Earned Traffic

Why Earned Traffic Matters

Understanding and leveraging earned traffic is crucial because it helps you:

• Build sustainable, long-term growth
• Establish credibility and trust with your audience
• Reduce dependence on paid advertising
• Improve your overall return on investment (ROI)
• Create a loyal community around your brand

👆 Fun fact: Studies show that 92% of consumers trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising!

Sources of Earned Traffic

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 🔍: Organic search results from Google, Bing, etc., driven by high-quality, relevant content and good technical SEO.
• Social Media Shares 📲: When people share your content organically on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This should not be confused with paid social media advertising.
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing 🗣️: Recommendations from satisfied customers or industry influencers. Often the most valuable form of earned traffic.
• PR and Media Mentions 📰: When journalists or bloggers mention your brand in news articles, blog posts, or other media outlets. It can lead to significant traffic spikes and improved brand recognition.
• User-Generated Content 👥: Reviews, testimonials, or content created by your users about your brand. Builds trust and encourages others to check out your offerings.
• Referral Traffic 🔗: When other websites link to your content, indicating its value.

How to Boost Your Earned Traffic

Strategies to increase earned traffic:

• Create High-Quality Content: Consistently produce valuable, shareable content.
• Optimize for SEO: Ensure your website and content are search-engine friendly.
• Engage on Social Media: Build a community around your brand.
• Encourage User Reviews: Make it easy for satisfied customers to share their experiences.
• Build Relationships: Network with influencers and journalists in your industry.
• Provide Exceptional Customer Service: Happy customers are more likely to recommend you.

Pro tip: Use tools like Google Analytics to track your referral sources and see which earned traffic strategies are working best for you.

Measuring Earned Traffic Success 📊

Key metrics to watch:

• Organic Search Traffic: Visitors from search engines.
• Referral Traffic: Visitors from other websites.
• Social Media Traffic: Visitors from social platforms.
• Engagement Metrics: Time on site, pages per session, bounce rate.
• Brand Mentions: How often people discuss your brand online.
• Backlinks: Number and quality of websites linking to you.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you run a blog about sustainable living:

• You write: A comprehensive guide on “50 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.”
• The post ranks #1: On Google for “reduce carbon footprint.”
• An influencer shares it: On Twitter.
• A major news site links: To your article in their climate change coverage.

Results:

• 10,000 monthly organic search visitors.
• 5,000 referral visitors from the news site.
• 2,000 social media visitors from the influencer share.
• 500 new email subscribers.
• 50 new customers for your eco-friendly product line.

That’s the power of earned traffic in action! 🌟

Earned vs. Paid Traffic: A Comparison