Google - It's Just a Search Engine Get Over It

Ahhh sacrilege! There are people making a full time living telling you differently. If you don't appease the god Google by getting a high search engine ranking your business is doomed! There are forums that so fear the myth of burning in the hell of duplicate content that the owners will not allow helpful articles to be shared that would help what really keeps forums alive, its readers and contributors.

But Won't The Internet Crash Without Google?!

Google wishes. The fact is I'm now getting better search engine results from other search engines such as Bing. Google seems to be so concerned about keeping websites out of it's search engine it's missing out on wonderful content found in search engines more concerned with providing good content.

So How Do I Get Traffic Without Depending on Google?

You can still use Google, just use it as a tool like any other tool to drive traffic to your website. NEVER, however depend on one source for traffic or for income. Furthermore Google may or may not get you your first visit from a prospective buyer, but Google nor any other search engine will get that prospect to buy from you a second time or at least visit your website a second time. That's done by providing good content to create stickiness and building relationships.

You want to get targeted traffic? Go where your clientèle or prospective customers are found.

Nowadays this includes

Facebook groups

Youtube comments

Twitter

Google Communities

Forums which discuss your niche

It's About People Not Search Engines

When's the last time a search engine ever bought anything off of you? If you're old enough to remember the yellow pages before everyone looked up phone numbers with search engines, the people near the top of the yellow pages got the most calls, but what kept the business thriving was repeat business and word of mouth advertising.

People remain people regardless of the media. Word of mouth advertising, via social media, texting, offline resources and email will continue to make or break businesses. So it's just a search engine. Get over it.

Rick Kirkham

It sounds like someone just saw their rankings plummet... lol.

I understand your sentiment. At the same time, as stupid as it would be to rely on one form of traffic, it would be equally as stupid to ignore Google if people are searching for my line of business there.

If you're old enough to remember the yellow pages before everyone looked up phone numbers with search engines, the people near the top of the yellow pages got the most calls, but what kept the business thriving was repeat business and word of mouth advertising.

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Much of that repeat business and word of mouth advertising came from being at the top of the listings though. For most of those businesses, it never would have happened otherwise.

The fact is I'm now getting better search engine results from other search engines such as Bing.

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You are the exception, not the rule. Honestly, from your tone in this message, I would guess you are so biased against Google that you would make that comment regardless of what the search results look like.

So yes, it would be foolish to rely on one source of traffic, but equally foolish to let your bias cause you to ignore a potentially huge profit source.

Hometutor said:

There are forums that so fear the myth of burning in the hell of duplicate content that the owners will not allow helpful articles to be shared that would help what really keeps forums alive, its readers and contributors.

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Yes, duplicate content is a myth.

BUT...

If people were just posting links to articles on the forum then there would be no need for the forum really, why wouldn't the people just go straight to the source? People come to forums to learn about other member's experiences, they want advise in a discussion form whereby they can get an answer to their problem right away.

A lot of people also come to forums to avoid misinformation, or simply to get different views for a subject. So you might be sending people to an article they already know but want to know what other people think, that's why it's called a forum. I really don't see the purpose of creating a discussion board for people to post external resources, people could just go straight there and cut the middle man.

For me, if you're just sharing someone else's resources then you ain't contributing squat!

Hometutor said:

But Won't The Internet Crash Without Google?!


Google wishes. The fact is I'm now getting better search engine results from other search engines such as Bing. Google seems to be so concerned about keeping websites out of it's search engine it's missing out on wonderful content found in search engines more concerned with providing good content.

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Is the post you created directed specifically to anyone, I really don't get the point of this rant.

Anyway, the advantages of optimizing your site for Google is that you will get traffic from other search engines without even trying, and Google has the most amount of traffic. So optimizing for Google is always a win-win situation unlike optimizing for other search engines and getting no traffic from the giant.

Can you tell me what your rant is all about and who is it for?

I reckon Hometutor has made a great point with stating:

Hometutor said:

NEVER, however depend on one source for traffic or for income.

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Indeed there are many sources of traffic and diversifying in my opinion is great advice... There are tons of traffic sources from social networking platforms, web 2.0's, social groups as well as using ads on many platforms/sites which relates to your niche...

In fact I have a number of ever-green campaigns that I want to keep out of search engines or don't care less about the SERPs - which is a massive paradigm shift for many whom only focus on search traffic... Such examples include optin landing pages and using ads or social networking to build an email list...

Personally I really don't give a sh** about G - and learning how to diversify your online business is probably one of the best advice I could give to new comers to IM...

I really don't see the OP's post as a rant - more with seeing the light and the realization that there are so many ways to make it online without having to depend on a single source...

In the end the real problem to solve is knowing where your target audience hangs out and how to leverage that to your advantage ;-)

I think the biggest issue, is when people get way too caught up in doing everything the way Google want it.

Mobile responsive
SSL
Page Speed
Server Location

This being just a few examples of things that really don't make much difference in the grand scheme of things, but I have see countless people frantically trying to get their site 'just right', for Google.

Bottom line: Have a good website, with good content, and is user friendly. As others have said, diversify your traffic, and see what happens!

Nytshade said:

Yes, duplicate content is a myth.

Can you tell me what your rant is all about and who is it for?

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My primary concerns are people who depend on a single resource for traffic, this could be Facebook, LinkedIn or any other single resource. Even a mailing list which you are not allowed to backup.

