How to Improve your Site’s Traffic Quality

This post was most recently updated on September 15th, 2021

As a publisher, you know that ad revenue depends on two things: website traffic; and ad optimization. Today we will discuss not just how to increase visitor flow to your site, but more importantly – how to improve the quality of traffic coming into your website. After all, Google is keen on looking at your traffic sources lest they discover invalid click activity.

For starters, Adsense has shared some pointers when you wish to increase the number of users coming into your site. There are two basic methods for this: (1) Web Enhancement; and (2) New Traffic Acquisition.

In Web Enhancement – this involves optimizing your site’s ad placement, navigation, content, page load time, and web design responsiveness (i.e., mobile sites). There are several tips Google offers for publishers to achieve site enhancement. For more of that, check out: https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2580276

Related Read: Adsense Tips: How to Make your Site More User-Friendly

Most importantly, as an Adsense Publisher, web enhancement also entails compliance with ad placement policies. Once you start optimizing your site, be sure you are not violating any of the following ad placement guidelines specified by Google Adsense:

• Do not integrate Google ads into a software application (does not apply to AdMob) of any kind, including toolbars
• Do not display Google ads in pop-ups or pop-unders
• Do not place Google ads in emails, email programs, or chat programs
• Make sure elements on a page do not obscure your advertisements
• Do not place the Adsense code on any non-content-based page (Does not apply to AdSense for search or mobile AdSense for search)
• Do not place Google ads on pages explicitly published to show ads
• Make sure your site’s content or URL will not confuse users into thinking it is associated with Google due to the misuse of logos, trademarks or other brand features
• Make sure Google ads are not placed on, within, or alongside other Google products or services in a manner that violates the policies of that product or service

In the New Traffic Acquisition method – there are three options for publishers to increase and improve visitor traffic, namely: search engine optimization, advertising, and partnering with traffic providers.

#1 – Search Engine Optimization

SEO involves methodologies to make your website rank in search engine results for relevant search terms. Many have abused this process to get tons of traffic (usually low-quality or spam) and to rank in Google search. Good thing, Google is working out advanced algorithms to filter out publisher sites participating in bad SEO work (blackhat SEO). You wouldn’t want to be part of that list, so before you proceed with search engine optimization, check out some tips:

• First and foremost, review Google’s Webmaster Quality Guidelines to help you identify bad SEO habits.
• Read this gold mine: Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide
• Understand your site’s traffic. Start by using Google Analytics to your site
• If you decide to hire an SEO specialist, make sure that s/he won’t make your site violate the Webmaster Guidelines, for example, by purchasing links to your website to increase its PageRank.

Related Read: How to Use the Adsense Referrers Report for Publishers

#2 – Advertising

Advertising is also a legitimate way to drive quality traffic to your site – given that you know your target audience well, and you know the kind of content/interest they’re after. Google outlines that, “Publishers that use any form of online advertising to pages with Google ads are required to comply with the spirit of our landing page quality guidelines.”

To make sure you are only driving quality traffic your website; it is best that you do not participate in any form of spamming to promote your site, such as:

• spam emails
• comment spamming
• creation of fake forum profiles
• posting links on link farms and “private blog networks,” link exchanges and social network spamming.

#3 – Partnering with traffic providers

There are several third-party traffic providers out there that cater to both advertisers and publishers to satisfy ad campaign goals and traffic levels. However, as a publisher, you are ultimately responsible for the quality of traffic coming into your site. The best advice is to proceed with caution when opting for third-party traffic providers. Here are some guidelines to help you:

• Make sure that the third-party traffic provider can furnish you with comprehensive reporting on traffic sources
• Always review your Google Analytics data precisely your traffic sources. This will give you a clue on whether there is suspicious traffic that can lead to invalid click activity
• Check where your ads will be placed – so you get an idea where traffic to your site or ads come from
• Read reviews about this provider and find out the experience of other publishers.
• Be sure to check out the traffic provider checklist

Alternatively, publishers can also consider generating traffic from methods such as social media marketing channels, forum marketing, and creating quality infographics as shown on Venngage.com and reaching out to blogs within their industry to promote them.

Related Read: New Google Double Verify Ads to Avoid Invalid Clicks

The usual problem with partnering with these third-party networks is that some launch clicks bots, or participate in pay-to-click schemes to inflate ad clicks and site traffic. Adsense is not compatible to work with those kinds of agencies – and you can get your Adsense account banned for click fraud if proven.

You can protect your AdSense account from invalid traffic by signing up to Traffic Cop. Traffic Cop is MonetizeMore’s very own invalid traffic tool that uses sophisticated algorithms to prevent your ads from serving to invalid traffic. Never worry about getting banned for invalid traffic, bots or ad fraud again! Sign up to Traffic Cop today!

Conclusion

If you want to make sure you’re only getting the right amount and quality of traffic to your sites, contact MonetizeMore, and we’re happy to discuss our Premium Publisher Plan. You can also sign-up for FREE to Ad Exchange.

Related Reads:

• 8-Point Publisher Checklist for Creating Effective Websites
• Adsense Tips: How to Make your Site more User-Friendly
• How to Use the Adsense Referrers Report for Publishers
• New Google Double Verify Ads to Avoid Invalid Clicks

Kean Graham

Kean Graham is the CEO and founder of MonetizeMore & a pioneer in the Adtech Industry. He is the resident expert in Ad Optimization, covering areas like Adsense Optimization,GAM Management, and third-party ad network partnerships. Kean believes in the supremacy of direct publisher deals and holistic optimization as keys to effective and consistent ad revenue increases.