Organic traffic – it’s the holy grail of all website traffic and something that every website owner should strive to increase. Because organic traffic equates to web visitors that come to your site willingly, without being directed there by a paid advert. 
 
To get more organic traffic to your website, you’ll need to ramp up your efforts in both on-page and off-page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Here are some of the main elements to focus on… 

1. Keywords 

Keywords are words or search phrases that website visitors might type into Google (or other search engines) to find your brand, products or services online. Let’s say your business sells cupcakes for special occasions. So the keywords ‘party cupcakes’, ‘birthday cupcakes’ and ‘wedding cupcakes’ might sum up your offering. By incorporating these keywords into your website content, you could potentially increase the chances of search engines finding your site and listing it in search results. 
 
That said, choosing the right keywords to rank for is a task in itself. This is because the most popular keywords are highly competitive. So you may have to think outside the box and use long-tail keywords to describe your web content. Check out this guide for everything you need to know about keywords. 
 
Once you’ve whittled down the keywords you intend to use, you’ll need to place them in your content – in your body copy, page headings, meta titles and descriptions – and within your images as ALT text. Be mindful not to overstuff your website with keywords as search engines don’t like this and could penalise your site, causing it to rank low. This brings us to the next consideration. 

2. User-friendly content 

There should be a balance between getting keywords into your web copy and making sure your content is readable and accessible for visitors. Search engines prefer that you write for your audience and keep the content as natural as possible. It can pay dividends to hire a professional copywriter that’s familiar with the latest on-page SEO techniques to help you strike the right balance. 

3. Update website content 

One criteria search engines use in their ranking algorithm is the frequency that your website is updated. Fresh content indicates that information on your site is current. A blog provides an excellent way to update your website – even if you only publish a new post once a month, it’ll help. Plus, you can use your blog to share newsworthy content with customers or clients about your business. 
 
As well as adding new content to your website, be sure to check that your existing content is up-to-date and that internal and external links are working. 

4. Increase backlinks 

The more ‘quality’ backlinks that point to your website, the better – it shows search engines that your website is trustworthy. So what’s a quality backlink? It’s where a reputable, high ranking website links to your website. It’s not easy to get authoritative websites to link to you, but there are a few tricks you can take advantage of. 
 
For instance, YouTube, Google, LinkedIn and Wikipedia are examples of high ranking websites. If you create video content, you can create a YouTube channel and link to your website. If you set up a Google My Business profile, you can get on Google’s radar that way. Likewise, you could set up a LinkedIn social media profile and add your business to Wikipedia. In addition, try adding your business to relevant online directories. Why not partner up with local companies and agree on a reciprocal backlink? 

5. Promote your website 

Finally, this one sounds obvious but promote your website everywhere you can. Include links to your website whenever you put out a social media post. Add your web address to business cards, adverts, flyers, email campaigns and your email signature. The more you spread the word about your website, the better your chances of increasing organic traffic. 

Boost website traffic with a professionally designed website 

Before you go about ramping up your SEO efforts, make sure your website design is up to scratch. Because even if you ace the five considerations above, if the design and layout are poor, or your site takes an age to load, all that hard graft won’t matter much. 
 
If your website needs an upgrade, a brand new look, or you’d simply appreciate a no-obligation review to see what improvements could be made, we’re here to help. Get in touch today. 
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