122 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
122 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

1.2 Million Page Views Nearly A Million Visitors Without SEO

by Harlan
96 replies
I certainly didn't invent content curation. I got the idea watching a Matt Cutts video talking about article marketing. He said: don't put the articles on an article site. We would rather find the articles on your site.

I got it. Google LOVES good content.

So 18 months ago I started a curated site in the dog niche. And all we did was content. We did NO SEO.

We didn't try to get a single link.

We did use Twitter and Facebook and built up an insane following on Facebook.

And that's the real secret - getting engagement.

If you know real well what makes your audience tick, you are on the way to success.

What do they love?

What do they hate?

What gets them to respond?

So last month we had over 1.2 million page views and 980,000 visitors to the site.

We've discovered what makes things go viral and deliberately go about making people crazy.

Why?

Because it gets them to engage with us.

We use No tools. There is NO autoposting.

The secret is great content.

Put up great content and SEO is completely unneeded.

Peace
#million #page #seo #views #visitors
  • Profile picture of the author Mogly
    Nice post - but everyone knows this strategy works (as long as you can get the ball rolling yourself).

    What did you do in the beginning to get your first 1,000 visitors without any search traffic?

    That's the real question that holds back 99.9% of blogs/websites.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396788].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      The first thousand visitors were the same as ALL visitors.

      Posting great relevant content about things people in the niche were passionate about.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396795].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Alex Mensah
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        The first thousand visitors were the same as ALL visitors.

        Posting great relevant content about things people in the niche were passionate about.
        way to go buddy glad to see you are doing it big.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397016].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Mogly
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        The first thousand visitors were the same as ALL visitors.

        Posting great relevant content about things people in the niche were passionate about.

        You still didn't answer the question.

        Google wouldn't even know about your website, much less index it, without you getting a link somewhere.

        So how would you get 10 visitors, much less 1000, without doing anything other than posting content.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405308].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Teravel
          Originally Posted by Mogly View Post

          You still didn't answer the question.

          Google wouldn't even know about your website, much less index it, without you getting a link somewhere.

          So how would you get 10 visitors, much less 1000, without doing anything other than posting content.
          I suggest reading the first post again. They used Facebook and Twitter to get the website going, and people shared the website with their friends/family/etc from there. He didn't have to build any links, because his readers did for him.

          It's "Word of Mouth" advertising over Social Media networks.

          Ive been saying this for months, and I'll say it again.

          SEARCH ENGINES will NOT click your ads, join your list, or purchase your products. PEOPLE WILL!!

          Go to where the PEOPLE are, and show them how your business can help them.
          Signature

          "Failure is feedback. Feedback is the breakfast of champions." -Fortune Cookie

          PLR Packages - WSO

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405554].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Harlan
            Originally Posted by Teravel View Post

            I suggest reading the first post again. They used Facebook and Twitter to get the website going, and people shared the website with their friends/family/etc from there. He didn't have to build any links, because his readers did for him.

            It's "Word of Mouth" advertising over Social Media networks.

            Ive been saying this for months, and I'll say it again.

            SEARCH ENGINES will NOT click your ads, join your list, or purchase your products. PEOPLE WILL!!

            Go to where the PEOPLE are, and show them how your business can help them.
            That's not what I said at all.

            We were found originally through organic search.

            We grew through Facebook and Twitter
            Signature

            Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
            Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
            http://overnight-copy.com
            Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
            Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8409343].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author PBScott
    Congratulations !!!

    I had a series of months like that a couple of years ago, and still get it in November and December each year, keep it up!

    Although content is defiantly King, it was when I went away from my SEO focused design website into something that runs much faster, and more attractive that my steady high traffic disappeared. My closing ratio skyrocketed on what I did get, but what I got was not very much.
    Signature

    If you don't look at this => Really Funny Shirts <= you missed something in life

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396815].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by PBScott View Post

      Congratulations !!!

      I had a series of months like that a couple of years ago, and still get it in November and December each year, keep it up!

      Although content is defiantly King, it was when I went away from my SEO focused design website into something that runs much faster, and more attractive that my steady high traffic disappeared. My closing ratio skyrocketed on what I did get, but what I got was not very much.
      Absolutely there is stuff of a seasonal nature. Good work.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396841].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author webguy1990
    Congratulations!!! I am in a similar boat as you (haven't hit the 1,000,000 a month yet) but am about to hit 250,000 visitors a month. I am doing a lot of facebook marketing (with my own fan pages) but also am being ranked for certain keywords which bring in some traffic. I hope to join you at the 1 million visitor mark soon!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396882].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Nice post Harlan.

    The longer I've been online, the more I realize that it's ALL about content.

    Hell, the internet alone is nothing more than sharing content.

