Do you want to build a successful website and drive a lot of traffic to it? Then don’t try to fool mother Google.

It really does work like that, as most of us have learned from previous experience. However, building a successful website is possible. And we have a few easy steps which will help you achieve just that.

Here are some simple tips to drive traffic and what I found to work the best for me. I think it will work for you too.

Make content the king of your success and make the search engines “drool” over your content! If you actually publish something of value rather than trying to game the search engines you will be miles ahead of many….many marketers.

Don’t sit back and wait for traffic, go get it!

A lot of marketers build their website and wait for traffic to come to them. Do you know how many websites are out there? Millions, all competing for the same traffic. Who do you think will get the lions share of the traffic, those who sit back and wait for it to come to them or those that go out and get it?

Exactly, go out and get your traffic. Write a few articles and distribute them to the article directories. This will help you get one-way incoming links which the search engines love. Participate in related forums and provide valuable content and input in exchange for a link back to your website.

Forums have been a huge benefit for me. I started posting in several niche forums just to get a feel for what type of product they might want and before you know it I was getting traffic left and right. When I did some investigating I found it was coming from the forums that I had posted in. I mean BIG traffic and TARGETED traffic!

You can also advertise on select and related sites. Just make sure that the website you’re advertising on is actually a high ranking site with a steady stream of related visitors. The trick to getting traffic is to be consistent and to try a variety of different methods to help build incoming links.

Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that all of your website pages are search engine friendly, that your website has a user-friendly and search-engine friendly navigation structure.

Include plenty of links to outside resources and also link to other articles inside your website. This will get the reader to stay on your site longer, lower your bounce rate, and increase the value of your site in Google and other search engines.

Be a Real Person. Many websites are cold and unfriendly. This won’t help your sales. People are sceptical and when doing business on the web, they’re going to opt for websites which appear professional and also reassure them that there is indeed a real person behind the website.

Be sure to include an “about us” section on your website as well as a contact and privacy page. If you are having trouble creating a privacy policy page there is a WordPress plugin called Easy Privacy Policy that will create on for you in a snap.

A picture of you and your team (if you have one) is a nice touch as well. Share a little about your business and let them know you are there to help them. People like to know you are human. As quirky as it may sound…. the more human and less polished the website sometime the more traffic you get because it looks authentic.

Building a website requires a lot of hard work and a lot of common sense. Dont over think it adn put yourself in the shoes of your target market. What would they want to see when they come to your website…. and give it to them.

And finally, being personable and letting your customers know that you are there to help them should the decide to purchase anything from you. The more they trust you the more they will come back and the easier you might make a sale.

You’ve labored over your opt-in form, you created an offer that has value, and now you need to drive traffic there to see it. I know this sounds obvious, but the best offer means nothing if no one is stopping by to see it.

Using only one method to drive traffic to your opt-in page probably won’t get the job done. There are many different ways to bring people to your site that you should utilize as many as you possibly can. Using a variety of them will help you achieve the best results. Here are some of the most popular ones to help get you get started.

• Link to Related Posts – Travel the internet and collect links to post related to yours. Gather them all in one post and submit it to article directories. Don’t forget to link to the articles on your site and add commentary. It is always more valuable for your readers when you share comments. Share the link to your post with the people you’ve linked to as a courtesy.

• Guest Posts – Writing a guest post on a complementary blog is a good way to get your name out there. Everyone is always looking for fresh content. Especially, if it’s good quality and they don’t have to write it. These sites are easy to locate by doing a search or you can simply email your competing site owners and make the offer to write a post. The resource box with a link back to your site at the end is your reward for your hard work. Build those backlinks baby!

• Guru Interviews – Guru Interviews are a good way to expose your site to a lot of people who haven’t been there yet. New venues to share your information such as teleseminars, podcasts or email interviews can drive good targeted traffic from many people at one time.

• Contributors – Rather than having someone just write an occasional guest post, have them listed as a contributor. People love fresh content and a new person can give a new perspective on your niche and add substantial value for your readers. Again, the payoff for them is a link to their site in their resource box.

• Brandable Reports – A secret technique used by top internet marketers is to giveaway top quality information with links to their products. Once you develop products (or find affiliate products you can recommend) that have brandable reports as a marketing tool just give them away. Make sure they include your affiliate link (if it is an affiliate product) making the benefits two-fold. You have content for your readers and the possibility of making money through affiliate sales.

Your Goal – Discover what you market is looking for when they type in a word into Google and give it to them for free! This will drive a massive amount of traffic to your website and you will be well on your way to success.

Part of promoting your website business is getting in front of as many people as possible. While you are there, give them something interesting the read, listen to or watch that will direct them to your website through a link. One of the ways that people like to hear about new sites is through podcasts.

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a multimedia tool that people can follow. Think of it as audio or video information that you can listen to or view on your computer, your iPod or any other multimedia enabled device. It’s like having your own radio show on your website.

Podcasts can be syndicated using RSS (really simple syndication). This is the same process that people use to keep up with blogs and websites. The RSS feed allows them to receive updates when changes are made on the site so they don’t have to visit every day.

Creating your Podcast

There is software available to help you create your audio and video files. You can embed code for them on your website so others can view them. Beyond the technical aspects, the purpose of the podcast is to present interesting information to your readers in a new and unique way. People browse the Internet to find useful items. They like to read, but would admittedly like to watch or listen as it is a more convenient way to get the same information.

So what will make your podcast stand out? Use engaging dialogue, present relevant topics and use visually appealing props and sets for video casts.

Going Viral

For one, don’t forget the keywords. You want people to be able to find your podcasts when they use their search engines. Even if you are using mainly audio, include keyword optimized titles, tags and links in your podcasts.

Submit your podcasts to directories. Use every avenue to get yourself in front of the public. That includes creating press releases to announce your podcasts if you are introducing them for the first time. Optimizing your press releases and submitting them to free press release sites keeps people finding them even after you are through using them.

Let your existing customers in on the new podcast. Use your email list to keep them in the loop as you unroll your podcast project. Give them links directly to the podcast so they can view it and hopefully pass the link on to others.

Your podcast can be turned into a radio show with regular guest spots. Interview other business owners in your niche and notable online personalities who would be of interest to your readers. A recurring show can increase your traffic and your following.

Want to get people to your website? Create a podcast. Turn it into a radio show or recurring video cast to create a following and gain more traffic to your business.