11 Ways to Increase Website Traffic (Without Social Media!)

Author

Seniors Blue Book Greater Pittsburgh Area

Posted on

Sep 19, 2023

Book/Edition

Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area

Social media is everywhere today, and it’s easy to rely on it to drive traffic to your website. But it can be overused, making it difficult to stand out.

Only 23% of businesses say they are satisfied with the results of their social media marketing efforts. (Source: Social Media Examiner)

Your website is your most valuable asset, but it’s often underutilized. 

Here are 11 proven strategies to get more visitors to your website and take better advantage of this powerful marketing tool:

1.     Crafting High-Quality Content

High-quality content is the foundation of your website. It’s what draws visitors in, keeps them engaged, and helps you establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field. It also makes your website more visible in search engine results, meaning more people will find you when they look for your product or services.

            Actions To Take:

·        Research your target audience’s interests and pain points

High-quality content can help you generate 55% more traffic to your website. (Source: HubSpot)

·        Create informative, valuable, and well-researched content

Engaging content generates 3 times more leads than paid search. (Source: Content Marketing Institute)

·        Publish consistently to keep your audience engaged

2.     Understanding Your Audience

Take the time to get to know your audience. What are their pain points? What kind of content do they find helpful? What are their goals?

Once you understand their needs, you can create content that speaks directly to them. As a result, your visitors will be more likely to return, which can lead to increased brand awareness, trust, and sales.

Actions To Take:

·        Conduct audience research to identify demographics and preferences

80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company that understands their needs. (Source: Salesforce)

·        Create user personas to guide content creation

·        Seek feedback through surveys and engagement metrics

60% are willing to pay more for products and services from companies that understand their needs. (Source: McKinsey & Company)

 

3.     Providing Helpful Solutions

Trust is essential for any business. One of the best ways to build trust is to solve your audience’s problems. When you do this, you show that you understand their needs and that you’re an expert in your field. This makes them more likely to return to your site and refer you to others.

Actions To Take:

·        Identify common pain points within your niche

·        Craft content that offers practical solutions

75% of consumers say they’re more likely to trust a company that creates informative content. (Source: Edelman Trust Barometer)

·        Encourage user engagement and feedback for continuous improvement

4.     Embracing Long-form Content

Search engines love long-form content because it provides more value to users. You should love long-form content because it allows you to showcase your expertise and provide your readers with in-depth insights they can’t find anywhere else.

            Actions To Take:

·        Explore comprehensive topics related to your niche

·        Aim for in-depth articles exceeding 1000 words

Blog posts between 2,000 and 2,500 words drive the best SEO results. (Source: SEMrush)

·        Include rich multimedia elements to enhance user experience

5.     Master Guest Posting

Guest posting is a great way to improve your website rankings through backlinks, reach a new audience, and build your credibility.

Why?

Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. They’re one of the most important factors in search engine rankings. Guest posting gives you a stamp of approval from other websites, which can boost your search engine results.

The average first-page ranking result on Google has over 3,800 backlinks. (Source: Ahrefs)

Guest posting exposes your brand to a new audience, making it more likely they will visit your website to learn more about what you have to offer.

Finally, guest posting can help you build credibility in your industry. When you write high-quality content for other websites, you’re showing that you’re an expert in your field.

Actions To Take:

·        Find websites in your niche that are trusted and reliable sources of information

·        Craft valuable guest posts with a link back to your site

Businesses that guest blog regularly generate 55% more traffic to their websites than those that don’t. (Source: HubSpot)

·        Foster relationships with other bloggers for future opportunities

6.     Building an Email List

Having an up-to-date email list is like having a direct line of communication with your customer. It’s one of the best ways to stay in touch, share new content, and drive traffic to your website. When someone subscribes to your email list, they’re telling you they want to hear from you, so send them engaging and valuable content.

Actions To Take:

·        Offer incentives for email sign-ups

·        Send regular newsletters and updates

Relevant and timely email marketing can help you increase sales by up to 150%. (Source: OptinMonster)

·        Segment your list for targeted messaging

7.     Navigating the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Landscape

By optimizing your website and content for search engines, you can boost your visibility, attract more visitors, and generate better brand awareness, quality leads, and more sales.

Seniors Bue Book can provide you with keyword research (for you and your competitors) and share with you how your website is performing. Together, we will strategize a plan to boost your results.

93% of online traffic comes from search engine results. (Source: SEMrush)

8.     Analyzing Competitor Strategies

Studying competitors’ websites can unveil effective SEO strategies and content ideas. What keywords are they targeting? What kind of content are they creating? Analyze their backlinks.

Don’t just copy your competitors! Instead, use their strategies as inspiration to develop your own unique approach.

Actions To Take:

·        Identify your main competitors in the niche

·        Analyze their keyword choices and content topics, using one of the keyword research tools previously mentioned (SEMrush, Ahrefs, etc.)

·        Adapt successful strategies to your own content plan

9.     Leverage Local SEO

Local SEO can help your business get more website traffic, especially if you have a physical location or serve a specific geographic area.  It ranks your website higher in local search results, making it easier for potential customers in your area to find you.

Additionally, it will help improve brand awareness and build trust with potential customers.

76% of consumers use local search to find businesses. (Source: BrightLocal)

Actions To Take:

·        Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing

·        Encourage customers to leave reviews

·        Collect and showcase positive local reviews

·        Create location-specific content and landing pages

10. Commenting on Industry Blogs

Commenting on other industry blogs can lead to backlinks, exposure, and referral traffic.  It’s a great way to get your name and website in front of people who are interested in the same topics as you.

When you offer insightful and informative comments, you establish yourself as an expert in your field, and people are more likely to visit your website to learn more. Don’t just comment to promote your own website! Instead, focus on adding value to the discussion.

Actions To Take:

·        Engage with relevant industry blogs and websites

·        Add insightful comments that contribute to the discussion

·        Include a link to your website when relevant

11. Creating Engaging Multimedia

Multimedia content enhances user engagement and keeps visitors on your site longer.

Actions To Take:

·        Incorporate videos, infographics, and podcasts

91% of consumers want to see more online videos from brands. (Source: HubSpot)

96% have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product. (Source: HubSpot)

·        Ensure multimedia elements are relevant and informative

·        Optimize multimedia for quick loading and ease of use

BONUS TIP: Consistency and Patience

It is important to be consistent with your SEO strategies and patient with the results.  There is no quick fix. It will take time and effort to see consistent traffic growth. Tracking your website traffic can help you understand how visitors find you, what pages they visit, and how long they stay on your site.

SEO can be tricky, but it’s worth understanding and learning if you want to get more people to visit your website and grow your business.

Actions To Take:

·        Develop a content calendar for consistent publishing

·        Continuously monitor and adjust your strategies

·        Understand that significant traffic growth may take time

86% of businesses use web analytics tools to track their website traffic (Source: Statista) with the most common tool used by businesses being Google Analytics. (Source: W3Techs)

Conclusion:

You now have eleven proven strategies to increase website traffic without social media. But remember, there is no quick fix.  It will take time and effort to drive sustainable traffic to your website.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. What works for one website may not work for another. The best way to find out what works for you is to test different strategies and track your results.

Written by Patty Toner, Director of Marketing, Seniors Blue Book of Greater Pittsburgh. You can contact her at patty@seniorsbluebook.com.  

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Letting Go of Clutter: Why Many Seniors Struggle

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8 Tips for Family Members Caring for a Senior Loved One from Far Away

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