The prime goal of website owners is to generate more and more traffic. But what most of them don’t know is there are multiple traffic sources through which traffic is generated. Here we will dive deep into the two most important sources called organic and direct traffic. What is organic traffic, what is direct traffic, and what are the differences between organic search vs direct traffic, we will find such pieces of information here. Keep reading to satisfy your intellect.
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What are traffic sources?
Traffic sources are the channels through which users come across your website or any online platform with the help of organic search using Bing, Google, or any other search engine. Some traffic sources are:
Organic traffic: Earned traffic from the search engine results, not paid.
Email traffic: Traffic generated from email marketing.
Direct traffic: Traffic generated from unknown sources or referrers.
Social traffic: Traffic generated from social networking platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
What is organic traffic?
Organic traffic means visitors coming from search engines that do not include any paid search ads. Search engine optimization drives organic traffic. Thus, it is said that the better you rank for competitive keywords, the more organic traffic.
Websites that create search engine-friendly content increase organic search traffic. So, if you are a marketer, identify new SEO opportunities by looking at the high-ranking pages and keywords and improve your campaign.
Why is it important?
Here are the reasons to determine the importance of organic traffic:
Cost-effective
You don’t have to bear any cost for generating organic traffic. Unlike paid advertising, where you have to pay for every click, organic traffic allows the users to find your website naturally.
Trust and credibility
Websites appearing at the top of the SERPs are regarded as more trustworthy and credible. Organic traffic shows that your website is relevant, thereby building trust and authority.
Long-term growth
SEO comes under organic traffic strategies. Investing your money in organic traffic sources indeed gives you long-term growth for your website.
How do I get organic traffic?
Acquiring organic traffic has its own set of challenges, but it isn’t impossible. With the help of the right strategies, you can get the results you want.
Keyword research
Identify relevant and long-tail keywords related to your business using tools like Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner. Long-tail keywords have higher conversion rates and less competition. Perform competitor analysis to find out what kind of keywords your competitors are ranking for. It will help you gain clarity on such keywords and create better content around them.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO includes optimization of elements like meta tags, URL structure, and internal linking to make them more search engine-friendly. It is advisable to write compelling meta-descriptions including primary keywords. You can get assistance from the tools like Yoast SEO for this process. Also, don’t forget to link to well-established authority sites in your content to reduce the bounce rates.
Quality backlinks
Follow the strategy of guest posting which is about writing for reputable third-party sites in your niche to acquire backlinks. Find broken links on other websites using tools like Ahref and offer your content as a replacement.
Engaging content
Write engaging content for your website to appeal to the people. Leverage platforms like Quora to provide comprehensive answers. Include rich media that involves infographics, images, and videos to make engaging content. Besides, keep checking your old blog posts and update them with new information, if any.
What is direct traffic?
Direct traffic means the visitors that come to your site without the help of any referring URL. When any visitor follows a link, the original site is called the referrer. The sites could be social media, blogs, or search engines.
Why is it important?
Let’s find out why direct traffic is important :
Brand recognition
Direct traffic mainly includes users who know the ins and outs of your website. Some users might even have bookmarked your site to visit it later. Increasing levels of direct traffic strengthens brand awareness, which plays a key role in building trust with the audience.
Not influenced much by external sources
Unlike organic traffic, algorithm changes don’t impact direct traffic much. So, it is not wrong to say that direct traffic is more stable and reliable. And you are sure to attract a consistent flow of visitors to your website regardless of external factors.
User loyalty
Repeat visitors come under direct traffic. They love to visit your website because they trust it. These visitors are more likely to convert to loyal customers as they engage with your content and show their keenness toward making purchases or subscribing to your services.
Offline marketing efforts
Offline marketing channels like print, radio, and TV are important to prompt visitors to your website. Keeping track of direct traffic helps measure the effectiveness of your offline marketing efforts.
How do I get direct traffic?
Some effective ways to increase the direct traffic are:
Email marketing
Create value-driven newsletters and send regular updates and promotions to your subscribers. Tailor the email content to cater to different audience segments to make it more personalized.
Social media engagement
Regularly interact with your audience on social media by replying to their comments and messages. Ensure that your website’s URL is prominently displayed on all social media platforms.
Website usability
The site navigation should be easy to get direct traffic. Encourage bookmarking by regularly updating your content or including some exclusive offers.
Incentives and rewards
Providing some exclusive offers to your website helps users to directly visit your website and sign up for your email list.
What is the difference between organic and direct traffic?
Let’s decode the differences between organic search vs direct traffic:
Traffic source
Organic traffic is generated from SERPs, while direct traffic originates from users directly typing your website’s URL into the browser or clicking links in emails.
Cost
Organic traffic demands consistency in creating content and SEO. Undoubtedly, it is time-consuming but cost-effective. On the other hand, brand building affects direct traffic, which requires money.
Stability
The fluctuations in organic traffic are more. Why is this so? As the algorithm updates itself, so does the organic traffic see changes, thus making it less predictable. In comparison, direct traffic is more stable.
Search engine dependence
Organic traffic heavily relies on SEO and its algorithms. However, direct traffic doesn’t depend on any of these factors.
Which one is better?
As we have discussed the differences between the two, the choice between organic search and direct traffic depends on the nature of your business and your goals. Each strategy plays a different role in building a successful online empire. If you want to reach a new audience and build credibility, organic traffic is the right choice. If you want to measure the effectiveness of branding campaigns and customer loyalty, direct traffic is the key. The best way is to adopt a balanced approach, valuing both types of strategies.
To make a long story short
Till now, you must have decided to adopt which strategy to use in your business. That being said, you don’t have to do everything by yourself. The team of SEO Propellant – The best SEO company in Canada, is here to make everything at ease. Our SEO professionals will help you with all the SEO tasks fueling your SERPs, attracting targeted traffic, and making your business stand out from your competitors. Give us the chance to handle SEO complexities while you focus on other important tasks for your business. Contact us for more information.