4 Highly Effective Traffic-Building Techniques for New Websites

As a new website owner, building site traffic from the ground up can seem an overwhelming process, if not entirely impossible. With the immense number of websites already leading the way in search engine rankings, how is it even possible to build your own website traffic?

Remember that even the most popular websites began with zero visitors, and their audience grew over a period of months and years. They used a variety of traffic-building techniques to develop their audience, and so can you.

In this post, we’ll start by discussing the value of quality site traffic. We’ll then introduce you to four ideas for optimizing website traffic which you can begin to implement immediately. Let’s get cracking!

Why High-Quality Site Traffic is So Important

As a beginner, you may feel that any traffic is good traffic. However, high traffic numbers won’t mean anything if visitors aren’t of a suitable ‘quality’. What exactly do we mean by ‘quality’ traffic, though?

In this context, quality refers to how well the visitors directed to your site line up with your target audience and enable you to reach your website’s goals (sales, business enquiries, bookings, etc).

The more quality traffic you have coming to your site, the higher your conversion rates and the easier it is to meet your targets. Better still, quality traffic – represented by objective data such as bounce rate, page views, and time on site – offer exponential growth via search engines such as Google.

Further reading
Conversions vs. Traffic: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
How to Make Your Website More Click-Worthy with Goals, Words and Common Sense
The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Google Analytics

Traffic-Building Techniques That Work

As you now know, attracting quality visitors to your new website is important. However, it can be difficult to know where to start. With that in mind, here we offer you four of the best traffic-building techniques you can begin implementing today.

1. Create Shareable Content

Whether your content is thought-provoking, engaging, enraging, or even just entertaining, if it’s something people feel compelled to share, you’ll see that reflected in your site’s traffic stats.

When creating shareable content, there are two major points you’ll want to remember:

1. Answer what’s being asked. Craft content around search phrases that your audience are likely using. Even if you just type a few words into the Google search bar and let it auto populate, you’ll still be in a better position than bloggers who don’t consider their readers’ needs.
2. Offer value. This can be in the form of depth, actionable steps, and/or engagement. When your readers come away with something valuable, they’ll be far more likely to share and promote.

There’s no secret to creating shareable content – simply listen to your target audience and give them what they need.

Further reading
The Nine Ingredients That Make Great Content
Create Valuable Content In 5 Easy Steps

2. Optimize Your Site for Search Engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process used by website owners to climb higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). While SEO can seem intimidating to newbie bloggers, the process itself need not be time-consuming or overcomplicated, and the upside can be huge.

So, what can you do right now to boost your rankings? Here are three key things to bear in mind:

1. Optimize your webpages. In short, do everything within your power to ensure that search engines understand and value your content.
2. Create new content consistently. Fresh content will keep your SERP rankings stable, enable you to target additional keywords and engage repeat site visitors.
3. Establish an off-site presence. Become an authority in your industry by starting conversations and offering value off-site. This will increase backlinks and referrals, directly impacting SERP rankings.

As previously stated, SEO doesn’t have to be difficult, especially when you focus on the basics and build from there.

Further reading
A Simple Step by Step Guide to SEO
What Is: Backlink
On-Page SEO: Anatomy of a Perfectly Optimized Page (2018 Update)
The plain English guide to Yoast SEO

3. Guest Post on Niche Blogs

As a traffic building technique, guest blogging doesn’t just drive people to your site – it gives you access to an audience, i.e. visitors who actually take the time to read and share your content, or click beyond the first page.

Leveraging guest posts to lead visitors to your site doesn’t have to be difficult. To improve the effectiveness of your efforts, consider these points:

1. Target the right blogs. Guest post only on blogs that offer a suitable audience for your site. This will help you to draw in quality leads.
2. Interact within the comments. Respond positively and you will come across as personable and helpful – two traits that may lead more readers to check out your site.

Of course, you must also include links to your own site where possible. Many blogs will allow you to do so in the author bio, but don’t be afraid to do so in the body of the article as well. Keep links relevant and natural to avoid salesy overtones. You’re offering value to the readers of your guest post, not trying to directly ‘sell’ them on visiting your website.

Further reading
The Ultimate Guide to Guest Blogging
The difference between traffic and audience
How To Find Your Target Audience And Create The Best Content That Connects 70

4. Get Active on Social Media

Even when you’re just getting started, a strong social media presence can lend itself to some serious website growth in the long run.

Think of social media as an experiment. That’s what Scott and his team did over on the HubSpot Sales blog, and they grew their traffic by 241% in eight months.

To get started building up a social media following, follow these three key steps:

1. Choose just one or two social networks to work with. Better to focus your efforts than dilute your influence over a number of accounts. Pick one or two social networks that you feel your audience is most likely to be hanging out on.
2. Set goals. You won’t know whether you’re moving in the right direction unless you know what your direction is. Set quantifiable goals (e.g. number of followers, engagement metrics, referrals to your site) so you know what you’re trying to achieve.
3. Test and measure. The options and possibilities with social media are endless. The simplest way for you to deal with this conundrum is to pick an approach and measure the outcome in relation to your goals. Stick with and optimize what works, discard what doesn’t, and keep testing!

Most importantly, ensure that you are consistent and unceasing in your social media efforts. Focus on consistency and value, and the benefits will soon follow.

Further reading
The Ultimate Guide to Using Social Media for Business
7 Powerful Social Media Experiments That Grew Our Traffic by 241%

Conclusion

As the owner of a fledgling website, you can’t expect to draw quality traffic immediately. You can, however, apply a number of techniques to your traffic-building efforts and benefit from a steadily growing readership over time.

In the above post, we outlined the importance of quality web traffic. We also provided you with four easy-to-implement tactics to grow your site from zero. To recap:

1. Create shareable content.
2. Optimize your site for search engines.
3. Guest post on niche blogs.
4. Get active on social media.

Do you have any questions about any of the four steps above? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image credit: Pixabay