By now, you’ve heard all the marketing gurus online talk about how SEO is so amazing.
And they’re correct! When done right, it can bring a steady stream of ideal clients to your website for years to come.
But here's the thing…
You don’t want to put all of your eggs in the SEO basket.
If SEO is your ONLY traffic strategy, you're missing out on a world of opportunities to connect with your dream audience.
Think of your website traffic like your investment portfolio—diversification is key! While SEO should definitely be part of your strategy, relying solely on search engine traffic puts you at the mercy of algorithm changes, competitive keywords, and the (sometimes slow) timeline of organic growth.
The good news? There are plenty of other effective ways to drive visitors to your stunning Showit website. Let's explore seven strategies that can complement your SEO efforts and help you build a more robust traffic plan!
#1 — Strategic Paid Advertising: The Fast Track to Visibility
While organic traffic is the holy grail of website visits, paid advertising offers something organic can't: immediate results.
The beauty of paid ads is they can put your business in front of your ideal audience right away. No waiting months for SEO to kick in or slowly building up your social following. You can literally launch a campaign today and see visitors on your site within hours.
Here's how to make the most of paid advertising:
Choose the Right Platform
Not all ad platforms are created equal, and where you should spend your money depends entirely on where your ideal clients hang out:
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: Excellent for visual businesses like photographers, designers, and e-commerce
- Pinterest Ads: Perfect for wedding professionals, home decor brands, and lifestyle businesses
- Google Ads: Ideal when people are actively searching for solutions you provide
- LinkedIn Ads: Best for B2B services and higher-priced offerings
Start Small and Test
You don't need a massive budget to get started with paid ads. Even $5-10 per day can give you valuable data about what works.
Begin by testing different:
- Headlines and copy
- Images or videos
- Audience targeting options
- Landing pages
Once you find what performs best, you can gradually increase your budget on the winning combinations.
Direct Traffic to a Specific Landing Page
Don't just send paid traffic to your homepage! Create dedicated landing pages that align perfectly with your ad's message and offer a clear next step for visitors.
With Showit, creating beautiful custom landing pages is super easy—no coding required! This allows you to craft the perfect post-click experience that converts those paid visitors into leads or customers.
#2 — Become the Go-To Expert in Online Communities
One of the most effective (and often overlooked) ways to drive traffic to your website is by providing tremendous value in online communities where your ideal clients already hang out.
We're talking about:
- Facebook groups
- Reddit communities
- Slack channels
- Discord servers
- Local online forums
- Industry-specific communities
The key here is NOT to join these groups and immediately start promoting yourself (please don't be that person!). Instead, follow this relationship-building approach:
Step 1: Listen First
Spend at least a week just observing the conversations. What questions keep coming up? What challenges are people facing? What kind of advice are they seeking?
Step 2: Start Providing Valuable Answers
Begin answering questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. Share your expertise without asking for anything in return. Become known as someone who consistently provides helpful insights.
Step 3: Include Subtle Website References When Relevant
Once you've established yourself as a helpful community member, you can occasionally mention relevant resources on your website when they directly address someone's specific question.
For example: “I actually wrote a detailed guide about this exact issue on my blog. If you want the step-by-step process, you can check it out here: [link]. But the quick answer to your question is…”
This approach feels helpful rather than promotional, and people are much more likely to click through because you've already demonstrated your expertise.
#3 — Partner with Complementary Businesses for Cross-Promotion
Remember the saying “a rising tide lifts all boats”? That's the essence of strategic partnerships with complementary businesses.
These are businesses that:
- Serve the same ideal client as you
- Offer services or products that complement yours (not compete)
- Share similar values and quality standards
For example:
- Wedding photographers and wedding planners
- Web designers and copywriters
- Personal trainers and nutritionists
- Interior designers and home organizers
Here's how to leverage these partnerships for mutual traffic growth:
Joint Content Creation
Create content together that serves your shared audience:
- Co-host a webinar or Instagram Live
- Write guest posts for each other's blogs
- Develop a free guide or resource together
- Record a podcast episode where you interview each other
Email List Cross-Promotion
Share each other's valuable content with your respective email lists:
- Feature your partner in your newsletter
- Send dedicated emails about your partner's free resources
- Promote each other's webinars or events
Social Media Takeovers
Take turns “taking over” each other's social media accounts for a day to introduce yourself to a new audience and drive traffic back to your website.