    So if you want to stand out and be noticed, use great content.

    In fact, for me, great content and value has been the single biggest reason
    I no longer have to search and go after clients... they come to me... and that's a powerful place to be.

    If you can demonstrate and provide amazing content and value, you can move mountains.

    EVERYTHING can be deemed content.

    Music on the radio? Content.

    Your favorite TV shows? Content.

    Your favorite book? Content.

    And sure enough... those with the best content make the
    most money, usually.

    Focus on providing amazing content and your business and life
    can change drastically, I've learned that first hand.
    Signature
    MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396907].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seoed
    Hi,

    respect to your success. I heard about those stories before. People try to get independent from seo.

    Could you please give some more info about how exactly you achieved this:

    1. How many articles have you now?
    2. How many articles did you post in the first 3 months?
    3. How did you create your content (based on what)?
    4. How did you interact on Facebook and Twitter? (group interaction?)
    5. How much time did you invest per day in the beginning and now?

    Thanks for giving more detailed answers, I think then we can understand your road to success a bit better.
    Signature
    120% in 3 days
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8396915].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
      Originally Posted by seoed View Post

      Mods, Spam alert above!


      Hi,

      respect to your success. I heard about those stories before. People try to get independent from seo.

      Could you please give some more info about how exactly you achieved this:

      1. How many articles have you now?
      2. How many articles did you post in the first 3 months?
      3. How did you create your content (based on what)?
      4. How did you interact on Facebook and Twitter? (group interaction?)
      5. How much time did you invest per day in the beginning and now?

      Thanks for giving more detailed answers, I think then we can understand your road to success a bit better.

      Imagine that... an "SEO" person saying that Harlan's post was spam.

      I've been online for 13 years now, and I know this will rub a few folks the wrong way, but I've had many, many clients tell me how they were duped out of a lot of money by SEO companies.

      FACT: provide amazing content on your subject... content that people want to read... and Google will find you.

      I'd venture to guess that Google is smart enough to find amazing content these days, without the help of an "SEO" expert.

      We're quickly moving to the days where traditional SEO experts are no longer needed, because Google is simply able to separate the great content from the crap.

      I've got many, many clients who rank highly for their keywords, and SEO is an afterthought.

      Bottom line, SEO is becoming less and less about keywords and links, and more and more about providing truly great content.
      Signature
      MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397004].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author arojilla
        Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

        Bottom line, SEO is becoming less and less about keywords and links, and more and more about providing truly great content.
        I don't get it. If you have "Great Content A" and "Great Content B"... there MUST always be a way for a machine (Google) to determine which of the two is the greatest (and thus ranked higher and sent more traffic) and since machines can't have an opinion (yet) they have to rely on the opinion of real people (through links and the "authority" of the linking sites).
        Signature

        [...]

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397093].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author prem khaira
          Banned
          Wow... amazing results. Very nice, the content curator!!!

          Ride on.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397118].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Lance K
          Originally Posted by arojilla View Post

          I don't get it. If you have "Great Content A" and "Great Content B"... there MUST always be a way for a machine (Google) to determine which of the two is the greatest (and thus ranked higher and sent more traffic) and since machines can't have an opinion (yet) they have to rely on the opinion of real people (through links and the "authority" of the linking sites).
          I don't imagine Google monitors bounce rate and visit duration just for fun.
          Signature
          "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
          ~ Zig Ziglar
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397204].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
            Originally Posted by Lance K View Post

            I don't imagine Google monitors bounce rate and visit duration just for fun.
            The problem is, visitor interaction can easily be faked using bots. Sadly, numerous scripts abound that do exactly that. Not that I care, because I don't rely on SEO one iota anymore. But just sayin'...
            Signature

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397242].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Harlan
              Originally Posted by Brandon Tanner View Post

              The problem is, visitor interaction can easily be faked using bots. Sadly, numerous scripts abound that do exactly that. Not that I care, because I don't rely on SEO one iota anymore. But just sayin'...
              Bots writing extensive comments? I don't think so.
              Signature

              Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
              Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
              http://overnight-copy.com
              Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
              Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397254].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
                Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

                Bots writing extensive comments? I don't think so.
                Bots can most definitely post "on topic" articles/comments scraped from other websites, so that they look legit (heck, I've seen this happen multiple times right here at the WF). And they can of course be programmed to go to a random number of pages at each site, and stay on each page for a random number of minutes. Even clicking on links, scrolling, etc. can all be simulated. In other words, exactly like a real human would behave on a site.

                Again, I could care less about SEO myself. But my point is, Google is never going to be more than a half step ahead of the legions of smart programmers out there that enjoy figuring out how to game them. It's a never-ending "cat and mouse" game.
                Signature

                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397372].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Harlan
                  Originally Posted by Brandon Tanner View Post

                  But my point is, Google is never going to be more than a half step ahead of the legions of smart programmers out there that enjoy figuring out how to game them. It's a never-ending "cat and mouse" game.
                  Yes and if someone wants to earn the dreaded Google ban for tricking the Big G, be my guest.

