Referral traffic is highly valuable for any website.
Not only does referral traffic send more people to your website, but the types of traffic sources you get can also boost your domain authority. Over the long term, this can equal higher page rankings making it easier to be found on search engines.
Whether it’s domain authority or plain leads you’re after, referral traffic is the name of the game.
So here is a little more about referral traffic, along with some easy methods to drive more visits to your website that come from referred sources.
What Is Referral Traffic?
In a nutshell, referral traffic is any kind of traffic your website gets that isn’t a direct result of someone typing in your URL. Instead, another website has linked to your site, and the user has clicked this link.
Hence, the name referral traffic simply means that users have been referred to your site from another site.
Think of this like going to a store and asking for an item they don’t sell, and being recommended to visit a store across the street instead. The business that has come your way was originally headed elsewhere before being ‘referred’ to you.
It’s really important to get referral traffic because it can do a lot to bolster your visitor numbers beyond those who will type in your URL directly.
So let’s jump into how to get referral traffic.
Create Quality Content That Users Want To Link To
When content is well written, informative or engaging, users are far more likely to share that content, as well as place a link to that content on their website.
Beyond writing original and helpful content, it’s also useful to think about any ways the content can be enhanced. For instance, by adding your own stats, research, experiences, imagery or infographics. In other words, when content feels relevant, fresh and authoritative it is more likely to gain backlinks.
So make sure your website and blog content is something you make a solid investment in. Bonus points if your content is also SEO-friendly so that it can easily be found by others on search engines!
Create Shareable Content
Off the back of that point, content doesn’t just have to be found within your blogs or landing pages. It can also be content (i.e. infographics, listacles, templates or interactive content) that many people could potentially find useful.
If your business makes any kind of digital product such as a website template or software, then you can also give your customers a banner or link that is displayed in their website footer.
Sometimes, this can be a condition of the download. However, depending on what your business does, linking back to your website can be a way for businesses to show positive associations.
For example, if a website is run on green hosting, the business may want to display this in the footer and in turn will provide referral traffic to the hosting platform.
Get creative here and there are endless resources you can create which can encourage more referral traffic to your own website, even if it’s a template to help business owners manage their accounting! Therefore, this tip applies to practically every niche too.
Keep Up With Social Media
It’s no secret that social media is a vital recipe for your marketing success. Since we’re talking all things ‘quick and easy’ when it comes to referral traffic, social media remains one of the best tools you have outside of your actual website.
Traffic from social media can be classed as organic or paid, and both methods can be used to target your customers on the platforms where they hang out the most depending on the nature of your business.
The key with social media is to create engaging content that aligns with the wants, needs and interests of your audience. Including links to your website in your profiles and posts is also essential to drive the maximum impact, especially when it comes to referral traffic.
Connect With Local Press
Most news websites have a high domain authority in combination with large volumes of daily traffic.
Wherever you happen to be based, there is likely a local newspaper, radio station or TV station near you. If they publish their stories online, then getting your business featured can be hugely beneficial for your referred traffic efforts.
If you have the budget, you can pay for advertising in the local press or invest in digital PR. However, you can also find something of interest that the publication might want to run. This could include the creation of a new business in the area, an amazing feat you want to share or something else that grabs the attention from the local audience.
While it can take a bit of effort to stand out, the results are well worth it especially if the story attracts a lot of attention.
Get Listed On Local And Industry Related Directories
Remember the days of the Yellow Pages?
These days, directories have not only moved online but they’ve also gone global. Either option provides endless opportunities to be listed in your local area, as well as on the wider web for your products or services.
Similar to news websites, online directories also often have high domain authorities, as well as large volumes of traffic. Given they offer precise results for users, this can also work to drive more qualified leads over to your business, rather than just general traffic.
How To Measure Referral Traffic
Google Analytics is one of the most popular ways to track website traffic, as it offers all of your metrics and insights on a granular level.
However, you can use other website analytics tools and tracking codes such as UTM to monitor your traffic in a variety of ways.
Most social media platforms will also give a rundown of post-performance, including how many clicks each post drives to your website.
Need More Referral Traffic For Your Website? Contact The Digital Marketing Experts At Imaginaire
Now you know more about what referral traffic is, are you ready to drive more visitors to your website?
Every business needs a solid digital marketing plan to make referral traffic happen. As a leading digital marketing agency in the UK, you’re exactly in the right place to get started.
Let us know more about your business and your goals by filling out our contact form.
Or give us a call on 0115 697 1367.
