Driving traffic doesn’t have to be complicated or cost a fortune. In fact, there are several simple ways that you can start driving traffic that won’t cost you a dime. Implementing a few of these, proven techniques can definitely help you get more visitors to your website and most of them won’t take you very long either.
Content is King! I’m sure you may have heard that phrase more than once before and when it comes to getting traffic it’s true. In fact, it is what makes the web go round and it’s one of the best ways to boost the flow of traffic to any website.
That is why the first tip I am going to share with you is to write articles closely related to the topic of the website you want to send traffic to and publish them everywhere. Let people know that they have permission to share them with others so that they publish them on their own websites as long as they include a link back to yours.
To make the most out of this technique you should submit them to other sites that publish content from guest authors and article directories like Ezinearticles.com. You can also set up a lens on Squidoo or a microblog on platforms like Hubspot, Microblogger, Tumblr or Posterous.
Whenever you publish, make sure that you include your URL in the author’s resource or bio box of your articles, so that when you article get published people who like the information you’ve provided will be inclined to visit your website.
This same technique works well for short reports and ebooks. Create something of value to give away and most people will be glad to share it, carrying a link to back to your site with it everywhere it goes.
Include your URL in your business correspondence. When it comes to getting traffic, you can’t be shy. Anyone you communicate with can be a potential customer. People are curious by nature so why not take advantage of it by giving them the opportunity to find out what you have to offer.
This also works well for all of your online correspondence as well. Be sure to include your URL in any emails, social profiles, forum signatures and any blog comments you make. This way when people read what you have written they will be exposed to your URL.
Arrange a joint venture with other website and list owners. Make a deal with them to advertise your website in exchange for a commission or some other form of reciprocation. This won’t cost you anything and it can be one of the fastest ways to generate traffic and increase profits.
If you don’t have a blog, set one up and add content to it on a regular basis. There is a very good reason why so many people use blogging platforms like WordPress to publish content and that is because it is very beneficial for getting good search engine rankings. Every time you add new content to your blog, it will ping the search engines robots to come index your site, which leads to better listings and ultimately more traffic.
To help increase the visibility of your blog even more you should submit it directly to search engine and blog directories. While this will happen naturally over time, you will speed up the process if you take the time to submit your URL to at least the major directories like Google, Bing and Yahoo.
Here are 23 directories you need to know about:
1. Best of the Web Blog Search remains a powerful tool for sharing your blog, especially since this director’s very selective, listing only mature and valuable blogs. A link from here is majestic.
2. Bloggeries is one of the most respected blog directories. The layout is clear and concise, and readers are able to find what they are looking for in a snap.
3. EatonWeb Blog Directory is a powerful list. The fee, currently $34.99, pays for a review of your blog.
4. OnToplist.com is a free, manually-edited directory that reads the RSS feed of your blog. You can also use the site’s social features, article directory, and other great tools to build your blog.
5. Blogged.com is an interesting mix of a directory and a Google News type site that is fed by the blogs listed with Blogged. And it’s free to list your blog.
6. While the design and infrastructure have changed somewhat over the years, Blog Search Engine remains one of the most selective blog directories on the web. Membership has its privileges.
7. Blog Catalog features a vast number of categories, from “academic” to “writing”, while offering the ability to search by country, language or user. It has a no-frills design, but offers convenient access through a simple blog registration.
8. Globe of Blogs has too many features to list. Only non-commercial blogs are accepted. The site may be busy, but I like being able to narrow my search by title, author or subject.
9. The ultimate directory of British blogs isn’t focused on location, but on the culture. It is asked that bloggers be genuinely “Britished.”
10. Blog Universe has a layout that’s easy to navigate and, although the content is limited, it’s an all-around good directory worthy of submission.
11. Bigger Blogs is intertwined with a business directory and an article directory, giving you access to several powerful tools in one location.
12. Bloggernity is a crisp, clean and easily navigated site. It’s low ad-to-content ratio has helped solidify its reputation as a quality directory.
13. Bloggapedia has an interesting and eye-catching homepage. Readers are easily connected to top blogs and new posts. Innovative categories, a colorful design and its blogger tool kit make this directory a hit.
14. Spillbean is a well-designed directory with categories such as “health,” “society,” “Internet,” and “personal.”
15. Blogging Fusion boasts over 60 categories, including family-focused blogs. Blogging Fusion has an good number of listings, and it also has visitor stats.
16. Blogflux is organized and clear with a strong social element.
17. The blogs at the top of Bloglisting are fun, colorful and catch the attention of the reader. Bloglisting displays the page-ranking blogs, which is a helpful tool when determining with whom you want to exchange links.
18. Blogio stores plenty of quality blogs, and it sports solid on-site search.
19. Blog Digger is a strong search tool, especially for local blog listings.
20. Blog Pulse features a powerful community element, on-site analytics, and a clean design. The “submit” page is a bit tricky to find, so here’s the quick link.
21. Technorati’s blog directory is well-respected and spans more than 30 categories.
22. Blogarama has a strong base of blogs and a solid text-ad system for its front page.
23. Blog Hints features over 100 categories. The site is very picky about which blogs are included, and those that are listed are presented via a visual interface that shows the site’s design and page rank. This makes Blog Hints the perfect site for finding link-swapping partners.
The above listings are a glimpse inside the large and vast world of blog directories and the valuable inbound links that your can build for your blog and your business.
If you want to take this process, a step further, you can create an RSS feeds for your site and submit the feed URLs to the major RSS feed directories as well. This will generate traffic to your website. If you are using WordPress it will automatically publish, an RSS feed for your content and comments. Then all you have to do is submit it.
Here is an article and quick video that helps explain this process in more detail: http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/what-is-rss-how-to-use-rss-in-wordpress
These techniques are time-tested, proven ways to generate a steady flow of traffic to any website without spending a fortune. Best of all they are easy to implement and can they can have a long lasting effect on the amount of traffic your website receives.