You may have the best website in the world, but what good is it if no one knows it exists?
The key to a successful website is generating traffic, and there are a number of ways to do that.
The most important thing is to diversify your traffic sources as much as possible, and use multiple avenues to drive visitors to your site.
In this guide, we’ll explore different traffic sources, the best reasons why diversifying your site traffic is important, and specific strategies you can use to generate more traffic from a variety of sources.
What Are Traffic Sources?
A traffic source is anything that drives visitors to your website.
The most common traffic sources are organic search, direct traffic, social media, and referral traffic.
Depending on your industry and niche, you may also get traffic from paid advertising, email marketing, or even offline marketing efforts.
Let’s dive into a few different traffic sources, their pros and cons, and how to see better results from each of them.
Organic Traffic
Organic traffic is the traffic you get from appearing in search engine results pages (SERPs).
This type of traffic is free, but it can be hard to come by.
The main way to increase organic traffic is to improve your website’s SEO.
Want more in-depth information about SEO? Check out our complete beginner’s guide.
Organic traffic is often the most valuable, since you’re not paying for the clicks.
However, generating organic traffic can be difficult and time-consuming, as you need to create high-quality content that ranks well in search engines.
This means that organic traffic can take a while to build up, especially if you’re just starting out.
It can also be unpredictable, as your ranking in the search results can fluctuate depending on algorithm updates and changes in the competitive landscape.
Direct Traffic
Direct traffic is any traffic that comes to your website without going through a third-party website first.
This type of traffic can come from people typing your URL into their browser, clicking on a bookmark, or clicking on a link or shortcut.
An advantage of direct traffic is that you can see exactly where the traffic is coming from, and you can track conversions and goals.
Because of this, direct traffic is a valuable source of information about your website and your marketing efforts.
The main disadvantage of direct traffic is that it can be hard to generate.
You can’t just create a website and expect people to start typing in your URL.
More direct traffic typically comes with a well-established brand.
Referral Traffic
Referral traffic comes to your website from another website.
This can happen in a few different ways, such as when someone clicks on a link to your website from another site, when someone includes a link to your website in their blog post, or when someone shares one of your blog posts on social media.
Referral traffic is valuable because it’s often high-quality traffic.
When someone clicks on a link to your website from another site, they’re already interested in what you have to say.
Paid Search Traffic
Paid search traffic comes to your website from a paid ad, such as a Google Ads campaign.
Paid search traffic can be a great way to get quick results, as you can start generating traffic to your website right away.
The main disadvantage of paid search traffic is that it can be expensive, and you need to be careful with your budget to make sure you’re getting a good return on investment.
You also need to be careful with your keywords, as you don’t want to pay for clicks that don’t lead to conversions.
Email Traffic
Email traffic comes to your website from an email campaign.
Email campaigns can be a great way to generate traffic, as you can reach a large number of people with your message.
The main disadvantage of email traffic is that it can be expensive and time consuming, as it’s hard to get people to open and click on your emails.
You also need to be careful with your subject lines and email content to make sure you’re not coming across as spammy.
Social Media Traffic
Social media traffic comes to your website from social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Social media traffic can be a great way to generate awareness for your brand.
The main disadvantage of social media traffic is that it can be time-consuming to create and manage your social media accounts.
You also need to be careful with your content to make sure it’s engaging and relevant to your audience.
Related: Learn the best current social media strategies and how to use them to your advantage with our comprehensive guide.
Why is Traffic Source Diversity Important?
Traffic source diversity is important because it can help you reach a wider audience and generate more leads and sales.
If you rely on one source of traffic, you’re only reaching a small portion of the total number of people who could be interested in your content, products, or services.
Additionally, traffic diversity can help you weather algorithm changes and other fluctuations in the online landscape.
- You can decrease dependence on any one traffic source. When you have a variety of traffic sources, you’re not as reliant on any one source of traffic. This means that if one source of traffic dries up, you still have other sources to rely on.
- You can be where your audience is. Instead of hoping your audience will find you, you can meet them where they are most engaged, whether that’s social media, in their emails, or by getting their attention with ads.
- Not all traffic sources are equal. As you can probably tell from the earlier list, each traffic source comes with its own unique benefits and challenges. So a strategy that combines multiple traffic avenues will be the most well-rounded, comprehensive approach to increasing traffic.
- You can broaden your data and gain insight. Traffic source diversity can also help you track where your leads and sales are coming from, so you can adjust your marketing efforts accordingly.
Strategies for Diversifying Traffic
Now that we’ve covered why you should diversify traffic and taken a look at popular traffic sources, let’s dive into some specific strategies you can use.
YouTube Content
YouTube is a great platform for creating video content that can drive traffic to your website.
You can create product review videos, how-to guides, or informational videos about your niche.
To drive traffic from your videos, be sure to include a CTA in the video description, as well as in the video itself.
You can also use YouTube annotations to link to your website or other videos on your channel.
Podcasts
Podcasts are another great way to reach a new audience and drive traffic to your website.
You can create a podcast about any topic that you’re passionate about that would be of interest to your target audience.
To drive traffic from your podcast, be sure to include a CTA in every episode, as well as in the show notes.
You can also promote your podcast on social media and other channels to reach a wider audience.
If hosting a podcast isn’t something you’re interested in or have time for, you can alternatively reach out to established podcasts and ask to be interviewed as a guest.
This way you can still gain exposure and benefit from a larger platform, which can drive more traffic to your site, but without having to put in the extensive work to set up and produce your own podcast.
Guest Posting
When it comes to driving traffic to your site, guest posting is one of the most effective methods.
By contributing articles to other sites in your industry, you can reach a whole new audience that might not be aware of your brand.
In addition, guest posting can help to build your reputation as an expert in your field, which can further increase traffic to your site.
Email Lists
Email list building should be a key part of your traffic generation strategy.
By collecting email addresses from your website visitors, you can stay in touch and promote your latest content, products, or services.
To increase traffic from your email list, be sure to segment your list so that you’re only sending relevant information to each subscriber.
You should also include a CTA in each email, such as a link to a landing page or a blog post.
Social Media
Social media is a great way to reach a wider audience and promote your brand.
You can use social media to share your latest blog posts, infographics, or other pieces of content.
You can also use social media to run ads and promote special offers.
To drive traffic from social media, be sure to post regularly and include CTAs in your posts.
Pinterest is a great platform for driving traffic to your website, especially if you have a visual product or service.
You can create boards for different topics and pin images, infographics, or other types of content to those boards.
To drive traffic from Pinterest, be sure to include keyword-rich descriptions and links to your website with each of your pins.
You can also join relevant group boards and collaborate with other pinners to reach a wider audience.
Wrapping Up
There are a variety of different ways that you can generate diverse traffic to your website.
By following the strategies in this guide, you can ensure that you’re never relying on just one source of traffic.
What are some of the other ways that you generate traffic to your website?
Share your tips in the comments below.
