18 Alternatives to SEO Content for Organic Traffic

Looking for ways to drive organic traffic beyond traditional SEO? We gathered insights from eighteen SEO experts and digital marketing leaders, exploring alternatives from leveraging guest posting to cultivating a loyal online community. Discover the diverse strategies recommended by professionals like an SEO consultant and a founder, starting with guest posting and culminating in community building.

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Leverage Guest Posting Opportunities

Guest posts are one of the big ones I use. Guest posts are bloggy or news-type articles that are posted on other reputable websites in the industry. Start by finding websites that have a similar audience to yours, and then pitch them your article ideas. By writing high-quality articles for these websites, and including backlinks to my website or my clients’ websites within the articles, I’m reaching new audiences. 

With specific quotes from company heads in the article (“According to Joe Bloggs of SEO Agency”) and a keyword here and there (“According to Sydney SEO consultant Joe Bloggs of SEO Agency”), it not only drives traffic to my website but also improves my search engine ranking. As an added bonus, it helps get my name out there and establishes my reputation as an authority in the industry.

Jack Genesin, SEO Consultant, Jack Genesin Consulting

Drive Traffic via Social Media

I think the method that comes to mind first is using social media. We’ve found that taking content from the site (like a blog) and posting about it on social media tends to do quite well in driving organic traffic, outside of on-page optimization.

Ian du Toit, Co-Founder & Head SEO Guy, Poor Man’s SEO

Boost Traffic With Pinterest

One specific alternative to SEO content for organic traffic is leveraging Pinterest. Recently, there’s been a trend where people drive massive traffic via Pinterest. By summarizing content into engaging infographics, users can pique interest and drive substantial traffic to their websites with minimal effort. Pinterest’s visual nature and its strong user engagement make it an ideal platform for sharing eye-catching, informative visuals. 

Creating pins that link back to your website and using keywords effectively in pin descriptions can help increase visibility. Since you can set up your RSS feed on Pinterest, the entire process is automated, which is an excellent advantage. This approach not only attracts organic traffic but also helps build a loyal audience.

Dhiren Mulani, SEO Specialist, Earningify.com

Optimize YouTube Video Content

One alternative approach to SEO content for organic traffic is creating and optimizing video content for platforms like YouTube. YouTube is the second-largest search engine after Google, and video content can be a powerful way to attract and engage audiences.

To implement this strategy, start by researching popular topics and keywords in your industry that people are searching for on YouTube. Create high-quality, informative videos addressing these topics. Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords to improve discoverability. Include calls to action in your videos and descriptions that direct viewers to your website for more information or related content. 

Also, consider creating video series or playlists to encourage longer viewing sessions and repeat visits to your channel. As your channel grows, YouTube’s algorithm may recommend your content to new viewers, further increasing your organic reach and potential website traffic.

Henry Purchase, Founder, SEOSpace

Use PPC for Immediate Visibility

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a fantastic substitute for SEO content when it comes to obtaining organic visitors. PPC allows you to immediately get your website in front of people, without having to wait for your SEO efforts to pay off. Your advertisements, which may show up on search engines like Google, are click-through-monetized. 

In this manner, you can target specific keywords and connect with prospective clients who are actively looking for what you have to offer. You may choose a spending limit that works for you and only pay when a user clicks on your advertisement. It’s very simple: make an advertisement, decide who to target, allocate funds, and run it. PPC advertising is a terrific way to increase visibility and can quickly bring traffic to your website.

Kartik Ahuja, Digital Marketer, kartikahuja.com

Engage Audiences With Podcasting

Utilize podcasting as a content strategy! Podcasts have grown significantly in popularity and can be an effective way to reach and engage audiences while improving search visibility.

Businesses can create a podcast series focused on topics relevant to their industry, products, or services. Each episode can be transcribed and published as a blog post, which provides text content for search engines to index. The podcast itself can be optimized with relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and show notes. 

Also, hosting guest speakers or participating in other podcasts as a guest can help expand reach and create backlink opportunities. This approach not only caters to users who prefer audio content but also creates multiple touchpoints for search engines, potentially improving organic visibility across various platforms and search types.

Darcy Cudmore, Founder, RepuLinks

Maximize ROI With Email Marketing

Emails are the fastest and cheapest methods of reaching customers. Their ROI is also quite high.

Charles W, Marketing Expert

Partner With Influencers and Brands

SEO content is a long game that requires patience and expertise to rank well organically. I like to recommend influencer marketing and brand partnerships as alternatives. By partnering with influencers and other brands with high-authority sites in your niche, you can tap into their audiences immediately. 