The best part about strategic partnerships? They create win-win-win situations—you win new traffic, your partner wins new traffic, and your audiences win by discovering valuable new resources!
#4 — Host Live Events That Showcase Your Expertise
Nothing builds trust and drives traffic quite like sharing your knowledge in real-time through live events.
Whether virtual or in-person, live events create urgency, foster engagement, and position you as an authority in your field. Plus, they give you multiple opportunities to direct participants to specific pages on your website.
Here are some live event formats that work exceptionally well:
Q&A Sessions
These are low-pressure ways to start with live events:
- Host an “Ask Me Anything” on Instagram Live
- Run a Q&A session in a Facebook group
- Create a Twitter Space where people can drop in with questions
Educational Webinars
Webinars remain one of the most effective ways to demonstrate your expertise while capturing leads:
- Choose a specific challenge your audience faces
- Teach a framework or process that helps solve it
- Include actionable steps they can implement immediately
- Offer a special resource or next step on your website
Free Workshops or Masterclasses
These are slightly more structured than webinars and often include interactive elements:
- Have participants complete exercises in real-time
- Provide worksheets they can download from your website
- Offer personalized feedback on their work
In-Person Meetups or Speaking Engagements
Don't underestimate the power of face-to-face connections:
- Organize small gatherings for local clients and prospects
- Speak at industry conferences or local business events
- Run hands-on workshops at coworking spaces
Pro tip: Always record your live events (with permission from participants) so you can repurpose them into blog posts, social media content, and email sequences—all linking back to your website!
#5 — Leverage Other People's Audiences as a Podcast Guest
Want to get your message in front of thousands of engaged listeners who match your ideal client profile? Podcast guesting is your answer!
There are over 2 million podcasts out there, with dedicated audiences who trust the hosts' recommendations. When you appear as a guest, you borrow that trust and can direct interested listeners to your website.
Here's how to make podcast guesting a traffic-generating machine:
Find the Right Shows
Look for podcasts that:
- Have an audience that matches your ideal clients
- Cover topics related to your expertise
- Have regular guest episodes
- Have been publishing consistently
You don't need to aim for only the biggest shows! Sometimes niche podcasts with smaller but highly engaged audiences can drive more qualified traffic to your site.
Create a Standout Pitch
Podcast hosts receive guest pitches constantly. Make yours stand out by:
- Showing you've actually listened to their show
- Proposing specific topics their audience would love
- Highlighting your unique perspective or experience
- Including links to other interviews you've done (if applicable)
Prepare Value-Packed Talking Points
Plan your interview to include:
- Concrete tips listeners can implement right away
- Compelling stories that illustrate your expertise
- Memorable frameworks or processes you've developed
- Mentions of specific resources on your website (when relevant)
Create a Custom Landing Page for Listeners
Don't just send podcast listeners to your homepage! Create a dedicated landing page that:
- Welcomes them by the name of the podcast
- Provides the resources mentioned in the interview
- Offers a special gift or discount
- Has a clear call to action for their next step
This personalized approach drastically increases conversion rates from podcast appearances.
#6 — Create Irresistible Lead Magnets That People Actually Want
Lead magnets are the ultimate traffic-driving tools because they do double duty: they attract visitors to your website AND convert those visitors into email subscribers you can nurture into clients.
But not all lead magnets are created equal. The key is creating something so valuable that people would actually pay for it—but you're giving it away for free in exchange for that email address.
Here are some lead magnet ideas that drive serious traffic:
Comprehensive Guides or Ebooks
These work well for complex topics that need detailed explanations:
- “The Ultimate Guide to [Solving a Specific Problem]”
- “Everything You Need to Know About [Topic] in 2023”
- “[X]-Step Framework for Achieving [Desired Outcome]”
Templates and Swipe Files
People love resources that save them time:
- Email templates for common business scenarios
- Social media caption frameworks
- Design templates for presentations or social graphics
- Calculation spreadsheets
Quizzes and Assessments
Interactive lead magnets get higher completion rates:
- “What's Your [Industry] Style?”
- “Where Should You Focus Your [Business Area] Efforts?”
