Increasing Your Site’s Traffic

I am often asked how one can improve their site’s internet buzz and traffic. Well, I have to admit that ever since I switched from a static to my more dynamic ProPhoto site, I’ve seen an incredible amount of visits and traffic. It’s amazing! So how did I do it? How do I improve the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for my site?

1. Create and update your blog at least once a week. Search engines love new material. Google scours the internet for new material everyday so you’re rewarded by being religious about your blog posts. Your blog’s activity adds tremendous value to your site and the traffic it can potentially generate. Using your blog in conjunction with social networking sites also add to the traffic and visibility of the site. Facebook and Twitter, among others, serve as a great catalyst to a wider and broader audience.

2. Remember Your Categories and Keywords: There is a reason why some blogs have “Any Town USA Photographer”on every post. While it might seem redundant at times, these keywords and tags allow search engines to hone in on specific items when searched.

Aside from categories and keywords, meta tags also allow potential search engines to provide a summary of what your site is all about. It’s vital to your site’s success that you provide an accurate description of your site so that potential audience will be inclined to click on your site. Think of a way to differentiate your site from other sites offering similar products.

So how do I do this in the ProPhoto template?

P3 Customize>Settings>Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

- enable SEO options

- apply your site’s meta description and keep it under 160 words

- apply your site’s meta keywords

3. Aim for uniqueness: This might be one of the most difficult things to accomplish as creating unique posts are tough. Whenever potential visitors search for a specific topic, Google ranks each page and site according to the uniqueness of the site. So how does will this work? Simply put, the more unique topics you have, the higher your page rank will be thus creating more traffic into your site.

4. Easy navigation: Ensure that your site is easily navigated. It’s easy to get lost in numerous links and pages. The simpler the user experience is navigating your site, the better chances that the site will be found. Remember that simpler site navigations allow Google’s spiders to find you.

5. Stay active: The more active the site, the more movement and buzz it creates. Post at least once a week if not more.

6. Link me! Put your site’s link out there. Visit forums and other blogs with the same interest. Be active at other sites and link your site from their site. Visibility is key.

At the end of the day, your site’s visibility really depends on a firm commitment on your part. I remember when I first started. Whenever I typed in “SF Bay Area Photographer”, I found myself buried 20 or sometimes even 30 pages deep. These days, I’m on the first page and fourth on the results. Potential clients find me easier these days. It wasn’t easy but I’ve managed to distinguish myself from other competing sites.

So what do you think? Are you ready to take the plunge and do the leg work? If you’re reading this and have a site of your own, take my last advice. Leave a comment and put your website as a link. Whenever people leave good, sound advice or comments, other visitors tend to click their names which takes them to your site. This is the power of networking. See? You’ve already done your first step by simply leaving a comment and being active on other sites that are frequented by other people.

So what do you do now? If you like this or know someone who might like it, share this article via email or Facebook. There’s also a Twitter link if that’s easier for you. And thanks in advance!

Cheers!

PS. Facebook has over 350 million active users. More than 35 million users update their status each day, with more than 55 million status updates each day.