When it comes to specific tips and tricks to increase the traffic that a website receives, everyone seems to have a different theory. However, there are five basic principles likely to remain applicable through time:
1 – Choose the correct keywords and use them in the correct places
Keyword choice is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful SEO campaign. It is important to note that the best SEO techniques favor quality over quantity. It is not about increasing the amount of traffic per se, but about increasing the amount of relevant traffic.
In other words, it is preferable to start with small amounts of valuable traffic, rather than with large amounts of untargeted traffic. One of the best ways to achieve that is by selecting the most appropriate keywords.
Keyword selection is not always as obvious as it might seem, since there might be slight differences between what is being offered, and what a potential buyer is looking for. Anticipation is the key move here: keywords need to be selected anticipating the audience’s intention as much as possible. Are potential buyers likely to search for general or specific information? Are they likely to type in industry-specific keywords? Are geography-dependent search phrases relevant to your site?
Take advantage of web analytics and server logs to explore the words or phrases that are already driving people to your website, and optimize your textual content accordingly.
Once the most adequate keywords have been selected, it is crucial that they appear in specific parts of a website (those a search engine is more likely to scan first). These are the title, the page headings and the page’s URL. To generate good rankings, page titles and headings should be short, appealing and unique. Likewise, ensure that your site’s URL is informative, descriptive, and includes one or more keywords.
2 – Avoid non-HTML content
That includes Java and Flash-based applications. The same can be said about images. Keep in mind that search engines are unable to read this type of content, so any keywords associated to non-HTML images become effectively lost into cyberspace and will never reach potential viewers.
However, there is an on-site SEO technique that can actually increase web traffic, and that is embedding ALT-tags into images. ALT-tags (also known as alternate text) are basically HTML-coded images, readable to search engines. By inserting carefully selected keywords into ALT-tags, and by strategically placing them on a website, you can ensure an increased flow of visitors.
3 – Provide high-quality links and embrace the Web 2.0
A fundamental principle of off-site SEO is generating relevant and contextualized inbound links. The higher the number of quality links, the higher a website rank will be. Make use of specialized tools (such as Open Site Explorer) to address any issues your site might experience.
The arrival of the Web 2.0 changed the concept of link building. Creating a profile in the most popular social media sites is a must, given the wide exposure they provide to potential visitors.
4 – Make use of local directories
Submitting a website to the online equivalent of Yellow Pages is a good move. This will increase the site’s backlinks, which in turn will contribute to strengthening your site’s ranking. However, do not limit your submissions to the most popular directories, and target multiple directories instead. Research the local options regularly and aim to submit to at least five listings every week.
5 – Submit your RSS feeds
There is now a choice of semi-automatic, less time-consuming RSS feeds software tools that will submit your site and feeds to hundreds of directories at the same time. Some of these tools also allow additional manual submissions, thus multiplying traffic statistics.
To sum up, effective SEO is an ongoing and manifold process. However, persistence, consistence, and the following of the basic principles reviewed in this article will significantly ease the task at hand, and yield improved results before long. Whether it is in-house or an SEO agency you work for, the principles remain the same.
Credits: Image courtesy of Sachin Ghodke.