Targeted Traffic and Internet Content Importance

By Brian Gilley
Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2003

New changes have been happening with recent website traffic patterns throughout 2002 and early here in 2003. Compared to early online consumers depending mostly on search engines to find content or products they were seeking, recent trends are showing how many of those same users are "settling down" with websites they have become familiar with for their information.

It used to follow a format of the average Internet user surfing around from search engine to search engine, bouncing around other sites, literally travelling all over the place half of the time unsure what they were even seeking. Undoubedly, people "surfed the net" more but todays online consumer is not surfing nearly as much. New and even those online surfers from the past are becoming educated and accustomed to branding and to those websites who have built their niche market information and relevant content. This type of branding and content are becoming more and more important for online business survival.

Volume traffic or the kind of media buys that I get approached with are decreasing in importance, e.g. Purchasing ad space or massive email lists only to find that only 1 or 2 percent are or would even be the slightest bit interested in your product or services to begin with. Or, not even taking the time on your own website to attempt to capture the traffic you already receive. It should be relatively simple for any SEO company or niche-specific website to become an expert of their own content or product, build on it, and even display articles and/or resources that your users will find important enough to come back again and again. This is exactly how WebMD and CNN do it.

So, what does all of this mean? To me, it's a great indicator that people who have been online for a while, are developing their own business relationships. People just don't need or like to "surf" around as much and since they have formed certain positive relationships online.

If they are happy buying a product from their www.product.com website, are they just not likely to go back and type in the web address or use a bookmark for that same website? More and more, branding and great content are going to become of major importance on the Web for businesses. Those who have chosen domain names that are easy to remember and that have put some branding and content development in their budget will see significant increases in traffic.

These types of trends in Internet behavior are seemingly well apted opportunities for great search engine marketers and optimization companies. Online Marketers who have realized that targeted traffic is, and has always been, fundamentally important are in an industry that will benefit those who can perform well. Search engines will never disappear...it's just not in the cards. There will always be the need for search engines that are intrinsically built well. However, more and more people will remember their favorite URL and this means that top placement and accurate relevancy will also be needed more than ever before. Internet surfers who search the Web care less and less for paid ads (although they should always be looked at closely for any SEO campaign). PPC search engines still have relevancly and revenue benefits for companies, and this to will continue for some time.

Marketing, email, and SEO companies who constantly go after the old fashioned, non-targeted general "volume traffic" (just big numbers with no target audience) are going to see hardships ahead. The SEO professionals who know their business well, using the "targeted traffic strategy" will benefit greatly from their capabilities and this will keep them in high demand. And top placement, well-built content for your audience, and accurate search engine relevancy based on keywords will count more than it ever has in the past.