Read time: ~10 minutes
Part 2 of 2 of my high quality website traffic series! Part 1 (10 non-seo tips for traffic) is here.
Just because it’s a good keyword doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
As much as I’d love to ask my clients to tell me how the SEO feels, we need tangible, measurable items. Like clicks, ranking position, and keyword ranking.
But we can all admit it’s gone a little too far.
In the world of icky SEO, ranking on Page One and Clicks have become the sole focus, disregarding whether that ranking or click is actually driving conversions.
So if you’ve ever wondered why you’re getting tons of traffic but it’s not converting — that’s an SEO issue.
This is where ethical and mindful SEO shines. Because the goal is not just to get you to Page One or bring in 1,000(000) clicks.
We want it all: more traffic, more sales, brand awareness, more awareness.
And the first step is ensuring the keywords we’re targeting and the pages on your website are speaking to high-quality traffic: your ideal audience.
First, What Do We Mean By High-Quality Traffic
It kind of sounds like a secret industry term but in reality, it’s exactly what it sounds like.
High-quality traffic refers to getting the right kind of people to your website. The people who are genuinely interested in what you offer.
- The ones who stick around
- Click through
- Subscribe
- Buy and then buy again
It’s the people you made your product/service for.
Kind of like how not all leads are good leads.
If you’ve worked with an SEO before and had a negative experience, a lot of that icky SEO comes from chasing keyword volume.
Maybe a freelancer told you you needed to target a term because it gets a lot of searches. Or maybe an agency made you feel like being on Page One was the only important thing.
❌ Spoiler: “We’ll get you to page one” is not a strategy—it’s a red flag.
But that’s not how SEO needs to be.
Instead, we find a keyword that makes sense for your audience.
- It reflects what you do
- What your people are searching for
- And what makes your brand special
We put a little thought and copywriting into it so it feels like you. But if we need to use another one, one that doesn’t have the biggest volume, that’s okay!
We’re focused on attracting the right people, not all of the people.
Because traffic that’s aligned, curious, and ready to engage? That’s the kind that actually drives growth.
Let’s put this into a different perspective.
High Traffic Volume Doesn’t Always Equal High Conversions
Example: Let’s say you’re a luxury kitchen carpenter. You mostly do bespoke countertops and cabinetry for high-end clients. Your minimum project rate is $30,000.
You don’t want to rank for keywords like:
- DIY kitchen remodel
- How to paint instead of replace your countertops
- Ikea kitchen remodel hack
That’s not reaching your ideal audience. Anyone paying (minimum) $30,000 for a new kitchen isn’t likely going to be searching for DIY tips.
These types of posts might drive 10,000 visitors to your site per month but result in 0-1 conversions per 10,000 visits.
Your energy is better spent releasing content geared toward your audience.
Rethinking your strategy, your blog might start including posts such as:
- How To Decide Between Concrete, Granite, or Quartz Countertops
- Luxury and high-end clients are likely looking for these materials
- How To Design The Most Functional (and braggable) Butler’s Pantry
- Your ideal client is likely curious about expanding the space in their kitchen
- To Separate Or Integrate Your Kitchen, That Is The Question
- Open floor concept — but make it luxury
Now, your traffic drops to 2,000-5,000 visitors per month but out of those thousands, 3-4 are converting.
That’s high-quality traffic. And a much better use of your time.
So how does Google (and other search engines) know the difference between good traffic and random clicks? Let’s break it down.
How Search Engines Measure Your Traffic
SEO is important to your website’s success. But it’s not a silver bullet.
For a newer website it’s unlikely you’ll be able to rank anywhere close to page 1 without an optimized site.
HOWEVER, on-page SEO is just the foundation.
Other things need to happen for everything to come together (backlinks, good content, driving traffic).
Traffic is one of those things. You could post hundreds of blogs, but if no one is reading them, you’re never going to move. Which is why it’s important to diversify where your traffic is coming from to help yourself get a head start.
When Google sees people going to your site, it triggers the search engine to realize that people want to know what you’re saying.
Getting Traffic To Your Site
Example: Think of your website like a house.
You’re having a party at your house and you want guests to be able to easily find it. So what do you do in preparation?
- Send out invites directly to people with date, time, location instructions (email marketing)
- Encourage +1s and tell a friend (backlinks)
- Put up a flyer at local businesses (guest blog)
- Put up signs and arrows in your front yard (blog)
- Make as many streets and sidewalks that lead directly to your house as possible (keywords)
People start showing up (yay!) but somehow, these initial guests got a different message. The party isn’t what they thought it was going to be.
- Maybe they read the invite wrong
- Maybe the word of mouth was wrong
- Maybe there was an ad taken out that was a little too click-baity. They loved the off-brand slogan so they showed up.
Any way you look at it, they barely make it through the front door before they start leaving.
This is your bounce rate.
Determining The Type of Traffic
If you’re headed to a party and tons of people are leaving, that’s sending signals that something’s not right.
Traffic showing up quickly and leaving quickly to and from your website sends warning bells to the search engine.
So they start blocking your sidewalks and ‘hiding’ your roads from maps.
But then, other people start showing up and the party is exactly what they thought it was.
These are the people who read the invite correctly.
Not only do they come through the front door, they’re heading to all the rooms to check out what each room has to offer to the party (good content).
They’re loving it so they’re inviting more of their friends!
As more of the right people are coming to the party, they’re removing the blocks to the roads and sidewalks which lets even more of the right people in.
This is how the search engine works.
It’s better to have fewer visitors that stay on your page longer than a bunch of visitors that leave ASAP.
Tons of visitors that leave quickly = you’re not providing the right answer for that search query.
Fewer visitors that stay around longer = they found their answer on your site.
The search engines serve the searchers, not you (a website owner).
You get rewarded by helping someone complete a search successfully.
This is why you want to be creating content for your specific audience. This is how you create the good content that Google is always going on about.
You could have the best content in the world but if no one is seeing it, it’s not doing much for you right? That’s why you need to drive traffic to your site.
Now that you know traffic quality > quantity, let’s talk about how to actually drive that traffic…
SEO Can’t Do It All — Nothing Can Do It All
I’m not saying SEO isn’t important — I think that’s clear. But don’t get hung up that it’s the end all be all of success.
SEO is the foundation and the maintenance. Done right it will work for a long time but it needs to be properly maintained and updated. The bigger the website, the more oversight it needs.
But without strong branding, messaging, marketing, copy, and PR, SEO alone won’t convert visitors into customers.
Going back to our sign analogy — SEO is the signs and roads that take people to your store. If the inside is messy, empty, or chaotic — they won’t stick around.
Sustainable growth comes from a balanced approach. SEO is a long-game. Sometimes we can see results quickly, depending on your industry and your current performance, but it takes time to see results.
In the meantime, email marketing, partnerships, copy, and PR can drive traffic and brand awareness while SEO builds roads and pathways.
A sustainable SEO strategy isn’t a gamble. It’s an investment with a roadmap.
If you’re already generating some organic traffic and want to scale, an SEO retainer could be the next step!
SEO helps you expand your reach, increase visibility, and bring in high-quality leads consistently with compounding results.
SEO is a powerful tool, but it’s just one part of the bigger picture. The brands that grow successfully don’t rely on SEO alone — they use it as part of a holistic marketing strategy that includes content, outreach, and brand positioning.
If you’re ready to stop chasing traffic and start attracting the right people, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you’re looking for a one-time strategy session or ongoing support, I’d love to help you grow sustainably—with SEO that actually feels good.
