Building Up Organic Traffic To Use For Digital Marketing And Business Growth

Building up organic traffic is essential for the long-term success of any online business. Unlike paid traffic, which can be costly and unsustainable, organic traffic offers a cost-effective and enduring way to attract and engage customers. There are many reasons to utilize organic traffic, and many benefits it offers. In a quick summary; the downside of it is that it takes time to build up, but the rewards of it far outweigh the cons.

Understanding Organic Traffic

What is Organic Traffic?

Organic traffic refers to visitors who land on your website as a result of unpaid search results from search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. This type of traffic is earned through high-quality content, effective SEO practices, and a strong online presence. This type of traffic, you typically don’t have to pay for.

There are many ways to get it, but it’s effectively using digital marketing strategies to direct people to your website and ultimately contribute to business growth. It has to be done right though. It doesn’t just happen overnight.

In this blog post; we’ll go over the types of organic traffic, and a step-by-step how-to, for making them work for your business. So buckle up, and maybe take some notes!

Sources of Organic Traffic

Search Engines: The most significant source, driven by SEO efforts.
Social Media: Traffic from social platforms through organic posts.
Direct Visits: Users who type your URL directly into their browser.
Referrals: Visitors from other websites linking to your content.

Benefits of Organic Traffic

Long-term Sustainability: Once established, organic traffic can continue to bring visitors without ongoing costs.
Higher Engagement and Conversion Rates: Organic visitors tend to be more engaged and have higher conversion rates.
Increased Credibility and Trustworthiness: High rankings in search results boost your credibility.

Building Organic Traffic

1. SEO Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is something that cannot be laughed at when it comes to building an online business. You can have the best website in the world, the greatest content put out, and even be the most knowledgeable in your field, but it won’t matter. If the search engines don’t see your website, there’s no way you’re going to get good traffic. And you definitely won’t get customers.

A lot of people want to skip this because they can use paid advertising to drive traffic to their business. But this isn’t a good idea for two reasons.

1. If your business runs entirely on advertisements to get seen, you could suffer if the algorithm changes at all. Plus, that’s only one source of traffic. Just like you don’t want to invest all of your money into one type of investment, you want to spread out your sources of income so that if one goes down, you’re still set to succeed.

2. It gets pricey. Yes, if your website is properly converting and brings in a lot of customers, it could pay for itself. But what if it doesn’t? You’d be hit pretty hard by the growing cost with no income to even balance it out. Plus, even if it does pay for itself; wouldn’t it be pretty nice to have plenty of customers coming to your site because they like your content and your brand instead of just having clicked on a paid advertisement?

I know I would. They’re also easier to convert. Because they’re there because they already know they like your stuff. Those who clicked on the paid advertisement may have been curious, or it may have been an accidental click that they exited out of before your website even finished loading. (A click you’re still charged for.)

Keyword Research

Step-by-Step:
1. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find relevant keywords.
2. Focus on long-tail keywords that are specific and less competitive.
3. Analyze competitor keywords to find gaps and opportunities.
Tip: Aim for keywords with high search volume and low competition.

On-Page SEO

Step-by-Step:
1. Include primary keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions.
2. Use alt text for images to improve accessibility and SEO.
3. Ensure content is high-quality, informative, and engaging.
Tip: Keep keyword density natural to avoid keyword stuffing penalties.

Technical SEO

Step-by-Step:
1. Improve site speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
2. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly.
3. Implement structured data (schema markup) to enhance search result listings.
Tip: Regularly check and fix broken links and 404 errors.

Off-Page SEO

Step-by-Step:
1. Build backlinks from reputable sites through guest posting and partnerships.
2. Encourage social sharing of your content.
3. Collect online reviews and testimonials.
Tip: Focus on quality over quantity for backlinks.

2. Content Marketing

How many times do you go online to read a blog post explaining how to do something? (Spoiler alert, you’re reading a blog post now explaining how to gain and use organic traffic.) Utilizing a blog that delivers quality content and is valuable to people, is a terrific way to drive traffic to your site.

A better example; how about you’re looking up a recipe. You go onto Pinterest (I’m not the only one that uses that right?) and look up your favorite salmon dish that you don’t have a recipe for. Tons of options pop up, each one a link to someone’s blog where they list delicious recipes. Whichever one you click on, if you enjoy the recipe they provide, and you’re completely impressed by it, you might browse their website to see what other recipes they have to offer. You might keep scrolling and look up another recipe and choose at random next time. You still went to their website.

