Welcome to Part Three of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS.
In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to start driving web traffic is publish fresh content on a regular basis!)
In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase of the traffic automation process. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your site was built with WordPress.
(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In this section of the series, we will look at the configuration phase of this process. We will show you how a WordPress site should be configured in order to automatically begin driving web traffic simply by publishing web content to your website.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Configuration
Being able to drive more traffic to one’s website is often cited by many website owners as their greatest challenge online. With business getting so much more competitive worldwide, it’s worth learning about every advantage that can help you improve your own performance online.
Being able to automatically generate traffic on demand is a tremendous competitive advantage. With an expertly configured website, you have an immediate competitive advantage from the very start.
The Difference Is In The Configuration Stage
There is a significant difference between an expertly configured WordPress site and a website that has been professionally installed and set up by an expert website developer but not necessarily configured to take advantage of everything WordPress can offer.
Here is a simple way to understand the differences:
With a WordPress site that has been expertly configured you get a web presence and online business marketing automation!
(An expertly configured website gives you a web presence and a built-in automated online business marketing process!)
Not only does it take extra work to build and integrate an automated online business marketing system into your website, it also takes a special kind of expert knowledge.
To illustrate this point here is a joke.
A Semi-True Story …
All was going fine in the gizmo-making workshop when the machines suddenly stopped.
As no one could figure out what happened, the manager decided to call in an expert to try and fix the problem.
Shortly after arriving, the expert went immediately to the control box. After staring at the wires and circuitry for what seemed like about 3 minutes or so, the expert then took out a tiny little hammer and made a single tap near the left side of the unit.
Immediately, everything began working once more.
The manager was grateful and relieved as he thanked the expert, who left just as quickly as he had arrived.
A few days after resolving the incident, the manager received an invoice for $5,000.
The factory manager dialed the expert, demanding to know why they were expected to pay so much for so little time delivering such a minimal amount of work. He promptly requested an itemized invoice before hanging up.
The next day, a bill of payment arrived and was placed in the manager’s in-tray. Upon opening it, this is what he saw:
The number one challenge most businesses face online is being able to consistently drive traffic to their sites.
How much money did the gizmo plant stand to lose when the machines stopped functioning and no one in the business had the expertise required to get things up and running again? Did the expert not have every right to demand fair compensation for years spent building up the knowledge, skills and expertise that enabled him to quickly assess and avert a very serious crisis?
Similarly, if you could have a WordPress website or blog set up and configured so all you have to do is publish new content and search engines, social media and dozens of other traffic-generating web properties would be immediately notified, how much time and money would this save you?
(How much better would your business be if you could automate the process of driving traffic to your site?)
While the solution to many problems is often quite easy once it’s been implemented, it rarely turns out to be that way.
Knowing how to expertly configure a WordPress site requires more than adding some pages with content and configuring a few settings. It also involves knowing where to tap! In other words, knowing things like:
- Which plugins you need to install to get desired functionalities on your site.
- Which services you need to set up and activate to get specific results
- Which internal and external settings you need to configure in order to make sure everything will work as expected, etc.
(Driving traffic automatically with WordPress is a process that requires knowledge and expertise)
This part of the traffic automation system is not so technically challenging, but it’s quite complicated. The reason why is because it’s not just about installing one or two plugins, tweaking some settings in your admin area … it’s all this and much more.
The configuration stage involves the integration of different components such as your server, your web site, and a number of external sites …
(The configuration stage involves more than just configuring a few settings in WordPress)
If we create a simple diagram of all the steps involved in the configuration process, it would look like this …
(A simplistic flowchart showing the activities involved in the configuration process)
Let’s take a look at these steps in more detail.
Your Web Server
We’re not talking about the process of configuring your webhosting account for website installation purposes. What we are talking about, is configuring settings in your webhosting account specifically for handling all web traffic …
(In the configuration stage, your server settings need to be fine-tuned for handling both good and bad traffic)
Not all web traffic is welcome traffic. Some of the traffic your site may attract will be unwelcome traffic like spam, security threats, bot-hacking attempts, etc.
