April 7, 2007
MarkBernstein.org
 

Don't Rely On Google Traffic

Some Web businesses come to rely on search engine traffic to provide a steady and profitable stream of visitors. This is especially true of small sites that make a living from taking traffic from search engines and showing them search engine ads.

The catch: one day, your page rank might change and -- suddenly -- there goes your revenue.

Pro blog consultant Jon Buscall (of Jontus Media) urges businesses to run a weblog alongside their regular Web site to insure a regular readership that is not completely dependent in flow from search engines. The same weblog can be crucial for protecting your reputation:

A well-judged weblog, with quality content would be an excellent way of tackling online crap written about you. Rather than trying to deal with the boo-boys who use the net to savage people, companies and products left right and centre, a weblog would allow you to tell your side of the story and more importantly show, over time, how you are. There's nothing better than being judged on the quality of what you say (or blog) in public.

This is the opposite of the conventional wisdom that warns teachers and scholars that weblogs might damage their employment prospects. A solid web presence is a bulwark against online bullies and detractors.