The year 2024 has been challenging for niche bloggers who rely on Google's display ads for income, due to significant traffic loss caused by Google updates. The September 2023 helpful content update (HCU) and the March 2024 core update have led to a decrease in site rankings and visibility. Recovery requires significant changes to site, content, UX, and quality. However, the March update replaced the previous HCU classifier with multiple systems, further impacting sites.
The article suggests several strategies for bloggers to navigate these changes:
Strategy 1: Recognize your zone of genius
Focus on your unique strengths and delegate other areas to professionals. This approach can prevent exhaustion and split focus.
Strategy 2: Concentrate on social and non-Google traffic sources
Diversifying traffic sources is crucial. Potential sources include Microsoft Bing, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube.
Strategy 3: Build up that email list
Email lists are valuable assets that can result in steady traffic and high ROI. They also help in building brand identity and awareness, driving sales and downloads, boosting other channels, and collecting valuable audience data.
Strategy 4: Get an SEO or technical audit
A professional audit can diagnose issues that negatively impact how Google perceives a site. It's essential to consider this before giving up on your site.
Strategy 5: Build up your personal brand
A strong personal brand can propel a site to success online. It's crucial to conduct a personal inventory of strengths and weaknesses, construct a brand identity, and promote your brand messaging.
The article concludes by emphasizing that blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Despite setbacks, there are traffic-building opportunities to explore, and the only real mistake is not trying.
