We have already focused on creating great content. We have also invested time in making the content easy to read and valuable to both visitors and the search engines.
Now we will look at how you can use your content to get visitors to your website and also how to turn first time visitors into returning visitors.
Smart keyword selection & SEO will get visitors to your website
We have already covered how to SEO our content using some simple core principles and the WordPress plugins Rank Math or Yoast SEO.
It may take some time but with great content from smart keyword selection we should after some time start seeing visitors from the search engines.
And when we do, our work starts.
Logs and statistics to get more visitors to your website
The overall objective is of course to get visitors to your website. Now, with visitors, we need to use the referral logs and website statistics to see how our visitors found us. And often, the answer will spring ideas for more content that needs writing.
How do we do this?
Google Analytics is a free and popular statistics service. There are plugins that offer seamless integration with WordPress. You can also follow my guide to learn how to use filters with Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 to help you work smarter.
When installed you will have all the necessary information at your fingertips.
To give an example we may have an article about “cheap budget web hosting”.
Now the logs tell you that you get visitors to your website that are looking for “fast web hosting”.
Given this information we should
- try to understand how we got ranked for the keyword “fast web hosting”
- consider writing an article or creating a section using the keyword “fast web hosting”
You should make it a habit to look at your referral logs and website statistics and at the very least look at which
- sites are sending you visitors
- keywords are generating visitors
- content generates visitors versus the content which does not
Newsletter mailings – treat your visitors right
In chapter 4 we activated a mailing list provider and integrated Mailchimp to allow us to collect email addresses.
These email addresses that we collect are potential customers and more importantly returning visitors to our website.
And here I agree with online marketers – your mailing list is the most effective way to engage your visitor.
If you are selling products you have a potential group of loyal customers who have given you permission to contact them.
Work with discounts, exclusive offers and the like to keep this group of people loyal to you and your brand.
Remember to create value. Do not take your list for granted. You need to earn their loyalty with every new mailing you send.
Also, depending on how often you publish a new article on your website, do remember to inform your mailing list.
But if you publish one article per day you may want to play it cool. Avoid the daily mail and send a weekly summary with keynotes and links instead.
Summary: it is important to get visitors to your website. But do not forget to create value to existing visitors in your quest for new visitors.
Link out and make friends
When you start out writing articles you are literally the new kid on the block.
And since you are the new kid on the block it becomes your task to try to make new friends.
And with great content you will find that other websites will be interested in making friends with you.
So what should you do?
From every article you write start linking out to one or two high ranking quality websites for the same or a related keyword phrase.
So why should you do this when the objective is to get visitors to your website?
First of all linking out is believed to have a SEO value. Search engines like it when value is created for the visitor. When we link to great and related content we play a part in creating that value.
Also, and at least equally important, your outgoing link will hopefully result in your site being discovered and may earn you a link back to your website.
And do keep track of the sites you link out to. If you do not get a link back a friendly outreach may be in order.
Why not send a friendly email informing them about your link(s) and pointing out a couple of your articles that would complement their websites content.
Write a minimum of 500 words every day
The heading says it all.
The key to your success will be to produce great and relevant content.
If you do not have content, you have nothing to work with.
So I will say that you need to write 500 words every day.
That number of words is of course made up.
The point is that you need to produce and publish quality content regularly.
If your average article is about 500 words it means writing and publishing one page of content every day.
Running out of ideas? Remember the part about logs and statistics above? Good, get writing.
Quality cannot be sacrificed. Other than that, more is better. So, get writing.
We have now looked at the core principles for letting the world know about you and get visitors to your website.
You need to be patient & persistent to get visitors to your website
Remember that we spoke about persistence and patience? To build a website the right way takes time, effort and persistence.
You have now spent time and effort to research keywords and create great content. Now you need to keep writing while your audience finds you.
And then when you have an audience it is time to dive into the final step and start looking at monetizing your website.
After all, how you will make money will affect your content creation and website development going forward.
But let’s continue on and this is of course the exciting part. In the next section we look at 5 proven ways to make money from a website.
