Securing the #1 spot on Google in 2021 is the equivalent of what advertising on the main street billboard was 20 years ago.
In other words, a high search engine ranking is the ultimate stage for your business ‒ and every successful small business needs a strong online presence nowadays.
But if your website’s performance on the search engine results pages (SERPs) is less than stellar, what can you do to turn your ranking around?
If you’re wondering how to increase your web traffic in 2021, it’s time to revamp your website and get in tune with the trends that are defining the future of digital marketing. NEXT! Ad Agency is here to explore everything you need to know about dominating the search engines in 2021. If you’re ready to start strategizing your SEO efforts, contact us today!
Optimize Your Website for the Mobile Consumer
It’s no secret that tablets and smartphones have surpassed laptops and desktop computers in recent years. But did you know that mobile devices account for over 50% of the world’s website traffic?
It may seem like your small town or region only accounts for a minuscule fraction of that percentage; but the modern consumer, no matter where they are on the globe, uses their mobile device as their primary means of searching and connecting with small businesses.
So, what can you do to optimize your website for the mobile consumer and increase your web traffic? Let’s dive into why mobile-first web design is so important for your website’s performance.
Mobile-First Design
Websites don’t translate the same on mobile devices as they do on desktop computers or laptops. The mobile consumer wants information, conveniently and effortlessly. They don’t want to thumb and scroll through a desktop-geared website on their 6” x 3” iPhone or smartphone.
Mobile-first websites are scaled to adjust and translate on smartphones, iPhones, and other mobile devices, through what’s known as responsive web design. These websites allow users to browse and read content without having to zoom in and out.
Remember: functionality is just as important as appearance. A mobile-first website is all about making the user’s experience easy and enjoyable.
The longer a website can retain users, the better it will perform on the search engines. A website with a high bounce rate, often resulting from frustrated users who are struggling to navigate it, won’t perform as well as the website that keeps users engaged for longer.
If it’s time to make your website mobile-friendly, our web designers and developers are here to help. Let us create a custom, mobile-first website that makes you stand out against the competition. Get in touch with us today.
Focus on Search Intent
If you’re wondering how to increase your web traffic in 2021, understanding the objective of your target audience is key ‒ all thanks to Google’s Search algorithm.
You can delve into the multi-page breakdown of how Google’s Search algorithm works, but to put it in layman’s terms:
Google’s ranking system is designed to understand the intent behind a query, as well as the relevance of a web page to a query.
Let us illustrate that for you with this example:
Italian Restaurant vs. Pizzeria
Say you’re looking to make a reservation at a sit-down Italian restaurant. You search “Italian restaurant near me” on Google, and the SERPs pull up a long list of restaurants.
Within those results you also come across pizzerias (because they’ve included “Italian restaurant” on their web pages.) You decide to browse one of the websites. Lo and behold, you discover that they only serve pizza and subs, but don’t offer spaghetti, meatballs, and other classic dishes you would find at an Italian restaurant.
Frustrated, you click away — the website is not relevant to what you’re searching for. Meanwhile, users searching for a local pizzeria may not come across this website because its pages signal to Google that it is an Italian restaurant, when in fact, it is not.
Believe it or not, this type of behavior results in a higher bounce rate for the website, which Google can track, measure, and use against the website’s SERPs ranking. This is bad news for the pizzeria ‒ or any website ‒ that optimizes for irrelevant keywords and fails to target the right audience.
So, in addition to understanding your target audience and what they’re looking for, how else can you optimize for search intent to increase your web traffic?
Call-to-Actions
The mobile consumer is more likely to purchase a product, visit a business, or inquire about a service the same day they browse a website. Your website should incorporate multiple conversion points throughout the content ‒ from the top and bottom of a web page and everywhere in-between. That way, the user has easy options at the time they make a decision.
This strategy is otherwise known as call-to-action, and it can take the form of any and all of the following:
- Call buttons
- Subscription sign-ups
- Pop-ups
- Get directions buttons
- Contact forms
- Clickable specials
Think about your target audience. Do they prefer using the phone or communicating with you via text message, email, social media, or some other form of communication? Are they interested in visiting a brick-and-mortar store or ordering online? You may need help analyzing your target audience, which we can help you with ‒ contact NEXT! Ad Agency for assistance.
Fresh Content Is King
For years, digital marketers have regurgitated the phrase “content is king” ‒ but if you’re a small business trying to increase your web traffic in 2021, know this:
Old, stagnant content ranks lower in the digital marketing court… and fresh content is what truly reigns.
Google recognizes that modern consumers value new information. And because of Google’s Freshness algorithm, websites that continually produce new content perform better on SERPs.
To make “the king” that is fresh content work for your online presence, update everything content-related on your website. From the headings and call-to-actions to the keywords and informational content, rewrite your content to make it simple, engaging, and conversion-driven.
Still, it may not be enough to update the content on all of your web pages. So, how else can you integrate fresh content on your website?
Blogging
Every time you publish a blog, you’re essentially adding a new page to your website. Each time this happens, Google receives the signal to crawl and index the new content. This will subsequently affect (and improve) your ranking.
Not only that. You have the opportunity to optimize for new keywords in your blog posts, attracting more users from the search engines. You can further optimize your blog by answering questions your target audience is likely to search for on Google. You should also cover trending topics in your industry.
Additionally, a blog can build a stronger community around your brand and promote more conversation between your followers. You can even cross-promote your blogs on social media, driving more traffic to your website from those accounts.
Understanding How to Increase Web Traffic in 2021
User experience is all the rage when it comes to search engine optimization. By implementing mobile-first web design, optimizing for search intent, and creating blog content, you can successfully increase your web traffic in 2021 and watch your website climb the ranks.
How well is your website performing? NEXT! Ad Agency is here to help you pinpoint the reasoning behind your performance and help you develop a game plan to drive new growth this year. Stay tuned to our blog for more tips and information, and contact us today to get started.
