What’s a great way to increase search engine traffic? Get to spot one or two on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If you’re not there yet though, don’t dismay.
Here are some tips to help increase search engine traffic, even if you’re not in the top one or two spots yet.
A Great Meta Description
When you look on search engine results pages, you don’t just see a link. You also see a 2 to 3 sentence description. This is known as the meta description and this tells search engines and web-browsing individuals what the site that’s listed will provide.
If your description is well-written and entices visitors, you may get the first click. If not and you’re still on page one or two, you may get on a short list of sites to consider if and when the surfer either doesn’t like what they see on the other search engine results, or when the surfer is a savvy consumer who likes to look at more than one option before making a buying decision.
You’ve got a small space to make an impression so write a great meta description in order to increase search engine traffic.
Increase Search Engine Traffic With Pay Per Click Advertising
Organic web results appear on the left side of the search engine results pages. Pay per click advertising appears across the right side and can appear across the top of the page as well. The more links you have on results pages, the better your chances of being clicked. It may cost you the price of a click or it could be a free click when it’s an organic listing.
Organic listings don’t have to come in the form of your own website, though. Many of the below options can achieve page one rankings. Some internet marketers are able to gain several page one spots when they include both the organic and sponsored results. Some of the other results could be links from the following:
Social Marketing
Social marketing sites are listed on page one. You’ll see specific links and microblog posts in many cases. People search via social marketing search engines and today search engines often integrate a handful of social media results into page one results.
Diversifying Through Videos Etc…
Depending on which search engine is being used and how popular a keyword phrase is, YouTube videos could also be displayed on page one of search engine results. Video marketing is a highly profitable enterprise for many reasons and search engine exposure is one of them. Many surfers will click a video in third spot before a link in first spot because it’s often easier to watch a video than read an article and videos offer people a closer look at an internet marketer. Trust and authority is often more easily built through visuals.
Images, information articles, and web 2.0 pages (such as HubPages or Squidoo lenses) are other ways you can get listed at or near the top search engine results.
As you can see, a lot more than a basic home page can get listed near the top of the search engines. That’s why every page or update you publish should be optimized for people and for search engines. Each page you publish, whether it’s a web page, a blog post, a social marketing submission, a video, or something else, gives you the opportunity to increase search engine traffic.
Do continue to strive to hit top spot for highly coveted keywords but another benefit to diversifying your SEO strategy is that you can achieve more than top spot and on more than one search engine. As other marketers compete for the same spot, you can be rest assured that you’ve got a multi-faceted approach to attracting targeted prospects.
About Sean Rasmussen
No #1 Top Ranking in Google for search term ” health mind spirit”
Type in this search phrase, and my blog has number one spot!
Hey Sean you must be psychic!
I was wondering if I should share this and I thought…why not?
In your Year of The Affiliate Book you mention the importance of keywords. Now I am beginning to take more notice of them.
I now rank number one on Google for the search term “health mind spirit” !
It was a bit of a fluke how I did it, but it shows me what can be achieved with good keyword research.
Sure, the term “health mind spirit” only gets 2,400 searches per month according to the Google Keyword Tool, which is only around 29,000 searches a year. Small fry compared to some search terms. But I am still excited.
Now I did not do much, as I said I fluked this, and write articles on the mind-body-spirit niche naturally with keywords like mind-spirit connection already in them without any prior keyword planning.
But now I have raised my sights and keyword goals!
My next search term has 6,000 searches per month, that is 72,000 a year.
This is a bigger keyword goal, and will require more work, but I understand a bit more now about keyword research. In fact , for the term I am talking about, I am already on page one of Google, but at the bottom end of the top ten position , and so will not reveal it yet, and not number one spot like for Health Mind Spirit keyword phrase.
It is all starting to come together more and more,
Thanks Sean for your support and internet know how.
Hey don’t knock it – 2400 month is a good start – it will go up as you add more content, LSI and SEO etc.
pshyicjim,
that really is fantastic news and I wanted to congratulate you!!!
I have only just started up my first blog so am not near this stage but will be in no time! But good on you for the hard work and persistence and it will only get better from here!
I was reading through the article at the post about increasing search engine traffic and thinking yep, yep, starting to do some of that. Moving on through I was thinking I was starting well for a newbie, then I read your comment.
