search engine optimization

Ask a marketing expert or business owner what they want most, and they’ll likely tell you “more customers.” What typically comes after customers on a business’s wish list? More visitors to their website.

There are many ways to increase traffic to your website. In today’s article, we’ll introduce you to 25 of them, including some ways to increase traffic to your website for free.

1. Advertise

This option is so apparent that we will look at it first. Paid search, social media advertising, and present advertising (try our Smart Ads Creator!) are great ways to attract visitors, develop your brand, and get your website noticed.

Tailor your paid strategies to your goals – do you want more visitors, or do you also want to increase conversions? Each paid network has its pros and cons. Think carefully about your goals before you whip out your credit card.

If you’re hoping that more visitors to your site will also lead to more sales, you must target keywords with high commercial intent as part of your paid search strategies. Yes, competition for these keywords can be fierce (and expensive), but it can be worth it.

2. Get Social

It’s insufficient to produce great content and hopes people find it – you must be proactive. Among the best ways to drive traffic to your website is to use social media channels to promote your content.

Twitter is ideal for short, concise (and enticing) links, while Google++++ can help your site show up in personalized search results, which seems to be especially effective in B2B niches.

If you’re a B2C product company, image-heavy social sites like Pinterest and Instagram can help you attract a lot of attention. Here’s more advice on how to make the most of social media marketing.

3. Mix It Up

There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for content marketing success, despite what some would have you believe. To vary the length and format of your content to make it as appealing as possible to different readers.

Mix shorter, news-based blog posts with longer content and videos, infographics, and data-driven posts for maximum impact.

4. Write Irresistible Headlines

Headlines are one of the essential parts of your content. Without a compelling headline, even the most extensive blog post won’t get read. Master the art of headline writing.

Think carefully about your headline before you hit “publish.”

5. Pay Attention to On-Page SEO

Think SEO is dead? Wrong thinking. Optimizing your web content for search engines is still a valuable and beneficial technique. Are you making the best use of alt text from images? Are you creating internal web links to new content? What about meta descriptions? On-page SEO optimization doesn’t have to take forever and can help you increase your organic traffic.

6. Target Long-tail keywords

Have you covered your high-intent keywords and popular keywords? Then it’s time to target Long-tail keywords as well. Long-tail keywords make up a large portion of search queries on the internet. That means you’re missing out if you’re not targeting them as part of your paid search or SEO efforts.

7. Start Guest blogging

Before you say it – no, Guest blogging is not dead, although you may have heard it. A guest post on a reputable site can increase blog traffic to your site and incidentally build your brand.

Be warned, though – Guest blogging standards have changed radically in the last eighteen months, and spammy tactics can result in stiff penalties. So proceed with caution.

8. Invite Others to Guest Blog on Your Site

Guest blogging is a two-way street. Don’t just publish content on other blogs; invite people from your niche to blog on your site. They will likely share and link to their guest article, which could bring new readers to your site.

However, make sure you only post quality, original content with no spam links because Google+++ cracks down on low-quality guest blogs.

9. Go After Referral Traffic

Instead of trying to convince other sites to link to you (a tedious and time-consuming process), create content that is just begging to be linked to.

10. Post Content to LinkedIn

LinkedIn has become far more than a means to find a new job. The world’s largest social network for professionals is now a valuable publishing platform, which means you should regularly post content on LinkedIn. This can drive traffic to your website and raise your profile in your industry – especially if you have a medium to a huge following.

11. Implement Schema Microdata

Implementing Schema (or any other microdata format) doesn’t necessarily increase traffic to your site, but it does make it much easier for search engine bots to find and index your pages.

Another benefit of using schema for SEO is that it can lead to better rich site snippets, improving click-through rates.

12. Link Internally

The strength of your link profile depends not only on how many sites link to you but also on your internal link structure. When creating and publishing content, look for opportunities for internal links.

Not only does this help with search engine optimization, but it also leads to a better, more helpful experience for the user – the cornerstone for more visitors to your site.

13. Interview Industry Thought Leaders

Do you think interviews are only for the big guys in the industry? Send out emails asking to interview thought leaders in your industry and post the interviews on your blog. You’ll be amazed at how many people agree to talk to you if you ask them.

Not only will the name recognition increase your credibility and drive traffic to your website, but the interviewee will likely share the content, further increasing your reach.

