The book market is a crowded place with thousands of new books released into the market every day. This can make it challenging for new or lesser known authors to get discovered by potential readers. The key to getting found online is to make it as easy as possible for the search engines to find you and recommend your content. The stronger and more optimized your online presence is on places like Google, the more you and your website will show up in search results in internet searches when potential readers type in related keywords or phrases.
It's important to remember that high website traffic numbers don’t automatically result in increased book sales. If you don’t have a solid strategy in place, a large percentage of visitors may not be your target reader. We recommend focusing on growing your traffic organically rather than through paid promotions, by attracting visitors that align most with your book’s genre and messaging.
So, how do you elevate your online presence and attract more traffic naturally? By following these steps:
The worst thing you can do is send masses of potential readers to a website that is poorly designed, doesn’t function well, or lacks a call to action. You typically have one chance to make a good impression, and a frustrating or confusing website will leave a bad one. Before you pursue any efforts to drive more traffic to your website, it’s important to look at it objectively and ask yourself these questions:
Does it contain all essential elements? – Your author website is your central “hub” and should contain any and all information that a potential reader, agent, publisher, or media outlet might want to know about you. At a minimum, you should include an About the Author, book pages with covers, descriptions and where to purchase; social media links, review snippets or testimonials, and your contact information. Some additional elements that will enhance your website even more are a newsletter sign-up, upcoming events and appearances, a media kit, a blog, and free resources.
Does it look professional? – These days, you don’t have to hire a professional website designer to create a quality website. There are many free and cost-effective platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace that make it easy for anyone to build an attractive website.
Does it reflect my branding or genre? – The type of book or books you write will greatly influence the fonts, colors, and design elements used to enhance your website. A paranormal romance author’s website may be dark and moody with script fonts, while a self-help author’s website may use calming colors and san-serif fonts. It’s important potential readers know what type of content they are getting when they visit your website.
Does it function correctly? – You will want to make sure all links are working as they should, both to internal pages and external pages. You will also want to check that all images and/or videos are loading properly.
Is it fully updated? – It’s important your website information is completely up-to-date. This includes your contact information, About the Author, cover images, social media handles, and more.
Does it include a clear call to action? – A call to action is a prompt on a website that tells the visitor what specific action they should take. Should they sign up for your newsletter? Should they go to Amazon to buy your book, or, should they purchase it within your site? Is there a free downloadable? Make it clear what you want visitors to do once there.
In addition to ensuring your website is informative, attractive, and functional, there are steps you can take “behind the scenes” to improve search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the technology and measurements that determine how all web pages rank in search engine results. For example, when someone uses Google to search for a topic or phrase, the search engine uses a complex algorithm to determine which pages to show the user, and in which order. No one knows exactly what factors drive the algorithms, but page relevancy and popularity definitely contribute, as can geographical location.
To make your website more discoverable by search engines and ultimately by potential readers, you should consider the following:
• A domain name/URL that is relevant to you or your book, easy to remember, and does not include dashes or numbers.
• Write a good “snippet” or meta description that describes your website’s content. This is the short description that shows up in search results and helps users determine if they want to click on your website.
• Integrate relevant keywords and phrases throughout all content – these are the search terms and phrases you believe potential readers will use when searching for your type of book or content.
• Add links to move readers within your website from page to page.
• Add external links to send readers to relevant websites or pages outside of yours.
• Integrate images with keyword-rich alt-text. This is the short description that explains the relationship between the image and associated content. You can also include illustrated concepts, data, and charts relevant to your work.
• Add a weekly or monthly blog article with keyword-rich headlines and content.
• Include relevant video content such as interviews, book trailers, speaking appearances, launch events, and more.
• Add free resources such as a free downloadable sample, guide, template, short piece of writing, and more. You can use these lead magnets to draw potential readers to your website.
By following the above recommendations, you will increase the organic traffic to your website over time. There are also additional steps you can take as an author to actively drive potential readers to your website. If you want people to know you have a website, you just have to tell them!
• Include your website’s URL address on/in:
– All marketing materials– Your book’s back matter– Your email signature– All social media profiles and in posts– Your Amazon Author Page and About the Author– Your Goodreads Author Profile
• Gain more exposure for yourself and your work through:
– Guest blogging/articles– Short work published in anthologies, journals, and magazines– Media interviews– Speaking engagements– Book signings and other in-person events such as festivals and conventions– Independent reviews from bloggers or professional review outlets– Email marketing and communications– Cross-promoting with other authors– Entering book contests and obtaining awards– Joining online communities and forums– Paid advertising
You will want to include a link to your website in any bylines, About the Author descriptions, sell sheets, media kits, reader email communications, and any advertising where your goal is to increase your website traffic. Most website service providers offer traffic analytics to determine which efforts have been most effective.
How quickly you are able to increase traffic to your website will depend on the quality and type of content contained within, so don’t underestimate the importance of offering value to everyone that visits your website. It’s not just a promotional tool; it’s an opportunity to communicate your messages, connect more deeply with potential readers, and build your author platform long-term.
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