To get organic traffic, a
website needs to optimize its content and structure for search engines, using
various techniques known as search engine optimization (SEO). SEO involves
researching and targeting the keywords that users type into search engines,
creating high-quality and engaging content that answers their questions or
solves their problems, and building links from other reputable websites that
point to the website’s content. SEO also requires fixing any technical issues
that may prevent search engines from crawling, indexing, or ranking the website
properly.
Organic traffic is distinct from other types of traffic, including paid, direct, referral, and social media traffic. Visitors who view a website straight from their browser or through a bookmark are referred to as direct traffic. Referral traffic describes users who access a website via a link from another website. The term "social media traffic" describes website visitors who arrive via social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Visitors who access a website through the clicking of sponsored advertisements, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, are referred to as paid traffic.
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In this article, we will
share 15 ways to increase organic traffic to your website, based on proven SEO
tactics and best practices.
1. Fix technical Search Engine Optimization (SEO) issues
Technical SEO refers to
the optimization of the technical aspects of your website that affect its
performance and usability, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, security,
indexing, crawling, etc. Technical SEO issues are the problems that prevent search engines from
crawling, indexing, or ranking your website properly. Some common technical SEO
issues are:
- Broken links
- Duplicate content
- Slow loading speed
- Mobile-unfriendly design
- Missing or poorly written meta tags
To fix these issues, you can
use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs’ Site Audit to find and resolve
them. Improving your SEO will make your website more accessible and user-friendly for both search
engines and visitors.
2. Resolve keyword cannibalization
When two or
more pages on your website that target the same term compete with one another
for rankings, it is known as keyword cannibalization. By making search engines
confused, you risk losing credibility and relevance for that keyword. To stop keyword cannibalization, you must:
- Identify the pages that target the same keyword.
- Analyse the search intent and performance of each page.
- Consolidate or differentiate the pages based on their purpose and value.
· You can use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to find and
fix keyword cannibalization issues on your website.
3. Rewrite and optimize low-performing pages
Low-performing
pages are those that receive little to no organic traffic and are listed on the
second page of Google or lower. If you rebuild and optimize these pages for
better keywords, content quality, and user experience, they may have the
potential to rank higher.
· You can use Google Analytics or Ahrefs' Rank Tracker to identify underperforming pages, and you can use Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer to find relevant, low-competition keywords.
4. Improve existing rankings with on-page SEO
On-page SEO
is the practice of tailoring a web page's components and content to a
particular keyword or subject. It aids search engines in determining the topic
of your page and how pertinent it is to the user's inquiry. It also facilitates
users discovering and interacting with your content. To improve existing rankings with on-page SEO,
you can:
- Use your
target keyword in the title, URL, meta description, headings, and body of your
content.
- Use synonyms,
variants, and related keywords.
- Add a FAQ
section with questions from Google's People Also Ask box. Use on-page SEO to
boost your content's current ranks.
- Use short
paragraphs, bullet points, photos, videos, and other simple formatting to make
your information simple to read, scan, and comprehend.
- Finish your
article with a clear call to action.
5. Build more backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites
Backlinks are connections to
your website made by other websites5. They are one of Google's most significant
ranking indicators since they show that your website is reliable, well-liked,
and worthwhile. But not every backlink is made equal. You must create backlinks
from trustworthy websites that are highly trafficked, have a good domain
rating, and are relevant to your field. To build more backlinks from such
websites, you can:
- Create
linkable assets such as guides, infographics, case studies, etc.
- Promote
your content to relevant influencers, bloggers, journalists, etc.
- Guest post
on reputable websites in your industry or niche
6. Create topic clusters around your core topics
Backlinks are external websites linking to your website. They are one of Google's most important ranking factors since they demonstrate your website's dependability, popularity, and value. However, not all backlinks are created equal. You must build backlinks from popular and reliable websites, have a high domain rating, and are pertinent to your industry. Identify your core topics based on your niche, audience, and goals.
7. Add schema markup to your pages to get rich snippets.
To make it easier for search
engines to comprehend the organization and intent of your material, you can add
code known as schema markup to your pages. It may also make your pages suitable
for rich snippets, which are enhanced results that provide extra details like
ratings, reviews, photographs, prices, etc. By making your sites stand out in
the search results, rich snippets can enhance your click-through rate and
traffic. You can do the following when adding schema markup to your pages. You can;
- Check the available properties for your type of content in Google’s documentation.
- Use a
schema markup generator to create the code.
- Add the
code to your pages using a plugin or manually.
- Test and
validate your code using Google’s Rich Results Test tool.
