32 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website
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If you want your online store or website to succeed and grow, people need to be able to find it. You need eyes on your latest blog post, customers browsing your product pages, and loyal fans following along with your business.
But, how do you get traffic to your website? In this guide, I’ll share over 30 expert tips to help you encourage more visitors online, whether that’s brushing up on your SEO basics or engaging with your audience. All of these efforts contribute toward improving your site’s SEO and creating value for your readers.
#1. Optimizing Pages
If you want to know how to increase traffic to your website, optimizing your pages should be the first step. Bring out the best in each page so search engines can recognize the value and relevance of your work. This means adding title tags, meta descriptions, optimized URLs, and more.
Not only does this make it easier for Google when crawling your pages, but it also helps readers find the content they’re after. And, with Google’s regular algorithm updates, it’s important to stay on top of the latest guidelines and advice. With an effective on-page SEO strategy in place, your website is more likely to rank well, resulting in a traffic boost.
#2. Demonstrating EEAT
What does EEAT stand for? The phrase was first introduced by Google in 2018 and revised in 2022, adding Experience to the existing Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. Since then, Google has looked favorably upon content that’s genuinely helpful to readers and provides unique real-world insights.
Adding EEAT to your website can be as simple as sharing your own experiences with a product, or inserting quotes from experts to show your authority and expertise in a subject matter. You can also add original imagery to your content to further show Google that your site is a trustworthy source and you’re not copying content or using AI.
These actions can help increase your site’s organic traffic since Google is more likely to rank pages that demonstrate EEAT.
#3. Writing High-Quality Content
Creating high-quality and engaging content will help you attract more visitors to your site since you’re providing a useful resource. Whether that’s a blog post, review guide, or news article, your content can boost your site’s authority and rankings in the SERPs.
Here are some top tips to follow when writing content:
- Post regularly – fresh content sends a signal to search engines that your site is active and maintained, and visitors are more likely to see your content in search results
- Offer answers and solutions – this content could look like a review sharing product recommendations or an informative blog post about a niche topic
- Consider what’s valuable – relevant and helpful content will encourage readers to return to your site
#4. Sending Emails & Newsletters
Another great method to increase traffic to your website is to build a subscriber base or email list. You can deliver content directly to someone’s inbox, encouraging them to return to your site for the latest deals, products, or content.
Thankfully, most website builders, such as Wix, provide pre-designed elements you can add to your website (e.g. newsletter sign-up boxes). It’s a quick and painless way to capture new readers.
#5. Acquiring Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are an off-page SEO strategy where a high authority site links back to your site, lending credibility to your business and building trust. Here’s how you can get quality backlinks for your website:
- Focus on quality and relevance
- Seek local backlinks
- Identify gaps in the market
- Build a network of connections online
Do backlinks still matter? I asked SEO experts to weigh in, and the result was a unanimous yes. Backlinks contribute to your brand’s SEO visibility and authority – and, as a result, help you increase your website traffic.
#6. Adding Internal Links
Internal links are a useful way to keep visitors on your site for as long as possible. You want to keep people engaged, instead of leaving them unsatisfied which could risk pushing them away to a competitor site.
Think of the journey you want your visitors to take. How can they get from A to B? What content could be useful for them to be directed to? I recommend building a solid internal linking strategy to champion pillar pages and related content. Not only does this help users navigate your website – and potentially convert – but it can also improve your site’s position in search results.
Top Tip 💡
Make sure you use appropriate anchor text when linking to another page. Ideally, the link text should reflect your primary keyword or purpose of the article. This helps readers know exactly what they’re clicking on.For example, if I wanted you to click through to our list of the best website builders, something vague like “click here” provides no information to the reader. Instead, I’d use “best website builders” as the anchor text.
#7. Carrying Out Keyword Research
It can be hard to encourage more traffic to your site without the help of keywords. These are terms and phrases that people use when searching – Google will scan websites for these keywords and present the search results that match the query the best. Adding optimized keywords to your content gives your pages a better chance of ranking.
