Getting qualified web site traffic is essential to the success of an online business. You've probably heard that before. But what exactly is qualified traffic, and how do you get it? This article will discuss some of the most important points to keep in mind when trying to get good quality traffic that will convert well.
Search Engine Traffic
Search engine traffic is excellent from a business perspective. Search engine users are looking for something - usually information, or a product to solve a problem. If you have a website that can provide those things, it's relatively easy to get qualified traffic. Because the visitors will be coming to you of their own accord, through their own search engine efforts, they'll be impressed with themselves for coming across your high quality website.
In order to generate search engine traffic that converts well, you need a lot of keyword-optimized, high quality content on your web site. But not just any old keywords will do - there are good keywords and bad ones for you to target.
Targeted Keywords
When it comes to choosing keywords, you're always better to focus on words that are tightly related to what you sell or want to sell. For example, let's say you sell a German Shepherd training ebook. Obviously, terms related to 'German shepherd' are going to be a lot more valuable than general dog terms, so you want to target those 'German shepherd' terms first. Even though the general dog-related keywords will undoubtedly have higher numbers of people searching for them, not all of those will own a German Shepherd and therefore not all of them are potential customers.
Low conversion rates may not necessarily be the result of bad sales copy. Often, they're the result of having a lot of traffic that just isn't interested in what you're selling. No matter how good your sales copy may be, if your web site visitors are finding you through keywords that aren't relevant to what you sell, you won't convert them. Only target keywords that are directly related to what you're selling.
Think About Buyer Keywords
Keep in mind also the difference between a keyword term like 'free German shepherd info' and 'buy German shepherd guide.' The first keyword is being searched for by people looking for a free ride - the second one is being searched for by people willing to spend money to solve a problem. Therefore the second word is most likely more valuable to you, even if the search volume for the first keyword phrase is higher.
I'm not saying you shouldn't target those 'free' keywords. You should, as long as they are relevant to what you're selling. But just bear in mind that people searching on those terms aren't likely to buy from you straight off the bat. You will need to have an email opt-in form set up on your site, so you can capture email addresses from the freebie hunters and hopefully convert them into customers further down the track, once they have seen the quality you can offer.
Using PPC Advertising for Generating Qualified Website Traffic
Some web marketers use Pay Per Click (PPC) ads to bring in traffic. This can be an effective strategy, but you have to be careful to only put up ads that qualify potential visitors. Remember you're paying by the click, so you want to eliminate "casual clicks" and people just browsing as much as possible. Your ad copy needs to be crafted in such a way that it speaks to your ideal customer - preferably the one with her hand on her wallet.
Tom McSherry is a freelance copywriter and founder of Premium Online Writing. Tom was tired of seeing the Internet swamped with low-quality, disposable content created by low-budget freelance writers, so he created a service which aims to provide a one-stop-shop for business owners for all their online writing needs. This includes SEO copywriting and other comprehensive, high quality services to help generate more qualified web site traffic for your business.