Tips For Driving More Traffic To Your Website

Hey, I know you're trying to boost traffic to your website, but let’s skip all the typical advice you’ve probably heard before. Let’s talk about some methods that aren’t usually mentioned, but that can quietly bring more visitors your way. Practical stuff that you can start doing right away.

Become Active in Niche Spaces

Most people focus on the big social platforms and forget that niche forums, specialized Reddit threads, or even smaller online networks exist. These places can be goldmines if you know how to blend in and share useful information. You just need to spend some time getting to know what’s happening in these smaller spaces. Once you’re familiar, you can naturally drop helpful links that lead back to your website.

Think about it this way: if you’re running a site about woodworking, why limit yourself to Facebook or Instagram? There are tons of smaller woodworking groups, specific subreddits, and dedicated forums where people are searching for detailed tips and ideas.

• Join smaller, specialized forums related to your site’s topic.
• Help by answering questions and organically link back to your website.
• Participate in subreddit discussions where you’re genuinely contributing something useful, not just spamming links.

Optimize for Alternative Search Engines

Everyone is obsessed with Google, but other search engines can send you traffic too. Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia may not have Google’s massive user base, but they still receive millions of searches every day. Optimizing your site for these platforms is something that not many people do. It’s a smart way to capture some easy traffic while others are focused only on Google.

Some of these search engines cater to specific user preferences, like privacy, which could align with what your website offers. Even if not, the lower competition on these platforms could mean more visitors for you.

• Check your 6 Tips for Improving Your Business Website (with Examples)website analytics to see if traffic is already coming from Bing or DuckDuckGo.
• Submit your site to these search engines to ensure they’re indexing it.
• Make small tweaks to your SEO strategy to account for the slight differences in algorithms used by these search engines.

Write for Smaller Blogs

Guest blogging is nothing new, but here’s the twist: go after the smaller, highly-targeted blogs. Everyone focuses on the big industry blogs, but smaller bloggers tend to have dedicated followers and are often more open to collaboration. They may not have the largest traffic numbers, but the connection they have with readers means your guest post can have a lasting impact.

This tactic not only gets you a backlink but can also create ongoing relationships with these bloggers. They may mention your site or share your content even after the initial guest post.

• Reach out to smaller bloggers who don’t receive many pitches.
• Offer them value with a post they might not have time to write or cover a new angle for them.
• Don’t stop at one post—build lasting connections with these bloggers for future mentions.

Revamp Old Content in Creative Formats

Sometimes, the content you’ve already created is your best resource. But rather than simply updating an old blog post with a few new sentences, consider repurposing it entirely. Take that blog post and turn it into an infographic, a short video, or a downloadable guide. People consume information in different ways, so changing up the format gives it new life.

For example, a detailed tutorial could be turned into a visual step-by-step guide, or a list of tips could be narrated in a short podcast-style format. This way, you’re breathing new life into old content without starting from scratch.

• Create infographics from your blog posts using free tools like Canva.
• Compile a series of posts into an eBook or downloadable guide.
• Record short videos summarizing your blog posts and upload them to YouTube or TikTok with links back to your site.

Focus on Hyper-Localized Keywords

You’ve probably heard about keyword strategies, but drilling down even further can pay off. Hyper-local keywords target people looking for specific information in their exact area. These search terms are often less competitive, and they can bring in steady streams of traffic from that location.

Instead of targeting something broad like "coffee shops," target phrases like "best coffee shops in Brooklyn near Williamsburg." It’s detailed, sure, but it reaches people who are looking for something very specific.

• Use tools like Google Trends to find variations of location-based keywords.
• Add hyper-local content to your service pages or blog posts.
• Mention specific neighborhoods, landmarks, or events in your area.

Work with Unconventional Influencers

Forget the big Instagram influencers who charge massive fees. There’s a whole group of “micro” and “nano” influencers who have smaller followings, but these smaller followings are more connected. These influencers often focus on niche interests and are much more affordable to collaborate with. Working with someone who is involved in a specific area lets you tap into a group of people who will be more aligned with what you offer.

For instance, if you have a gardening website, find a local plant enthusiast with 5,000 followers instead of a celebrity gardener with 100,000. People trust these smaller creators more, and their recommendations can send real traffic your way.

