often see brands use Twitter to advertise products, events, or even contests.
Pinterest - This visual bookmarking tool lets you curate images into boards and pin them to "pins." People love browsing through pictures on Pinterest, making it a great place to market your brand.
Instagram - Similar to Pinterest, Instagram is a great way to showcase your photography skills and attract followers. Use hashtags to target specific topics related to your industry.
Google+ - A lot of businesses aren't big fans of Google+, but it does offer a few advantages over Facebook and Twitter. First, it doesn't require you to link your accounts together, meaning you don't have to worry about losing followers if you switch platforms. Second, since Google owns the network, it makes it easier for your content to rank well in search results.
LinkedIn - LinkedIn is another professional networking site that's growing quickly among marketers. With a strong emphasis on job postings, it's a good place to connect with companies looking to hire.
YouTube - YouTube is home to billions of hours of video every month. Marketers are increasingly turning to this site to host videos and build audiences. It's also worth mentioning that many major networks now have live streams on YouTube.
25. Add hashtags
Hashtags are used to categorize content online. They help people find what they're looking for on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Hashtagging helps brands increase visibility and discoverability. You might use #blogpost, #marketingtip, #productreview, or even #trending.
The key to effective hashtag usage is being able to target the right audience. If you want to reach people interested in photography, for example, try tagging #photography. Or if you want to attract people interested in fashion, tag #fashion. And if you want to connect with those in the fitness industry, try #fitness.
#hashtags work best when your brand name isn't included in the text of your post. In fact, people tend to ignore hashtags when they see them in the body of a tweet. This makes it important to add your brand name to the end of your post, just under the hashtag.
26. Target amplifiers
Rand Fishkin says it best in his recent post "Who Will Amplify This?" He argues that you shouldn't focus on finding customers, but rather find people who are influential within your industry and target those individuals.
Fishkin cites examples where brands such as Starbucks and Apple have used this strategy successfully. They've found ways to connect with influential bloggers and journalists, and use their voices to spread the word about their products.
However, there are some important caveats here. First, you'll want to make sure that the person you're targeting actually cares about your brand. If someone doesn't care about your product, it won't matter how much money you spend on advertising or PR. Second, you'll want to be careful about what types of influencers you choose. You don't want to pick up the wrong influencer and end up spreading misinformation. Third, you'll want to think about how you can amplify your content. Do you know anyone else who could help spread the word about your content? Maybe they write for a blog that reaches millions of readers each month. Or maybe they run one of the most popular YouTube channels in your niche. Whatever the case, take advantage of the relationships you already have and see if you can turn them into resources for your marketing efforts.
27. Post native LinkedIn articles
LinkedIn is one of the most popular networking platforms out there, and it's no wonder why. More than 5 million professionals use the platform every day to connect with potential clients and colleagues, and to find relevant information about companies, brands, products, and people.
But LinkedIn isn't just a place to post status updates and job listings; it's a powerful tool for building your brand, growing your audience, and generating leads. In fact, according to HubSpot, 93 percent of B2B marketers say that LinkedIn is important to their marketing strategy.
So how do you make sure you're getting the most out of LinkedIn? By writing posts that are optimized for LinkedIn and leveraging the platform's features to promote your work. Here are six ways you can start boosting your presence on LinkedIn today.
1. Post Native Articles
The best way to generate interest in your company and build credibility is to write original pieces that answer questions, provide useful insights, and offer solutions to problems. This approach works well for both personal and professional profiles because it helps you stand out among the crowd and gives readers something unique to read.
In addition to being engaging, natively posted content is highly likely to rank better than a rehashed article. If you publish a blog post on Medium, Facebook, or another platform, and then copy/paste it into your LinkedIn profile without changing anything, it won't perform nearly as well. You'll lose the context of the conversation and your audience will see it as spammy. Instead, take some time to think about what makes your content special and tailor it specifically for LinkedIn.