My other concern is people being so afraid of Google duplicate content that they do not take care of their own clientele. For example, my own forum once had about 450,000 members, most of whom were inactive so I wrote an autoit script to delete them through the gui. While I had all these members I was considering an AdWords campaign. They looked at my site and told me to get rid of my rss feeds. I replied back and stated sorry, I didn't make this forum for a search engine. I made it for my 450,000 members who read the feeds. A few days later I received an email from Google stating my site had been cleared for Adwords.

If I had bowed to Google, I would have been doing a disservice to my members, despite that the fact that the information had a link going to the source. Because I provided such a link I made it easier for members to find information. By clicking reply, they would be able to give other advice and opinions.

A link in an article does not stop a conversation. It gives credit to the hard working author who took his/her time to share the information while the forum provides a venue to discuss the article and convey even more ideas and opinions.

SEOPub said:

It sounds like someone just saw their rankings plummet... lol.

I understand your sentiment. At the same time, as stupid as it would be to rely on one form of traffic, it would be equally as stupid to ignore Google if people are searching for my line of business there.



Much of that repeat business and word of mouth advertising came from being at the top of the listings though. For most of those businesses, it never would have happened otherwise.



You are the exception, not the rule. Honestly, from your tone in this message, I would guess you are so biased against Google that you would make that comment regardless of what the search results look like.

So yes, it would be foolish to rely on one source of traffic, but equally foolish to let your bias cause you to ignore a potentially huge profit source.

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My rankings fine I just don't pay a lot of attention to it. As I mentioned use Google as A tool not THE tool. If I want traffic for a new article or product I post to Facebook groups, Google Communities and Twitter. Since my site is smf I have built in email announcements I can send as well.

Rick

Hometutor said:

It's About People Not Search Engines

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While I completely agree with that statement...

Hometutor said:

When's the last time a search engine ever bought anything off of you?

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I have to say; you could say the same about the yellow pages as well. "When's
the last time the yellow pages ever bought anything off of you?" True? It's not
about Google (the SE) buying anything from you, it's about [it] providing a link
to other humans to allow THEM to purchase something from you.

Now, I do admit, I completely agree with the theory behind your post. All too
often I get design customers who are so concerned with "duplicate content"
or making their site "Google Friendly" that they do not give enough attention
to making sure other search engines pick them up and it concerns me because
they try placing all their eggs in one basket, so to speak, and that is NEVER a
good thing.

As a true marketer, one should focus more on providing quality content and less
about designing FOR any specific search engine. If the content is quality enough,
the chips will fall just where they need to be.

I'm with the OP 100% in his view. I feel as though you should treat organic traffic as a bonus and nothing else. Never put all your eggs in one basket. You shouldn't build your site for search engines but for people. You should build traffic through real promotion and networking. You should seek to attain traffic through advertising and marketing. If Google or any other search engine sends traffic your way then its a bonus but not the be all and end all just a bonus but your other main sources of traffic rely on sources where there is much less chance of it stopping suddenly because a massive drop in SERP positioning or some Search Engine penalty.

In a perfect world all new webmasters wouldn't even think about or care for or work towards good SERP positions and trying to appease the Google god they would just build their sites and create their content for people to find useful and enjoy not just to get a visit and then click out on one of your ads. But its a truth that most webmasters, IM's, AM's, do only make sites this way for this reason.

Search engine traffic is the most highly converting type of traffic you can ever get, so I don't know how you would make that into bonus traffic or not care about it. I always make sure that SEO traffic is number #1 for my blogs then the rest follows.

Just like I said above, I don't see any reason for optimizing for other search engines, it's really a useless thing to do. I've never optimized for any other search engine but I get traffic from Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Aol, Baidu, MyWay, IX Quick, WOW.com and a whole lot of other search engines I don't even know. That's on a daily bases.

So optimizing for Google is a win-win even if you don't make it on Google you might end up ranking on other search engines without even trying. You guys don't want that? That's automatic diversification D:

Search engines are always my number traffic source, that is why one of my popular blogs generates email subscribers daily, this is why I can get over 70 products shipped/sold via amazon affiliate program every month. Don't get me wrong, my social media marketing (especially FB & G+) is very strong, including other sources like reddit and forums related to my niche, most of which I didn't join but they bring me traffic.

It is good that you guys are preaching diversify, but people don't just diversify, that is why you see people getting sleepless nights and having multiple traffic sources but not getting the results they want because they're all over the place. There is a right time to diversify so when you preach it also include a caution.

And don't miss out on search engine traffic guys it's the most high converting traffic you can ever get simply because the person is searching for it.

Hope I'm making sense, just be clear, I never said people must not diversify, just trying to show you guys that optimizing for Google has lots of advantages and that diversifying can also be a road to failure, especially for beginners.

Hometutor said:

Compared to what? Unless you're selling directly from someone coming directly from a search engine I cannot agree.

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directly from someone coming from?? What?

Where are you from guy? Your English is really hard to understand D:

Hometutor said:

You mentioned email list. Are you stating search engine traffic is used to build your email list which then makes your sales

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Yes, I have an optin form below each blog post.

Hometutor said:

...or are you stating people come from the search engine and buy from you?

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Yes again.

Some of my blog posts are product reviews so people buy affiliate products I promote, my products and I also have services. For instance I have a blog post which has top 10 books I recommend for people in my niche and the 11th book is my book, some people buy it directly from the blog post coming from search engines while searching for books related to mine.

Hope I answered your question