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How to Boost Traffic to Your Small-Business Website

repost from http://www.entrepreneur.com/

What is better than one view on your website? More views! Have a website but the traffic numbers are lacking? Looking to drive traffic to your relevant and exciting content? Follow the tips below to gain a larger audience and leave a lasting impression while doing so.

Content is king. 

With the search engine algorithm updates and the need for good content, it is no surprise how imperative great content is. Write for your audience, not robots. This will help build your brand AND improve your online visibility. Link for relevant content and keep the links to a minimum (3-5 links). Don’t forget linking to your own website and other pages – this is data-rich food for search engine crawlers. The added bonus is your users will have the content they need in a sensible way. This builds trust and credibility.

Social integration.

Social Media is the current landscape to connect with your audience. Chances are, your business is utilizing a multitude of social channels and engaging with your audience. Be sure to add a call-to-action on these social channels to get more information on your website. 140 characters to inspire and have your audience seek for more information. Use your social efforts to drive traffic to your site. Looking to gain more traffic on social media channels? Use it regularly and use #hashtags appropriately. Unfamiliar with #hashtag*?  The hashtag connects your message with the #topic or #cause so those seeking information can easily find it.

*Too many #hashtags can have the reverse outcome and users will see this as spam instead. Opt for 1-3 hashtags per message.

Multimedia = attention grabbing

Images and video capture the attention of your users and search engines alike. Multimedia increase visibility because all are inherently intrigued by visuals. Including an image/video on your press releases, blog posts, social media channels and website puts a bull's eye target for your users' line of vision. Simply put: multimedia gets noticed and being noticed is the first step in driving traffic to your website and brand. Take the next step and use the multimedia efforts within your social media strategy.