Once you know what type of content you want to produce, look up similar articles published on LinkedIn to learn more about the topics you'd like to cover. Then, come up with a list of related questions and issues that might arise while reading those articles. Finally, craft a response that addresses each question and issue head-on.
Interview industry thought leaders
Think interviews are only for the major leagues? They're not. A lot of companies hire outside experts to give talks about their products and services. These folks often have great stories to tell and insights to offer. Why not let them do it themselves? Here's how to find and engage thought leaders.
28. Add social share buttons
This is an easy website traffic winner. Adding social share buttons allows readers to share the page being read with their social networks in one click. You can add Facebook Like, Twitter Follow, Pinterest Pin, Google +1, Tumblr Reblog, LinkedIn Recommend and even Reddit Share.
A great way to encourage sharing is to include a click-to-tweet button that lets readers post a short tweet about what they're reading. A similar idea is the click-to Tweet plugin, which gives you a prewritten Tweet that you can insert into your blog.
29. Research the competition
BuzzSumo is one of many tools designed to help businesses find out what people are talking about online. This includes tracking keywords, looking at how often certain terms pop up on social media, and even checking out what articles are getting shared across multiple platforms. When it comes to finding out what people are saying about your brand, there are plenty of ways to do it. But BuzzSumo takes things a step further by aggregating data from over 2 billion pieces of information.
The company says that it uses proprietary algorithms to track the performance of different types of content, including blog posts, videos, images, news stories, and tweets. Then, it sorts those items based on popularity, sharing, sentiment, and language. In addition to providing insights into what people are talking about, BuzzSumo gives marketers access to analytics that show how much attention each piece of content received.
30. Post at the right time
If you want to increase traffic to your site, it might seem like a no brainer to publish your posts during peak hours. But what about the rest of the time? Do people really read blogs during off-peak hours? What are some good times to share your content?
To answer those questions, we looked at our own analytics data and found out what times of the day and night get the most attention from our readership. We found that the majority of our traffic occurs in the morning and evening hours — specifically, between 8 AM and 4 PM. So, if you’re planning to share a blog post around lunchtime, make sure you do so during the workday.
We also wanted to know whether certain days of the week perform better than others. To figure this out, we compared the number of visits per hour across each day of the week. Here’s what we learned:
Monday – Friday: These days tend to see the highest volume of traffic. Monday saw the highest number of visitors throughout the entire day. Tuesday had the second highest number of visitors from 9 AM to 5 PM. Wednesday and Thursday followed closely behind.
Saturday: This day sees the lowest amount of traffic throughout the day. However, it does see the highest volume of visits between 11 AM and 7 PM.
Sunday: Sunday seems to fall somewhere in the middle. It sees fewer visitors than Monday, but more than Saturday.
So, now that we know when people are most active online, it’s important to think about how you’ll distribute your content. Will you wait until the afternoon to release a blog post? Or will you share one early in the morning?
The key is finding the sweet spot where you’ll get the most exposure without sacrificing your brand’s reputation.
How to get traffic to your website with listings
Business directories are a promising source for website traffic, but just having a listing doesn't mean much without optimizing it. Here are some tips to make sure your listing gets noticed.
1. Add photos and videos. Photos and videos go a long way toward convincing people that your establishment deserves a spot in the directory.
2. Include detailed information about your business. This includes things such as hours of operation, address, phone number, and email. It's also helpful to include a map of where you're located.
3. Be consistent. If you add your listing once, chances are good that it'll stick around for awhile. However, if you constantly update your profile, you increase the odds of being included in future editions.
4. Optimize your listing. Make sure that your contact information appears clear and concise, and that the description of your business matches what's listed in your online presence.
5. Don't spam. While there's nothing wrong with promoting your business, avoid sending out mass emails to every person who visits your site. Instead, focus on reaching out to relevant contacts and potential customers.
6. Follow up. Once you've submitted your listing, wait a few days before contacting the editors again. Editors receive hundreds of submissions each day, so if you follow up quickly, you could end up getting added sooner rather than later.
