SEO feels free, until it isn’t.
Google tweaks a parameter, traffic tanks.
Your linked account gets flagged, ad spend freezes.
You’re left staring at analytics instead of customers.
Don’t get me wrong. SEO is useful. But it’s a rented channel. You can’t control the landlord.
So how do you reduce the dependency?
Build owned touchpoints.
Start a newsletter. Post regularly on your own site, not just on Medium or LinkedIn. Collect emails before you collect backlinks.
Create memorable ideas, not just keywords.
If your insights are strong, people will quote and link to you anyway. That’s the SEO you don’t have to chase.
Diversify distribution.
Guest on podcasts. Join community groups. Repurpose posts into short videos. Make sure you’re discoverable in more than one place.
Keep your audience portable.
You don’t own your followers. You own your list. Your site. Your RSS. Build those.
And most importantly, don’t let traffic become the goal.
The goal is demand that survives the next algorithm update.
If Google sneezes tomorrow, your business shouldn’t catch a cold.