Most experts would probably agree that excellent search engine optimization (SEO) combined with excellent social media optimization (SMO) will offer the best opportunities for more traffic, more exposure, higher page rankings, and ultimately, more conversion into dollar signs for you.

Social sites have quickly gained speed in the Internet world, and are dominating much of the traffic.

How can you get that traffic to notice your site?

Several “rules” apply for driving traffic with social media. Here we will focus on seven of the biggest:

1. Links!

Get several social sites going, with the different services that are available. Network to various online friends and contacts, and exchange links with them. More links will increase your page ranking.

Even better are the links that are relevant to your niche or theme; irrelevant and unrelated links can only help so much. For example, if your niche is patio furniture, you might try to link to others with gardening, pool equipment, or picnic tables, but probably not aromatherapy.

2. Get your content out there.

Keep your content fresh, and current. Regularly add content to your site. Help that content travel around the Internet by submitting your articles to various directories and gain more links that way. Static sites are no longer the way to go, they go largely unnoticed by search engines these days.

3. Reward incoming links by keeping them listed on your blog so that others may click through to their site.

Think of how many times you are listed on other people’s blogs! If everyone plays nice, we can get a whole lot of links together.

4. Tagging and bookmarking.

These are increasingly important social media tools. Be sure to add the links at the bottom of your blog so that others may tag or bookmark your site for other social media sites (you’ve seen these buttons, “digg it” or “add to del.icio.us” at the end of a blog item).

5. Allow others to use your content.

It doesn’t hurt you to allow others to use your articles or video clips.

Getting your information out onto YouTube or posted on other sites will generally help you get noticed. Now, this doesn’t encourage anyone to steal content but if others use your content and give you credit or a link, then this will help you.

6. Become a resource in your niche.

Developing your site and making it a place where people would go for helpful information about your topic will increase your credibility and make you the invaluable resource.

7. Reward those who promote your site.

If you have a visitor or user that especially helps you, put a posting or a banner or some sort of extra special link that is noticeable, right on the home page of your site. You’d want someone else to do the same.

These are just a few of the top ways to use social media techniques to increase the traffic to your website.

What other strategies have you found helpful for driving traffic?

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