Diversify: Free Search Engine Traffic Alternatives

Free Search Engine Traffic Alternatives

So the first part of my rant against dependence on free search engine traffic is over.

But unfortunately I couldn't help myself. Since for some, free search engine traffic from Google has worked well. Too well. And too easily.

It lulled them into a sense of complacency. That let them all but ignore the other marketing options and still thrive.

Or worse, lead them to believe the free traffic good times would roll on forever.

And it might. Still would it kill you to diversity?

Savvy diversification away from free search engine traffic then, would involve a marketing mix that includes any or all of the usual suspects: directory traffic, pay per click traffic, an ezine or email announcement list, periodic press releases, a free "viral" ebook, link trades, an autoresponder course, paid ezine ads, offline marketing and then some.

I hope you're not one of those apparently allergic to paid advertising. Or who acts like they'll break out in full body hives should they ever open their wallet to shell out even a penny for marketing.

Trust me. It's sheer nonsense that you're allergic. And the hives breakout is highly doubtful.

Besides the results of paid promotions can be quite impressive. For example, I have one adwords campaign that throws off a solid 5:1 return. Every day!

So let me ask you. How long before you yelled "STOP!" if I was giving you a $50 bill for each $10 bill you slid across the table my way?

My guess? You'd hire someone to hold up your arm when it got tired. And someone else to run and get more tens just to keep that money flowing. Since you'd still come out ahead as the pile of fifties in front of you grew.

But you won't be able to get on such a cash flow treadmill without first starting to explore how adwords works. Or getting your feet wet and investing a few bucks with a starter campaign. Probably failing. Reloading and testing something else. And repeating the process until you hit on a winner.

Is it easy? Nope.

Is worth the effort? Absolutely.

Oh and if you really want your online business to succeed - you will get it. Because it pays to carefully cultivate various marketing approaches. Not just free search engine traffic. Since over time you'll become immune to Google's shenanigans. Able to shrug them off and ride them out.

So the next time disaster strikes, and Google eliminates all the "About Me" pages from their index for some unknown reason, you can sit back and relax. Secure in the knowledge you've got more than your free search engine traffic directing visitors your way.

Of course you'll never know if all you do is wait for Google to send you traffic. Which is great when it does. But sucks big time when it doesn't.