What about YouTube? You look up an answer to a question and you find lots of videos on the subject? How many times have you been so impressed by the way someone explained something that you go check out their channel to see if they have other answers you need? Maybe they even have their website listed for more information…

These are two ways that you can utilize content marketing to advertise your business.

Blogging

Step-by-Step:
1. Create a content calendar to plan regular blog posts.
2. Write in-depth articles that provide value to your audience.
3. Optimize each post for SEO and share on social media.
Tip: Include internal and external links to boost SEO.

Video Content

Step-by-Step:
1. Produce engaging and informative videos related to your niche.
2. Optimize video titles, descriptions, and tags for SEO.
3. Share videos on YouTube, your website, and social media.
Tip: Use transcripts to improve accessibility and SEO.

Infographics and Visuals

Step-by-Step:
1. Create visually appealing infographics that convey complex information clearly.
2. Share on platforms like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and your blog.
3. Encourage others to share and embed your infographics.
Tip: Include your logo and website URL on infographics for branding.

Guest Posting

Step-by-Step:
1. Identify reputable blogs and websites in your industry.
2. Pitch unique and valuable content ideas.
3. Write high-quality posts and include links back to your site.
Tip: Build relationships with industry influencers for more guest posting opportunities.

Choosing the right social media platform is tricky, but it starts out with defining your niche. Which one is best for the niche you’re trying to reach? You can read more about that here: https://madamewebdesign.com/building-a-business/

Once you identify the best social media marketing strategy; then you have to post content onto it regularly and provide value to your visitors. Providing valuable information, taking polls, having competitions, and offering exclusive discounts are all great strategies to drive people to your website from your social media platform.

Platform Selection

Step-by-Step:
1. Identify the social platforms where your target audience is most active.
2. Focus on 2-3 primary platforms to start.
3. Create profiles that reflect your brand identity.
Tip: Use consistent branding across all platforms.

Consistent Posting

Step-by-Step:
1. Develop a content calendar for regular posting.
2. Share a mix of content types, including posts, stories, and live videos.
3. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages.
Tip: Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to maintain consistency.

Interactive Content

Step-by-Step:
1. Create polls, Q&As, and live sessions to engage your audience.
2. Encourage user-generated content by running contests or challenges.
3. Share and highlight customer testimonials and success stories.
Tip: Monitor and respond to engagement promptly to build community.

4. Email Marketing

I could go into all of the benefits of email marketing, but I’ll just give you the link to one of my last posts, where I broke it down completely: https://madamewebdesign.com/benefits-of-email-marketing/

Building an Email List

Step-by-Step:
1. Offer valuable incentives for sign-ups, such as discounts or free resources.
2. Use pop-up forms and sign-up prompts on your website and social media.
3. Segment your list based on user preferences and behavior.
Tip: Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations (e.g., GDPR).

Step-by-Step:
1. Send regular newsletters with a mix of promotional and informational content.
2. Personalize emails with the recipient’s name and relevant information.
3. Include clear call-to-actions (CTAs) to drive engagement.
Tip: Use A/B testing to optimize email subject lines and content.

Segmentation and Personalization

Step-by-Step:
1. Segment your email list by demographics, interests, and behaviors.
2. Tailor email content to each segment for relevance.
3. Use dynamic content to personalize email messages.
Tip: Regularly update segments based on new data and feedback.

5. Community Building

Forums and Groups

Step-by-Step:
1. Participate in online communities and forums related to your niche.
2. Share valuable insights and answer questions.
3. Promote your content subtly, without spamming.
Tip: Build your own community forum or group to foster deeper connections.

Hosting Webinars and Workshops

Step-by-Step:
1. Plan and schedule webinars on topics of interest to your audience.
2. Promote webinars through email, social media, and your website.
3. Engage participants with Q&A sessions and interactive elements.
Tip: Record webinars for on-demand viewing and content repurposing.

Customer Engagement

Step-by-Step:
1. Respond promptly to comments, reviews, and messages.
2. Show appreciation for feedback and make improvements based on it.
3. Create opportunities for two-way communication, such as live chats.
Tip: Use customer feedback to refine your products, services, and marketing strategies.

Leveraging Organic Traffic for Digital Marketing

1. Data Analysis

Seeing what your competition is doing is critical to business success! Here’s a video detailing scoping out your competition: https://youtu.be/WpI1ITOW0JQ?si=1GMN3q5ooBqgYaiG

Using Analytics Tools

Step-by-Step:
1. Set up Google Analytics and other analytics tools to track website traffic.
2. Monitor key metrics such as page views, bounce rate, and session duration.
3. Use data to identify high-performing content and areas for improvement.
Tip: Regularly review analytics reports to stay informed about trends and performance.

