When you're starting a business, it can seem like the more people you have checking out your services, the better off you are. You feel the urge to cast a wide net, catching as many customers as you can. The truth is, for the best results you need to focus on getting the traffic that wants what you have, and not just a ton of people that have no interest in what you’re offering.

To build a successful business using online marketing, you need to let a lot of people know about your offerings. But you also need to bring the right people to your business. A lot of traffic is great, but qualified traffic that includes possible clients is more important. Use these tips to build your business by focusing on attracting your ideal audience who truly need and want what you’re offering.

Create better content for your site. Content does not just consist of blog posts. You can create how-to guides, industry tips, or articles to help your customers with their needs. When you create content that serves your clients’ needs, you will bring them back for more. If you are struggling with ideas for content, think about the questions your audience most often asks. You can easily create useful content with this information.

Use video. People tend to watch videos more than read text. Add videos of completed projects to your website to gain traffic. You can also add a video of yourself describing your business. Potential clients will feel a connection to you if they can see and hear you. Ask satisfied customers if they would be willing to do a video testimonial for you.

Use social media. You can have the most amazing content on your site, but it won’t help if no one sees it. Every time you add new content to your site, share it across all of your social media networks. You will be surprised at how quickly your content will be shared by others who need your information.

Use industry blogs. Whenever you read an industry blog, leave comments and show off your professional insights. Use your real name and, if possible, include links in your comment that send people back to your own site. Be sure that you only leave an intelligent and helpful comment. Seek to add value to any discussion. Leaving a “fluffy” comment can hurt you if potential clients think you don’t have anything of value to say in a conversation. Or even worse, they may view it as spam.

Use keywords. Pick one or two keywords for each article and naturally include them in the content of the article. Make sure you also include one in the title and in the meta tags. However, you don’t want your article to be full of keywords unless they fit into the information naturally and truly add value to the article. No one wants to read content that is nothing but word salad.