Quick and Easy Ways to Increase Referral Traffic (Examples Included)

Google is still the 800 pound gorilla in terms of generating clicks for your website. It would be a mistake to ignore referral traffic that comes from other sources, such as directories, social networks, and other websites.

This is particularly true, as younger audiences are increasingly searching for businesses via social media. Referral traffic has also increased from 3 to 10% for average websites in 2022.

This guide will help you learn about the most common sources of referral traffic and how they can grow your business. It also explains what you can to do get more clicks outside of search engine results.

Table of Contents

What is referral traffic?

Referral traffic is traffic that comes from a website other than yours. The website that you land on will count your visit if you click the link in the introduction to this guide.

Search and direct traffic are the two other most common sources of website traffic. Search traffic is generated by visitors who click on results. Direct traffic comes from visitors who go directly to your site, such as if they enter your URL in their browser.

Referral traffic can be categorized into:

Do you need more website traffic? These 25 methods to increase traffic on your website can help you get more buyers!

Referral traffic is beneficial.

Attracting more referral traffic to your business is a crucial step if you want it to grow. Here are three good reasons.

More leads are generated.

Increasing referral traffic is a simple way to increase the number of customers visiting your site.

It’s not only more people who come through your virtual front door. People who clicked on a link to find you. If the link they clicked was relevant to your site, then those visitors are more likely to want to know about and possibly purchase what you have to offer.

Search engines can help you get more traffic

Search engines will trust your website if it has links from high-quality sites.

As shown in the graph below, backlinks still play a significant role in search engine rankings.

You’ll appear on more search engine result pages as your backlink profile grows and you will generate more traffic.

Google is not the only source of information.

Google is an excellent source of traffic. But relying too much on a single source is dangerous–especially as Google’s constant updates can greatly affect your traffic overnight.

Headlines such as this one, from Search Engine Journal , show why it is important to diversify the sources of traffic for your website.

Diversifying your referral traffic sources gives you more control over your website’s success. You can compensate for a drop in traffic from one source (such as search) by increasing it through another source, such as directories.

Referral traffic: 5 ways to increase it

It is therefore important to generate more referral traffic. How can we get more? Let’s get started.

1. Register in online directories

Online directories work like phonebooks in the digital age. Websites like Angi , Better Business Bureau and Yelp are used by people to locate the businesses and services they require.

One of the most popular online business directories is Yelp. But there are many others that can help you increase your online presence.

You want to be listed in as many directories possible. You also want to ensure that your is up-to-date so people don’t get frustrated when trying to contact you. You can optimize listings by adding images, service descriptions and customer reviews.

Unsure if your directories are up to scratch? Use our free listings grader to check your listing details across 20+ leading online directories.

2. Submit guest posts

Guest Posts can be a great tool to increase referral traffic. It is a good idea to contact websites looking for content and offer them a post as recompense for their backlinks.

You should focus your Guest Posting efforts in sites related to your business. This will ensure that your content is seen by a targeted audience, resulting in high-quality referral traffic. You can increase your website traffic by setting up a schedule for guest posting.

3. Press releases

Press Releases can be a great way to generate new traffic by referring URLs. You can use a press release to announce an upcoming event or milestones such as executive changes, earnings announcements, acquisitions and product launches.


Press releases are a great way to promote new products and events, while also generating valuable traffic referrals from publications who pick them up.

If you pay for a release, it is possible to write anything you want and pretend that it’s important. Some companies send out a press release whenever they receive a new customer.

4. Social media is a great way to get involved

Social Media Sites also have a natural ability to bring in referral traffic. There are also several options that will fit your audience and brand.

Facebook is great for older audiences and organizing events. TikTok is geared towards a younger audience and allows you to show off your video skills. and LinkedIn are also great options if you’re targeting a more professional audience.

No matter which social media platforms you choose, make sure your posts have a clear Call to action that directs people to your site. This is how to drive traffic from social media apps.


You can add CTA buttons, links or text to the caption depending on the platform.

5. Create link-worthy content

You need to use the right bait if you want to increase traffic from other websites and catch links. We’re referring to content that other sites want to link to.

Writers and marketers link to the following types of content:

Share your backlink magnet with thought leaders and publications in your industry to get them to link back your website.

Easy referral traffic

Referral traffic can be a great source for new customers. Referrals are becoming more important as search engines become more sophisticated and people increasingly search on social media platforms.

Remember these 5 quick and easy methods to increase referral traffic.

  1. Register in online directories
  2. Submit guest posts
  3. Press releases
  4. Social media is a great way to get involved
  5. Create link-worthy content

The post Quick & Easy Ways To Get More Referral Traffic (Examples Included) first appeared on WordStream.

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