Understanding User Behavior

Step-by-Step:
1. Track user behavior using heatmaps and session recordings.
2. Analyze user paths to understand how visitors navigate your site.
3. Identify drop-off points and areas where users spend the most time.
Tip: Use insights to optimize user experience and content layout.

Adjusting Strategies

Step-by-Step:
1. Use data insights to refine your SEO, content, and social media strategies.
2. Experiment with new tactics and measure their impact.
3. Continuously iterate and improve based on performance data.
Tip: Stay flexible and open to making changes based on what the data shows.

2. Conversion Optimization

Landing Page Design

Step-by-Step:
1. Create focused landing pages for specific campaigns or offers.
2. Ensure clear and compelling headlines and visuals.
3. Include strong CTAs and minimize distractions.
Tip: Use A/B testing to optimize landing page elements for higher conversions.

Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Step-by-Step:
1. Craft clear, compelling CTAs that guide your audience towards desired actions.
2. Use action-oriented language and make sure the CTA stands out visually.
3. Place CTAs strategically throughout your content and emails.
Tip: Test different CTA placements, colors, and wording to find what works best.

A/B Testing

Step-by-Step:
1. Identify key elements to test, such as headlines, images, and CTAs.
2. Create variations and run split tests to compare performance.
3. Analyze results and implement the best-performing variations.
Tip: Continuously test and optimize to improve conversion rates over time.

3. Building Brand Authority

Having a strong brand is important for boosting your business up and standing out from the crowd. Aren’t sure how to develop your brand? Here’s a blog post going into it: https://madamewebdesign.com/8-steps-for-branding-strategy/

Would you rather have help identifying your brand and building it up? I can help you out with that too! https://madamewebdesign.com/business-branding/

Thought Leadership

Step-by-Step:
1. Publish in-depth articles, whitepapers, and research relevant to your industry.
2. Speak at industry events and participate in panel discussions.
3. Collaborate with other thought leaders to expand your reach.
Tip: Use social proof, such as media mentions and testimonials, to enhance credibility.

Online Presence

Step-by-Step:
1. Maintain professional profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms.
2. Share valuable content regularly to establish yourself as an expert.
3. Engage with your audience and other industry professionals.
Tip: Consistently update your profiles with recent achievements and projects.

Reputation Management

Step-by-Step:
1. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
2. Address negative feedback promptly and professionally.
3. Showcase positive testimonials and case studies on your website.
Tip: Monitor your online reputation regularly to stay ahead of potential issues.

4. Content Repurposing

Notice how I’m sharing some of my YouTube videos and other blog posts in this blog? That’s because there’s no need for me to continuously re-invent the wheel to explain things I’ve already covered. Plus, then you get an in-depth resource to questions you wanted answers to.

Also, let me put it this way. Any link you click on either keeps you on my website longer (which is really good for the search engines) or takes you to one of my other platforms for information (which is good for the search engines on that platform). So you see what I did there? I’m providing resources that benefit you and answer your questions, and listing them out as easy access, keeps you happy, and boosts my business to the search engines. Pretty cool, right? You just need to do the same with your business.

Step-by-Step:
1. Share your content across multiple platforms to reach a broader audience.
2. Tailor content slightly to fit each platform’s format and audience.
3. Encourage cross-platform engagement by linking back to your main site.
Tip: Use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule and manage cross-platform sharing.

Content Updates

Step-by-Step:
1. Regularly review older content for accuracy and relevance.
2. Update outdated information and add new insights or data.
3. Promote updated content as refreshed resources for your audience.
Tip: Highlight updates in the content to show readers the information is current.

Multi-Format Content

Step-by-Step:
1. Convert blog posts into videos, podcasts, infographics, and slideshows.
2. Share these formats on relevant platforms to reach different audience segments.
3. Embed or link back to the original content for additional context.
Tip: Repurposing content maximizes your reach and leverages your existing efforts.

Case Studies and Examples

Successful Examples

Example 1: HubSpot: How HubSpot’s extensive blog and content library drive consistent organic traffic and brand authority.
Example 2: Moz: Moz’s use of SEO guides, webinars, and community engagement to build a loyal audience.
Example 3: Neil Patel: Neil Patel’s multi-platform content strategy and personalized email marketing campaigns.

Conclusion

Building and leveraging organic traffic is a powerful strategy for growing and advertising your online business. By implementing effective SEO, content marketing, social media engagement, email marketing, and community-building strategies, you can attract and retain a loyal audience. Remember, the key to success lies in consistency, quality, and continuous optimization.

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