14. Don’t Neglect Email marketing

Many companies focus on attracting new customers via content marketing that they ignore much more traditional methods. Email marketing can be a powerful tool, and even a moderately successful email send can significantly increase traffic.

Just make sure you don’t bombard your customers with constant emails about every single innovation in your business. Also, don’t neglect the power of word-of-mouth marketing, especially from people already using your products or services.

Even a friendly email reminder about a new service or product can help you increase your traffic.

15. Make Sure Your Site is Responsive

When surfing the Internet taking location specifically on desktop PCs is long gone, the days. Today, more people than ever are using mobile devices to access the Internet. If you force your visitors to dig and scroll through your website, you’re asking them to go somewhere else.

Even if you have a simple website, you need to make sure it’s accessible and comfortable to view on various devices, including smaller smartphones.

16. Make Sure Your Site is Fast

Have you ever waited thirty seconds for a website to load? Neither have I. If your website takes forever to load, your bounce rate will skyrocket.

Ensure your pages are as technically optimized as possible, including image file size, page structure, and third-party plugin functionality. The faster your website loads, the better.

17. Foster a Sense of Community

People want to speak their minds and express themselves on topics they care about. Therefore, building a community on your website is a great way to start a conversation and drive traffic to your site.

Implement a robust commenting system using third-party solutions like Facebook Comments or Disqus, or develop a specialized discussion forum where visitors can ask questions. However, don’t forget to manage your community to ensure minimum standards of decency are met.

18. Make Yourself Heard in Comment Sections

You probably visit at least a few websites relevant to your business regularly.

Comments don’t necessarily lead to an immediate increase in traffic, but making a name for yourself by writing insightful, thought-provoking Comments on industry blogs and sites is a great way to get your name out there – which in turn can lead to more traffic to your site.

Remember that, as with guest posts, quality, and relevance are essential – you should share with other people in your niche and not spamming links on unrelated sites.

19. Examine Your Analytics data

Google Analytics is an important source of information on almost every conceivable aspect of your website, from the most popular pages to visitor demographics. Maintain a close eye on your Analytics data and use this information to optimize your advertising and content strategies.

Take note of which posts and pages are proving most popular. Review visitor data to see how, where, and when your website traffic is coming in.

20. Get Active on social media

It’s not enough to distribute content through social channels – you also need to participate in the community actively. Do you have a Twitter account? Then participate in group discussions with relevant hashtags. Does your audience leave Comments on your Facebook posts?

Answer questions and engage with your readers. Nothing scares people away faster than using social media as a broadcast channel – use social media as it’s meant to be used and interact with your fans.

21. Submit Your Content to Aggregator Sites

First, a note: don’t spam on Reddit and other similar sites in hopes of hitting the “jackpot” of traffic because it’s not going to happen.

Members of communities like Reddit are exceptionally savvy about spam disguised as legitimate links. Still, it doesn’t hurt to submit links that this audience will find helpful every once in a while. Choose a relevant subreddit, submit your content, and watch the traffic roll in.

22. Incorporate Video into Your Content Strategy

Text-based web content is all well and good, but videos can be a valuable tool for attracting new guests and making your website more engaging. The information shows that details retention is significantly higher with visuals than with text. This means that video marketing is a great way to grab – and hold – your audience’s attention while driving traffic to your website.

23. Research the Competition

You’re at massive cons if you’re not using software like BuzzSumo to discover what your competitors are doing. These services aggregate the social performance of certain websites and content to show you at a glance what topics are resonating with readers and making the rounds on social media in particular.

Search out what people are reading (and talking about) and mimic that kind of content to drive traffic to your website.

24. Host Webinars

People love to learn, and webinars are a great way to share your knowledge with your eagerly waiting audience.

Combined with an effective social media advertising campaign, webinars are a great way to drive traffic to your website. Send out an email about a week before the event and a “last chance to register” reminder the day before the webinar.

Be sure to archive the presentation so you can view it later and promote your webinars on social media. If you’re wondering how to run a webinar, click the link for some tips.

25. Attend Conferences

Regardless of the industry, you’re in, there are probably at least one or two major conventions and conferences relevant to your business. Attending these events is a good idea – speaking at them is even better.

Even a half-decent speaking engagement is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and get your website noticed.

Maintaining website traffic

Maintaining website traffic refers to the ongoing effort to sustain the level of visitors or users who regularly access a website over a period of time.