                  For all the energy they put in, they could just do it ethically and not have a problem.
                  Signature

                  Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
                  Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
                  http://overnight-copy.com
                  Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
                  Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397383].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
          Originally Posted by arojilla View Post

          I don't get it. If you have "Great Content A" and "Great Content B"... there MUST always be a way for a machine (Google) to determine which of the two is the greatest (and thus ranked higher and sent more traffic) and since machines can't have an opinion (yet) they have to rely on the opinion of real people (through links and the "authority" of the linking sites).
          Of course, I'm definitely not implying there aren't things you can do to help boost your site's rankings, because there are. I've been online since 2001, and have seen the progression from keyword stuffing, etc... to just offering up more relevant, amazing, valuable content... AND THEN doing the SEO that matters.

          That's why I like Kelly Felix's Bring the Fresh approach of offering up solid content AND doing those things that work with SEO.

          But you're right... there are things you can do, with SEO,that would be considered helpful in rankings... I just don't put much faith in companies that charge $10,000 telling you they can help you get rankings when in fact I used to get higher rankings, myself, by just doing a few things right.
          Signature
          MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397238].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author arojilla
            Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

            Of course, I'm definitely not implying there aren't things you can do to help boost your site's rankings, because there are. I've been online since 2001, and have seen the progression from keyword stuffing, etc... to just offering up more relevant, amazing, valuable content... AND THEN doing the SEO that matters.

            That's why I like Kelly Felix's Bring the Fresh approach of offering up solid content AND doing those things that work with SEO.

            But you're right... there are things you can do, with SEO,that would be considered helpful in rankings... I just don't put much faith in companies that charge $10,000 telling you they can help you get rankings when in fact I used to get higher rankings, myself, by just doing a few things right.
            I've been online even earlier and many of the years working as SEO and I remember how easy it was to game Google, to the point that I was behind a massive googleboombing that flooded search results with a few millions of interlinked autogenerated pages from nearly a thousand expired domains and all the content they had were keywords and random paragraphs from famous books like Don Quixote! About two months after the project started Google was sending to the target page more than 500 000 visits a day! It didn't last though and BTW it was the company I was working for who got the money, not me. At least I learned a lot.

            Today content is king, no doubt, and I agree with everything you said.
            Signature

            [...]

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397389].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Brandon Tanner
        Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

        Google is simply able to separate the great content from the crap.
        With all due respect, I've never seen even a shred of evidence of that happening (unless of course you're referring to the tiny percentage of sites that they manually review).

        Not that I condone sites with crappy content... but sadly, the truth is, it's not any harder to rank a site with crappy content as it is to rank a site with quality content.

        Of course, having sites with quality content is FAR better in the long run, because those are the types of sites that people return to over and over again, and tell their friends about. And it appears that is exactly the type of site that Harlan has built up here.

        Nice job, Harlan.
        Signature

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397112].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
          Originally Posted by Brandon Tanner View Post

          With all due respect, I've never seen even a shred of evidence of that happening (unless of course you're referring to the tiny percentage of sites that they manually review).

          Not that I condone sites with crappy content... but sadly, the truth is, it's not any harder to rank a site with crappy content as it is to rank a site with quality content.

          Of course, having sites with quality content is FAR better in the long run, because those are the types of sites that people return to over and over again, and tell their friends about. And it appears that is exactly the type of site that Harlan has built up here.

          Nice job, Harlan.
          Correct, and that's what I guess I was trying to say, from a business-building standpoint, is that sure, you can get a crappy site ranked high, but what's it going to do for you, in the long run.

          Me, I'd much rather build a solid foundation of great content, and just aim for building a solid business that lasts over time, getting good rankings organically... and also being able to monetize the site well because I do have good content that helps.

          As opposed to putting up a crap site, just to rank high, that doesn't really offer much value.

          so, you're definitely right, in fact it used to frustrate the hell out of me when i'd see crap sites jump over me in rankings. but over time, I'd put my money on the site that offers great content and longevity... over time I would think it would rank higher, and also make more money, than just a shady page.
          Signature
          MILLION Dollar Copywriter Offering Written Sales Letter or VSL Script Worth $5,000 - Just $500!
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397247].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
            Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

            Correct, and that's what I guess I was trying to say, from a business-building standpoint, is that sure, you can get a crappy site ranked high, but what's it going to do for you, in the long run.

            Me, I'd much rather build a solid foundation of great content, and just aim for building a solid business that lasts over time, getting good rankings organically... and also being able to monetize the site well because I do have good content that helps.