So, how can you carry out keyword research for your site? Assess what your audience is searching for via tools like Semrush (free to use with a Wix website), Google Analytics, and Google Search Console. These tools will help you uncover the phrases people use to find your site, what keywords are being used by your competitors, and how often your site appears in search results.
#8. Identifying Your Target Audience
Understanding your audience and market is key for any website owner, particularly if you’re looking to increase your traffic. To find your target audience, I recommend creating detailed personas and reviewing any customer data you already have. This can help you identify common likes, needs, and pain points.
Once the research is complete, you can determine what topics and content ideas will appeal to your audience the most. And, you’ll know what to avoid as well.
#9. Running Paid Ads
I’ve mentioned a few methods to boost your site’s organic traffic, but have you considered paying for more visitors? Get a quick bump in your traffic through paid advertising strategies, such as sponsored posts on Instagram or pay-per-click ads.
It’s good to keep things varied, too. While running paid ads can be a fast solution to any traffic problems, it shouldn’t be the only method you rely on.
#10. Leveraging Social Media
When seeking more website traffic, it’s important to keep things diverse to avoid missing out on engagement. Social media is a great tool for increasing traffic since people are already lurking and posting on those platforms.
As a website owner, you can create or repurpose content to use on social media channels, such as TikTok and Instagram. For example, content ideas could include product recommendations, business updates, personal stories, and more. You can also introduce a social media SEO strategy to better optimize your content.
I recommend adding social buttons to your website and content so visitors can easily share and promote your work across other platforms.
Did You Know? 💭
More people – particularly Gen Zers – use TikTok as a search engine. Thanks to its search functionality and relatable videos, TikTok has become a one-stop destination for content and information. So, it’s important to understand how your audience searches for and engages with brands if you want to increase traffic back to your website.#11. Working With Influencers
Encouraging more website visitors takes time and work, but working alongside influencers can be a great budget-friendly way to boost traffic. Customers who follow influencers are already engaged and loyal, and they’re more likely to buy a product if someone they trust recommends it.
My advice? Do your research and find the influencers already working within your niche, not just those with the highest follower count.
#12. Monitoring Data
You can use free SEO tools, such as Google Analytics 4 or Google Search Console, to monitor your site’s performance and audience behavior. Having this data can help shape your content or marketing strategies, identify areas to improve across your site, and see what is or isn’t adding value to your visitors.
Most major website builders integrate seamlessly with these tools, making it easy to manage and oversee your site from a single hub.
#13. Optimizing for Mobile Users
Most of us are glued to our phones, and over 90% of people use them to get online instead of a laptop or desktop. That’s why you shouldn’t overlook mobile visitors when designing your website. In fact, Google operates a mobile-first approach when it comes to indexing sites.
So, how can you make sure your site is mobile-friendly? Optimize your pages with responsive elements that adapt to the screen size, avoid overwhelming your site with large chunks of text, and make sure users can navigate between pages with ease. These are just a few examples of what you can change to improve the user experience.
#14. Using Structured Data
Using structured data on your site – code that provides information about what’s on the page – can help boost your site’s traffic by improving your chances of appearing in rich snippets.
What Are Rich Snippets?
Rich snippets are when Google shows additional details with a search result, such as images and pricing. This gives the user more information ahead of clicking through to a website.Structured data helps search engines understand the content you’re showing. Without it, it can be difficult for Google to know what to recommend in search results. Some website builders automatically generate structured data markup for select pages, or you can customize them yourself.
#15. Offering Deals and Discounts
Want to know a sure-fire way to increase traffic to your website? Encourage people to visit your site by offering exclusive or time-sensitive deals – everyone loves a bargain! This could coincide with a new product launch or holiday season, or you could welcome new email subscribers with a unique discount code.