That’s awesome stuff psyhicjim. It just goes to show that just building up on the right keywords without ‘stuffing’ as I was reading on another post just before means I can equally compete with the big boys too.
Well done
Hi pshyicjim
Wow, you have done a great job with your blog and sounds like you are also doing well with Keyword research as I know that can take some time to learn, so stick with it as you are getting results.
Hi Sean
Some great tips on how to increase web site traffic.
I have been using some of these and have also found that posts submitted to blog directories will get good listings as well.
I like the tips in this article. The multi-faceted approach to increasing search engine traffic makes a lot of sense.
The use of youtube videos is a great idea. Something I am keen to try.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the tips on how to increase search engine traffic, they seem to say persistence is the key.
Hi Sean,
I am looking forward to the day when I can increase search engine traffic enough to put me in No1 or 2 position. When I achieve that then I know I have made it, and then I keep working to stay on top.
And you will get there too Rita
You are learning lots and putting what you have learned into action, this will produce results 
Great article. I already some of this things, but now I will try with others from this posts.
Great article on increasing search engine traffic. The day I find myself achieving a number one position even if only for a fleeting moment I will know I have made it.
At that time I will give myself a pat on the back. At the same time I will give you Sean a pat on the back because I know it will all have been with your help.
This is a very rich and informative article – which I don’t like – joking – as it means I now have to go and review my websites – I KNOW I have been careless and just whacking in anything for the meta descriptions.
As for diversifying with videos …….. guess what else I need to do? AS for updating, I’m way behind.
One step at a time Peter
You’ll get there mate.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for the great tips to increase search engine traffic. I’ll be able to work my way through this post and make sure I’m doing the best that I can in each area.
My blog posts always rank very low in the search engines but I’m working on it. Some of the other strategies I use rank much higher. Like everyone else, I can’t wait until I start to rank in those top 3 positions for my chosen keywords.
Increasing search engine traffic even without top organic ranking doesn’t seem half as daunting when you read articles like this one.
Thank you Sean for the tips. I know that video marketing helps your sites rank very highly.
Off to work on some of the strategies now.
Cath
One thing that stood out for me here, that I hadn’t considered is the increased attention from search engine traffic by using a video. Even though you appear lower in the list than another listing, the fact you have the video clip to catch the viewers eye is cool.
When I reflect on it I have probably done just that myself.
Actually another thing I want to add to comment on with this page (before I leave it) is about organic ranking, organic web results etc. I don’t know what organic means in this circumstance but wonder if it means something like pure, clean, true, accurate
Well, they ought be true and accurate. Never thought of organic in those terms you list though. Organic means natural and integrated naturally within and by other related elements.
Hi Bernadette,
My understanding of organic ranking is that it’s on page one because of the keywords used and not because it’s a paid advertisement.
Hi Sean,
Great tips! I’m aware I need to do more keyword research to gain better organic ranking for article. I know article marketing is important also and will be working on submitting to article directories in the near future.
Your understanding is correct Jill. Organic rankings are the search results you see over to the left of the page. The sites you see there are what Google have determined are the most relevant pages to display for the search term entered. This is determined by many factors that are taken into account by the Google algorithm
When it comes to increasing search engine traffic even without top organic rankings, I am a big believer in the meta description tag. When I have a page of search results in front of me, the first thing I do is scans the short descriptions under the link to see what grabs my attention. Quite frequently I’ll end up at site quite far from the top of the page simply because of the meta description that I read.
I know I’m nowhere near ready to consider PPC but I do try to promote on various social marketing sites.
Now about the videos, should I wear a wig or go for the “bald is sexy” look of Jean Luc Picard and Kojak?
The meta description is certainly an important factor Don. There’s not a lot of point in working hard to achieve top rankings, only for people to click the listing under you, due to it having a more compelling description
With a website there is usually a place to write up the meta description, but how do you control it for a UWC blog? Is it just taken from the opening sentence?
If so that makes it vital that the opening lines are real attention grabbers – which, I suppose, they should be anyway.
I have found that the social sites are really dominating the front page of Google (it is getting a little annoying really….) but I need to use that to my advantage and get my social profile looking fantastic!
Hi Jayne,
I know what you mean. But, it’s a great incentive to make the most of our social media profiles. It just goes to show how popular these sites really are and how much Google values them.