            As opposed to putting up a crap site, just to rank high, that doesn't really offer much value.

            so, you're definitely right, in fact it used to frustrate the hell out of me when i'd see crap sites jump over me in rankings. but over time, I'd put my money on the site that offers great content and longevity... over time I would think it would rank higher, and also make more money, than just a shady page.
            I think it's time for people to stop focusing so much on pleasing Google and ranking in there when there are so many other ways to get just as good, if not better, quality visitors - and in much higher amounts.

            I could care less if I ever get a single visitor from Google and despite that I have an authority site in an extremely competitive and passionate niche and am growing another in a different equally passionate and competitive niche.

            So many people are putting way too many eggs in Google's basket.

            There is life outside of Google.
            Signature

            "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

            Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397326].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author mrkitty
        Originally Posted by shawnlebrun View Post

        FACT: provide amazing content on your subject... content that people want to read... and Google will find you.
        Fact: Google finding you and Google ranking you high enough so people actually know your site exists are two different things. Google has found billions of webpages, but only 10 get on page one for any given keyword. Do you really think there are only 10 sites with amazing content for every keyword?

        We're quickly moving to the days where traditional SEO experts are no longer needed, because Google is simply able to separate the great content from the crap.

        I've got many, many clients who rank highly for their keywords, and SEO is an afterthought.
        You don't have a single client who is ranking because they have "great content", because Google has no clue whether someone's content is great.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397564].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author snakeyes37
          Originally Posted by mrkitty View Post

          Fact: Google finding you and Google ranking you high enough so people actually know your site exists are two different things. Google has found billions of webpages, but only 10 get on page one for any given keyword. Do you really think there are only 10 sites with amazing content for every keyword?



          You don't have a single client who is ranking because they have "great content", because Google has no clue whether someone's content is great.

          This is exactly what I was thinking. I'd be curious to hear more about using social media to promote your website as I've never done it before. Are there any good guides out there about how to start doing it?
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8411860].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Could you please give some more info about how exactly you achieved this:

      1. How many articles have you now?

      No idea. Google tells me I have over 7200 pages.

      2. How many articles did you post in the first 3 months?

      Approximately 90

      3. How did you create your content (based on what)?

      We created and curated based on knowledge of the niche.

      4. How did you interact on Facebook and Twitter? (group interaction?)

      See the book "Get More Likes" on Kindle.

      5. How much time did you invest per day in the beginning and now?

      It's totally outsourced.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397007].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jvjoe
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        Could you please give some more info about how exactly you achieved this:

        1. How many articles have you now?

        No idea. Google tells me I have over 7200 pages.

        2. How many articles did you post in the first 3 months?

        Approximately 90

        3. How did you create your content (based on what)?

        We created and curated based on knowledge of the niche.

        4. How did you interact on Facebook and Twitter? (group interaction?)

        See the book "Get More Likes" on Kindle.

        5. How much time did you invest per day in the beginning and now?

        It's totally outsourced.
        Congrats on your results... this is another prove that content is king and with the combination of content curation, this is great
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397108].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Eliezer F
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        Could you please give some more info about how exactly you achieved this:

        1. How many articles have you now?

        No idea. Google tells me I have over 7200 pages.

        2. How many articles did you post in the first 3 months?

        Approximately 90

        3. How did you create your content (based on what)?

        We created and curated based on knowledge of the niche.

        4. How did you interact on Facebook and Twitter? (group interaction?)

        See the book "Get More Likes" on Kindle.

        5. How much time did you invest per day in the beginning and now?

        It's totally outsourced.
        When you say its outsourced what do you mean you have someone conserving you time and managing the content you put out? Please explain this more and what do you call this person or whats their profession title?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397894].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        3. How did you create your content (based on what)?

        We created and curated based on knowledge of the niche.
        Harlan, thank you for the excellent post. I know your site, it is a wonderful source of interesting, helpful information in the niche.

        As I looked at it a few moments ago, and clicked links to some of the headlines, it takes me to the curated info, and keeps me in your site rather than, linking out to other sites.

        When you drop these articles into your site, what needs to be done to acquire permission to repost the article in full, complete with photos?

        Or more accurately what must we do? Is permission needed? I would think so, but that may depend on the original articles.

        I can understand posting the headline, or general information about an article, then linking out to the article, but that takes visitors away from your site. So what is needed to repost the entire article?

        Thanks

        :-Don
        Signature

        Studies prove happier people have massively more success. It has worked for me. Use this one trick too... Click Here

        Total Competition Stomper - Simply the most powerful tactic your IM or Offline business will ever use... See it here!
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8398598].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TheSalesBooster
    So how are you monetizing it?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397049].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author James Fame
    Hey Harlan, I took a look at the site (didn't want to post the link, because I'm not sure if you want to post it up or not) and was extremely impressed. Awesome stuff, and it's amazing how you outsourced all of that work.