For a marketing agency client, we set up brand partnerships and co-marketing efforts with companies offering complimentary services. Their existing customers were primed audiences for our offerings. These partnerships generated over 2,000 new visitors and 10 qualified leads within the first month at almost no cost. 

Another approach is tapping into existing communities and audiences through guest blog posts, podcasts, and video contributions. Appearing on industry podcasts and contributing to popular blog sites puts you in front of highly engaged audiences. The exposure and backlinks these placements generate can significantly impact search traffic and rankings. For the cost of your time, the rewards of connecting with new audiences directly can be huge. By aligning with influencers and brands with shared audiences, you can shortcut the SEO process.

Brian Kratt, Founder and CEO, Plumb Development, Inc

Expand Reach With Content Syndication

Utilizing content syndication is an alternative to SEO content for generating organic traffic. By distributing your original content to third-party sites with high authority and large audiences, you can significantly broaden your content’s reach and drive more organic traffic back to your own website. 

For example, when business software provider HubSpot syndicated its blog posts to major industry publications like Business Insider and LinkedIn Pulse, they experienced a noticeable increase in site traffic and new user engagement. Content syndication allows your content to be placed in front of millions of readers who may not have discovered your site otherwise, thereby increasing brand awareness and driving qualified traffic to your site.

Rohit Vedantwar, Co-founder – Director, Supramind.com

Build Connections in Online Communities

While SEO content is a proven workhorse for driving organic traffic, it’s not the only trick up my sleeve. I’ve found that building genuine connections and providing real value in online communities can be just as effective, if not more so.

Think about it: wouldn’t you rather get a recommendation from a friend or a trusted expert than from a faceless search engine? That’s why I invest time in engaging with my target audience where they hang out online. I answer questions, share insights, and participate in discussions. It’s about building relationships and becoming a trusted resource, not just a faceless brand.

This approach not only drives targeted traffic to my website but also fosters loyalty and trust. When people feel connected to you and your brand, they’re more likely to become customers and advocates. It’s a win-win!

Michael Lazar, CEO, Content Author

Increase Visibility With Digital PR

An effective alternative to SEO content for generating organic traffic is using digital PR. Digital PR is about working with online journalists, bloggers, and influencers to get good links and media coverage. Here’s how to use digital PR:

1. Press Releases – Write compelling press releases about your company’s news, product launches, or significant achievements. Distribute these to relevant media outlets and industry publications.

2. Guest Blogging – Contribute guest posts to authoritative blogs and websites in your industry. This not only earns backlinks but also positions you as an industry expert.

3. Influencer Collaborations – Partner with influencers who have a substantial following in your niche. Their support can drive traffic to your site and increase brand credibility.

4. Thought Leadership – Offer expert opinions and insights to journalists for their articles. This can lead to mentions and backlinks from reputable sources.

5. Event Sponsorships and Participation – Sponsor or participate in industry events, webinars, and podcasts. This visibility can result in media coverage and backlinks from event promotions and recaps.

6. Data-Driven Content – Create and share new research reports or infographics that journalists and bloggers can use and link to in their content.

By using digital PR, you can make your brand more visible, get good links, and get real traffic from reliable sources. This will improve your online presence.

Will Hawkins, Owner, Digital Business

Enhance Engagement With Content Curation

SEO content may be a foundation of driving organic traffic, but this does not mean that other methods of achieving the same can’t also produce significant results.

One effective alternative to traditional SEO content is leveraging content curation. This strategy entails gathering, organizing, and presenting relevant content from various sources on a specific topic. By curating content, you provide your audience with valuable, well-organized information without having to continuously come up with original material.

Here’s why content curation can be a powerful tool:

1. Enhanced User Experience – Curated content saves time for your audience because it offers them an overview of what they are looking for.

2. Positioning as an Authority – When you aggregate high-quality information together, you build trust by positioning yourself or your brand as an authority in the domain.

3. Increased Engagement – Well-curated content can initiate conversations and increase social sharing, which in turn enhances visibility and engagement without the need for always creating new content.

4. SEO Benefits – Curated content cannot replace SEO; however, it does complement your strategy by increasing inbound links and social signals, which indirectly helps in improving your SEO efforts.

Overall, content curation can be a valuable addition to your organic traffic strategy, helping you maintain relevance and engage your audience effectively.

Pankaj Kumar, Director, Naxisweb

Generate Traffic via Discussion Forums

Discussion forums often rank very well, even if the posts in those forums aren’t optimized for SEO. Reddit and Quora are well-known, but even niche hobby forums often rank well in the search results now. A company or online store may want to set up its own forum instead of publishing SEO articles to generate organic traffic.

