How to Promote a Website

Last Updated: September 6, 2022 References

These days, building a website is easier than ever. There are hundreds of free apps, design sites, and templates out there to choose from, and finding a place to host your website is an embarrassment of riches. Getting someone to visit your site, however, has only gotten harder. There are simply too many sites out there to search through. A couple of tricks, however, can get your site to the top of Google in no time.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Gaining Traction Online

1
Connect your website to social media. Every time you write a new post, tweet about it. If you post new pictures, put a few on Facebook with a link to your site. If your company is looking for new employees, write a short article and post it on LinkedIn. Social media is how most people find things on the the internet these days, so you need to be active.
- Post to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at least once a day.
- Use sub-Reddits, which are topic specific forums, to dial into the right markets. There are thousands, so even your page on "Tractor Maintenance" will find traction on the sub-Reddit /r/tractors.
- Learn how to use hashtags and links to be effective on social media.
2
Write catchy, clickable headlines. Your headlines need to attract readers from across the internet. Luckily, there are some trends that have proven to be extra-clickable. As you promote your page, use words like this for extra success:
- Top Ten Lists
- "....Before you die."
- Modifiers like "awesome," "cool," "unbelievable," etc.
- "You'll never believe..."^{[1]
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3
Respond to current events. Get yourself swept up in rising trends by staying topical. It does not have to be much -- a small post commenting on a recent movie, a picture celebrating a winning sports team, or a tweet about the most recent scandal will tap into
4
Have enough content to keep viewers on your page. Getting a viewer on your site is tough. But getting them to stay is even tougher. You want to make sure there are a few other links they might click on. Try linking words in your page to other parts of you website, or place a "Suggested Reading" section on the side of the page so that people want to keep exploring your site. This promotes return readers, which will boost traffic.
5
Pay for advertising space. Paid methods include Facebook and Google advertisements.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Ross Taylor
Marketing Expert
Expert Interview. 4 May 2021.} You pay a company to show your website on relevant pages, where you become one of the top links. Think of the small, yellow links on the top of every Google search — those are paid ads. Paying for ads can be a great way to get started.
6
Know that it only gets easier as you get viewers. The more people go to you website, the easier it will be to get other viewers. This means, however, that the first few months are the hardest. Be patient and keep plugging away on your site and social media and viewers will come.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Optimizing Search Engine Views

1
Understand Search Engine Optimization. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the art of getting your page on the top of someone's Google search.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Richard Casamento
Digital Business Development Specialist
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.} Proper SEO is not an exact science, but it is what separates the most viewed websites from those on page 8. Search engines look at four basic categories when deciding where you rank:
- Content: Search engines like Google look at the text, titles, and themes of your site. If you have 5-10 pages with the words "tractor repair skills," for example, you are more likely to appear when someone searches for "tractor repair."
- Performance: How fast does your site load? Lots of videos, pictures, and graphics will slow down your site and cause it to plummet.
- Authority: This is judged by how often someone else links to you. If other sites link back to your website, search engines will rank you higher.^{[4]
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  Richard Casamento
  Digital Business Development Specialist
  Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}
- User Experience: This is measured by how long people stay on your page. Inviting, informative, and exciting pages will have a higher UE score and rank higher on search engines.^{[5]
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2
Make your website as specific as possible. There are millions of pages about Hollywood fashion trends. There are not millions of pages talking about how to find and design the fabrics needed for action movie costumes. The more specific your page, the more it stands out, and the easier it is to promote. You will never challenge CNN.com for their viewers on the news, but you might be able to write first-person stories exploring the news from a civilian's perspective.
- Think in terms of search engines. You won't compete with "The News," but you might compete with "Bay Area Local Politics."
3
Think about keywords as you build pages. What are the words that really sum up your pages? What is the main drive of your site? The more you can naturally interweave these terms, the higher you will appear on sites like Google and Yahoo. For example, you might have a page about Croatian Cooking. To get the most out of search engines, you should:
- Put the words "Croatian cooking" in your site title.^{[6]
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- Use the words "Croatian cooking" in every article at least once.
- Have the words "Croatian" and/or "Cooking" in the site URL.(www.cookingwithThomas.com/Cooking-Croation-Pies)
4
Use tools like Alexa and the Google Toolbar to see where you stand. These sites will tell you where your traffic is coming from, as well as which search terms people are using to find you. This information can be incredibly helpful in promoting your site. If, for example, you see that most of your traffic comes from people searching "Cute Beagle Pictures," you might start tailoring your promotion to Twitter accounts and dog-lover forums.
5
Link back to your own pages. If you wrote a semi-relevant article two months ago, link it to your new one! This drives up traffic on the site and tells search engines that your site has a lot of good content to search for.
6
Give all of your images descriptions. Image descriptions make it easy for search engines to decipher what is on your page. Try to use your keywords as you describe images so that they shoot up to the top when anyone searches for them.^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Developing an Active Community

