Every time I take a peek into the Web analytics accounts for a blog or especially an online store I see something I consider to be VERY frightening! The percentage of traffic and sales being derived from traffic from only one source is frequently 50-70+%!
Can you imagine what would happen to your blog or business if your traffic and sales suddenly dropped by 50-70%!
Don’t think it can happen? It does all the time. The most famous blogger Darren Rowse of ProBlogger and TwiTip wrote an excellent post about his own experience of losing two-thirds of his traffic and income. He has covered this subject several times:
- What Should You Do If Your Google Ranking Falls and You Lose All Your Traffic? (Nov. 29 2006)
- What To Do When Your Google Traffic Disappears (Nov 15, 2005)
- Google’s Christmas Present – OUCH! (Dec 20, 2004)
- Google’s Update Chaos Continues (Dec 28, 2004)
Do you notice anything about the dates of these posts? Remember in the post just prior to this that I mentioned pay per click bid prices having artificially high minimums? Those coincide with organic listings swinging wildly but mostly dropping. (Some have to go up for others to go down.)
If your business normally sees a major increase in sales – or even makes the majority of sales – during the holiday shopping season what would YOU do if your traffic dropped in the middle of the optimum sales period because your organic listings suddenly dropped or completely disappeared from the first page of the SERPS?
How long have I been warning about the dangers of having all your traffic and sales coming from the same source? Have you done anything about it yet?
Still not convinced? There are others who have recognized how dangerous this is. The featured home page discussion at WebmasterWorld (Mar 27, 2009) is about Making Your Business SE (Search Engine) Proof. I know you may be busy blogging or running your online store so you may not see all the uproar whenever there is a new Google Dance.
These issues are not new as this excerpt from Gazumped by Google Florida Update from Nov 25, 2003 indicates (note that the date of this post also coincides with the holiday shopping season):
“Thousands of web pages have been suddenly demoted in the Google search results, primarily on the main commercial search terms for which they targeted their pages to be replaced by other sites who, in the main, referred to the search term obliquely. Several were the main shopping portals or business directories which gave listings for companies who may provide the services requested, many were not. “
Techcrunch has even suggested What An AntiTrust Case Against Google Might Look Like. For several days now I have been searching for specific posts, forums, or pages to illustrate the current state of online sales. I wanted to provide more real life examples from etailers.
With the enormous number of online stores that would seem to be easy to research. Have no Internet retailers asked for input since 2007 when their sales dropped? Do they not visit forums any more or ask around among their peers? Perhaps that information is not as easily located if the discussions take place on Twitter or other Social Networks or maybe it is not easily found in the indexes?
Whatever the cause I have decided to publish this post as is and hope that those involved in ecommerce will share their stories and experiences in the comments here.
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LATEST ON GOOGLE SEARCH ALGORITHM:
- Important New Insights with graph and details from Randfish at SEOmoz – How Google’s Ranking Algorithm Has Changed Over Time (Apr 9, 2009)
- SEOBook: Big Brands: Google Brand Promotion: New Search Engine Rankings Place Heavy Emphasis on Branding (Feb 25, 2009) – even though this post is older I have placed it second because it contains so much important detail on how Google has changed and how those changes affect small businesses and blogs.
- SEMReportCard: Breaking News: Google Algorithm Update Places BRANDS at Top of Results for Geo-Targeted Searches (Feb 27, 2009)
- Why Google’s Ranking Factors Have Changed Over Time (Apr 9, 2009)
ONLINE RETAILERS REPORTING TRAFFIC DECLINES:
GOOGLE DANCES:
- Niche Marketing: Page Rank and Doing the Google Dance (Mar 29, 2009)
- What is the Google Dance (Mar 5, 2009)
- What Happened to My Google Ranking: Explaining the Google Dance – easy version (2004)
- Google Dance Syndrome Strikes Again (Dec 1, 2003)
- WebmasterWorld Forum – Google Rankings Fluctuating Wildly (Aug 2003)
- Coping with GDS: Google Dance Syndrome (Jun 3, 2003)
DEALING WITH DROPPING SEARCH TRAFFIC:
- AimClear – Attainable SEO: Page Strength Versus SERPs Difficulty (Mar 6, 2009)
- AimClear – Universal Search: Optimizing for Blended SERPS (Dec 10, 2008)
- Search Engine Land – How to (Kind of) Buy a #1 Organic Search Ranking on Google (Nov 8, 2007)
- SEOmoz: 90% of the Ratings Factor Lies in These Four Factors (Sep 26,2007)
- Search Engine Guide – The Risk of Over-Reliance on Google (Oct 31, 2006)
- Search Engine Guide – Saving Your Business From Algorithm Shift Part 2 Paid Search Advertising (Jul 18, 2005) – Be sure to read our post on the Dangers of PPC Advertising
- Search Engine Guide – Saving Your Business From Algorithm Shift Part 1; Using Press Releases (Jul 14, 2005)
- Search Engine Guide – Search Engine Algorithm Quandaries (Jul 1, 2005)
- Search Engine Guide – How to Weather Google Algorithm Changes (Jun 22, 2005)
ECOMMERCE PREDICTIONS:
- Bloomberg citing Forrester Research: U.S. Online Sales Grew 11% in First Quarter (Apr 8, 2009)
- Despite Economic Downturn, Outlook for eCommerce in 2009 Still Bright (Mar 10, 2009)
- Online Retail Could Reach $156B in 2009 (Jan 29, 2009)
The above predictions are far different than the results of the Merchant Circle Small Business Economic Stimulus Survey (Feb 25, 2009). The answers to this question are of particular concern:
Month over month, how would you say sales and revenue for your local business have changed?