31. More ways to increase website traffic
Hosting a live event is one of the best ways to generate interest in your brand, build awareness, and connect with people. Webinars provide a low cost alternative to traditional marketing events like trade shows and conferences. They allow companies to reach a large number of potential customers while providing real value to attendees.
People love to learn, and a webinar is an excellent way to impart knowledge to your eager audience. Even better, webinars are easy to set up and offer a lot of flexibility; you don't have to worry about renting conference space, hiring speakers, or planning travel arrangements. And because webinars are typically recorded, it's possible to host multiple sessions over time.
Webinars are especially useful when you want to educate your target market without spending money on expensive advertising campaigns. A webinar allows you to present information directly to your prospects, rather than having to rely on third party distributors to bring them into your fold. This gives you greater control over where your leads come from and what they see.
A webinar can help build trust with your customer base. When you give away something free, they'll feel more comfortable giving you their contact info. You can even use a webinar to collect emails for future follow-up communications.
The key to success is making your webinar look professional. Don't just throw together a PowerPoint deck and call it a day. Instead, spend some time creating a high quality presentation that provides real value to your audience. Use a professional speaker, avoid cheesy slides, and make sure everything is clearly labeled.
You can easily schedule a webinar through GoToMeeting, Skype, Adobe Connect, Zoom, or Ondu. These applications let you record the session, add questions, and send invitations to participants.
If you're wondering how to host a webinar, check out our guide here.
32. Start an online community
Building a thriving online community isn’t easy. You have to make sure it’s well-managed, you keep up with the latest trends, and you find ways to grow it over time. If you don’t do those things, your community could die out very quickly. But once you build one, there are many benefits, including increased brand recognition, better customer service, and more sales.
33. Participate in forums
LinkedIn offers a variety of ways to connect with people online. You can use the site to find jobs, connect with current employees, and even learn about upcoming events. But there's another way to interact with others—on LinkedIn itself.
The professional networking site allows members to participate in discussion boards, blogs, and communities. There are many different types of communities, including those focused around topics such as sales, marketing, technology, leadership, management, and finance. These discussions often take place on public sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or on private sites like Quora, Reddit, and StackOverflow.
You can choose to participate in one of these communities, or you can start your own. To start your own group, simply sign up for a free account and begin posting messages. If you want to invite someone else to join, just send them a request.
Once you've joined a forum, you'll see a list of posts that have been posted recently. Clicking on the post takes you directly to the original thread. From there, you can comment on the post, ask questions, or reply to comments.
If you're looking to increase your visibility online, joining a community is a great way to build trust and establish yourself as an expert in your field. For example, if you work in sales, you could join a community related to sales and answer questions about how to close deals. Or, if you run a small business, you might join a community of entrepreneurs who discuss issues facing small businesses.
34. Attend conferences
The fact is, every industry has at least one big event that's worth attending. And while it might seem like a lot of work to attend multiple conferences each year, the payoff is huge -- both professionally and personally.
No matter what business you're in, there are likely at least one or two large trade shows, regional and national conferences, and niche gatherings that are relevant to your field. These are great opportunities to network, learn about the latest trends, and make connections that could help your career.
Whether you want to speak on stage, lead workshops, or just meet people, here are some ways to find out where to go next...
35. Submit your content to aggregator sites
If you have a blog, chances are good that you already know about RSS feeds, and how they work. An RSS feed is essentially a way to make sure that people can subscribe to your posts without having to remember to go check out your site every day. They’re also useful because they allow readers to see what’s happening on your site without needing to constantly refresh their browser.
The most popular RSS reader is Feedly, but there are plenty of others to choose from. Some of the best ones include Bloglovin', Flipboard, Newsblur, and Pulse.
There are even specialized RSS readers like Reeder and Pocket to save articles for later reading.
Most of these apps offer free plans, though the premium versions usually come with more features and functionality. You can always try one out for yourself to see which one works best for you.
You don’t necessarily need to pay to get access to these RSS feeds, either. Many bloggers post their RSS feeds publicly on their sites, meaning anyone can view them for free. However, some do charge for subscriptions.
