Despite the best web hosting in the world, a common challenge to business owners everywhere is lack of website traffic. Some owners report a significant drop in search traffic over a couple years and are seeking new ways to drive traffic to their sites. Others are not observing a drop but seem to have reached a plateau. If your situation matches either of these scenarios, you may be able to benefit from the tips listed below.

1: Use a Combination of Several Techniques

There is no magic formula or secret potion for successful content marketing. In order to gain the widest variety of visitors to your site, vary the type of content you are posting. Alternate between videos, infographics and data-driven posts to provide variety. You should also consider long-form content.

Long-form content is defined in many different ways but is most commonly described as an article 1,200 words or more in length. Many readers desire more in-depth articles than the 500-word pieces needed to get the attention of search engines. Aside from increasing SEO, long-form content can also positively impact SERP rating.

2: Write Stunning Headlines

The headline tells the reader whether the article is worth his or her time. At least, that’s what a headline should do. Whether it actually does or not is up to you. Without a compelling headline, the best-written and SEO-optimized article in the world will be left unread. Out of all the people who read your headline, only 20 percent of these will actually read the copy. A captivating headline can make or break your blog posts in a heartbeat.

Use Numbers

Create a constrast with your title by beginning it with a number. Just as a person will respond to contrasting colors, so to will the eye be drawn to the contrast between words and digits. Readers are fascinated by lists and facts. Combining these things into a title will grab the attention of your readers with irresistible bait.

Know Your Topic

If you don’t know what the article is about, neither will your readers. Your title must clearly state what the article is about. No one is going to click a vague headline such as “Fix Your Website.” An article with a title like “15 Tips On How To Improve Your Website Design” is much more likely to receive views.

Know Your Audience

Think about the people you are writing the article to. What are their hopes and dreams? What do they fear? What are their pain points? Knowing your audience will help you make a good choice for a headline title.

3: Long-Tail Keywords

Single keywords are now defunct in the world of SEO. Now is the time to tap into the gold mine of latent semantic indexing (LSI). LSI allows search engines to decipher the meaning of a keyword based on the surrounding text. The use of LSI also allows you to keep your content from sounding like the verbalization of binary code by permitting the use of synonyms. To find LSI (or long-tail) keywords, type your primary keyword into Google. The results will give you a good idea of other keywords the search engine associates with your primary search term.

4: Guest Blogging

While many business owners are passionate about the products or services they provide, they tend not to be as experienced in the online marketing sphere. The secret solution for those struggling to generate traffic to their website is to guest blog. Guest blogging creates links to your website and strengthens awareness of your brand. It can’t get much better than that.

5: Frequent Posts

How often a week do you post? Once? Twice? Five times? Consider posting an extra article for a period of time to see what happens. Take careful notes of any increase in traffic to your website. One business owner decided to post six times per week instead of the usual five. His blog traffic increased by 18.6 percent. In most cases, traffic increases are trackable. Find the number that works for you to increase traffic to your blog.

6: Attend Educational Conferences

Most industries have at least one or two major conferences and conventions as a way to educate those in the field. Attending these events is an excellent way to make your business more visible. If you can, consider speaking at one or more of these events. A speaking engagement is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader in the field and has the potential to greatly increase traffic to your site.

7: Email Marketing and Word-of-Mouth

If you are guilty of being so focused on content marketing that you have forgotten about more traditional marketing methods, you are not alone. Email marketing is a powerful but all-too-often forgotten way to draw more customers to your business. Just be careful not to overwhelm your email following by updating them with every single change you make in your business.

Keep word-of-mouth marketing in mind as well. Word-of-mouth marketing (or WOMM) can build you up or tear you down faster than anything else on the World Wide Web. Happy customers equals a happy business. Remember that customers can do your marketing for you if you give them a platform to do it. Facebook likes, customer testimonials and message forums are all modern forms of word-of-mouth advertising.

8: Host Webinars

Webinars are an excellent way to demonstrate your experience to others. Using an effective social media promotion campaign to invite interested individuals to the event can help boost traffic to your website. Send an email a week or two ahead of time along with a “last chance” reminder the day before. Be sure to archive the presentation for later viewing.

A good webinar is like a well-done movie and will leave you feeling inspired and empowered. As long as what you are offering has genuine value, your webinar will be a success. If in doubt, consider whether you would enjoy watching your webinar. If you find the topic boring, throw it out or find a way to spice it up.

Conclusion

High website traffic and the best web hosting are both critical to the success of any business. Without it, your company will dry up and fade away into nothing. Following the advice listed above can help give your website the boost in traffic that it needs.