• Look for influencers who are active in specific areas that match your website’s focus.
• Send personal, tailored messages that offer mutual value.
• Think about creative collaborations like giveaways, content swaps, or co-branded projects.

How to Get People in Your Field to Want to Work with You

Instead of focusing on big names or traditional collaborations, think about the smaller interactions that build real relationships with people in your industry or niche. The trick here is to get on their radar in a way that makes them naturally interested in what you’re doing. Here’s how you do it in a simple, practical way.

Show Up Consistently Where They Are Active

First, you need to be present in the same places they are. If they write a blog, leave thoughtful comments. If they’re active on certain social media platforms, reply to their posts with real insights or questions. The more often you do this, the more likely it is that your name will become familiar to them. Over time, they’ll start to notice that you’re someone who is genuinely interested in the same things they are, which makes it easier for them to consider working with you.

• Follow their work closely and leave meaningful comments that add value to the discussion.
• Reply to their social media posts with insights that are relevant to their content.
• Attend online events or webinars they might be involved in and participate actively.

Give Before Asking for Anything

Once you’ve become familiar to them, your next step is to offer something useful. Instead of reaching out to ask for a favor, start by giving them something they’ll appreciate. This could be as simple as offering feedback on one of their projects or sharing a resource they’d find useful. You’re showing that you’re invested in what they’re doing, which makes any future collaboration feel more natural.

• Share one of their posts with your own audience, adding your thoughts on why it’s valuable.
• Offer constructive feedback or suggestions on something they’re working on.
• Send over helpful resources they might not have come across yet.

Let the Connection Happen Naturally

After showing up consistently and offering something useful, it’s easier to transition into a direct conversation about working together. By this point, you’ve built a relationship, and any request for collaboration feels less out of the blue. When you do reach out, keep it simple, and focus on how your project or website aligns with what they’re already doing.

• Send a personal message with a brief mention of how your interests overlap.
• Make it clear how your collaboration would be mutually beneficial without asking for too much too soon.
• Keep the conversation casual and open-ended, allowing them the option to consider future opportunities.

This approach focuses on slowly building a relationship rather than rushing into a formal partnership. By showing up regularly, offering something useful first, and keeping the initial connection casual, you make it much more likely that people will want to work with you.

Make Better Use of Internal Links

Most people focus on getting external backlinks, but internal linking within your site is just as valuable. By linking to other pages within your site, you keep visitors engaged longer, and search engines take note of the connections between your content. This is especially helpful if you have older content that’s been buried or forgotten over time.

Whenever you write something new, take a moment to find older articles you can link to. Similarly, go back through your older posts and find opportunities to add links to your newer content. This also helps search engines crawl your site more efficiently.

• Add a few internal links to each new post you publish.
• Revisit old content and update it with fresh internal links.
• Use descriptive anchor text to give context to the links instead of generic terms like “click here.”

Host Small Virtual Events

People love experiences, and they don’t have to be massive to make an impact. If your website has a topic that can translate into an event, why not organize one? Whether it’s a virtual workshop, an online Q&A session, or even a small local meetup, these events give people a reason to check out your website afterward for more content or resources.

The key is to keep things simple and focus on what you can offer in terms of knowledge or a hands-on experience. Once the event is over, attendees will naturally want to visit your site to see what else you’ve got going on.

• Organize a live webinar or Q&A using Zoom or similar platforms.
• Set up a local meetup for a small group interested in your website’s focus.
• Offer exclusive content during the event to encourage follow-up visits to your site.

Create Sharable Content for Smaller Platforms

Instead of relying solely on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, think about creating content for smaller, overlooked platforms where content tends to spread more organically. Consider platforms like Pinterest, Tumblr, or even LinkedIn, depending on your niche.

Pinterest, for example, is excellent for visual content that can send traffic back to your site for a long time after posting. People visit it specifically to discover new things, and a well-crafted pin can keep sending visitors your way for months or years.

• Create visually appealing posts for Pinterest with direct links to your website.
• Share professional content or insights on LinkedIn to reach an engaged network of professionals.
• Explore Tumblr, especially if you have artistic, fandom-related, or niche content that can grab attention and drive clicks.