How do you generate traffic to your site?

Besides SEO, what works for you?

[fearlessrick]

I'm posting this because I've lost about 60-70% of my traffic during this "bourbon" update and need to focus on getting my site noticed and traffic levels increased.

To that end, I've not changed any of the SEO on my pages, and haven't dumped AdSense, though I thought about it. I would like to earn from AdSense or any other network-type program, so traffic is key.

Over the past couple of days, I've done a some thinking on using things like auctions, classified ads, press releases, syndicating (via RSS and submitting to article banks), link and banner exchanges, newsletters (I've always done these and they work) and generally cleaning up my site and adding fresh content on a regular basis.

My thinking is this: Unknowingly, I was getting 60-70% of my traffic from one source, Google searches. I'll be the first to admit that's a dangerous practice in any business endeavor - dependence on one source or supplier - and I was negligent. So, I believe it is of paramount importance for serious webmasters to diversify their traffic sources, and I'm aware that some already do to varying degrees.

Any suggestions or commerts will be more than welcome by me, and maybe by the webmastering community.

Thanks.

[fearlessrick]

Actually, I just found a thread which has already been focused on this topic, so here's the link:

[webmasterworld.com...]

[jetteroheller]

My thinking is this: Unknowingly, I was getting 60-70% of my traffic from one source, Google searches. I'll be the first to admit that's a dangerous practice in any business endeavor - dependence on one source or supplier - and I was negligent. So, I believe it is of paramount importance for serious webmasters to diversify their traffic sources, and I'm aware that some already do to varying degrees.

I have several sources for my trafic.

google.de
google.com
google.at
google.ch

I have no idea how to diversify this more

[badtigger]

this looks like the million dolar question: how to get comparable levels of traffic from sources/search engines other than G?

IHMO, Yahoo and the directories still do not even come close.

[Tropical Island]

IHMO, Yahoo and the directories still do not even come close.

Google 70%+ , Y 13%, MSN 9% with similar top rankings in all 3.

There is no hope of getting lost free Google traffic replaced unless you are willing to spend some money on AdWords or Overture.

If your site generates income outside of AdSense then it's a no brainer.

[sailorjwd]

G traffic had been 95+% of all traffic up until February when I lost 60% and then lost the remainder earlier in May.

There is nothing I can do to diversify based on search engine traffic. I have unbelievably high rankings in Yahoo but it appears absolutely no one uses anything but Google for programming help.

I am depending on 95+% Adwords traffic at the moment and can still make a living either through programming or Adsense but if one more shoe drops then the whole thing falls apart.