#16. Setting Up Contests and Giveaways
Similarly to deals and discounts, you can entice more people to your website through contests or giveaways. For example, you could set up a giveaway for your latest products and share it in your newsletter, or you could pick a lucky winner from the comments of a social media post to receive a prize.
Contests and giveaways can help your site see a surge in traffic as people rush to take part. Plus, it’s a great way to reward your loyal customers and followers. And, hopefully, you’ll pick up more loyal customers throughout the process!
#17. Engaging With Your Community
If you regularly engage with your target audience and produce well-received content, people will remember and revisit your site later. Customers who have a happy experience are also more likely to recommend your site to friends and family, so getting involved with your community adds great value to your business.
Whether you respond to comments on social media or answer customer queries via email, building an engaged community online can help to drive traffic to your website. You’re adding value and helping people, all the while humanizing the brand.
#18. Sharing User-Generated Content
When it’s time to purchase a product or service, customers trust other customers. So, if you want to know how to increase traffic to your website, consider sharing content created by actual people to build credibility and authenticity.
User-generated content is essentially a free marketing tool – you’ll get more eyes on your site while engaging with your community. If you want to share user-generated content (UGC), check its quality and make sure you get permission from the content owner.
#19. Diversifying Content
You don’t want to put all of your eggs in one basket. Diversifying your content – and not just relying on your website – can help increase traffic to your site, since you’re reaching a wider audience and directing them back to your pages.
I’ve touched on a few areas already, such as social media and newsletters, but you could also create a video marketing strategy or connect with people through podcasts. The opportunities are endless!
➡️ See our guide on video SEO optimization to help your content get found by the right audience.
#20. Improving SEO Skills
This list details ways to increase traffic to your website, and many of these methods fall under the SEO umbrella. So, I suggest improving your overall SEO skills to better optimize your site and content. It can be a complex subject (so, I recommend starting with our useful SEO glossary article) and it’s important to give yourself the time to understand the benefits.
Having the knowledge to support your decisions – and feeling comfortable making those SEO improvements – can make a world of difference.
How much does SEO cost? Implementing an SEO strategy can be expensive for some businesses, but there are plenty of free online resources out there, such as SEO courses and SEO newsletters. These resources let you learn in your own time and at your own pace.
I’ve been taking Wix’s SEO course in my spare time and would highly recommend it if you’re looking for something that covers a broad range of SEO topics, from the basics to technical SEO guidance. I’ve been impressed by every course module (all run by SEO professionals) and often find myself returning to them for a quick refresher. Plus, there’s a quiz to take at the end of each class to make sure you’ve understood what’s been covered.
#21. Revisiting and Repurposing Content
There’s nothing worse than visiting a site’s blog post for an answer, only to see that the content hasn’t been updated in years. There can be real value in revisiting old content to see if anything is outdated, and spotting areas that you can improve, such as adding fresh statistics.
Another useful way to boost traffic to your website is to repurpose existing content, especially if you’re low on content ideas. As I’ve mentioned already, you can cut and adapt copy, imagery, and videos for other channels, such as TikTok. And vice versa. A viral social post could be transformed into a long-form blog article.
#22. Connecting Locally
If your business has a physical presence, whether that’s a retail location or you work in markets and pop-ups, you should consider your local SEO strategy. Of course, it’s important not to forget international SEO guidelines, but I urge you to think a little closer to home as well.
Ranking for local search terms can be a useful way to boost traffic to your site. But, that’s not all you can do to improve your local SEO. Make sure your business information is up to date so Google can show relevant local search results and customers can find you.
Did You Know? 💭
There have been recent updates to the Google Business Profile guidelines for service-area businesses – you can read our article on the changes to find out more.#23. Building a Network
It’s a classic, but building a digital – and in-person – network can help build traffic to your website organically. There are a few different methods I’d recommend:
- Attend local networking events to promote your business
- Sign up for an SEO conference or industry-specialized talk
- Follow experts and influencers on socials and engage with their posts
You can then rely on these connections for future opportunities, such as guest posting or influencer collaborations.