    Liked the Doctor areas and the subscriber box copy.

    People, now that's how you build an insane, rabid following with organic traffic. Organic traffic is hard to grow without a brand, especially. It normally grows with the brand itself! Google finds the rockstars in the niche and displays them as a "side effect". Listen to Harlan.

    James Fame
    Signature

    Fire me a pm if you have a question. I build businesses and provide consulting. I do not do finance/money/internet marketing niches. Fitness, self-improvement and various others are welcome.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397070].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seoed
    Imagine that... an "SEO" person saying that Harlan's post was spam.
    lol, this was addressed to a real spam post here on this thread, but mods have already deleted it

    I'd venture to guess that Google is smart enough to find amazing content these days, without the help of an "SEO" expert.
    hm, I don't think that Google iteself can do this. Google can only understand hard facts about a post. Like if it has correct grammar, sub-headlines, bullet points and the length of an article. These are some hints for a good article but still a human must read it to determine how great it is.

    Social media votes are another indication for how good something is. And this is what the OP did actually!
    Signature
    120% in 3 days
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397167].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
    Very Nice Harlan!

    I followed a similar strategy, only I focused on Facebook paid ads and built up the audience and site traffic from there primarily.

    Doing curation.

    Adsense is alive and well following this method. So is affiliate marketing.

    I'm getting about 7K uniques per day and 80-100 comes from Google organic search. I don't do any SEO either.
    Signature

    "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

    Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397212].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Levanduski
    Congratulations! Yet another example of the power of high-quality content.

    Sadly, most people will ignore this and keep focusing on link building rather than relationship building.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397308].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seoed
    There is life outside of Google.
    Can you tell us a bit about your life outside Google?
    Signature
    120% in 3 days
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397373].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by seoed View Post

      Can you tell us a bit about your life outside Google?
      Facebook, Twitter, And LinkedIn
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397387].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author jasondinner
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        Facebook, Twitter, And LinkedIn
        Let's not forget Pinterest. It's my 2nd best source of traffic. However a very distant 2nd to Facebook.

        Facebook is just a powerhouse.

        I've personally found twitter to be a waste of time for me. I just let Feedburner tweet my new blog posts and my audience retweet my stuff.

        Stumbleupon is my 3rd best source of traffic, yet I don't personally do any stumbling.
        Signature

        "Human thoughts have the tendency to transform themselves into their physical equivalent." Earl Nightingale

        Super Affiliates Hang Out Here

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8398858].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author timpears
    Yes, all well and good, but I always wonder what the hell 'great content' is?

    I have good writers and assume they are giving me great content, but I have never seen 100,000 visitors, let alone one million.

    I did get 14K one day, and i was ecstatic, but I have not seen that kind of traffic in a long time.
    Signature

    Tim Pears

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397409].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author arojilla
      Originally Posted by timpears View Post

      Yes, all well and good, but I always wonder what the hell 'great content' is?
      That's the thing: "great" is relative. More so for a machine!

      What you can do, I think, is to look at sites in your niche that rank higher that yours and see what they have that you don't (regarding content and anything SEO).
      Signature

      [...]

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397497].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author timpears
        Originally Posted by arojilla View Post

        That's the thing: "great" is relative. More so for a machine!

        What you can do, I think, is to look at sites in your niche that rank higher that yours and see what they have that you don't (regarding content and anything SEO).
        That is a hell of an idea, thanks.

        Currently the site I was working on has no content. I went to post and was blocked out and when i checked all my content had disappeared. I have no idea what happened, but my site was empty. I had to delete the site and start over. I am waiting on my programmer to finishe a plugin for me as i don't want to start over without it. So, I am taking a break.
        Signature

        Tim Pears

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397530].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author seoed
    I have good writers and assume they are giving me great content, but I have never seen 100,000 visitors, let alone one million.
    and how much great content do you have currently?

    so, you are not getting 14k per day? how much is it now?
    Signature
    120% in 3 days
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397426].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Aribabs
    What is the name of the site in question?
    Signature
    Celebrity News And Gossip!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397658].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author r0dvan
    Great advice..
    Im just starting this.
    What do you think about promoting the post in different bookmarking sites with your blog branding?
    Signature
    LeadGen.tools - Lead Generation Search Engine from any Network and many useful tools. FREE trial.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397856].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Brannigans
      Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

      Yes and if someone wants to earn the dreaded Google ban for tricking the Big G, be my guest.

