Read time: ~11 minutes
This is part 1 of 2 blogs about high-quality traffic! Part 2 (not all website is created equal) is here.
Vibe checks.
We joke about them but they’re very real. And if you’ve ever walked into a room, party, networking event, zoom — and immediately felt this is not my place, you get it.
While it absolutely works both ways, for me:
A networking event full of tech bros pitching their fifth startup.
A room full of women-led businesses working intentionally to lift each other up.
That’s the difference between just driving traffic and driving the right traffic.
Sure, 1,000 page views sounds great — but if 750 of those visitors aren’t aligned with your values, don’t get what you do, or bounce the moment they land on your site…
It’s like selling safety razors and getting a review that says: “It was too sharp and I cut myself several times.” It’s not a bad product—it’s just the wrong customer.
Good traffic builds trust.
Good traffic sticks around.
Good traffic leads to five-star reviews from people who get it—and come back for more.
Quick heads up: Some of the methods in this blog could technically fall under SEO, but you don’t need a full SEO strategy to try them. If you’re just getting started—or figuring out whether a one-time SEO project or long-term retainer is right for you—these are great ways to:
Attract aligned, ready-to-buy visitors
Diversify your traffic sources so you’re not solely relying on Google
Turn casual visitors into real relationships (and sales)
And when you are ready to scale sustainably with a long-term strategy? That’s where an SEO partner like me comes in.
10 ways to drive high-quality visitors to your website (without tradish SEO techniques)
Okay, you get it. Getting people to your website is important. So how can we create all these roads and sidewalks?
SEO lays the foundation for the house, the roads and sidewalks — it can even get people there with time. But there are other things you can and should be doing to help drive traffic and supplement your SEO efforts.
1. Good Content
SEO gets people to your site — we know this. But no matter how good your SEO is, they will leave if the content sucks. This is why copywriting and content are more than just slapping some words on a page. You need to know who your audience is and create content for them.
2. Backlinks
A backlink is a link to your website that lives on another website. Backlinks are incredibly important for a few reasons:
- They help search engine crawlers find and index your site
- They act like endorsements — a recommendation from one website to yours
- The search engines use the quantity AND QUALITY of the backlinks to determine your authority. It’s the online equivalent of a letter of reference.
- The more authoritative backlinks you have linking to your site, the more the authority of your site grows.
All of these combined help lend authority to your site which helps you show up higher in search results.
3. Blogging
I can’t really gauge the temperature on blogging but I feel like we all got burned out on bloggers and we’re just co-existing with blogs at this point but, when used correctly, blogs are really great!
- They allow you to be a thought leader and show off your knowledge (yes, that word makes me want to vomit but it works).
- They’re a great place to go in-depth with case studies or portfolio pieces (i.e. bespoke rustic kitchens).
- They allow you to engage directly with your audience by creating content that’s interesting to them.
- They drive traffic via keywords with SEO optimization
- They can be repurposed into a variety of other content (Instagram posts, tweets (X’s?), Pinterest pins, Youtube videos, podcast episodes, etc).
- Drive traffic by sending the blog out via your email list, social profiles, or posting to your home page.
4. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging combines the power of backlinks and blogs. The idea of guest blogging is that you have a unique insight, authority, or opinion on a topic that a brand hasn’t covered but their audience would be interested in. You create a blog for them and in return, they post it for their audience and link back to your site.
For example, Unsustainable Magazine creates content in my industry. So I reached out to write a post that was in line with their content but not something they had already posted. In return, the blog links back to my site.
5. YouTube
I know, but video is the future of content. YouTube is a great place to create and store content. You can share that content via your email newsletter, socials, guest posts, or embedded into a blog.
6. Social Media
I KNOW.
Social media is hard and as my friend Johanna, founder of Bye, Social Media (which is no longer active, sadly) says, “Social media feels so hard, because it forces into a rhythm of communication that’s not human.” YEEEES! That hit right in my feels. As one small creator, I hate using social and don’t really want to.
But it’s still an important tool to use to drive traffic if you can (and if you want to). Just like YouTube, each social platform works off algorithms and keywords → TikTok is its own search engine.
Social is also a great place to repurpose the content that you’re creating elsewhere. How often do you watch a Reel that was originally a TikTok or like an IG post that was originally a Tweet (X?)?
The downside is it’s overwhelming, especially for a solopreneur/small business. So pick ONE platform (or one platform per person) and focus on creating consistent, good content. Oh, and interact with people.
And remember, “You’re not a robot. You don’t need to dance for the algorithm.” — Johanna coming in hot again.
7. Email
Do we all have the biggest love-hate relationship with email? I hate it but … it’s also my preferred method of contact.
The crazy thing is, in the year of climate change 2023, “77% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement in the past year and 87% of brands say email is critical to their success.” (Hubspot) So like, it’s not going anywhere.
Email is great because you can kind of do whatever you want as long as you’re showing up consistently for your audience with relevant content.
8. Podcasts
Everyone has a podcast these days. Instead of rolling your eyes and using that tone of voice, I know you read that in, use it to your advantage. Go get on a podcast! Not only do you get exposed to an entirely new (relevant) audience, there’s generally a social post (with a link), a blog recap (with a link), and sometimes a directory (with.a.link).
9. Speaking Engagements
Hear meowt. A podcast is just a digital convention. In the digital age, people are seeking community and connections more than ever. You don’t have to speak at a 30,000 person Las Vegas convention for this to work.
- Start local, find organizations and groups that your business fits into.
- Sign up for the Chamber of Commerce.
- Host an event with other local businesses and there will be socials, newspaper articles, newsletters, blogs, and plenty more backlinks and writeups linking back to you.
10. Paid Ads
Didn’t see this one coming, did ya? As a non-sleazy SEO strategist (that’s my official title), my main focus is always driving organic, meaningful (high-quality) traffic to your site, however, there is a time and place for ads. If they’re working for you within your budget — great! Keep doing it! But know that as soon as you stop paying, they stop sending you traffic, which is why they’re a great supplement to other traffic-driving initiatives.
If they’re working for you within your budget — great! Keep doing it! But know that as soon as you stop paying, they stop sending you traffic, which is why they’re a great supplement to other traffic-driving initiatives.
I’m a small business too — I get it. You don’t have to do all of these things at once — and that’s definitely not the takeaway here. The goal is to start with what feels doable, test what works for your business, and build from there.
SEO is super-duper important, but it’s just one aspect of a bigger picture. And just like you wouldn’t put all your chargers in one checked luggage bag, you don’t want to rely on just one method to drive traffic.
Diversifying your traffic sources sets you up for long-term, sustainable success. Start with a few of these strategies, and when you’re ready for sustainable growth, that’s where a strong SEO strategy comes in.
Want a sustainable SEO strategy that actually works? Let’s talk!
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