Severe Decline 31.5% (3,411)
Moderate Decline 41.6% (4,509)
No Change 13.6% (1,471)
Moderate increase 12.3% (1,331)
Strong Increase 1.6% (178)
Total survey respondents who answered that their sales and revenue had declined: 73.1%
Survey participants who answered this question 10,830
Number who skipped this question 49Total respondents 10,879
NOTE: The question specifically asks about LOCAL business. We have no way of knowing how many of those local businesses are brick and mortar, have ecommerce stores, or operate exclusively online.
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More Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
- Tired of focusing on SEO or just want some great new ideas to work on? Check out the 115 Marketing Strategies for Small Business from the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur Blog.
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Well, First of all, thank you for posting all these resources and links on the post. It is quite overwhelming for me since I just started the blog idea. I agree that organic searches using search engines is a must but I also agree that we should not count on just one form or source just like the post indicates. Nice post with many links.
Jacky’s last blog post..WWE DVD Archive
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Jack, If you think it is overwhelming now wait until you get an idea of all the additional factors bloggers can use to improve their results.
I hope you subscribe and become a regular reader. Do feel free to ask questions you have now in any post. It is much faster than trying to figure out where the answers are on your own. I can either point you to a post, write a new post to answer (since others will also have the same question), or answer in the comments.
Internet Strategist’s last blog post..WordPress 2.7 Threaded Comments Works In Thesis
Twitter: @multimastery
Thanks for the details much-needed info. Webmasters definitely shouldn’t only rely on just one method of traffic. Seo is just one way, there are others ways to build traffic as well like social marketing and other forms or viral marketing strategies.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello Multi,
I just found a great new search engine that I really hope will catch on and give Google some real competition. Check it out at http://DuckDuckGo.com. I’ve added it as another option to the existing FireFox search box. Their results have been far better than Google’s.
Internet Strategist’s last blog post..How to Create a Successful Blog Based Business Part 1
Twitter: @marketraise
As compared to PPC,natural SEO will prove more cost effective , and so generally would be the first choice for any business.
Natural listings results in a far greater exposure across all search engines than pay per click, (unless and until you PPC campaigns, which can expensive) to increase the targeted traffic to your website.
Twitter: @GrowMap
When ppc was more honest I recommended that every business do both. There is one advantage that ppc had over organic search: you can land specific keyword phrases on the very best most relevant and most likely to convert page. Organic does not do that nearly as well. Unfortunately Google’s ever-expanding broad match has damaged the usefulness of ppc in that area.
The warning I am sounding that few seem to be getting is that having too much traffic coming from one source is extremely hazardous to your continued success. Google ppc and Google organic may or may not be two sources.
Businesses MUST start diversifying. NO, your efforts will NOT bring as much instant traffic or sales as search or ppc. YES, it will take a long time to get enough incoming links and listings from thousands of sites to make a serious difference. That is why they need to do it NOW while they have that time – not later when Google may pull the rug out from under their business!
Internet Strategist’s last blog post..We Miss The Golden Days of the Internet – Pay Per Click Advertising Circa 2003
I agree with you. I heard from someone they say I shouldn’t rely on only one. I should make two or more because if something drop I still have another.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Welcome Sama,
The bad news is it takes a whole lot of work to get enough traffic from enough other sources to replace search engines. I am feeling better about the Google monopoly issue though because I found a great search engine at http://DuckDuckGo.com – Check it out!