      For all the energy they put in, they could just do it ethically and not have a problem.
      Exactly mate well said!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397891].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    Curation is the key to this all i'm assuming. Great curation in a hungry niche, running profitable campaigns you can definitely break free from SEO.
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8397880].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Geri Richmond
    WOW!! Congratulations. How long did it take to start getting that kind of traffic?

    Geri Richmond
    Signature
    http://geririchmond.com/wf
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8398912].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JasonBennet
    Thanks for sharing this great post. It just show that quality content is still the way to long term sustainability.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8398985].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ScottCofer
    Well done Harlan ... lesson to be learned for sure, especially by those of us that got clubbed in the furry animal updates.

    Reminds me of a gal (newbie in her 60's no less) that did not backlinking whatsoever, or any other SEO for that matter, on her site in the gardening niche.

    900+ articles later, her site gets a ridiculous amount of daily traffic, and her income is well into the 5-figures per month.

    It doesn't happen overnight, but good content pays off in traffic eventually ...
    Signature

    You CAN make money online ... you just need a plan:
    http://www.netmoneyplan.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8398992].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by Art of Marketing View Post

      I absolutely love it Harlan.

      You did not build it for Google but yet you benefit from Google because of simple and excellent strategy of quality content.

      Everyone is searching for tricks, workarounds, while sweating impending GSlaps and Google loves you for going this route. Sweet.

      -Art
      Yeah, Google also gave me all the SEO I want without "doing" any SEO.

      No on page.

      No off page.

      Just create great content and Google will take care of the rest.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8400681].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Teravel
      Originally Posted by Mogly View Post

      What did you do in the beginning to get your first 1,000 visitors without any search traffic?

      That's the real question that holds back 99.9% of blogs/websites.
      The answer was in the first post...
      We did use Twitter and Facebook and built up an insane following on Facebook.
      I'm not saying "use Twitter" and "use Facebook", but going directly to where your potential clients/readers/visitors (Whatever you want to call them) is of course the best way to get people to visit your business.

      Go to where PEOPLE are, and show them how Your Business can help them solve their problems.

      Otherwise, you're just wishing that computer programs (Search Engine Bots) will like your site enough to help real people find it.
      "Wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which one fills first."
      Signature

      "Failure is feedback. Feedback is the breakfast of champions." -Fortune Cookie

      PLR Packages - WSO

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8401593].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author G0nzalez
    Banned
    Congrats! I know, great content (unique content) is the key. I have a few sites that get a decent amount of traffic, and I didn't do SEO or anything else. I'll be honest, I only added unique content and got involved in discussions with a few bloggers from my niche.

    Unique content (relevant content) + interacting with people from your niche = traffic.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8399475].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ron Smith
    What a great site! Who doesn't love dogs?
    Signature
    Ron Smith
    www.BestHomeBusiness-WorkFromHome.com
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8400790].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mdan287
    Again proved "Content is King" but sometime it's really hard to rank on the first with only great content. Social signals are also work great to rank high.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8400925].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by mdan287 View Post

      Again proved "Content is King" but sometime it's really hard to rank on the first with only great content. Social signals are also work great to rank high.
      Exactly. One of our posts got 168k likes
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8400969].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author johnny604
        So what proportions of your traffic come from what sources? Does your fanpage drive the most?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8401058].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Harlan
          Originally Posted by johnny604 View Post

          So what proportions of your traffic come from what sources? Does your fanpage drive the most?
          Facebook, Twitter, Zite, and more
          Signature

          Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
          Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
          http://overnight-copy.com
          Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
          Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8401076].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Tijs
            That sounds great Harlan!

            I have two questions for you:

            1. What value do you attest to Google Authorship? Do you use it for your websites?
            2. How do you find out what your readers like? by checking their reactions only?

            Cheers,
            Tijs
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8401520].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author dakar
              These are the stories that I like to read about. I'm in a similar position. I started a website and haven't done any link building or SEO. I just fill it with good content and I'm getting hundreds of free visits every day. However, I haven't done any social work with facebook or twitter. Going to have to try that.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8401549].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Harlan
              Originally Posted by Tijs View Post

              That sounds great Harlan!

              I have two questions for you:

              1. What value do you attest to Google Authorship? Do you use it for your websites?
              2. How do you find out what your readers like? by checking their reactions only?

              Cheers,
              Tijs
              Google authorship? Yeah right.

              How do you find out what readers like:

              a. ask them
              b. judge response
              c. spy work
              Signature

              Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
              Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
              http://overnight-copy.com
              Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
              Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8402236].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Tijs
                Thanks Harlan :-) So interaction is just very important!
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403535].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Harlan
                  Originally Posted by Tijs View Post

                  Thanks Harlan :-) So interaction is just very important!
                  I used this as well to find out what they wanted to buy. For example, once I asked people their favorite movie in the niche.

                  I got a long list a videos.