36. Start an email newsletter
A newsletter doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, here at WordStream, we've got a weekly newsletter called the "Performance Tip." We feature a blog post from a topic related to marketing every Tuesday morning.
We try to keep it short, sweet, and relevant. This way, you're getting quality content without having to do much work. Plus, we send out the tip via email, so you don't have to worry about forgetting.
Here are some tips on how to start your own email newsletter:
1. Choose a subject matter that interests you. If you love what you do, why not talk about it?
2. Write a brief introduction. Tell us who you are, what you do, and what makes you different.
3. Include a call to action. What do you want your reader to do? Click here to sign up for my free newsletter. Or maybe you want them to download a checklist. Whatever it is, make sure it's clear.
4. Make it easy to unsubscribe. You'll want to give your readers options to opt out if they no longer care about your newsletter.
37. Reach out to email newsletters
There are newsletters out there for everything from dog training to real estate investing. But how do you know which ones are legit? Start by checking out their About Us section. You want to see things like whether they have been around for a while, what type of audience they target, and whether they provide regular content. Then look for articles about topics relevant to your industry. These are generally written by people who work in the field, so they're usually well researched. And finally, check out their submission guidelines. Does it say anything about what types of posts they're interested in receiving? Are they open to guest contributors? If you answer yes to all three questions, then you've found yourself a newsletter worth submitting to.
38. Create a free tool
The internet is full of great ideas, but most people don't know where to start. If you're looking to build a successful online course, product, or blog, there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started. But what about those of us who want to give away our work for free? How do we make money off of our creations without resorting to paid advertising?
You might think that building a list of email subscribers is the way to go, but that's just one option. There are many ways to monetize your site, and each method requires different tactics. We've compiled some of the best strategies for making money off of your website, including how to sell products, offer premium content, and even turn your blog into a membership site.
39. Advertise
Okay so this one isn't completely free, but if you're willing to put some work into it, it could potentially pay off big time. If you've been trying to find a way to increase your brand awareness without spending a fortune, you might want to take a look at SEO. Yes, SEO is great, but it takes time to build up momentum and gain trust with the search engines. While there are plenty of companies out there promising instant success, most fail to deliver anything worthwhile.
But what if I told you that you could spend $1,000 on a single advert, generate thousands of visits to your website, and see your sales go through the roof? Well, that's exactly what happens when you advertise online. There are many different types of paid campaigns, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But whichever route you choose, make sure you know what you're doing before you start shelling out money. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Tools to help drive traffic to your website
Aside from the all-in one SEO tools in this list – there are many free tools you can use to optimize your site for search engines. These include:
- Ahrefs - This is one of the most popular SEO tools out there. You can do keyword research, competitor analysis, link building, etc.
- Screaming Frog - A great tool for crawling and indexing sites.
- Woorank - Another great tool for analyzing competitors.
- MozBar - An extension for Chrome that lets you analyze how people interact with your site.
- Yandex Metrica - One of the best ways to see what keywords people are searching for.
- Open Site Explorer - Allows you to crawl your entire domain.
40. Track SEO metrics in Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the best tools you can use to track how well your site performs online. This free tool lets you see everything from where people come from to which keywords they searched for. You'll even find out how many times each keyword appears on your site. But it doesn't stop there. You can also set goals for yourself based on the traffic you receive. For example, you could aim to increase conversions by 10% over the next month. Or you could simply try to boost your rankings on certain keywords.
You can also use Google Analytics to monitor your competitors' sites. If you notice that someone else is getting a lot more traffic than you, you might want to take note. Chances are, he or she is doing something different to attract those visitors. Use this information to learn what works and what doesn't work for your competition.
41. View your queries in Google Search Console
Google Search Console is one of the most powerful tools you have access to when it comes to improving your SEO. It helps you see where your traffic is coming from and what keywords and phrases are driving traffic to your site. With Google Search Console, you can track how many times a particular keyword leads someone to your site, how long each person spends on your site, and even how much money you've earned from ads shown alongside those searches.