Eric Novinson, Founder, This Is Accounting Automation

Harness User-Generated Content

We have employed various strategies to drive organic traffic. One strategy that can serve as an alternative to SEO content is UGC (User-Generated Content). While SEO content focuses on achieving high search engine rankings, UGC is content created by users themselves. I see UGC as a viable alternative to SEO because when actual customers promote your products or services, the audience is more likely to trust the information. 

For example, suppose a customer shares a positive testimonial or creates an Instagram reel about your product or service. In that case, you can repost it on your website and social media platforms to enhance trust and engagement.

Although not the primary focus, UGC can indirectly benefit SEO by providing fresh, relevant content and generating backlinks. The beauty of UGC is that, unlike SEO content, it doesn’t require significant effort on your part. However, to maximize the impact of UGC, it’s crucial to make it easy for users to contribute and ensure that the content they share aligns with your brand values and is suitable for your audience.

Raviraj Hegde, SVP of Growth & Sales, Donorbox

Capitalize on TikTok and Meta SEO

A compelling alternative to traditional SEO content for driving organic traffic is leveraging the growing capabilities of social media platforms, particularly with the recent developments on TikTok and Meta. As of now, TikTok has overtaken Google as the primary search channel for younger audiences, which highlights its potential as a major traffic driver. Companies can tap into this shift by creating engaging TikTok content that resonates with users, utilizing trending hashtags, and participating in challenges to boost visibility.

Simultaneously, Meta has expanded its SEO capabilities, allowing content to be discovered through search if it’s optimized correctly. This means that businesses can strategically use keywords and SEO practices not just on traditional search engines but also within their social media content. By crafting posts that are both engaging and search-optimized on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, brands can enhance their visibility and drive traffic organically, creating a rich, multi-channel presence that capitalizes on these evolving digital trends.

Campara Rozina de Haan, Director of Social Media Marketing, QNY Creative

Contribute to Industry Publications

As a blog writer in the health and wellness niche, I understand the importance of organic traffic to the success of a website.

Driving traffic to a website can go beyond traditional SEO content.

One specific alternative to SEO content is to contribute to reputable publications in your industry.

This contribution can be in the form of a quote, providing statistics, or offering unique industry insights and expertise.

Writing for reputable industry publications and websites can increase organic traffic to your own website in several ways:

1. Audience Trust and Credibility – By contributing to well-respected industry publications, you establish yourself as an authority in your field. Readers who value these sources are more likely to trust and seek out your own content, leading to increased traffic to your website.

2. Referral Traffic – Readers interested in learning more about you and your expertise will click these links, driving traffic to your site.

3. Networking Opportunities – Publishing in reputable outlets can open doors to collaborations with other professionals and influencers in your field. These relationships can lead to further opportunities for guest posts, interviews, or mentions that draw traffic to your website.

4. Further Sharing – Providing an expert opinion or statistic is likely to be shared by other professionals, extending your reach. This can be through the backlinks included in your author byline, or by organic searches for your name.

This strategy helps you tap into an established readership and positions you as a thought leader in your area of expertise.

Establishing authority by submitting to reputable publications in your industry will increase organic traffic without solely relying on traditional SEO content.

Amy Karim, Blog Writer, SEO Strategist, MRI Technologist, AmyKarim.com

Grow Through Referral Programs

As the founder of a digital-recognition startup, content marketing wasn’t effective for us. We found more success with referral programs, especially for schools. When teams saw our solutions in action, they told other coaches and administrators. Over 50% of new clients came from referrals last year. 

We also target donors and sponsors at schools. Engaging them with custom recognition solutions led to long-term partnerships and word-of-mouth marketing. For example, one school’s football booster club funded their team’s digital Hall of Fame. After seeing the results, the baseball and lacrosse boosters did the same. Schools that engage donors and show impact reap the benefits.

Unlike content, live demos and customer testimonials build trust. We do school visits and invite potential clients to see systems in action. There’s no substitute for hands-on experience, and personal interactions lead to higher close rates. While content may attract initial interest, relationships and social proof drive conversions for us.

Chase Mckee, Founder & CEO, Rocket Alumni Solutions

Cultivate a Loyal Online Community

As a seasoned digital marketer with extensive experience in various content strategies, I can confidently say that community building is a powerful alternative to traditional SEO content for driving organic traffic. A well-nurtured online community, whether on a social media platform, forum, or dedicated website, fosters genuine engagement and loyalty as a magnet for potential customers. 

The key lies in providing valuable, relevant content that sparks discussion and encourages sharing, leading to increased visibility and organic reach. While SEO content primarily targets search engines, community-building focuses on cultivating relationships and trust with real people, creating a self-sustaining source of organic traffic that often outperforms search engine rankings.

Chris Yang, Co-founder & CEO, Coins Value

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