Businesses are always looking for ways to drive traffic TO their website so the last thing you want them to do is hit that dreaded “back” button and leave the minute they get there. The point of your website is to provide valuable information to your consumers and potential consumers in hopes that they will buy, so it is ever so important to keep them there.
How do you prevent visitors from leaving?
Well, obviously you can’t chain them to your website, funny idea though, but what you CAN do is to provide great 
content on your website explaining your products and services. This way, they will know what you have to offer, hopefully in a manner that is easy to understand!
Now they know what you have to offer, how do you keep them coming back?
Well, to start, keep providing them valuable information! You aren’t going to redesign your website or change your products or services every month, other than adding new products here and there, so then what?
What you can do is to offer tidbits of added value with a blog. I have discussed this before about the value of a blog, but basically it provides a means to elaborate on a piece of information and help the consumer understand that piece more fully.
Say your business is a car dealership and you have all of your products and services on your website. You’ll want to find some value to offer those who already bought a car from you, but before they need their next service like – tips on taking care of their car seat, tricks on how to add comfort to their car, how to keep that new car smell or the like. These may not be things already on your website, but could add value and get those past, current and potential future customers coming to your website. Maybe, just maybe they may discover something they didn’t know you offered – like car cleaning service when you service their vehicle – score! Have I mentioned that blogs create great SEO value for your website?
Don’t divert them FROM your website
This was actually my driving factor for writing this blog because all too often I see website that have external links 
that when you click on them, it opens to another site, in the same window. When this happens, the consumer may now be clicking around on this website which makes it harder to get back to your website without having to hit the back button several times. So, the point here is when you have internal links (those that go from one page to another page ON your website) they can open in the same window; however, when you use external links (those that take the user OFF your website) make sure that the link opens into another tab or window. This way, they will always have your website open in the other tab or window and much less work for the user to get back to you.
Links and search engine optimization
- Links to your site provide value to your website in that it tells the search engines that others find value in your website. It gives authority.
- Links from your website to other websites give value to that website.
- Links from within your website to other pages in your website helps the consumer browse and the search engines crawl your website.
Should you have any questions about keeping visitors on your website, internal and external links or blogs, please contact me as I would be happy to set up a consultation or work with you for monthly services.
Let me know what you think about this blog! Do you blog regularly?? Do you use internal and external links?
~Kristen
I do blog every week. I use links, mostly internal, occasionally external but I’m careful to be sure that those open in another window. Nice list of tips, Kristen.
You are great – blog weekly and adding links appropriately… excellent Beth!
Such great tips thank you!
Thanks Danielle… hope it was helpful.
Great tips! The things of the present, digital age.
Another great post from my favourite SEO lady! Thanks for sharing Kristen.
Awwww, thanks Sonya.. it helps when I have customers like you! Thanks and glad you enjoyed!
I wouldn’t have understood a word of what you wrote 1 year ago, but now I do. My web developer has been educating me as well as monitors the site. IShe has me blogging weekly with an internal link. I’ve yet to do something (I don’t think) to an external link, so that could be another step in 2015. Always enjoy way you explain things. Thanks
You are doing great then Roslyn and making excellent advancements if you understand a lot of this stuff. I love that you spend the time to educate yourself too! Appreciate the comments, glad to help. Thanks!
Great tips and all are important.
Thanks Mike!
So happy you pointed this out on my post and addressed how to fix it! YAY! Love learning new tricks. It all seems so simple until you realize there’s a LOT of tricks to the trade. This is great!
I’m glad to help and glad that you can now figure out how to fix it for the future. Simple tricks to make things easier is awesome!
Yes, I use internal links for sure, because my content management system reminds me to do so. 😉 Depending on the type of post, I will also use external links. In both cases, I make sure they open in a new window.
You were taught well Jackie! 😉 And it’s awesome that your CMS helps you with that – a great system you have there. Excellent, you are on the right path!
Thanks for the great information, Kristen. These are really great concepts to think about. 😉
The list of tips for online marketing go on forever. Not everyone wants to spend time learning so they don’t waste time and money.
I would go to Kristen any day of the week.
And NOW I know about using links that only open to another tab or window. Not sure if I’ve been doing that, so will check!
Thanks so much Sharon, I appreciate the kudos. 😉