- Joined
- Jul 6, 2012
- Messages
- 1,719
- Reaction score
- 354
I launched my first niche website on April 1st 2012. I watched the traffic grow, ranks increase and a brand develop. About two weeks ago I had a key term get sandboxed which substantially decreased my traffic (about 50% of organic disappeared). Unfortunately, I've seen significant SERP shifts even after minor (daily) updates - it seems to be common in this niche.
Why I've decided to brand?
As my brand gains traction I've had to worry less about the Google's random fluctuations. I've also noticed that I recover much quicker than I would without the alternate streams of steady traffic. Additionally, I've seen an increase in Adsense revenue as my referral traffic increased. I noticed an unexpected correlation between referral sources and Adsense CTR. In my particular situation, Yahoo News seems to be the most profitable source of traffic. While making up only 4% of my total traffic, Yahoo News, is responsible for 33% of my revenue.
Have you realized any benefits from changing your strategy?
Why I've decided to brand?
- Direct Traffic: 33.45%
- Referral Traffic: 11.9%
- Branded Search Queries: About 10% (of organic traffic)
As my brand gains traction I've had to worry less about the Google's random fluctuations. I've also noticed that I recover much quicker than I would without the alternate streams of steady traffic. Additionally, I've seen an increase in Adsense revenue as my referral traffic increased. I noticed an unexpected correlation between referral sources and Adsense CTR. In my particular situation, Yahoo News seems to be the most profitable source of traffic. While making up only 4% of my total traffic, Yahoo News, is responsible for 33% of my revenue.
Have you realized any benefits from changing your strategy?
