5 Tested Tips to Increase Website Traffic After The Google Update: Unveil seasoned insights from travel bloggers on augmenting web traffic in the wake of Google’s latest update. Elevate your site’s visibility and magnetize more visitors.
The recent Google algorithm adjustment has significantly impacted our travel blogger partners. Despite the setbacks, their resilience continues to impress us.
Although we cannot sway Google’s mechanisms, we can certainly optimize the aspects under our control.
Below are 5 Tested Tips by travel bloggers to increase website traffic following Google’s latest update. Maximize the value of each visitor with these tips. For more insights, refer to our guide, “Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers.”
1. Leverage Pinterest as a Supplementary Search Engine
Often misconstrued as a mere social media platform, Pinterest operates more akin to a search engine, providing powerful tools to drive traffic to your website.
Initiating with Pinterest:
- Establish a business account or convert your personal account to gain access to business-specific tools such as Pinterest Business Hub and Pinterest Analytics, which facilitate the monitoring of searches and keywords.
- Craft an engaging bio for your profile, incorporating niche keywords pertinent to your website.
- Verify your website to track whenever your content is shared on Pinterest, and to automatically include your Pinterest profile and a follow button to attract more visitors.
Mastering Pinterest Usage:
- Given Pinterest’s visual nature, compelling imagery is crucial. Capture numerous photos during your travels and select the most striking ones.
- Utilize design tools like Canva to add text, create appealing layouts, and incorporate branding elements.
- Organize your content into boards categorized by destination or blog post type.
- Conduct keyword research, much like any search engine, using tools like Pinterest Trends to identify keyword search volumes and popular pins.
- Integrate your chosen keywords across pin titles, descriptions, and board summaries.
- Prior to pinning, optimize your blog posts for revenue maximization. Refer to our guide, “Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers,” for detailed instructions.
2. Sustain Visitor Engagement via Email Marketing
Email marketing remains crucial as it is an asset you own. Unlike social media accounts which can be banned or deranked, your email list is perpetually yours.
Employ this strategy to cultivate stable, consistent traffic rather than relying solely on new traffic.
Starting with Email Marketing:
- Select an email marketing provider. MailerLite and MailChimp are popular among travel bloggers for their affordability and ease of use.
- Begin collecting email addresses by creating a signup form with your website host and placing it at the end of posts to gather reader information.
Elevating Email Marketing: 5 Tested Tips to Increase Website Traffic After The Google Update:
- Develop a lead magnet that entices readers to exchange their information for valuable content. Common lead magnets in the travel blogging niche include travel guides, ebooks, and itineraries.
- The primary objective of email is to redirect readers to your site. Keep emails concise, adorned with captivating images, and include a clear link to your website. Create intrigue that compels readers to click through.
- Ensure the landing page is optimized for revenue prior to directing traffic to it. Our guide, “Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers,” provides comprehensive steps.
“While SEO is hailed as the monarch of traffic, effective email marketing is the absolute queen. Our web analytics often show significant spikes when we email our audience, and these spikes aren’t fleeting. They foster user habits. Our business would be a fraction of its current size without leveraging our email list.”
— Beth Stanos, Wanderful CEO & Founder
3. Utilize Flipboard to Amplify Web Visits
Flipboard, a content curation platform, enables users to browse articles from various sources, akin to flipping through a magazine.
Getting Started with Flipboard:
- Download the Flipboard app on your mobile device and create an account and profile.
- Create Flipboard magazines to categorize your content, similar to Pinterest boards.
- Add your blog posts to these magazines directly from the Flipboard page or using the Flipit Chrome extension.
Optimizing Flipboard Usage:
- Regularly add new blog posts to Flipboard after publishing.
- Curate relevant external content in your magazines to enhance engagement and reach.
- Use target keywords in your magazine descriptions, post captions, and profile.
“Flipboard has emerged as a significant traffic source for all three of my websites. Their creator tools, such as storyboards, scheduling, and RSS feeds for magazines, simplify the process of creating and sharing engaging content.”
— Amanda O’Brien, Founder of theboutiqueadventurer.com
4. Attract Audiences with Short-Form Videos on Social Media
With 77% of travelers leveraging social media for trip planning, short-form videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts are ideal for attracting attention to your content.
These platforms’ algorithms are designed to showcase your content to non-followers, making them perfect for new reader discovery.
Beginning with Video Creation:
- Create accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
- Download Capcut, a free mobile video editing app that offers more features than in-app editing tools.
- Set up a Linktree or similar service, as these platforms make it challenging for users to leave and visit your site, providing a centralized hub for all your links.
Crafting Professional Short-Form Videos:
- Stay alert for visually striking or intriguing scenes while traveling, ready to capture them on video. The “wow” factor of your video can distinguish between mediocre and outstanding content.
- Use detailed captions on Instagram, while keeping them brief on YouTube and TikTok.
- Incorporate voice-overs, on-screen text, and music to enhance engagement, using Capcut or in-app tools.
- Choose your video thumbnails carefully to ensure they stand out.
- Keep videos concise. The optimal length for an Instagram Reel is seven to eleven seconds, a TikTok video is 21 to 34 seconds, and a YouTube Short is 25 to 35 seconds.
“TikTok enabled us to elevate our second blog to Mediavine status. We shared detailed ‘how-to’ videos with a call to action, guiding viewers to our blog for more information. This strategy has led to viral videos and thousands of clicks to our websites.”
— Natasha Alden, Co-Founder of theworldpursuit.com
5. Expand Your Reach Through Guest Posting
Publishing your work on other websites exposes you to a new audience, making guest posting a powerful strategy for drawing new readers.
Initiating Guest Posting:
- Identify platforms that accept guest posts. Many publications have open submission policies.
- If a site features guest posts but lacks open submissions, find their contact information and send an inquiry email.
- Craft a pitch highlighting your travel expertise and include writing samples.
Excelling at Guest Posting:
- Tailor your pitch to address the site’s content gaps.
- Network with travel bloggers to foster organic guest posting opportunities. Social media and in-person events like TBEX, TravelCon, and Traverse are excellent venues for networking.
- Ensure a clear link back to your blog with an enticing description to lure readers to your content.
- Use tools like SEMRush to monitor potential sites’ traffic and choose the best options.
By employing these 5 Tested Tips to Increase Website Traffic After The Google Update, you can navigate the aftermath of Google’s latest update and continue to grow your website’s traffic and engagement.