Here are some points to Maintaining website traffic:

1) Make Sure That Your Site Is Up-To-Date

You need a good site design that is up-to-date with the latest trends in web development. This will help keep visitors on your page longer as they can see what has changed since their last visit. You should also make sure that all of your pages have been updated within the past year or so. If not, then it may be time for an update!

2) Create A Blog On Your Website

Blogging helps you build authority online by creating content that people want to read. It allows you to share information that other websites don’t cover well enough. When someone visits your blog, they’ll often stay there long after visiting your main website because blogs tend to be more engaging than static sites.

3) Add Social Media Links To Your Page

Adding social media links will allow people who visit your site to connect with other users through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. This is an effective way to increase the number of visits to your site as it helps build relationships between your company and its customers.

4) Use Keywords And Tags Properly

Keywords are words that describe your products or services. They’re used when searching Google or Bing. Using them correctly increases your chances of being found by potential clients. For example, if you sell dog food, use “dog” and “food” as tags instead of just using one word like “dogs”. The same goes for any product or service you offer.

5) Optimize Images & Videos For Search Engines

Images and videos are great ways to attract new visitors to your site but search engines won’t rank these items very highly unless they contain certain keywords. So, before uploading pictures or video files to your site, add relevant text descriptions to each image/video file. Also, include those keywords throughout the body copy of your webpage.

6) Include Calls-To-Action

A call to action is something that encourages action from readers. CTA’s usually appear at the end of paragraphs or sentences. Examples include “Click Here Now” or “Buy Now”. These types of CTAs work best when paired with images or videos.

What is included in the Website Maintenance Services List?

We’ve already explained why website maintenance matters. Let’s look at the essential services part of the Website Maintenance Services List.

Here is the list you need to keep an eye on regarding website maintenance.

1. Scan for Vulnerabilities

Website security should be the primary reason why websites need to be maintained. Regularly scanning your website ensures that it isn’t hacked or taken over. Check for the spam messages that may have passed through your filters.

2. Repairs and Fixes

Check both internal and external links. A link checker can be run to look for broken links that frustrate the users and reduce the search engine rankings.

3. Browser Compatibility Testing

Ensure that all aspects of your site work well in the most commonly used browsers. You need to ensure your website works well for everyone.

4. Software Update

The critical software your site relies on should be updated. For example, CMSs, themes, and plugin systems. Also, upgrade non-critical software if they are worth applying.

5. Website Backups

Database backups would be automatically performed weekly and restored at least once a month.

6. Site Speed

This is a significant point to check. Use Yahoo’s YSlow or Google Pagespeed Insights to identify the issues slowing your site’s speed.

7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

With SEO, you identify the issues that affect your site’s ranking so that you can fix them.

8. Analytics

Check the crucial metrics of your website and the trends in those metrics using the Google Analytics dashboard.

9. Functionality

Ensure that you check all the essential functions, including filling out forms, contacting people, and checking out.

10. Website Content

Updating content on websites makes them fresh and up-to-date for users and search engines alike. So, regularly review your content, fix any mistakes, and upload the updated information with targeted words in an improved style.

Well, these are the basics of website maintenance services. Businesses may go deeper into their websites based on their websites, but they shouldn’t ignore them. It’s essential to nurture and maintain your website if you want to succeed online. Maintenance ensures the web page’s performance is at its peak. It removes errors, secures the web page against attacks, and delivers the best user experience to the customers.

Why is website maintenance necessary?

Potential customers are most often searching for relevant information, quality content, and expert advice at the same time. This is when website maintenance becomes crucial. Regular content revisions will keep your website engaging and maintain a high search engine ranking.

There are numerous other reasons to keep your website updated regularly, including:

Enhances User Satisfaction

View your website from the perspective of a visitor. If the loading speed is slow and there is broken content everywhere, you will get annoyed. However, you will be pleased if the website is well-maintained, with good web design and necessary details. Your top priority is to provide an excellent user experience. Visitors will be impressed with a well-designed website, encouraging their use of your products and services. If you suggest your brand to family members and friends, they become your brand promoters.

Improves Your SEO

Google prefers websites that are well-optimized and provide the best value for their visitors. If your website’s redirection pages aren’t working, your company’s search engine ranking will suffer. If Google finds any issues on your website, you may be deindexed. Your website’s primary purpose is to attract visitors, so updating your site with relevant content, news, keywords, etc., can help keep you current.

