In the digital era, a website is vital for businesses and organizations. However, having a website alone isn't sufficient. To be successful, you need to attract and engage visitors. This is where website traffic comes in. The more traffic you have, the more chances you have to convert visitors into customers or followers.

In this topic, we will explore various strategies to increase website traffic and reach a wider audience.

1. Think About SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is key to attracting visitors to your site. On-page SEO may be the single greatest factor in determining where your website ends up in the SERPs (search engine results pages). The higher up the SERP you are, the more likely Google surfers are to click through to your site.

The actual content on your site is also a significant factor in how you’ll rank in the SERPs. Always include relevant keywords in your content.

Keywords should be used naturally, not stuffed into the content so much that they detract from the main idea or distract the reader. (Remember, when it comes to content, quality trumps keyword quantity.

2. Create Awesome Content

Not only does awesome (relevant, meaty, juicy) content increase your SERP rankings, it’s also good for keeping visitors engaged once they click through to your site.

That’s why it’s not enough just to post any old content, you need to create content that’s memorable and cuts through the noise. Do this by digging into what makes your company unique — and why you’re the best at meeting the needs of your customers.

People use Google to find specific, thorough and accurate answers for their questions, and your content should be there to provide those answers. In fact, websites featuring blog content generate more search engine-indexed pages than those without it.

In addition, sites that release more than 16 posts per month receive nearly 3.5 times more traffic than those that publish zero to four articles.

3. Refresh Outdated Content

Not only will your readers appreciate updated content, Google — and its ever-changing algorithm — also loves a new take.

You don’t need to limit your content refresh to tweaking blog posts either. Try repurposing blog content as an infographic or even an explainer video.

4. Get Social

The key to social media is to be authentic. It can be tempting to jump on every trend and fad, but savvy strollers see right through that and aren’t impressed. If it doesn’t fit with your brand — it’s not true to who you are — it’s not for you.

Here are a few social ideas to get you started: 

• Post content (blogs, e-books, white papers, infographics, videos, etc.) across your social media platforms.
• Engage with followers by replying, retweeting and tagging them in relevant content. 
• Use hashtags that represent your brand. 
• Video is a great way to entice scrollers to stop and hear what you have to say. Go live or share short, authentically awesome videos that add value (even if it’s just entertainment value).
• Be sure to include a call to action on informative and educational posts that push readers back to your content-rich site. 

5. Use Advertising to Increase Web Traffic

While organic search is still better at driving traffic (about 5.66% better than paid), paid advertising like pay-per-click (PPC) and social media ads can help you connect with a larger audience while targeting your ideal customer.

When used together as part of a content-driven digital marketing strategy, organic and paid search dominate website traffic. In fact, combined paid and organic search earn about 76% of total traffic for B2B companies.

6. Send Email Newsletters People Will Open – and Read 

Automation has certainly made it easier to send emails end masse, but tools like customization and segmentation mean that you can address the specific needs and pain points of your target audience.

Promoting content through email newsletters is an effective way to increase website traffic and ultimately yields one of the highest ROIs across all marketing methods.

Here are a few email marketing best practices:

• Include enticing information from the content in the subject line and in the body of the email.
• Insert a link or button that subscribers can click to read more of the content.
• Make sure emails are mobile-friendly. Links should be easy to see, since 46% of all email opens are done on mobile devices.
• Employ personalization tactics by including the name of the subscriber.
• Make the email visually appealing with the use of well-designed templates.
• Conduct A/B testing to see which versions of emails receive more opens and clicks.

7. Give Away the Good Stuff

By posting gated content/tools (offering the content and tools in exchange for the user’s contact information), you can maximize your returns and find new leads. Another way to increase website traffic is to promote the content/tools on relevant LinkedIn Groups or forums where people in the industry interact.

Start Getting More Traffic Today

These are the steps we use with our own valued clients, and we’ve seen them succeed time and again. It may not happen all at once, but by taking these steps, you can expect to see an increase in website traffic over time. Keep pushing forward by trying a variety of methods and analyzing the results