How to increase visitors to your website: 47 ideas that actually work.

Feel deflated every time you look at Google Analytics? Website visitor numbers barely pushing into triple figures?

You’re not alone. Many business owners struggle to drive traffic to a new website. It can feel like an uphill battle — especially in the early days.

The good news? Once the ball starts rolling, it gathers momentum. More visitors = more visibility = more visitors. So let’s help you get things moving.

Here, we look at how to increase visitors to your website with 47 effective ideas.

Some of these ideas are easier than others. But implement as many as you can, be consistent in your efforts and you’ll start to see those visitor numbers ticking upwards.

How to increase visitors to your website with content

High-quality content is the cornerstone of any marketing strategy. Provide informative, engaging or entertaining content for your audience and they’re more likely to make a beeline for your site. Here are all the ways you can use content to increase website visitors.

Launch a blog

A blog increases your chances of ranking highly in search by a whopping 434%. A blog gives you space to educate, entertain and connect with your audience — while showing search engines that you have something valuable to say. Post regularly (ideally a couple of times a month at least) on topics your audience is already searching for and you’ll start to build organic traffic.

Create useful resources

As well as blog posts, create useful resources for your audience. Depending on your business, that might mean putting together an industry report, a fun infographic or a handy checklist. Valuable content that solves a problem for your audience is more likely to be shared and get backlinks (more on this in a minute).

Deep dive into a topic

In an age of AI-powered search engines, it pays to go beyond surface-level content. You need to share your own experiences, hard-earned insights and stories about real people to give your content the human touch that AI will struggle to replicate.

Add multimedia content

Images and videos help your website content rank higher. In fact, research shows that blogs with at least one video generate 70% more organic traffic than those without. If your blog content is text-heavy, go back and add some visuals to drive website traffic.

Interview industry leaders

Got pals or peers in your industry with something interesting to say? Invite them to write for your blog — or interview them yourself. It adds variety, helps you tap into their audience and builds valuable backlinks when they share the post from their end.

Guest blog on other sites

Flip it the other way and write for someone else’s blog. It’s a good way to build your authority, reach a new crowd and get another all-important backlink. Just make sure the site’s audience is relevant to your business — otherwise, you’re unlikely to see any website traffic gains.

Use a hub and spoke strategy

This one’s a bit more strategic. You create a big, juicy pillar post on a key topic (the hub). Then, write smaller, related posts that link back to it (the spokes). This content strategy is great for SEO and helps you structure your site content in a way that keeps people clicking and reading.

Add new content regularly

A website that’s been gathering digital dust since 2019 is unlikely to do well in search engine result pages (SERPs). Search engines love fresh website content — and so do your website visitors. Just a few updates a month shows that your website is active, relevant and worth checking out.

Launch a podcast

It’s not just for true crime and comedians. Podcasts are a brilliant way to share your expertise in an easy-to-consume and engaging way. Stick them on a streaming service and you can drive new visitors to your website. Also, put podcasts straight on your website to help with SEO and give users another great reason to pop by.

Host webinars

Webinars allow you to showcase your knowledge, connect with potential customers and (subtly) highlight your product or services. They’re also great for building your email list and driving website traffic. So create webinars for your target audience and get them to sign up via your site.

Refresh outdated content

Content doesn’t always age well. And a great way to improve website content and website traffic is with a little refresh. Revisit your oldest content to take out irrelevant content and broken outbound links. Add in fresh, multimedia content and (where relevant) internal links to your best blog posts.

How to increase visitors to your website with SEO

Less than 1% of Google searchers click on a result on the second page of SERPs. And the top three results get 54.5% of all clicks. Getting into those top spots really does make a huge difference to your website traffic.

So how do you get top billing on Google? With a solid SEO strategy. Here are some basics to get you started.

Target new keywords

Keyword research isn’t just for new websites — it’s something you should revisit regularly. Use keyword research tools to spot opportunities. These tend to be keywords with a high search volume and minimal competition. Then, create content to target those terms, especially long-tail keywords that you have a good chance of ranking for.

Optimise your content (including images)

Make sure every page has a clear focus keyword and headers that help users and search engines navigate your content. Put your keyword phrase in all of the following places:

• Title tag
• H1 heading
• At least two H2 headings
• The first 100 words of your content
• Image file names and alt text
• Don’t forget image alt tags
• Naturally, throughout the body of your text

Don’t overdo it though. When using keywords, your priority should always be the user experience. Don’t repeat the same phrase over and over or your readers are likely to switch off and bounce away.

Add FAQs

Stick FAQs on your website and you’re much more likely to show up in SERPs and AI snippets. These questions mirror the way people search — both when typing and when using voice search. So add FAQs to relevant service, product and blog pages.