You can also view organic click through rate in GSC and trouble shoot indexing issues. If you notice something strange happening with your rankings, you can check out the data yourself to figure out why that might be happening.
42. Analyze the SERP with SEO tools
All-in-one SEO software helps you find keywords, perform competitor analysis, and check out your rankings in real time. These powerful tools give you access to tons of data, including the number of visits, bounce rates, and conversion rates on each URL. They also provide insight into how your site ranks for specific terms, what content is missing, and whether it needs additional citations.
You can even use them to identify pages on your competitors' websites. This way you can see where they're getting traffic from and what types of content are performing well.
43. Audit your site with website graders
Website grading is one of those things you know you should do, but never quite make it happen. If you want to check whether there are opportunities to improve your rankings, you'll want to use some of the tools listed here. They don't just provide a grade; they give you actionable tips and advice on what you can do to improve your ranking.
The best part about these tools is that they're easy to use and understand. You won't spend hours trying to figure out what each metric actually means. Instead, you'll see clear explanations of what each section does and why it matters. Plus, most of these tools come with a free trial period to help you decide if they're worth paying for.
You can try the free version of the tool to see whether it meets your needs. Then, if you think it might work for you, consider signing up for a paid plan. There are plenty of options to choose from depending on your budget. We recommend starting small and growing into more expensive plans over time.
44. Set up Google Search Console
Google indexes websites using robots called "bots." These bots crawl your website and index it. They use algorithms to determine what to do next. For example, when a bot finds a link to another website, it follows the link to see what else it can find. When a bot encounters a webpage, it records information about the page, including how much text there is, where the images are located, and whether the page contains videos. This data helps search engines understand what people might want to know.
You can access Google Search Console through your web browser. You'll need to sign into your Google Account and log in to your Google Admin console. Click the gear icon in the upper left corner of the screen and select Settings. Then scroll down to Manage Site Health and click on View Website. From here, you'll be able to view your site's status and make changes to improve your rankings.
If you're having trouble accessing your Google Search Console, you can try clearing your cache and cookies. To clear your cache, go to www.google.com/settings/history and delete anything that looks like a URL. Once you've cleared your cache and cookies, refresh your web browser and try again to access Google Search Console.
45. Set up Bing Webmaster tools
Microsoft’s Bing search engine is one of the most popular search engines in the world. With over 400 million monthly active users, it’s a great way to grow traffic to your site. But how do you make sure your site appears in Bing? You start by creating a Bing Webmaster Tools Account.
Once verified, Bing will crawl and index your site. This allows Bing to find your product information, images, videos, and more. To ensure that Bing finds everything you want it to, you must submit your website to Bing. Here are the steps to set up Bing Webmaster Tools:
1. 2. Click Sign Up.
3. Enter your email address and password.
4. Select a plan and select Continue.
5. Add your website URL and choose whether to enable Search Console.
46. Create a content marketing strategy
If you're looking to start a successful online store, it might seem like a daunting task. You've got to figure out how to design a site, build products, market yourself, and much more. But it doesn't have to be overwhelming. In fact, we'll show you exactly what you need to do to launch a profitable eCommerce store. We'll walk you through everything from setting up your domain name to creating a content marketing plan.
47. Link-building SEO checklist: Improve your domain authority
Links are important for SEO because they help establish trust in the eyes search engines. But what exactly does it mean to build links? And why do we care about having lots of links pointing to our site? Let me explain…
When another website links to your webpage, it tells Google that this website trusts you. So, when people search online, they see your name rather than some random web address. It makes sense, right? If someone goes to a website called “The New York Times,” they want to find out information about the newspaper. They don’t really care where the newspaper got its information.
So, when Google sees that a website like “thenewyorktimes.com” linked to your website, it knows that your website is trustworthy. As a result, your website gets credit for being authoritative. Authority is one of the most important metrics used by search engines to determine your rankings.
In addition to establishing trust, links are also great indicators of a website’s popularity. Links from high-authority websites signal to Google that there is a lot of interest in your topic.