Internet Strategist’s last blog post..Be Pro-Active and Take Calculated Risks
Twitter: @saurabhsnv
I truly believe in organic searches as people do go for the organic results and as far as search engine concerns it is important to have a trust on the organic searches……
Twitter: @GrowMap
We all need search and rely on organic search results; I encourage anyone reading this to use alternate search engines, and especially independent third party SEs like DuckDuckGo and Zuula.
Monopolies like Google have far too much power over those who depend upon them and only the individual Internet user can change this.
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Select Keywords First to Make Your Content Easy to Find
It is an overwhelming amount of information, but I don’t think the idea is new. Essentially you are stating what has always been the model in traditional businesses. For example there are a few businesses that were 70-90% dependent on walmart and walmart would squeeze and squeeze until there was nothing left to squeeze and these businesses would be gone overnight when Walmart would pull the plug.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello Pina,
Not all business practices are ethical. We would all be better off if this type or practice was widely condemned and can each make a difference by using alternatives and voting with our dollars. If the general public really considered who suffers when they buy at Wal-Mart perhaps they would make choices that improve the world.
Shopping locally, supporting our local businesses, adding reviews (both positive and negative) to Local Search Directories and other sites – all of these improve our local communities and that in turn improves our lives and economies.
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Add Your Free Business Listing to infoUSA
Twitter: @tinababyk
But i don’t support this idea of replying more on other sources for traffic other than the organic one. Other sources are important but they can’t draw much traffic to your website until you got a website similar to Tech crunch or Mashable.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello Tina,
I totally agree that it is sooo much easier to rely on Google to send you most of your traffic and it is a HUGE challenge to generate a large amount of converting traffic from any other source. That does not mean it is not a very important thing to do!
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Instantly Acquire 76 High Quality Incoming Links
A lot of stuff in this post, great job. I don’t like relying on organic search listings, but what can we do if google already owns 90% of the “internet” ?
Everybody knows a bit about Google “bad” intentions and maybe you’ve even heard of some cases in which Google “helped” some websites out there. Not to mention their problems with affiliate marketers. But in fact we are dependent of Google in some big ways.
I don’t like that, but I must admit it. And the organic results they are showing in their listings so far are the best relevancy. So … stick with it.
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hello Affiliate Marketing,
As I just replied to Tina there is no one easy thing to do that generates even a fraction of the traffic Google does. That is why we have to focus on every other traffic source we can find, get active in Social Networking, and – and I am very guilty of falling down on this one – capture your visitors in your own private list!
I am researching the best processes for doing that and will post them soon. For those who want to get started now AWeber is the best choice I know of because they have the resources to keep email sent through them deliverable.
As for best relevancy I much prefer the results I get using the DuckDuckGo search engine to Google’s any day. I have it and Zuula in my Firefox search engine list. I use the Zuula blog search because it sorts by both recency and relevancy and pulls results from various sources.
If only I could get Zuula to add DuckDuckGo I’d have my best search engine solution!
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Social Networking is NOT Chat
Twitter: @BaliVilla
its true.you must get into all sort of things to marketing your product online. relying on organic search only will bring chaos if search engine changes it’s code…
Twitter: @GrowMap
Search engines have made it far too easy to get most of your traffic from ppc or organic listings – and it is very challenging to get traffic from other methods. It is essential that we all do that and also that we stop using Google for everything.
For search engines I recommend DuckDuckGo and Zuula/”> Zuula – I love Zuula’s blog search because it sorts results by relevancy AND recency.
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..Today Dec 1, 2009 is the FTC Disclosure Deadline
Hi,
Web marketing these days is not just optimizing your site for organic search but much more than that.
You have social media optimization and paid search which I think will carry more weight age in the near future.
Ricky@ Retail India´s last blog ..Retail Industry in India
Twitter: @GrowMap
Hi Ricky,
Be very careful of paid search. Read The Golden Days of PPC for what to watch out for and How to Evaluate Your AdWords account to make sure your settings favor your and your clients’ and not Google’s pocketbook.
The big challenge it that traffic from most sources including Social Networking converts more like content than search. If any Social Media site would get a clue they could create their own Golden Goose as I explained in my post on monetizing Social Networking.
Internet Strategist @GrowMap´s last blog ..How to Optimize Your PPC Advertising to Benefit YOU
How often do you change what is on your blog ? And how do you know what the people are looking for. I want something different and not the same thing everyone else is offering.
I rely almost soley on organice listings but I also do some form of social marketing and viral video marketing as well.
This post is really an eye opener for me. For quite awhile now, I’ve really been relying on search engine traffic to fuel my business. It’s really tough to ask this, but what else should I be doing? How can I get that extra traffic to my sites, without relying on the SE’s? A little help would be great, thanks!
Brett@Government Grants´s last blog ..Moms: Use A Grant To Go Back To College
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