- “[Topic] Readiness Quiz”
Checklists and Cheat Sheets
Simplified, actionable resources are highly shareable:
- “The Essential [Task] Checklist”
- “[Process] Cheat Sheet”
- “30-Day [Goal] Calendar”
Video Trainings or Mini-Courses
These showcase your teaching style and expertise:
- “[Topic] Masterclass”
- “3-Day [Skill] Boot Camp”
- “Behind-the-Scenes of My [Process]”
Once you've created your lead magnet, promote it everywhere:
- Feature it prominently on your website
- Create Pinterest pins specifically for it
- Share snippets or previews on social media
- Run targeted ads to it
- Mention it when you guest on podcasts or in groups
With Showit, you can create beautiful landing pages for your lead magnets that match your brand perfectly and integrate seamlessly with your email marketing platform of choice!
#7 — Expand Your Reach Through Strategic Guest Blogging
Guest blogging might sound “old school,” but it remains one of THE most effective ways to reach new audiences and drive targeted traffic back to your site.
The benefits go beyond just traffic—guest blogging also helps you:
- Build valuable backlinks for SEO
- Establish authority in your industry
- Form relationships with other website owners
- Create content once that continues driving traffic for years
Here's how to make guest blogging work for you:
Find the Right Opportunities
Look for blogs that:
- Have an audience similar to your ideal clients
- Accept guest posts (check their “Write for Us” page)
- Have good engagement on their content
- Allow appropriate links back to your website
Pitch Topics That Serve Everyone
The best guest post topics:
- Provide genuine value to the blog's audience
- Showcase your specific expertise
- Complement (not compete with) the blog owner's content
- Naturally lead readers to want more from you
Create Your Absolute Best Content
Your guest posts should be some of your finest work:
- Make them comprehensive and actionable
- Include original insights or research when possible
- Format them for easy reading (subheadings, bullet points, etc.)
- Add custom graphics if appropriate
Craft a Strategic Author Bio
Your author bio is your traffic-driving opportunity:
- Keep it concise but compelling
- Clearly state your value proposition
- Include a specific call to action
- Link to a relevant page on your website (not just your homepage)
For example, instead of linking to your homepage with “Visit my website,” try something like “Get my free guide to [solving specific problem] at [your URL].”
BONUS! Create A Video Channel
Video content is exploding, and platforms like YouTube are actually the second largest search engines in the world. Creating helpful, engaging videos can drive significant traffic to your website while also showcasing your personality.
The key is to treat your YouTube channel (or other video platform) as a traffic generator by:
- Including calls to action to visit specific pages on your website
- Adding links in your video descriptions
- Creating content that naturally leads viewers to want more from you
- Using your videos to build your email list
With Showit's easy embedding capabilities, you can also feature these videos throughout your website to enhance the user experience!
Building Your Traffic Diversification Plan
Now that we've explored these seven strategies (plus a bonus!), it's time to create your own traffic diversification plan.
Here's how to approach it:
- Choose 2-3 strategies to focus on first. Trying to implement all seven at once will spread you too thin. Start with the ones that align best with your strengths and audience.
- Set specific goals for each channel. Rather than a vague “get more traffic,” aim for “book 3 podcast interviews per month” or “publish 2 guest posts on industry blogs per quarter.”
- Create a content calendar that supports all your channels. Look for ways to repurpose content across different platforms to maximize efficiency.
- Track your results. Use Google Analytics to see which traffic sources are sending the most visitors—and more importantly, which sources are sending visitors who take action on your site.
- Double down on what works. Once you identify your highest-converting traffic sources, allocate more time and resources to those channels.
Remember, the goal isn't just more traffic—it's more of the RIGHT traffic. Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to website visitors!
Your Website Should Be Ready for the Traffic
Before you implement these strategies and watch your visitor numbers climb, make sure your website is ready to convert that traffic into meaningful action.
Ask yourself:
- Is my site visually appealing and professional?
- Does it clearly communicate what I do and who I serve?
- Are my calls to action obvious and compelling?
- Is my site mobile-friendly and quick to load?
- Do I have a way to capture email addresses?
- Is it easy for visitors to contact me or purchase my offerings?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, now might be the perfect time for a website refresh!
With Showit, you can create a stunning, conversion-focused website without needing to learn code or hire a developer. Our drag-and-drop builder gives you complete design freedom, while our built-in SEO tools ensure your site is optimized for those organic traffic strategies too.
Start implementing these traffic-boosting strategies today and watch your website transform from a digital business card into a thriving hub of activity that consistently attracts your ideal clients!
Ready to build a website that converts all that new traffic? Try Showit free for 14 days and see why creative entrepreneurs love our platform!
