If you’re thinking about creating a website for your business, it’s important to know that counting only on Google for getting visitors to your site is becoming a risky strategy. Over the past couple of years, things have been pretty uncertain for bloggers and website owners. Google has been making many changes to how search results show up, which has led to a big drop in visitors for many websites that used to appear near the top of the search results.

The frequency and unpredictability of these algorithm changes have left many content creators scrambling to adapt, often with devastating consequences for their online businesses. What was once a reliable source of traffic and income has become a volatile and uncertain foundation upon which to build a digital presence.

an image of two keyboard keys with the words search and algorithm

To illustrate the potential dangers of over-reliance on Google, consider the following case study:

In late 2018, an experienced electric bike enthusiast launched a blog to create a sustainable income source. Initially, the venture proved successful, with rapid growth throughout 2019 and 2020. By the end of 2019, the blog generated a full-time income for its owner. The COVID-19 pandemic further boosted traffic, and the site thrived through 2021 and 2022.

The blog owner consistently updated content personally wrote all articles and built a strong community with thousands of engaged readers. By the summer of 2022, the site was attracting 150,000 unique monthly visitors worldwide and generating a good income for the owner.

However, the owner made a critical mistake: neglecting to diversify traffic sources. Despite the blog’s success, the owner failed to grow a substantial social media following, build an email list, or explore alternative traffic sources.

a man holding his forehead looking at a graph showing a downward trend

In March 2023, disaster struck. A Google algorithm update caused the site to lose 70% of its traffic overnight and the vital income needed to support the owner’s family. Well-written articles that had previously ranked on the first page of Google all but disappeared, replaced by Reddit threads and low-quality content from tabloid newspapers.

Despite redesigning the website, updating hundreds of articles, and performing numerous SEO audits, the site’s traffic and rankings failed to recover. Ultimately, the owner was forced to sell the website at the end of 2023 for a fraction of its previous value.

This case study is a stark reminder of the dangers of relying too heavily on a single traffic source, particularly one as capricious as Google. The past two years have been especially tumultuous, with multiple core updates, helpful content updates, and algorithm changes significantly impacting search results.

These updates have affected newer sites and decimated traffic for many established blogs that had previously enjoyed years of steady growth and high rankings. Websites that once dominated their niches suddenly struggled to maintain visibility, often with little explanation or recourse.

a person holding a tablet with digital marketing on the screen

Website owners and bloggers must diversify their traffic sources to protect against such volatility. This might include:

Building and nurturing an email list
Developing a strong social media presence across multiple platforms
Exploring paid advertising options
Leveraging content syndication and guest posting opportunities
Engaging in community building and forum participation
Utilising video content on platforms like YouTube
Exploring podcast opportunities
Developing partnerships with other websites in complementary niches

Website owners can create a more stable and resilient online presence by spreading efforts across multiple channels. While Google remains an important traffic source for many sites, it should be viewed as one component of a broader traffic strategy rather than the sole foundation of a digital business.

In conclusion, the recent turbulence in the SEO world serves as a wake-up call for content creators and online entrepreneurs. Those who adapt and diversify their traffic sources will be better positioned to weather future algorithm storms and build sustainable, long-term online businesses.