To run a successful business in the digital age, you need to find ways to drive consistent traffic to your website. Of course, that can be easier said than done. But in most cases, developing a great SEO strategy is essential for your business to thrive online. With that in mind, here are just five SEO tips that will boost your site’s traffic in 2021.

Make Mobile-Friendly Website Improvements

If you’re treating your web design as a separate entity from your marketing efforts, your business could suffer as a result. In reality, the design of your website can support your SEO efforts — when done correctly. One feature you should make sure your website has is mobile-friendliness. With over half of all web traffic now coming from mobile users, you can’t afford to leave these visitors in the lurch. Google will typically reward sites that provide a consistent and positive experience for mobile users, so you’ll want to check that your site is responsive, easy to navigate, and barrier-free for smartphone and tablet use. 

Generate Online Reviews

Online reviews are critical in 2021. Even if many of your customers have been coming to you for years, online reviews can really help your business grow. What’s more, having no reviews can also reflect poorly on your brand. Data shows that consumers trust online reviews just as much as (or sometimes more than!) personal recommendations — so you need to put in the effort to generate a positive buzz for your business. Simply ask your satisfied customers to leave a review on Google, Yelp, Facebook, or other relevant review sites. When you receive reviews, whether they be positive or negative, be sure to respond to them with empathy and gratitude. 

Optimize For Featured Snippets

You might already know you need to use relevant keywords in your website content. But you might want to focus on the goal of getting your site to rank as part of a featured snippet. Featured snippets show up more prominently in search results pages (typically after paid ads but before other organic search results) and are often seen as more authoritative because they answer common questions in a way Google cites as helpful or valuable. Because they stand out more in SERPs, they get a higher percentage of clicks. Whether you address a problem in a paragraph or in a list format, you should be sure to use headers and write in a way that’s short and to the point. While there’s no guarantee that your site will be featured in this way, creating valuable content in an easy-to-read manner will certainly increase your chances.  

Keep Voice Search in Mind

Voice-powered technology really isn’t new, but it’s becoming more important in web searches. Smartphone users will often utilize voice search instead of physically typing out a query, as this option is much more convenient and provides pretty comparable results. However, the way we interact with voice search differs from conventional search. We typically use complete sentences and ask questions when using voice search, as compared to typing in just three to five main words into a search box. As such, you’ll want to optimize your site with FAQ pages that are written in conversational language. The more optimized your site is for voice search, the more likely it’ll be to show up in mobile search results — and as we explained earlier, this can have a huge impact on your web traffic.

Harness the Power of Local Listings

Local listings directories, as well as the Google My Business platform, can be extremely important for businesses hoping to attract consumers in their immediate area. Local SEO is a category that might already be addressed in your marketing efforts, but off-site initiatives can often make all the difference. Make sure to include your business NAP (name, address, and phone number) consistently across all directories and to claim and fill out your GMB page completely. This can make it far more likely that your business will show up in local search results and can provide an overall sense of authority.

You might know how important it is to increase your site traffic, but it’s not always easy to figure out how to accomplish that aim. With these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to driving more customers to your website in 2021.