8. Do keyword research to find new content ideas
Finding and evaluating the words and phrases that people enter into search engines is the process involved in keyword research. It aids in finding new concepts for content that are in line with the audience's needs and search intentions. Furthermore, it helps in content optimization for higher search engine rank and visitors.
To do keyword research to find new content ideas, you can:
- Use a keyword research tool like Ahrefs’
Keywords Explorer to generate keyword ideas based on a seed keyword, a
topic, or a competitor’s website.
- Filter and sort the keyword ideas by
metrics such as volume, difficulty, clicks, CPC, etc.
- Evaluate the keyword ideas based on their
traffic potential, search intent, business value, and ranking difficulty
- Choose the best keyword ideas for your
content and create a content plan
9. Spy on your competitors’ organic keywords and best content
Competitor analysis is the
process of researching and analyzing the strategies and performance of your
competitors. It helps you learn from their strengths and weaknesses and find opportunities
to outrank them. One of the most important aspects of competitor analysis is
spying on their organic keywords and best content. This can help you find:
- Keywords that they rank for but you don’t
- Content that attracts the most traffic
and backlinks
- Content gaps that you can fill with
better content
- Content ideas that resonate with your
audience
To spy on your competitors’
organic keywords and best content, you can use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to access
various reports such as:
- Organic keywords report shows all the
keywords that a website ranks for in Google
- Best by links report shows the most
linked-to pages on a website
- Content gap report shows the keywords
that one or more competitors rank for but you don’t
- Top pages report shows the most visited
pages on a website
10. Invite guest authors to write for your blog
Guest blogging is a strategy
where you invite other experts or influencers to write for your blog. It has
many benefits for both you and the guest author. For example:
- You get exposure from the guest author’s
promotion, organic traffic, and backlinks from websites pointing to the
article.
- The guest author gets exposure on your
channels, referral traffic, and a backlink from your website
- Your audience gets valuable content from
different perspectives and voices
To invite guest authors to
write for your blog, you can:
- Have a landing page where you clearly
explain all the details and requirements for guest blogging.
- Make it attractive by offering some
incentives such as swag, social media promotion, email newsletter mention,
etc.
- Have a system for collecting content
pitches such as an email address or an online form.
- Aim to find authors with expertise and
authority in their fields.
11. Target long-tail keywords with dedicated content
Long-tail keywords are
search queries that have low search volume but high specificity and intent.
They are usually longer and more descriptive than short-tail keywords or head
terms. For example:
- Short-tail keyword: headphones
- Long-tail keyword: best headphones for
skiing.
Targeting long-tail keywords
can help you rank higher and get more organic traffic because:
- They have less competition than
short-tail keywords
- They have higher conversion rates than
short-tail keywords
- They can help you rank for related
short-tail keywords
To target long-tail keywords
with dedicated content, you can:
- Find long-tail keywords that you already
rank for using Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Google Search Console
- Analyze the search intent and SERP
features of each long-tail keyword
- Create dedicated content that matches the
search intent and provides value to the users
- Optimize the content with on-page SEO and
internal links
12. Update old content regularly to keep it fresh and relevant
Updating old content is a
strategy where you revisit and improve your existing content to keep it fresh
and relevant for both search engines and users. It can help you boost your
rankings and traffic by:
- Improving the quality and accuracy of
your content
- Adding new information or removing
outdated information
- Targeting new or better keywords
- Increasing user engagement and retention
To update old content
regularly to keep it fresh and relevant, you need to find old content that needs to be updated using
tools like Google Analytics, and Google Search Console. You can look for content that has lost
traffic, rankings, or conversions over time or content that is outdated,
inaccurate, or irrelevant.
Examine the SERP
characteristics and search intent of the keywords you wish to use in your
updated content. Find relevant, low-competition keywords using tools like
Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer or Content Harmony, then research the kind of content
Google favors for those searches.
To more accurately reflect
the demands of the reader and the searchers' objectives, rewrite and optimize
the language. Use tools like Grammarly, Hemingway, or ProWritingAid to improve
the clarity and readability of your writing. Using tools like Surfer SEO or
Clearscope, you may optimize your content for SEO factors like keyword density,
word count, headers, etc. Your content's headings, graphics, URL, and internal
links should all be updated. To create intriguing and SEO-friendly headlines,
you can utilize programs like Portent's Title Maker or CoSchedule's Headline
Analyzer. To produce or find appealing and pertinent photos, you can also use
applications like Canva or Unsplash.
Add new information or remove outdated information from your content. You can use tools like BuzzSumo or Feedly to find the latest trends and news in your niche. You can also use tools like Statista or Pew Research Center to find updated and reliable data and statistics.