Think about how you show up in SERPs

Take a minute and head to Google. Type in any search term and scroll through search results. Which results catch your eye? Which are you most tempted to click on? To stand out in SERPs, you need a catchy headline and meta description. Treat it like a mini ad for your page and you’ll find it easier to attract visitors to your website.

Add internal links

Internal links are useful for website visitors. But they also help search engines understand your site structure. Link related pages and blog posts together, using descriptive anchor text where possible. It’ll give your site an SEO boost.

Speed up your site

Slow websites are frustrating, to say the least. Users are impatient and they’re liable to bounce away from your site if it takes ages to load. So, perhaps with the help of a web developer, work to improve website speeds. That might mean optimising images, tidying up your code or upgrading your hosting.

Fix technical SEO issues

Broken links, duplicate headings, missing alt text — all these things can drag down your rankings, making your site much less visible in SERPs. So it pays to run a regular website health check. Use SEO audit tools to find and fix website issues before they start to impact your traffic.

Make your site responsive

Over 63% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices. The best sites look great and work beautifully on all smartphone, tablet and desktop screens. Check whether your website is responsive and — if not — invest in some web design and development support to improve it.

Implement schema markup

Website schema helps search engines understand your site content better. It can help you get into AI summaries. It can also improve how your pages appear in search, adding in rich content, like star ratings, event dates and product prices. It takes a bit of coding know-how but adding schema markup is a great way to make your site more visible in SERPs.

Get backlinks

Backlinks (links to your website from other trusted sites) are still one of the top SEO ranking factors. Some ways to earn backlinks? By creating website content people want to share, by featuring your website in online directories, by adding your website link to the helpful comments you leave in forums and by being featured (and linked to) in the press.

Prune backlinks

Okay, not all links are good links. If you’ve picked up dodgy backlinks from spammy sites, they could be harming your SEO. Use SEO tools to spot toxic links and disavow the worst offenders.

Set up a Google Business Profile

If you’re a local business, this is beyond essential. A complete, optimised Google Business Profile helps you show up on Google Maps and in local search results. If you’re not already listed, set up a profile. And if you do have a profile, check that you’ve added detailed and up-to-date information in all fields.

How to increase website visitors with email

Emails are another great way to put your website and associated links in front of your target audience. Here’s how to use email to drive website traffic.

Build a mailing list

Use your website to gather user email addresses (with user permission, of course). It helps to have a well-designed pop-up and an incentive. A discount code or exclusive content tends to work well. Once you have a mailing list you can get started with email marketing, which means more opportunities to promote your website.

Start an email newsletter

A regular newsletter keeps your brand top of mind. You can also use it to drive traffic to your website with the help of links to your latest blog posts, landing pages, products or services.

Create automated email sequences

A welcome series, nurture flows, re-engagement emails — these sequences work behind the scenes to guide people back to your site. Once they’re set up, they do the hard work for you. Just don’t forget to review and refresh them now and again so they match your current branding and messaging.

Include a link to your website in your email signature

How many emails do you send in a day? Every one of those beauties is an opportunity to promote your website. Simply add an email signature that includes a clickable link back to your homepage or current promotion.

Send cart abandonment emails

Running an e-commerce website? Then cart abandonment emails are a trick you should definitely have up your sleeve. An e-commerce checkout best practice, these emails alert customers that they have products still in their cart. And they’re really effective at getting previous visitors to head back to your site.

How to increase visitors to your website with social media

You can reach huge audiences on social media — and use your profiles and posts to send referral traffic back to your website. Here are a couple of ways you can increase website visitors with social media marketing.

Add website links to your bios, profiles and posts

Make it easy for social media followers to find your site. Include a link in your bio or profile, across all the social media platforms you use. Also, add a URL to any branded social media assets you create and share.

Promote your website content on socials

New blog post? Fresh case study? Shiny new landing page? Tell people about it! Share links to new website content on social media, giving just enough information to pique people’s interest. An eye-catching post and a tempting taster of your website content can persuade people to click on your link and head over to your website to read more.

Keep an eye on analytics

Which of your posts drive the most clicks? What time of day gets the best engagement? Small tweaks based on the available data help you get the most out of social media marketing efforts — and find new ways to get your website links in front of your target market.

Run a competition or giveaway

Getting traffic to your website can be as simple as offering something for nothing. Use your social channels to promote a competition or freebie, relevant to your business. Then, ask followers to visit your website to hand over their details and be in with a chance of winning.

Work with influencers

Social media influencers already have a loyal audience. When you get them to create content for your brand, you get the influencer’s seal of approval (which is a great trust signal). You also put your brand in front of new potential customers. And — with the help of links or link stickers within the content — you drive more traffic to your website.