                  The following week, I started selling them the videos.

                  They did really well.
                  Signature

                  Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
                  Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
                  http://overnight-copy.com
                  Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
                  Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403827].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
    Harlan, first of all, congratulations, smart idea , well executed.

    I wasn't able to determine whether your site was primarily based on curated content or whether it was a blend of original content and curated.

    Second question, (if you don't mind) , to what degree did you curate?

    I took at look at your site , clicked on a number of articles and all seemed to be written in house..

    I have a niche I would like to develop in the same manner you have, seems like you've optimized this process.

    Any advice appreciated.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403825].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by Midas3 Consulting View Post

      Harlan, first of all, congratulations, smart idea , well executed.

      I wasn't able to determine whether your site was primarily based on curated content or whether it was a blend of original content and curated.

      Second question, (if you don't mind) , to what degree did you curate?

      I took at look at your site , clicked on a number of articles and all seemed to be written in house..

      I have a niche I would like to develop in the same manner you have, seems like you've optimized this process.

      Any advice appreciated.
      These are all good questions.

      There are some original articles. Google likes to seem them. But on the curated articles - and most are curated - you just don't recognize the different styles we use - we always add opinions to add value.

      Please note that we do not exclusively use articles that are 300-500 words in length.

      Some of our articles are quite short.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403906].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
        Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

        These are all good questions.

        There are some original articles. Google likes to seem them. But on the curated articles - and most are curated - you just don't recognize the different styles we use - we always add opinions to add value.

        Please note that we do not exclusively use articles that are 300-500 words in length.

        Some of our articles are quite short.
        Thanks Harlan, makes sense.

        Perhaps, I just missed the curated as I presume your curated stuff has credits somewhere, and nothing I came across did have, it all seemed to be written by an in house author.

        So the way you're generating "new/original" content is essentially curate a well written article, then add a preface of original thought, opinion, introduction.

        Am I on the right tracks?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403918].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Harlan
          Originally Posted by Midas3 Consulting View Post

          Thanks Harlan, makes sense.

          Perhaps, I just missed the curated as I presume your curated stuff has credits somewhere, and nothing I came across did have, it all seemed to be written by an in house author.

          So the way you're generating "new/original" content is essentially curate a well written article, then add a preface of original thought, opinion, introduction.

          Am I on the right tracks?
          You are probably missing the links to the original sources or the references. For legal reasons, we are sometimes forced to use this method.
          Signature

          Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
          Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
          http://overnight-copy.com
          Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
          Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403957].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
            Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

            You are probably missing the links to the original sources or the references. For legal reasons, we are sometimes forced to use this method.
            Understood, quite possible, or I hit a bunch of inhouse articles.

            What I'm most interested in, is in regards the curated content, how much of your own content /opinion/verbiage do you need to add to the curated content to stop Google etc seeing your site as just a huge bunch of other peoples content.

            Or do you not care as social media deals with all your traffic?
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8404977].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author Harlan
              Originally Posted by Midas3 Consulting View Post

              Understood, quite possible, or I hit a bunch of inhouse articles.

              What I'm most interested in, is in regards the curated content, how much of your own content /opinion/verbiage do you need to add to the curated content to stop Google etc seeing your site as just a huge bunch of other peoples content.

              Or do you not care as social media deals with all your traffic?
              We could care less what Google thinks. :-) :-)
              Signature

              Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
              Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
              http://overnight-copy.com
              Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
              Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8404983].message }}
              • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
                Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

                We could care less what Google thinks. :-) :-)
                Understood, and now I've paid more attention to the content, I see what you're doing in regards credits etc.

                It's subtle.

                Smart.

                Do you get any traffic from Google as a rule, organic?

                I'm intrigued simply on the basis so much of the site is just other people's articles .
                {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8404989].message }}
                • Profile picture of the author Harlan
                  Originally Posted by Midas3 Consulting View Post

                  Understood, and now I've paid more attention to the content, I see what you're doing in regards credits etc.

                  It's subtle.

                  Smart.

                  Do you get any traffic from Google as a rule, organic?

                  I'm intrigued simply on the basis so much of the site is just other people's articles .
                  About 12% of the traffic is organic.
                  Signature

                  Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
                  Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
                  http://overnight-copy.com
                  Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
                  Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

                  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405007].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author infoway
    Great advice! And congrats! Content will always remain king. You have provided us with a great example and here lies the power of high quality content.
    Signature
    Web Development Company | Web Development Portfolio | Web Design Products
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8403934].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Midas3 Consulting
    Just a solid job throughout.

    Love the sheer scope of potential revenue streams.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405017].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author onlinesolutions1985
    As long as you're content is unique and reliable source Google will love it and as well as the readers.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405393].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author saifwonder
    very nice , I like your Idea.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405579].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Raymond Duke
    I like how you followed a simple principle and got amazing results.