This stage of the configuration process, therefore, is all about evaluating your needs, planning for both good and unwelcome traffic and adjusting settings in your server accordingly. This could include things like server-level spam protection and threat prevention, to configuring your domain and email redirections, etc …
(Have you configured your control panel settings for handling things like emails, page errors, etc?)
Once your server settings have been fine-tuned and configured, the next step of the configuration phase is to set up various third-party sites and services.
External Services
The idea behind choosing external sites is that all content will get posted to one central location (your site) and from there, it will be distributed automatically to other parts of your traffic generation system, or notify traffic-related web properties and services.
Once these external platforms have been added to your configuration, content pointing back to your website will get automatically syndicated to these platforms, indexed by search engines and shared to other social media sites, even to users of the platform itself. Your content and business will receive exposure online, helping your business tap into new sources of traffic.
Some of these sites and services will need to be set up before configuring your WordPress site to speed up the process and some will need to be done later, during the automation phase.
For example, here are just some of the accounts you will need to have set up before configuring your WordPress site’s settings:
Google Webmasters
(Google Search Console – create a Google-friendly site)
Google Webmasters lets you inform Google about your site’s pages, submit XML sitemaps for faster page indexing, and provides site owners with a range of useful data, tools, and diagnostic reports about their website.
Once your account with Google Search Console have been set up, use this information with web traffic-related settings and notifications in WordPress and other applications.
Google Analytics
(Google Analytics)
Google Analytics lets you improve your site’s results, SEO, user engagement, marketing activities, and more, by tracking all user behavior, pages visited, keywords searched for, social media referrers, etc.
After setting up your account, you can add traffic monitoring information to all of your web pages in WordPress using a Google Analytics plugin and send data instantly to other applications and reporting tools.
Bing Webmaster Tools
(Drive more traffic with Bing Data And Tools)
Bing Webmaster Tools is similar to Google Webmaster Tools. Once your account and site details are set up, this information can be used to integrate and automate traffic settings in WordPress using plugins like Yoast SEO (see further below) and other applications.
WordPress.com
(WordPress.com)
As explained in Part 2, WordPress offers both a self-hosted (WordPress.org) and a hosted (WordPress.com) option. We recommended choosing the self-hosted WordPress version if you are planning to grow a professional online presence.
WordPress.com (the hosted option), however, provides a number of useful tools, which various WordPress plugins can access. We recommend setting up an account with WordPress.com, therefore, and we’ll explain how to integrate this into your automated web traffic generation system in the next installment of this article series.
Social Media And Social Bookmarking Sites
(Syndicate your content automatically to your social media and social bookmarking accounts and attract new traffic to your site)
You will need your various social media accounts set up before you can configure these as part of your traffic generation system.
After setting up and configuring everything, you will be able to syndicate your content automatically to your social media pages and attract new visitors to your site.
You should have pages set up with all the leading social networks – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.
There are loads of social bookmarking sites you can syndicate your content to. You don’t need to go crazy, just select the ones that will work with your system and/or content sharing tools (we will cover some of these tools in greater detail further below and during the Automation phase).
(There are loads of social bookmarking sites you can syndicate your content to. Image source ShareThis.com)
Additional Solutions, Aggregators, Etc.
There are a number of emerging web platforms and RSS aggregators that can serve as second-tier traffic generation sources. Some are free or provide free plans, and some offer a range of pricing plans to suit different users.
For example, here is a content aggregator that allows you to add an RSS feed from your site …
RebelMouse
(RebelMouse – Distribute your content to social networks)
RebelMouse is a news aggregator for your RSS feeds and social profiles. Your content displays in a Pinterest-like format and users can follow your page.