Don’t just post — interact

When you take the time to comment on other people’s social posts, you become visible to their followers. So take part in the online conversation. Join relevant groups on socials and add useful comments. The more active you are on socials, the more profile clicks and website views you’ll get.

Use paid social ads

A lot of these ideas for increasing visitors to a website focus on organic traffic. But spending a bit of cash can really supercharge your efforts. A small spend on your social platforms of choice can beat the algorithms and get your content (and website links) in front of a highly relevant audience.

How to increase website visitors with offline promotion

What you do in the offline world can have a big impact on online traffic. Every time you meet someone and share your domain name, there’s a good possibility that they’ll look your company up later. Here’s how you can maximise those offline opportunities.

Network

It may not be your favourite activity in the world. But face-to-face networking translates into website visitors. Find events where you can mingle with your target market. And once you’re there, tell people what you do, share your site URL and — with the help of a business card or a connection on LinkedIn — help them find you again once the event is over.

Speak at events

Already networking and want to level up? Well, to get your knees well and truly knocking, put yourself forward for speaking gigs. Position yourself as an expert and let the world know that you’re available as a speaker. Then, once you’ve landed a spot at an event, be sure to share details of your brand and website as part of your intro and outro.

Host an event

If you can’t seem to find the right kind of networking event or speaking gig, why not create your own? Put together a workshop, a launch party or an industry social. You can create a buzz on social media with event-related content — both before and after the event. And encourage the people you meet face-to-face to follow up online.

Sponsor something locally

Another analogue way to increase visitors to a website? Sponsoring a community event or your local sports team. It’s a great opportunity to get your name and website out there — on event pages, social media posts and printed marketing materials.

Pitch a story to the press

A bit of PR can drive a serious spike in website traffic and earn you backlinks. So pitch stories to relevant local or industry publications. You have a better chance of your story being picked up if it’s timely and if it has a compelling angle. Think like a journalist, consider what the catchy headline might be — then, lead with that.

Get quoted or interviewed

Got an opinion? Then share it. You can use a platform like HARO, which acts as a matchmaker for journalists and sources. Alternatively, search for the hashtag #journorequest on your social media platform of choice to find journalists looking for contributors. Getting your business name featured in publications means more exposure and the promise of another juicy backlink too.

Add QR codes to printed materials

Menus, flyers, packaging, brochures — any printed marketing materials you create for your business should provide customers with a link to your website. The easiest way to do this? With a QR code. QR codes are easy to generate and they reduce friction for your customers. As long as they have their smartphone handy, they can take action on the spot.

More ideas for increasing visitors to your website

A few final ideas to add to your list.

List your business in directories

Find local and industry-specific business directories and create a profile for your company, being sure to include a clickable link to your website. This is a tried and tested way for new websites to build backlinks and generate web traffic.

Create a free tool or calculator

The best websites offer something original and engaging. And if you provide something truly useful or entertaining for your audience, they’re more likely to share your website and return again. How about a budget calculator, a product recommendation quiz or a virtual try-on feature?

Create targeted landing pages

Each new landing page is a chance to rank for a specific keyword. So instead of directing all traffic to your homepage, you can spread the net wider. You can create pages for specific audiences and campaigns — honing your messaging, visuals and offers to suit. That means more opportunities to show up in search and highly targeted content that encourages clicks.

Launch Google ads

Want fast results? Paid search can keep you at the top of SERPs while your organic SEO gathers speed. You can target your Google ads based on keywords, location, audience interests and demographics. So you can put your ads and website in front of people who are very likely to click.

Redesign your website

Sometimes, no matter what you do, website visitor numbers just don’t seem to budge. If this is the case, it could be that fundamental issues with your website are holding you back. Take a look at these signs it’s time to redesign your website. And consider whether building a responsive, cleanly coded, SEO-friendly website from scratch is your best bet.

How to increase visitors to your website: a summary

Oof. That was a list and a half. Let’s recap what we’ve covered.

Here are all the ways you can increase visitors to your website. Treat this as a checklist. Or cherry-pick the tasks you have the bandwidth and budget for right now.

Let’s get more eyes on your website: boost site visitors with Radical!

Getting a healthy stream of website traffic requires a mix of SEO strategy, online and offline marketing and great website content. You also need a website that users enjoy browsing.

Our team can help with many of the items on this list. We design and build SEO-friendly websites. We can also help with ongoing SEO strategy once a site is live — from backlinks to blog content to technical fixes.

If your website isn’t getting the traffic it deserves, get in touch with the Radical team. We’ll chat through your site and explore what you can do to boost website visitor numbers.