    The sooner people can give up on SEO, the better. Anyone "working" as an SEO "expert" needs to snap out of it - take a good long look in the mirror and move on to actually helping people.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8405635].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author arojilla
      Originally Posted by Raymond Duke View Post

      The sooner people can give up on SEO, the better.
      I have to agree. There is too much competition!
      Signature

      [...]

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8407140].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by Raymond Duke View Post

      I like how you followed a simple principle and got amazing results.

      The sooner people can give up on SEO, the better. Anyone "working" as an SEO "expert" needs to snap out of it - take a good long look in the mirror and move on to actually helping people.
      SEO won't die until that last get 40 million backlinks in 10 minutes offer is gone.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8409345].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author KingTIP
    Thanks for sharing these tips and I completely agree - Content + Communication is what works the best.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8406563].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tma
    I think what u did is just the best I tried John 's method to drip feed article into into blogger I get hundred page views daily. some one said if u want to succeed forget google and do what is right
    Signature

    Join our Facebook Group for the best internet Marketing Tips

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8410623].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author alvinchua91
    I'm pretty sure; that all the great content in the world wouldn't work with good keyword selection. (which is what OP probably did on top of great content)

    Also, @OP, maybe you should edit your post slightly so that 'relatively new' people here wouldn't falsely believe that posting great content and sharing to a social media page with 0 likes would make it go viral.

    It actually requires a lot more hard work than just creating great content and sharing to (initially) empty social media accounts.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8410735].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Harlan
      Originally Posted by alvinchua91 View Post

      I'm pretty sure; that all the great content in the world wouldn't work with good keyword selection. (which is what OP probably did on top of great content)

      Also, @OP, maybe you should edit your post slightly so that 'relatively new' people here wouldn't falsely believe that posting great content and sharing to a social media page with 0 likes would make it go viral.

      It actually requires a lot more hard work than just creating great content and sharing to (initially) empty social media accounts.
      Nice of you to tell me what I did.
      Signature

      Harlan D. Kilstein Ed.D.
      Free NLP Communications Course at http://www.nlpcopywriting.com
      http://overnight-copy.com
      Get Fit In Four Minuteshttp://just4minutes.com
      Learn how to build a Super Site Without SEO http://supersiteformula.com

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8410739].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author recklesstex
    What about the most important part...curation? You never mentioned what software you use for this. Care to share?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8410863].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jeffsolochek
    Originally Posted by Harlan View Post

    I certainly didn't invent content curation. I got the idea watching a Matt Cutts video talking about article marketing. He said: don't put the articles on an article site. We would rather find the articles on your site.

    I got it. Google LOVES good content.

    So 18 months ago I started a curated site in the dog niche. And all we did was content. We did NO SEO.

    We didn't try to get a single link.

    We did use Twitter and Facebook and built up an insane following on Facebook.

    And that's the real secret - getting engagement.

    If you know real well what makes your audience tick, you are on the way to success.

    What do they love?

    What do they hate?

    What gets them to respond?

    So last month we had over 1.2 million page views and 980,000 visitors to the site.

    We've discovered what makes things go viral and deliberately go about making people crazy.

    Why?

    Because it gets them to engage with us.

    We use No tools. There is NO autoposting.

    The secret is great content.

    Put up great content and SEO is completely unneeded.

    Peace
    Great post. The only thing I might add is some YouTube marketing since Google owns Youtube. Also someelse told me about using PPD sites for traffic so do you have a product that you could give as a free product and then upload it to a site like Zufiles ? Just some of my thoughts
    Signature

    Jeff Solochek
    http://www.jeffreysolochek.com/blog
    http://www.networkcelebrity.com

    I also build blogs for companies and individuals

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8410877].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Lightlysalted
    I love reading success stories like these, absolutely awesome, great job buddy
    Signature
    UK Pet Sitting Directory
    Free Delivery Codes
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8411988].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by arojilla View Post

      I don't get it. If you have "Great Content A" and "Great Content B"... there MUST always be a way for a machine (Google) to determine which of the two is the greatest (and thus ranked higher and sent more traffic) and since machines can't have an opinion (yet) they have to rely on the opinion of real people (through links and the "authority" of the linking sites).
      Backlinks have been a shrinking factor in the ranking algorithms for some time.

      You are correct about relying on the opinions of real people, but there are so many other ways to measure that opinion that raw links don't have the power they once did.

      Metrics like bounce rate and time on site, along with social signals such as likes and shares are far more accurate in measuring the opinion of humans.

      If you want to try brute force backlinking, you might as well just type your keyword 10,000 times in the same color as your background. Soon enough, the end result will be the same.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8412246].message }}

Trending Topics