Boosts Protection

Security is the most important thing when it comes to websites. Regularly updating your website with new features and security patches is essential for keeping your site safe and secure. Hackers may be interested in websites that haven’t been updated for a long time. If you fail to address security issues for a prolonged period, you may face downtime or even total business failure.

What does website maintenance cost?

Keeping your site consistent and working requires regular maintenance. There are many factors to consider when choosing a hosting web service, including website design, market­ing tactics, frequent software updates, and domain and storage costs.

Moreover, the platform and functionalities you select when creating a website impact its ongoing costs. The costs of using a website builder versus a content management system will be considerably different.

All domain name renewal fees, web hosting plan rates, and SSL license charges are included in website maintenance costs since they’re required to keep your website online. Next, there are the costs of email accounts, specialized tech­nical support, and eCommerce serv­ices, which vary depending on the kind of website you’re building.

Other costs such as web hosting, plugins, and search optimization (SEO) help improve the site’s operation and increase traffic. The amount of money spent on each category depends on the needs of your website, so you need to determine how much money you want to spend on each category. We’ll look at nine essential website maintenance costs to help you plan your website budget.

Before choosing a web maintenance plan:

1. Make a list of your needs.
2. Compare different service providers’ offers.
3. Look at the estimated website maintenance costs for different types of websites.

The following are the critical website maintenance costs:

• $10-$20 per year for a domain name.
• SSL certificates are available for $0-$50 per month.
• Web hosting services range from $2.75 to $15.00 per month.
• Email hosting costs between $1 and $5 per month.
• $0-$1,000 per month for technical support.
• $0-$800/month for search engine optimization.
• Updates to the content – $0 – $3,000 in total.
• $0-$200/month for general updates.

You’re all prepared to keep up the excellent job with all these steps in mind!

Now that you know the average website maintenance cost, you can create an appropriate budget for website maintenance. The output is a list of sentences with paraphrasing. You should keep in mind that your costs may vary depending on the type of site that you’re running: an eCommerce site accepting payments on-site will require more SSL security, for example, than a personal blog. You may be able to get most of the services you need for free if you use a website builder. However, some basic fees will be included with your plan.

Website maintenance checklist:

Following an effective maintenance plan guarantees that your site continues serving as one of your most valuable marketing tools. We’ve created a checklist of actions to keep your website up to date-and running smoothly for your visitors.

 Here’s a comprehensive list of website upkeep tasks to keep in mind:

1. Website Maintenance Checklist every week

• Verify for 404 errors and, if any exist, correct them.
• To enhance SEO traffic, publish one or more blogs.
• Check to see that all of the forms are functioning correctly.
• Create a blog article to promote in your community.
• Look for any broken links.
• Plugins and software that are vital to the system should be updated.

2. Website Maintenance Checklist every month

• Perform a security audit.
• Check loading speed and resolve any errors as soon as possible.
• Analyze the most important statistics.
• Ensure that your website is visible in local searches.
• Make changes to the material to make it more relevant.
• Analyze the most and most negligible prevalent content on the website.

3. Website Maintenance Checklist quarterly

• Look for any areas where you can improve the content.
• Graphics and images should be updated.
• Meta descriptions and titles should be updated.
• Keep track of your website’s backups.
• Check if popups, forms, and other features are functioning correctly.
• Examine your website on the most widely used browsers and devices.
• Examine the uptime logs – if it’s less than 99.9%, take action.
• Check to see if your site is mobile-friendly.

4. Website Maintenance Checklist every year

• Consider updating your website’s design.
• Revise the copyright information in the footer as well as any references.
• Domain names should be renewed.
• Examine the content for accuracy.
• Your best-performing blogs should be updated.

Wrap Up

The web is constantly changing, and so are the standards used by social media platforms, web browsers, and other websites. You might have heard, for example, that SSL is becoming a requirement for websites and that not having it could harm how people perceive and find your website. SSL is a great security measure for your website. Still, it’s not easy to install, and the work can usually be compensated under a regular monthly maintenance contract if appropriately managed.

A great way to supplement your monthly revenue is to offer a website maintenance service. It will not only improve your sales but will also keep your current customers engaged. Eventually, this will aid in your growth. It may require some initial investment, but you’ll be successful before you know it as long as you’ve got the larger picture in mind.

We hope that this article has helped you see how important it is to include website maintenance services as part of your website design process and to keep your website healthy in the long run.

Contact mywebmaintenance.com if you need a new website or want to upgrade your present one. Aside from website design and construction, we can also assist you with custom web development services, and even more.

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