1
Know that most of your traffic will come from repeat viewers. It is impossible to build consistent, high-volume traffic on your webpage without getting people to come back day after day. While you should always be on the hunt for new markets and viewers to tap into, you need to provide longtime readers a reason to keep coming back or your site will fall apart.
2
Post new content 2-4 times a week. Keep people updated on new information, and keep them engaged constantly. Soon they'll be sharing your site with others and you'll get more views, likes, shares, etc. You want your site to be a dependable source of information—the first place people turn when they open up their computers—no matter what your subject or topic.
3
Offer ways for readers to get involved. Everyone loves a contest, poll, or giveaway. Get people involved by asking for their opinions in the comments section or raffling off a website-themed prize. If you can get your community to interact with you, it will draw viewers to the page.
4
Reply to your comments. Let your fans and followers know that you see them. When they leave a reply for you to see, they probably also expect an answer back. So by replying, they'll see that you do care about their comments and that you do see them. They'll admire you for being so kind to them and be a loyal member/fan/follower.
- That said, you cannot reply to everyone — be prudent and respond to viewers who seem interested in conversations. These will draw other people in and give your page more content.

Community Q&A

Question

Where can I promote my website for free?

Ross Taylor
Marketing Expert
Ross Taylor is a Marketing Expert and the Founder of Alameda Internet Marketing. With over 10 years of experience, Ross specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Ross’ boutique SEO agency is a Google Partner agency, which has been recognized for its dedication to honest communication and quality service with awards from UpCity, ThreeBestRated.com, and Clutch. Ross holds an Associate of Arts degree from Chabot College and certifications in Google AdWords and CompTIA A+.

Ross Taylor

Marketing Expert

Expert Answer

Make sure you're using your social media channels. You can also reach out via your own personal sphere of influence, like your friends, family, and colleagues.
Question

Where can I advertise my website for free?

Ross Taylor
Marketing Expert
Ross Taylor is a Marketing Expert and the Founder of Alameda Internet Marketing. With over 10 years of experience, Ross specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Ross’ boutique SEO agency is a Google Partner agency, which has been recognized for its dedication to honest communication and quality service with awards from UpCity, ThreeBestRated.com, and Clutch. Ross holds an Associate of Arts degree from Chabot College and certifications in Google AdWords and CompTIA A+.

Ross Taylor

Marketing Expert

Expert Answer

Try LinkedIn! This social media site is a good place to promote your website online.
Question

What should you do when you're launching a new website?

Richard Casamento
Digital Business Development Specialist
Richard Casamento is a Digital Business Development Specialist and the owner of the WIN Marketing Group, a digital marketing consultancy based in northern New Jersey. With over ten years of experience in marketing and over 25 in electrical engineering, he specializes in content marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), paid media advertising, television, and social media operations. He has grown the WIN Marketing Group to serve a diverse group of clients who benefit from a highly analytical and personal approach to marketing. Richard holds a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The University of New Hampshire and a Certificate of Study in Lasers and Optical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Richard Casamento

Digital Business Development Specialist

Expert Answer

The first thing you do when you get a site live is to make sure that you have an SSL certificate pulled for the site. If it's not encrypted, it likely won't load on Chrome and other browsers. Also, immediately submit the website URL to the major search engines, like Google and Bing. In Google you can use Google Search Console to set up the website—it will take anywhere from a few days to a week for the website to start appearing in searches.

Warning

Avoid stealing content, using robots to fake your web traffic, and making scam sites. These tactics may force search engines to boot you off their pages.