We are living in a crazy world right now. So much is changing thanks to AI, some for the better and some for the worse. One thing that is constantly changing is how people are finding businesses, products and services. While I don’t believe people are going to stop doing this through Google, I do believe that people are going to find your website and business through a lot more diverse ways than previously before.
I have always been a big believer in having a holistic marketing strategy – don’t put all your marketing eggs in one basket. When it comes to getting your business name out there, it shouldn’t be about only SEO or social media. Reach or relevance. Organic or paid. The sweet spot lies in the strategy that connects all of these.
While I am very much an SEO & Google Ads specialist (and have been since my first digital agency role in 2013), I really relate to an acronym I recently saw industry pro Rand Fishkin use – Search Everywhere Optimisation. Which we actually have Ashley Liddell from Deviation to thank for!
As a marketing agency, I feel that Morgan and my role is definitely morphing into the above, we are becoming Search Everyone Optimisation specialists. At the end of the day, our main role remains the same – to get our clients visibility and awareness.
With that in mind, and more zero-click searches (answers provided directly on the search results page, reducing the need to click through to a website) happening on Google, we want to share 10 strategies that you can employ to boost website traffic and overall business awareness alongside your SEO & Google Ads efforts.
So grab a glass of vino (it’s midday somewhere in the world right) and let’s delve a bit deeper…
1. Email Marketing
I have always said, if I wanted another area of expertise, that email marketing would be the one for me. I love it, as people opt in to receive your emails directly to their inbox.
Email marketing converts well, the reach you can gain from one piece of content is immense and it can be personalised and tailored to the exact person you are talking to.
You can include as many or as few links as you like to your website via your email marketing to really help boost traffic.
I love it and personally think more businesses should prioritise this form of marketing.
2. Social Media
Of course social media has to be on this list. Whether your jam is Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads or one of the other many social media channels – be where your customers/audience are!
And don’t forget to encourage people to visit your website via your social media channels. I know this is hard because these channels try and keep people on their platforms, but it doesn’t hurt to ensure you:
- Include your website URL in your bio (personally I recommend avoiding using services like Linktree as at the end of the day I want to send customers directly to my site)
- Add links via your Instagram and Facebook stories (people choose to click or not)
- Mention in your captions that people can easily get to your website through your bio
You can’t force the click, but you can make it look awfully enticing.
3. Show up more in LLM’s like ChatGPT and Gemini
Yes I’m talking about AI and it’s safe to say we are seeing more and more website traffic coming from AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini etc. In fact if you want to easily see how much AI traffic your website is getting – make sure to create your very own AI traffic report in GA4.
How can you increase your chances of doing this?
- Ensure strong foundational SEO is in place for your website
- Target longer and conversational topics
- Answer questions, and target “What is…”, “How to…”, and “Why is” topics
- Avoid overly complex language or jargon.
- Create an AI traffic report as linked to above so you can see what content is doing well (and then make more like it!)
4. Referral Traffic from Other Websites
If you are a local business with a physical location, make sure you are set up with a listing on relevant local business directories fore and fore-mostly. Plus don’t forget to keep your NAP (name, address, phone number) consistent.
Collaborate with blogs, influencers, or businesses in your niche to get mentions, backlinks, or guest post spots. Quality referrals bring targeted, high-converting traffic. This is digital PR and not only can it boost your website traffic, but also build your brand name.
5. YouTube & Video Marketing
Create helpful or entertaining videos and link back to your website in the description or on-screen. YouTube itself is a search engine, but it’s a different traffic source from Google Search.
6. Podcasts & Interviews
Start a podcast or appear on others’ shows to tap into new audiences. Include your website link in show notes and encourage listeners to visit your site. Use a tool like PodMatch which matches ideal podcast guests with hosts.
Listeners of podcasts tend to have a deep engagement with hosts, leading to higher trust in recommendations.
7. Direct Traffic via Branding & Offline Promotions
Strengthen your brand so people type your website in directly. Use tactics like branded packaging, QR codes, or promoting your URL on business cards, events, or signage.
Do you have business cards or promotional materials for your business? QR codes continue to be used widely as they make it so easy for someone to click through to your website by just holding their phone camera over the QR code.
8. LinkedIn Articles & Thought Leadership
For B2B brands especially, publishing native articles or thought pieces on LinkedIn can drive traffic and authority.
Tip: Tease your content and link back to the full version on your site.
9. Bing it
I am serious, while Bing is a small player in the search engine world, it can still send very good, highly relevant traffic to your website. So now is maybe the time to check in with your Bing Webmaster Tools account / make sure your website is indexed.
Plus, a lot of LLM’s like ChatGPT, pull information from Bing. So making sure your website is findable and looking good via this search engine is important.
10. Online Communities & Niche Forums
People are hanging out and seeking recommendations in places beyond traditional platforms—think Facebook Groups, Reddit threads, Slack channels, Discord servers, Substacks, and niche online communities.
When you genuinely contribute to conversations in these spaces, offering advice or value, your business becomes discoverable in a way that feels organic—not forced. Often, the most loyal traffic comes from people who found you in a space they already trust.
Hot Tip: Be helpful, not salesy. Add value, and when it’s natural, drop your link or invite people to check out your site. This “pull” approach often converts better than a “push” one.
So what is GCD”s current focus? We plan to double down on intelligent & adaptable SEO & Google Ads strategies that integrate with our clients broader marketing efforts, ensuring their brand remains visible, authoritative, and connected with their audience, no matter how search and consumer habits evolve.
