Definición:
Direct traffic, in digital marketing terms, refers to those visitors who arrive at a website by entering the URL directly into their browser's address bar or through a saved bookmark. In short, the traffic source that encompasses those users who visit a website without clicking on a link elsewhere, such as in a search engine, a social network or an email.
Analyzing and understanding the source of direct traffic can offer valuable data on brand awareness and visitor engagement.
The measurement of direct traffic is done through web analysis tools such as Google Analytics. This type of traffic is categorized independently of other traffic sources, such as organic search, referral, social media, email, among others.
It is important to note that, sometimes, direct traffic can be a container for traffic whose origin cannot be identified by the web analysis tool. This may include visits from sources that do not transmit referral data, such as certain mobile application links.
Direct traffic can have several benefits for a website:
Despite its benefits, direct traffic also presents some challenges: