Three Easy Ways to Drive More Traffic to Your T&I Website
Making regular updates is key when it comes to driving new traffic to your website.
But when was the last time you updated yours? Has it been collecting dust for a while?
This is really common.
We get busy with our paid translation or interpreting work, and we put off many of the things that we cannot actually bill clients for. We know we need to get to these things eventually. For some of us, these tasks hang over our heads for months… or years.
So, while it's usually true that the “extra time” we're all waiting for will never come, many people are finding that they do have extra time right now to devote to improving their online presence and marketing strategy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3 easy ways to drive more traffic to your T&I website
1. Label everything on your site.
Yep, everything. Label your photos or images. And by "label," I’m talking about adjusting the file names for these items before you actually upload them to your site.
Make sure that everything on your website has a name that contains key search terms a potential client would use to find you online.
Yes, images are searchable! And the same goes for your website's pages.
Make sure you have an accurate page description for every page of your website so that search engines like Google know how to find you and what your website contains. This helps those individuals searching for your services make the decision to view your site over another, too.
Here's an example of how I intentionally label images on my blog and website.
Notice that I do not leave image names up to the numerical order or download file name created when I find the right image. Instead, I take a moment to create a name that will be searchable by those who need the type of information on this page of my site.
2. Use appealing headlines that include key search terms.
Did you know that the headlines (or subheadings, as you might think of them) are also highly searchable?
Take some time to think about what search terms your target audience might use if they needed someone who does what you do.
Now, I'm not saying you ought to stuff or pad your site with these keywords, but make sure they make sense in context and that you think about them strategically before you write your website content.
Here's an example of a solid headline from one of my previous T&I Website Blueprint Course students:
Gwen knows that her clients will search for a "French translator" or "French translation" and possibly add "IT" to their search query.
She didn't pad or stuff her headline with loads of keywords. Instead, she used the most effective ones and made a statement that really speaks to the heart of the client by using words like "trusted" and "partner."
Use headlines like these throughout your site whenever you can. Not only do they help drive web traffic, but they also have a visual and emotional impact for your site visitors.
3. Make regular updates to your website.
I can't stress enough how much traffic static website can lose compared to one that is updated on a regular basis.
There are multiple ways to update your website throughout the year without taking up a lot of extra time.
Here are some ideas for you to help you get started:
A FAQ page that has keywords and phrases that clients would use in the Questions
A blog that is client-facing (geared toward your ideal clients—those whose business you want to attract over the long term)
A portfolio page with content that shares your best work, but that is also appealing to clients
Infographics and video content that will complement your website copy
Home and About page copy (once or twice a year)
Links that may be broken and 404 error pages should be found and fixed (having these on your website can be a strike against you when it comes to your site's ranking in search engines)
Of all the pages on my website, my blog is what drives the most traffic. This is not surprising, since I update it regularly and I make sure to include keywords in my headings, subheadings, body copy, image names, etc.
Whatever pages you choose to include on your website, making regular and strategic updates will certainly increase web traffic over time.
Have you already given any of these a try? How do you take steps to drive more traffic to your website?