#24. Embedding QR Codes
Encourage people to visit your website via a QR code, instead of a standard link. QR codes can be placed into every setting, including your website, online ads, social media platforms, and product packaging.
Just remember, you need people to interact with the QR codes. Like signing up for a newsletter, what reward can you offer to make it sound more appealing? You want the person to complete an action – in this case, visit your website – so maybe you can promote a special first-time visit discount to people who use the QR code.
#25. Answering Questions on Forums
Forums like Quora and Reddit rank incredibly well in search engines, so you could engage with your community and target audience in these spaces to drive more traffic to your site.
Be authentic and personal when answering any questions or engaging in a discussion. No one wants to feel like a business is promoting their products just to make a sale – listen to what people are saying, sympathize with their pain points, and suggest a solution in a genuinely helpful way.
➡️ You might’ve seen Reddit pop up more and more in search results nowadays, but do you know the history between Google and Reddit’s search partnership?
#26. Testing Ideas
There’s always room for improvement, especially for websites in an ever-evolving digital space. But, when it’s time to update your navigation or restructure your product pages, consider A/B testing if you want to minimize risks and receive insightful customer data.
By testing, you can identify what your visitors interact with the most and what might need attention. These insights and recommendations can help you shape your content strategy and the overall user experience.
#27. Adding a Sitemap
A sitemap – which maps out your site content – is used by search engines to index and rank your pages. It’s not an SEO step to ignore when you’re looking to increase traffic. The good news is that website builders will usually generate a sitemap for you.
Ideally, a sitemap will work in tandem with other SEO strategies, such as a good internal linking structure and high-quality content.
#28. Writing Guest Posts
Writing guest posts for other websites not only brings attention to your website or business but it also boosts your expertise and authority. Sharing your knowledge sends signals to both search engines and potential visitors that you’re a trustworthy and reliable source.
The best way to start is to find other websites that align with your business goals and industry area. If you run a dog grooming business, you’ll want to write guest posts for other pet-related brands to attract the right audience back to your site.
#29. Personalizing Landing Pages
Make your site experience more inviting by adding personalized landing pages. This is a great way to track engagement, but it also delivers a memorable first impression to new visitors. If a visitor feels like they’re receiving special attention, they’re more likely to engage with your website and return in the future.
This can also be a useful strategy if you’re trying to guide your visitors or customers toward a specific action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a membership.
#30. Requesting Reviews
Asking customers for reviews and feedback is another great way to engage with your audience – and increase traffic to your website. It’s useful to hear about customer desires and pain points, but you can also request reviews from established bloggers or influencers.
This type of review content, which will link back to your website, can encourage more traffic to your pages and provide customers with the reassurance they need before making a purchase.
#31. Generating Affiliate Links
To set up an affiliate program, you’ll need to build partnerships – with influencers or other related businesses – and set aside some budget.
Affiliates can generate content, such as blog posts or social media videos, which encourage people to purchase your products. Customers can then follow unique affiliate links to your site (increasing your traffic), and the affiliate will earn a commission.
#32. Auditing Your Site
My final recommendation for increasing your traffic is to carry out a website audit every once in a while. Think of it as a spring clean or a digital tidy – it’s a useful way to catch any issues and assess the overall user experience. For example, you could:
- Fix and replace any broken links to improve your internal linking structure
- Remove any duplicate or outdated content – and flag content that needs refreshing
- Identify areas on your site to improve, such as the navigation bar
- Work on improving your website’s load times – slow pages can impact your site’s visibility in the SERPs and you risk frustrating visitors
Increasing Website Traffic: Next Steps
With over 30 recommendations listed here to help you increase your website traffic, it might seem like a daunting task. But, even just actioning a few of these can help to get your website seen by more people – find what method works best for your site, your schedule, and your budget.
It’s not an overnight process, either. Keep chipping away at it to build up your traffic over time, whether that’s optimizing your pages, engaging with your audience, or creating personalized content.
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