There are many different platforms you can incorporate into your own traffic blueprint. Please contact us if you need assistance exploring some of these further, or to discuss a configuration plan to suit your needs.
Once you have configured your web server and set up accounts with third-party sites, it’s time to configure your WordPress site’s settings.
Configuring WordPress
The first step in configuring your WordPress site for traffic is to make sure that its global settings have been correctly set up.
Let’s go over some key areas.
WordPress – Global Settings
By default, all WordPress installations include a Settings section that allows you to configure your site’s global settings …
(WordPress settings menu)
General Settings
Sections like Site Title and Tagline can affect your site’s SEO, search listings, etc …
(WordPress Settings – General Settings)
Writing Settings
The Writing Settings section contains an important and often overlooked traffic notification system …
(WordPress Settings – Writing Settings Screen)
As described in this section,
When you publish a new post, WordPress automatically notifies the following site update services …
Unless you or your webmaster have specifically chosen to discourage search engines from indexing your site, then your site will automatically ping the list of services entered into the Update Services text box
By default, only one service is available …
(Writing Settings – WordPress Update Services)
WordPress lets you notify dozens of update services automatically …
(You can notify dozens of update services automatically!)
Download A Comprehensive List Of Ping Services For Your WordPress Site!
Click the link below to download a comprehensive list of reliable and authoritative ping services for your WordPress site or blog:
Download A List Of Ping Services For Your WordPress Site
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Note: If you need help setting up the list of ping services on your site, we recommend using a professional web services provider. You can find professional WordPress service providers in our WordPress Services Directory.
Reading Settings
This section affects how visitors will see your content when they visit your home page and blog pages.
The syndication settings on this page can have an influence traffic. For example, choosing to display the full content vs summaries of your post, affects how your content displays in RSS feeds and RSS email campaigns, and could affect someone’s decision to explore your content further, and whether or not they will visit your site to read the rest of the content from excerpts, or read the content in full without the need to click through to your site.
The main setting in this section as far as traffic is concerned is whether the Search Engine Visibility checkbox is enabled or not.
Typically, you want search engines to visit your site. Leaving this box unchecked enables your site to instantly ping your update services list when new posts get published (see Writing Settings above). Unless there is a specific reason to discourage search engines from visiting your site, make sure this box is left unticked …
(Global Settings – Reading Settings Section)
Discussion Settings
Although the settings in this section are mostly concerned with how users engage with content on your site, you have the option to allow notifications to blogs linked to from your posts, and to allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks). This can work for you, but it can also drive bad traffic in the form of SPAM comments …
(Settings Menu – Discussion Settings Section)
Permalink Settings
Permalinks allow you to publish posts with search engine-friendly URLs …
(Settings Menu – Permalink Settings)
Here are some of the ways your permalinks can be configured …
(Configuring search-friendly URLS)
To learn more about setting up WordPress permalinks, see this step-by-step tutorial: Setting Up WordPress Permalinks
Configuring WordPress Plugin Settings
WordPress provides users with plugins that help to add almost every type of functionality imaginable to your site, including plugins with features that help to improve traffic generation.
Let’s take a brief look at examples of plugin categories and plugins that can help improve traffic generation
Blog Defender Security Plugin
Once again, it’s important to configure your website for handling both good traffic and bad traffic. No web site is completely safe from being attacked by hackers.
(WordPress Security Plugins help prevent bad traffic from causing your website harm)
Security plugins like Blog Defender help to make your WordPress blog invisible to attacks from hackers and bots.
More information:
WordPress SEO Plugins – Yoast SEO
WordPress SEO plugins help drive traffic by making your web content easy for search engines like Google and Bing to index …
(WordPress SEO plugins like Yoast SEO help drive more traffic by making your site more search engine friendly)
A plugin like Yoast SEO (previously known as WordPress SEO by Yoast) can significantly improve your SEO. Once properly configured, the Yoast SEO plugin not only makes your site easier for search engines like Google and Bing to index, it also lets you specify how to display your content to Google’s search results and social media pages, e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and GooglePlus.
