Are you taking advantage of every opportunity to draw visitors to your site, keep them there as long as possible, and bring them back again and again? If your digital marketing efforts are focused exclusively on search engines and page ranks, then the answer may be no. Google’s algorithm (and SEO principles in general) are a mathematical marvel, but don’t get so caught up in this one aspect of online marketing that you neglect the big picture. Your goal, after all, is not appearing at the top of every search results page; it’s selling your product or service, building a strong base of repeat business, and making money.
Increasing Your Website Traffic: Business Communities and External Social Media Pages
How do potential customers usually find your website? As always, in order to find out what customers do, you’ll need to think like a customer (or partner, sponsor, investor, etc). Beyond Google, many potential customers and clients begin their searches in social media business communities, like Yelp and Hubpages. While roaming through these communities, potential clients and partners often find websites they weren’t even looking for, and when they do, profitable relationships are born.
So don’t just maintain a search-optimized website and a few social media profiles. In addition to Yelp Business and Hubpages, make sure you have a business profile on Facebook and a community presence on Squidoo and LinkedIn. Pay attention to the traffic flow that you attract on these sites, and make sure that visitors to these pages have easy and direct access to your website. Remember that these business communities may rank higher in search results than your actual site.
Image By: David Armano
