When it comes to your business you already know that you need to “drive traffic” in order to be more visible. But, what does that mean exactly? What is organic traffic, how do you create it, and what other kinds of traffic are there? These are common questions we get as marketing experts, so don’t worry, you aren’t alone if you have the same questions. There are several different types of traffic, and you don’t have to be an expert to understand the difference. We’ll explain it to you and even provide a few tips and tricks to get you started towards generating the traffic you need for you business with this article.
Traffic Sources and Why They Are Important
Everyone wants to be “ranked” by search engines positively. If someone is looking for your business type in your area, you want them to be able to find you without knowing the name of your business. An example of this might be “clothing boutique in Cleveland, OH” or an even harder niche to break into, “hotel in Miami, FL” The goal is to be at the top of the list when someone is looking for your business whether they live in your area or are just passing through. In order to be ranked higher on the list, you need traffic to your website and social media. “Traffic” is defined by the special search engine algorithms in the following ways:
- Organic Traffic – Clicks on your website that are earned through searches related to information that is earned, not paid for. Examples might be when someone searches for “floral blouse styles” and your website has information and answers that they click on versus someone else’s site.
- Direct Traffic – This happens when someone doesn’tuse a search engine to visit your website. If Sally is driving down the highway, and sees a sign for your fencing company with the specific URL, then goes home and types that into the computer instead of searching for it, then this is considered direct traffic.
- Email Traffic – If someone visits a page on your website because of a link in an email that they received, then this is email traffic.
- Paid Search Traffic – Really, the name here says it all. If you use advertising either on another website such as Facebook or through Google Ads, and someone gets to your website through that advertisement, then it is considered paid search traffic.
- Referral Traffic – This happens when someone finds your website through another website. An example of this might be when someone looks for a local retailer through a major brand. If you wanted Scentsy Candles, found the corporate website, then clicked on a link to your local provider it is considered referral traffic. Another example might be a website for a private practice that is found on a hospital website.
- Social Traffic – This happens when someone visits your website because of a link on social media. If you post your blog on social media, this may happen quite a lot.
So, when it comes to marketing, at Annek Marketing Group, our goal is always to increase organic traffic, because often consumers, potential clients, and customers in general trust search engines and search results that aren’t “sponsored.”
How to Improve Organic Traffic
Organic traffic in general is driven by SEO. You have heard the phrase “Search Engine Optimization” and it can be confusing to talk about, but the simple explanation is having a website that answers the questions people are asking online. If you have a simple 5-page website that describes who you are, where you’re located, what you offer, and how to find you… it may not be enough. This is especially true if you offer a service that many others offer such as hotels and lodging. Instead, the content of your website should focus on the keywords that people use in their questions. This increases traffic, because people will find the answers they are looking for, and trust your business as a subject matter expert versus another business who doesn’t answer those questions at all. More clicks on your website, means higher ranks in the algorithms that are used to calculate where you should be in search results. The more people click, the higher you are ranked.
Make a Difference in Your Marketing Plan
At Annek Marketing Group, you don’t have to be an expert in anything other than what your business does best. We take all of the guesswork out of marketing and advertising and help you do what you do! You do you, and we’ll create the buzz! We’re here to help, so reach out today to learn more about who we are and how we can help your business grow.