Social Plugins
Allowing your visitors to easily share your content online can help boost traffic to your site, especially if your site provides great content that adds real value to readers.
(You can easily add social features to your site with WordPress plugins)
WordPress users can easily add social sharing features to their site with WordPress plugins.
Many social sharing plugins let you specify which sites visitors can share your content to, embed social buttons into your content, set up default notifications, display/hide share counters (e.g. number of followers), etc. Some plugins even allow you to set up protected content areas on your site which users can unlock by liking your page.
WP Themes
As well as configuring various plugins, many WordPress themes also include features that can help grow your site’s traffic.
For example, in addition to options and settings for configuring design and layout aspects of your website, some themes also give you options for improving SEO and site navigation structure for better indexing, easily add analytics, social sharing buttons, etc …
(Many themes can be configured for improved traffic results)
With a number of WordPress themes, adding social sharing features to your content is as easy as clicking a couple of buttons to configure your settings and enable the feature …
(Many WordPress themes come with built-in social sharing features)
WordPress Traffic System – Other Important Aspects To Consider
Last (but by no means least) in the web traffic system configuration process, are the things that need to be set up outside of the global settings.
These include the following:
Website Legal Pages
Once again, when preparing your site for a growth in traffic, it’s important to plan not only how to handle good and bad traffic but also for all the situations that can cause serious damage to your business as more and more people start finding and visiting your website.
If you engage in any form of commercial activity online (or plan to), it’s important that your website complies with legal requirements of government agencies that regulate business online.
(Is Your Website Or Blog Legally Compliant?)
We have written a detailed article on adding legal pages to WordPress here:
WordPress Post Tags And Post Categories
Post tags and categories help to improve your site’s search engine optimization, which improves traffic.
(Post categories help improve traffic by improving your site’s SEO.)
As we recommend in this article, it’s best to discuss and set up your site’s categories and tags earlier on, during the Website Planning Process.
When considering ways to automate and improve web traffic, you will want to review and make sure that the tags and categories you have set up.
Add A Site Map To Your WordPress Site
A site map that displays all of your pages and posts is not only a useful navigation tool for users, it can also help external applications find more of your web content …
(Site Map – great for site visitors and beneficial for web traffic too!)
It’s important to note that an HTML site map and an XML sitemap are not the same things. Only search engines can read an XML sitemap. Although Google can index your site just from an XML sitemap (which a plugin like Yoast SEO can provide – see earlier section), making it easier for visitors to find more pages on your site results in increased traffic.
Don’t Forget Your 404 Page Not Found
When visitors searching for your site enter the wrong web address or click on links pointing to an incorrect destination on your site, they will typically be presented with a 404 Not Found page …
(Default WordPress 404 Page)
A 404 Not Found error page can redirect confused visitors to your functional web pages …
(Configuring your 404 Not Found page allows you to redirect web traffic that may otherwise be lost.)
Although a 404 Not Found page can be set up in your web server, there are several WordPress plugins that let you easily configure your 404 page inside your WordPress admin.
WordPress Traffic Automation System: Configuration Process – Summary
Once your website has been fully set up and expertly configured, all you have to do then is add content on a consistent basis to begin attracting web traffic organically.
The process of expertly configuring your WordPress site, however, can be quite involved and elaborate , requiring the configuration and integration of a number of different elements and web properties …
(Traffic System – Configuration Phase Checklist)
The expertise involved in expertly configuring a WordPress site can take many website professionals months to acquire.
Once you have expertly configured your WordPress site, the next step is to automate as much of the process as you can. This step is covered in the next section of the WordPress Traffic Blueprint series.
This is the end of Section 3
To read more, click on the link below:
This article is part of a comprehensive series of tutorials designed to help you learn how to grow your business online with a WordPress-driven website and proven marketing methods that are easy to implement.
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