Resolve to Get More Traffic in 2015 – Here’s How!

Have you been frustrated by the lack of visitors to your website?  Are getting a decent amount of traffic, but would like to get more traffic and grow your organization?  Let’s make 2015 the year you increase traffic and start getting your website to work for you.

So, how can you get more traffic to your website?

1. Search Engine Optimization
There are several things you can do quickly and easily to start moving the needle of traffic from the search engines and there are some things that can take time.  Thankfully, you’ve got almost a whole year left in 2015.  Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?  Even if you just do a little bit at a time, in the end you can win the race.  Here are a few references to get you started:

Start with Keyword Research.

• DIY SEO #4: Getting Keyword Suggestions From Your Competition
• DIY SEO #5: Keyword Popularity Research
• DIY SEO #7: Keyword Competition Research
• DIY SEO #11: Choosing Your Keyword Strategy

Then do some optimization.  You can continue through the steps of DIY SEO series and/or you can follow some quick and simple SEO steps like these:

• 5 SEO Action Steps You Can Take Today
• SEO Quick Tip: Use Keywords in Your Text
• Top 5 Church SEO Strategies

2. Content Marketing and Social Media
People love good content.  Whether it’s an insightful article, entertaining video, or useful and crazy life hacks, people love good content.  By creating good content on your website, you can bring in lots of new visitors (and get links which helps SEO).  The best way to get good content out is through social media.  By posting your content in Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc., you not only let people know about the content, but you also give them an easy way to share that content with their friends.  If you continue to create new, good content, then people will start to follow you, making them more likely to see future content and return to your website.

Of course, social media isn’t all about posting content, it’s more about engagement.  So, do post your content, but don’t stop there.  Engage in conversations.  Post questions.  Ask opinions.  Do surveys.  You know, use social media to be…well…social.

Here are some helpful posts about how you can improve your content marketing and social media in 2015:

Content:

• How to Brew Up the Best Content #Infographic
• 3 Ways to Improve Your Content Today
• Communications Resolution #6: Reuse Content

Social Media:

• 12 Ways to Integrate Social Media into Your Website
• 12 Benefits of Social Media
• 5 Ways Church Search and Social Are Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts
• Rand Fishkin: “Crappy content often outperforms amazing content when…”
• Social Proof Is Important but Not as Important as This

3. Advertising:
SEO, Content Marketing, and Social media are great sources of traffic which can provide ongoing and increasing traffic as time goes on, but they can also take a while to get going.  Advertising, on the other hand, can be quick and also effective.  Google Adwords is the largest ad network in the online world.  Not only can you put advertisements in search results, but you can put display ads on the vast majority of websites with ads on them, including high traffic sites like CNN and Zillow.  Facebook also has advertising that not only can put in your site in front of millions of people, but they offer amazingly specific targeting so you can target just the people that would want to visit your website.

Here are some helpful articles about Adwords and Facebook advertising:

• 45 Fabulous Facebook Advertising Tips & Magic Marketing Tricks
• Nine best practice tips for Facebook advertising
• 10 Tips for Creating a Successful Google AdWords Campaign
• 5 AdWords Tips to Improve Your Pay-Per-Click Advertising

 Conclusion Time to Get Started:
So, what will it be?  Will it be another year of disappointing traffic stats or is this the year you’ll see that increase in traffic you’ve been wanting.  Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.  Doing just a little each day can make a huge impact by the end of a year.  If you don’t think you can even take the small steps or you’re not quite sure where to start, send us a message and we’d be happy to help.  We can offer advice or help you out with services that will start bringing in more traffic and start growing your organization.

Tell Us What You Think.

• Is this a resolution you’ll make this year?  If so, make it official and tell the world about it in the comments below.
• What will you do this year to increase traffic to your website?

Kurt Steinbrueck

OurChurch.Com Director of Marketing Services

Kurt serves as OurChurch.Com’s Director of Marketing Services, bringing over 20 years of expertise in search marketing, and has developed numerous marketing services and served hundreds of churches, schools, ministries, and businesses.

He has authored more than 500 articles on the subject, contributing to platforms like the Christian SEO Guys blog and Church Marketing University, and is an active participant on LocalSearchForum.com.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kurt is an ordained minister, serving as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL, demonstrating his commitment to both faith and community. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Georgia Southern University. He also holds a Specific Ministry Pastor Certificate and a General Pastor Certificate from Concordia Seminary.