Now, let’s talk about links. There are three types of links that matter for SEO: external, internal, and nofollow. External links are ones that come from outside sources. These include blogs, forums, social media, and press releases. Internal links are ones that come directly from within your website. Finally, nofollow links are those that come from third party websites that want to send traffic to your site without actually helping you.
These different types of links each have their benefits and drawbacks. For example, nofollow links are okay for getting visitors to your site, but they aren’t good for improving your rankings. On the other hand, blog comments and forum posts are great ways to get links that improve your rankings.
You can think of links as citations that establish trust in the eye of search engines. But just like every aspect of SEO, it takes work and patience to make sure you’re doing everything correctly. Here are a few things I recommend you keep in mind when creating links:
48. Fix duplicate content
Duplicate content occurs when there is similar content on multiple webpages. Search engines won't know what to do with duplicate content because they don't understand how to differentiate between the pages. They might decide to favor one over another, depending on the context. For example, if you're writing about a product, you probably wouldn't want the search engine to pick out one version of the same product description over another.
If you have duplicate content that aren't dynamic pages, use a 301 redirect to make sure that Google sees both versions of the content. To avoid having duplicate content issues in the future, you can use a canonical URL to identify the preferred version of each page. You'll need to add rel"canonical" tags to the head of every page that contains duplicate content.
49. Use redirects where necessary
When a page on your site goes offline, it’s important to provide a new way for customers to find what they want. Redirecting traffic to a different location gives visitors a new option. In addition to being helpful for SEO purposes, it keeps people engaged on your site longer, which helps you keep track of conversions.
50. Set up Google My Business
Google My Business is an excellent FREE SEO tool for local businesses to help increase visibility online. With over 200 million monthly active users, it is one of the most popular tools for local businesses. If you haven’t already signed up, now is the perfect time to start! Here are some great tips to help you build your profile quickly.
Click Get Started Now.
Enter your name, category, location, and contact info.
Select the type of business you run — restaurant, retail store, salon, etc.
Add photos to your listing.
Upload documents like licenses, certificates, tax forms, and permits.
51. Consider city-specific landing pages
If you operate businesses across different regions, you might want to create a separate landing page for each one. You could do this because you don’t want to confuse customers by promoting the same product in several places. For example, if you sell shoes online, you may want to create a separate page for New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London.
This way, you can easily promote the products you offer in each region while avoiding duplication. But what about the rest of the world? Shouldn’t you create a single landing page for every country where you operate? Not necessarily. While it’s true that you won’t confuse people by offering the same product in many countries, there are some drawbacks to doing so.
First, Google may treat you differently depending on where you’re located. Some experts say that Google treats local sites differently than international ones. In other words, if you publish identical content in multiple markets, Google may view your site as spammy and penalize it. So, make sure to write unique content for each country.
Second, if you use a common domain name for all your locations, you risk losing traffic to those other domains. You may think that since you have a common domain name, you’ll attract more visitors. However, Google doesn’t see things like that. Instead, it looks at how relevant the content on each URL is to the keywords used in the search query. When you have a similar URL structure, it becomes harder for Google to determine whether the content is relevant to the keyword.
Finally, if you publish too much content on your website, Google may assume that you’re trying to cheat the system. If you publish a ton of irrelevant content on your main site, Google may decide that you’re just trying to trick searchers into clicking on ads. As a result, it may lower your rankings. To avoid such problems, try to limit the number of pages on your site to around 20.
52. Giving searchers what they want
The way people use search engines today is very different from how they did 10 years ago. Back then, the goal was simple: find something online. Today, though, there are many ways to accomplish this goal. People don't just type into Google anymore; they tap on images, videos, news stories, reviews, comments, product listings, social media posts, and much more. They do all of this while trying to figure out exactly what they want to see next.
As a result, the only timeless SEO strategies might simply be to provide users with what they're lookingfor. These days, the best way to satisfy a search engine is to satisfy the person searching.