#314 – 11 Ways to Diversify Your Traffic

While SEO is still by far the best traffic source, we’ve come to accept that with Google’s upcoming search changes, we’re probably going to lose some traffic. In this week’s episode, Mark and Gael break down the best alternative traffic sources that can generate millions of clicks per month – all without Google!

1. YouTube

As the second-biggest search platform in the world, YouTube is great for building a loyal following and nurturing trust with your audience. It’s an excellent fit for ad and product sites, but affiliate sites may find traffic conversion a bit challenging because there’s not much user intent.

You can use AI tools like Gling to cut down on your editing time, but it takes a lot of work. And you’ll need to learn how to use quality video editors like Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Movavi Video Editor, or DaVinci Resolve.

For success with YouTube:

• Forget SEO. Place emphasis on enhancing user engagement.
• Improve site traffic by producing a constant flow of high-quality videos.
• Repurpose YouTube videos across other video platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

2. Facebook

Facebook’s recommendation algorithm is currently trying out AI recommendations, which means there’s increased traffic opportunities for smaller posts and pages. It’s great platform for ad and product sites, but not so much for affiliate or content sites. For success with Facebook:

• Focus on increasing user engagement and using Facebook ads to direct traffic to your site.
• Cultivate a community or group to engage with your audience and reinforce trust.

3. TikTok

TikTok’s got a massive audience and there’s potential for your content to viral. But the audience is mostly younger people, which means they have less money. And you can’t use links anywhere, except in the bio, which will be challenging for ad sites and affiliates. But its massive audience and high engagement make it an ideal space for B2C and visual niches like product or information niches.

For success with TikTok:

• Post 3-5 videos, and then promote your other channels.
• Use your existing audience as an unfair advantage to drive initial engagement on your TikTok profile, which will increase your content’s reach.

4. LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s not as stingy as other platforms when it comes to organic reach. And it’ll be great for B2B sites, agencies and product sites. For success with LinkedIn:

• Post natively, which will increase your distribution.
• Use the carousel format and blog post feature to get your message across.
• Interact and engage regularly to build your LinkedIn traffic, and use this for email list building too.

5. Instagram

You can cross-post between Facebook and Instagram, which easily increases your reach. But you can only use links in your bio and Stories. EEAT is important here if you want to be mentioned by journalists and other users on the platform. It’s not a great platform for affiliate or ad sites, but it’s definitely worth it for product sites.

6. Pinterest

Pinterest is a bit friendlier to taking traffic off sites. Every Pin can have a link, which means its great for product websites and visually-rich niches. Especially those with a female target audience, like fashion, cooking and interior design sites. But not so much for information niches. For success with Pinterest:

• Invest time in creating compelling Pins with strong visuals to drive engagement.
• Use SEO-friendly descriptions.

7. Twitter

As with most of these platforms, Twitter’s got a really strong recommendation engine, which means follow count doesn’t matter as much. And with only text and occasionally images, it’s low effort content creation. It’s great for networking, creating business partnerships, and personal brand building.

But link sharing is heavily punished. So don’t use it for driving traffic, rather use it for networking, engaging with your audience, and testing out content engagement.

For success with Twitter:

• Engage with big accounts in your industry. Say something smart, funny or interesting and people are likely to follow you.
• Create 2-4 high value tweets per week, like success stories, in-depth reviews, a list of tips, or even cool memes and jokes.
• Recycle content from other platforms.

8. Reddit

Be prepared for some direct and honest feedback and opinions on Reddit, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Rein in diversified traffic through Reddit’s wide-ranging communities. For success with Reddit:

• Stay away from excessive self-promotion and focus on creating authentic engagement.
• Engage with relevant subreddits and provide useful insights.

9. Quora and Q&A sites

Q&A sites allow you to establish yourself as an authoritative figure in your niche, and they’re particularly valuable for high-value niches like financial services or luxury products. But it’s not that scalable. For success with Q&A sites:

• Provide valuable answers on relevant topics.
• Use the platforms for “white hat parasite SEO”.

10. Email Marketing

Email marketing retains its superiority because you’ve got complete control over your content, plus direct audience reach. And email subscribers are way more valuable than followers because they’ve already expressed an interest in your product.

So it’s super valuable for product sites, but also content and affiliate sites.

For success with email marketing:

• Use pop ups and link magnets to encourage people to subscribe.
• Provide unique insights and valuable content (perhaps that you don’t share on other platforms), so people are incentivized to stay subscribed.

11. Retargeting

You’ll be targeting users who have interacted with your site or specific content before, so it’s great for promoting your products and building your email list. For success with retargeting:

• Implement conversion tracking and curate specific retargeting audiences.

Final Thoughts

Every platform has unique attributes and audiences, so select platforms that align with your niche and audience.

While SEO remains the strongest traffic source due to high user intent and volume, these alternative platforms can expand your reach and protect your site from big traffic losses from inevitable search engine changes.

Plus, using AI automation and repurposing content across platforms can save you time while increasing your brand visibility.