While paying for traffic through PPC and Facebook ads is a quick way to generate leads and make sales, there is nothing as powerful as creating an organic traffic source that continues to pay off \u2013\u00a0while you don\u2019t pay anything.<\/p>\n
But is that realistic? Most certainly! So let\u2019s examine how to do that right now.<\/p>\n
Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n I know this seems obvious, but sometimes instead of focusing on creating something great, we create only to check off a box! It\u2019s like blogging just for the sake of blogging. Remember, doing something because it\u2019s a task or a must doesn\u2019t always equal results.<\/p>\n Look to create content that is helpful, accessible, and easy to read. And time is of the essence here. In the words of Inc. Magazine<\/a>: \u201cIf you can’t make an impact in 8 seconds, consumers will move on\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n So yes \u2013 if you don\u2019t easily capture reader attention immediately, the reader will move on to the next piece of content that does. Creating quality content that people like (think E-A-T)<\/em> is one of the most effective organic traffic-generating methods.<\/p>\n So after you create something worth sharing, you need to make it easy for people to share it! A few methods we use on the Advice Local blog \u2013 and recommend you do the same \u2013\u00a0is to incorporate \u201cClick to Tweet\u201d links within the post, and of course have all the \u201cLike,\u201d Share, Pin and +1 buttons. At the bottom of the post, ask readers a question to encourage comments. This is a great way to drive conversation and build authority.<\/p>\n The simple fact is that influencing the influencers is an easy and no-cost way to drive traffic and prospective customers to a business\u2019 website. Since most influencers have a specific niche, you can assume their loyal following is interested in them, what they do, and what they share.<\/p>\n When you focus on developing authentic relationships with these influencers, growing authority becomes so much easier. Don\u2019t get stuck on the idea that if they don\u2019t have 1M followers they are not an influencer. Look at those big accounts and you may find many of them are on autopilot, or have someone they\u2019ve hired managing social media for them. You might think you are reaching the influencer, but you are really talking to the gatekeeper! To leverage the power of this type of influencer you will have to break out the big bucks.<\/p>\n Those with a smaller following are most likely managing the accounts themselves, so you have the ability to influence them more easily and drive traffic that far outweighs their audience size. Know that it won\u2019t always be through social media that you reach and establish relationships with these influencers. The conversation may start on one platform and move to email, perhaps followed by contributing an article to their blog, or posting comments on something they have written. These relationships won\u2019t happen overnight. Be patient. You\u2019ll need to develop rapport over a period of time. You will know when the time is right to propose a collaboration or ask for a tweet.<\/p>\n Employing search engine optimization tactics is the most popular organic traffic strategy, and can possibly be the most costly \u2013\u00a0or the least costly. Competing with countless businesses chasing the same targeted traffic is not easy. This all depends on how talented your digital marketing team is at creating content that search engines like, on building social media authority, and incorporating strong calls-to-action in everything that\u2019s created.<\/p>\n Instead of pumping out the most content, getting the most links and most social shares, add building authority to your focus. Using tools like Majestic and Ahrefs, analyze the authority of sites you are engaging with that have your target audience, and identify ways to build authority through their authority. This could be by guest blogging, asking to have a link included on their resource page, commenting on their content with valuable insights, and including a link to a resource you have that supports the content. You might even get really bold and just ask for the link. Absolutely correct \u2013\u00a0link building is important<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before you move to this part of the strategy I highly recommend that you make sure to have your ducks in a row on the first two points. If you have no influence and nothing great to offer (because believe me, they\u2019ll look when they receive your email)<\/em> you are just wasting time. Don\u2019t put the cart before the horse.<\/p>\n While you are working on points one through three to attract an engaged audience, here are a few more things you should be doing to build authority, influence, and generate site traffic.<\/p>\n Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n Do you think you were going to get through a post from me without reading about directories? Sorry, but I cannot and will not skip this foundational element that is essential for local businesses. The simple fact is that when a consumer searches for a product or service offered by the businesses you represent, it needs to be found on the first page of Google. The audience doesn\u2019t really care if it\u2019s through an article, a social media account or a directory. While a business\u2019 website will easily show up for their business name on the first page of Google in most cases, that is not how a consumer searches. They search for \u201cpizza places near me\u201d or \u201croofer, McKinney, Texas\u201d for example.<\/p>\n Businesses that are listed on high authority sites like Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Yelp, Facebook, Angie\u2019s List and other top sites are going to get preference. To search engines, these directory listings are essential and add authority<\/a> to a business. Many of these sites include a link to the business website, which also increases the authority.<\/p>\n So you definitely understand the need for a social media presence, and that\u2019s great. But ask yourself this: On the pages and profiles of businesses you represent, are you posting just to be posting, or sharing just for the sake of sharing? That behavior is quite common, and it\u2019s also easy to spot those social media properties without a clear strategy<\/a>. The posts don\u2019t always make sense, they don\u2019t tie to the brand, or the most common one \u2013\u00a0they sell all the time! That\u2019s right, everything is \u201cdownload this guide, read about this product, buy now.\u201d They put little or no effort into creating a graphic, a video, or in crafting a social media post that people will want to engage with.<\/p>\n Take a second look and consider each social site individually. The goal is to create content that suits the platform. Pinterest, for example, can drive a lot of organic traffic, but you need to invest in a graphic artist to create images that will get re-pins. Many businesses will start their social media accounts with the best intentions, but the activity gradually falls off over time. Don\u2019t let the account go dormant because on the surface you ran out of something great to say or share.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had a lot to say about local landing pages recently, and yes, we do have an exciting product called Advice Locator Pages. Plus I just published a guide focusing on putting multi-location brands<\/a> and businesses on the map. But these developments are only part of the push. Local landing pages are a hot topic for me because consumers want to quickly and easily find, read about, and get directions to the business locations they want to frequent.<\/p>\n With 91% of users turning to their mobile devices for things they want to do, find and learn while in the middle of a task, local businesses cannot afford to miss out on the opportunities to make it easy for them.<\/p>\nThree Methods to Attract a Targeted, Interested and Engaged Audience<\/h2>\n
1. Create Something Worth Sharing<\/h3>\n
2. Influence the Influencers<\/h3>\n
3. Build Authority Through Links<\/h3>\n
Focusing on the Foundation<\/h2>\n
1. Get Listed on Authoritative Directory Sites<\/h3>\n
2. Have a Clear Social Media Strategy<\/h3>\n
3. Create Local Landing Pages for Local Businesses<\/h3>\n
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