Drive Organic Traffic to Your Website without Google

Why Not Just Stick with Google?

Before we dive in, let’s answer the question you’re probably asking—why not just keep using Google?

Well, you can. In fact, you should. Optimizing your website and implementing SEO for organic Google traffic is a good thing.

The old adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is pertinent in this situation. Google is great, but ultimately, it’s one entity. Things can happen, rules can switch, algorithms can change, and servers can go down.  And any one of those situations can negatively affect the traffic flowing through Google to your site.

Does catastrophe strike Google very often? No. But it’s never a bad idea to diversify your efforts. Explore how you can attract organic traffic to your local business’s website without the benefit of Google.

Make Use of Your Email List

Hopefully, you already have a curated email list. (If not, read this.) Sharing valuable content with your mailing list is a great way to drive direct traffic to your website.

You can do this in a number of ways. Sharing a new blog post or a recent article you published is perhaps the easiest, since the content is already created. But if you’re not actively writing content for other channels, you can create some specifically for your mailing list.

Just remember to share helpful, interesting content with your audience. And don’t forget to include a call to action. Your email should pique the reader’s interest and persuade them to further engage with your brand.

Build a YouTube Presence

As we all know, Google owns YouTube.  So using YouTube to attract site visitors is the same as using Google, right? Actually no, the two don’t work in the same way when it comes to driving organic traffic.

Creating helpful, engaging video content can expose your brand to a whole segment of buyers that you weren’t accessing before. And those new potential customers can get to your website directly from the YouTube video they’re viewing.



Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a professional vlogger or a YouTube influencer to have success on the platform. Some of the most popular and highly viewed videos on YouTube are simple clips of everyday people sharing wholesome content.  

Engage in Discussions on High Traffic Sites

No one knows your brand better than you do. Sharing your knowledge in a public forum is a proven way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract potential customers to your brand.

Add comments on Instagram, join in discussions on Facebook, or offer advice on a popular industry-specific website. When it’s appropriate, include a clean link to your business’s website in your comments. When linking isn’t appropriate, just be sure your profile on the platform in question is up-to-date and includes your site’s URL.



While taking part in discussions on popular websites and social platforms, be sure your comments are always relevant and helpful. Excessive commenting, off-topic information, or blatant self-promotion are all quick ways to get yourself kicked out of many popular websites and forums.

Conclusion

Google’s not going anywhere. And using Google to drive organic traffic to your website is not likely to go out of style anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you can’t employ other tactics to attract visitors, alongside your Google efforts.



Remember, just one or two other sources of organic visitors could increase your local business’s growth exponentially.