How do you increase traffic to your website for free?

[nimmysnv]

Hi,

According to me I think joining some social networking sites and more importantly to join the communities that are offering you some very good deals that really helps in your business and to provide or offer your services to them.

As, having business is not a big deal but having business from it is what most important.

Thanks!

[Karen Wardle]

The thread is about free ways to increase traffic to a website, not about the broader question of promoting a business

SEM = Search Engine Marketing - the activity of marketing on search engines, it may as a part of the effort include:

SEO and/or PPC and/or SMO

SEO = Search Engine Optimisation - the activity of tweaking websites and their backlinks to gain good search engine ranking

PPC = Pay Per Click - paying for search engine traffic by the click

SMO = Social Media Optimisation - attracting visitors to a website through social media which, done well, also boosts search engine ranking...

Thanks again Aiden, I wasn't sure what SEM or SMO meant so thanks for clearing that up. The approach that I have used (and my site is very young so I still have a lot to learn) is a combination of your approach and Adam's.

I have tried to create quality content for my site yet at the same time I have used keywords that don't always have a lot of competition. Several of those have been found by Google though as you suggested the more competitive ones haven't been found as yet.

I have also been getting backlinks but I feel that this is a very slow process. If you have any advice regarding this I would love to hear it!

Apparently a Google page rank is good but I hear mixed reactions about whether this is important or not, it seems to depend on who you talk to.

I will definately be checking out your site as I feel that I could be doing a bit better than I am. My site has been up for 8 months, I don't use PPC and I am getting about 60-80 uniques a day. This has increased each month but obviously it can always be better and I am aiming for much more than that!

I have watched this thread with interest as I feel that there is still so much I have to learn when it comes to getting traffic.

Thanks to everyone for all of your tips.

Karen (Wardle)
http://you-can-start-business.com

[nimmysnv]

Hi,

This is no doubt right as to increase the traffic it is necessary to create some blogs for the web sites and to post it in some sites or either promote it through social networking sites.

Creating some blogs for the web sites and post it in the sites like technorati will really helpful for you.

[small business marketing]

Originally Posted by Adam Randall

Give people a website with information that is worth visiting.

The traffic will take care of itself.

this is so true. I'm not saying all the other SEO type activities are not important, but if you're the average business owner that is never going to learn any of that 'stuff' - just focus on good quality content that your target audience want to read and will value. It's the tortoise approach but it gets you there if you're consistent and persistent.

[ramirezhenry55]

Get lots of quality links from authority sites in your target niche. You can also opt to start on onpage optimization by writing unique, useful and original articles. People will come back to your site if they found out that you got what they are looking for.

[ShakeForCharity]

Guys this is some really great advice, and I plan on following a lot of it for my own business development.

My business focuses on iPhone applications that can help you tap into your customer's social networking. If you have a services based business then this is a great way for you to drive some customers to your website at a minimal cost. Our latest product "Reference Builder" sells for $1.19 on the itunes app store, and it helps you publish your work to your customer's facebook page. With facebook having 6 million uses in Australia and the average user has 200 friends, this is a very cost effective way to grow your business.

How does it work? Simple you take a before photo of the work you're about to start using your iPhone. When your finished, take another photo. Ok, now you have two photos a before and after. Next step start up reference builder on your iPhone. The first time you do this you will have to enter some basic information about your business: phone number; website; your name; story title. Don't worry, you don't have to keep doing this every time as the application will save your information. Now enter a little information about the work completed (again it is saved for repeatable work). Then select the before and after photos. Now you're ready to publish. Hand the iPhone to your customer ask them to publish to their facebook. The application will create a photo album for your customer publish it on their facebook profile including your business details and story.

Now you have exposed your work to all your customer's friends.

Please consider this solution when working on ways to drive more traffic to your website. It does not help you with your first customer, but it will help you grow your customer base.

For more information go to www.shakeforcharity.com/reference_builder

[nimmysnv]

On page optimization is a part of SEO and equally very important as it requires allot of work like content should be proper and defined their should appropriate use of keywords like targeting keywords should not be too much in the content.

As, On page is the most important process of SEO.

Thanks!

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by nimmysnv

On page optimization is a part of SEO and equally very important as it requires allot of work like content should be proper and defined their should appropriate use of keywords like targeting keywords should not be too much in the content.

As, On page is the most important process of SEO.

Thanks!

Mmmhhhh....

scratches head, stubble and another body part while thinking...

I'd say on-page optimisation is only about 20% of the game for competitive keywords (if even that).

Non-competitive keywords are another matter...

Cheers

[teena22]

First of all, you need to have a good content on your website. Update your blog daily as much as possible.Do social bookmarking, social networking, blog commenting, forum posting, link exchange.

Though this things won't increase your traffic overnight, this is a process. It will take you months to increase your traffic if you're doing it right. Good Luck.