Grow website traffic the slow marketing way

Note (updated 2025):
This post was first written in early 2024 when many of us were wondering whether it was possible to grow a website and brand without social media. Since then, the online landscape, and search, have changed a lot.

These days, visibility isn’t about abandoning platforms entirely, it’s about finding balance. Social media can support your visibility and is important for credibility (both with humans and search engines). In this refreshed post, I’ll show you what I’ve learned from over ten years of running my outdoor blog and how search, email, and other steady slow marketing tactics continue to drive traffic over the long term.

For the latest guide on growing visibility ethically and sustainably across search, email, and beyond, see How to build business visibility beyond social media

Many small business owners tell me they struggle with social media, stuck on an endless treadmill of posting every day, chasing engagement, and watching algorithms change overnight. They want to spend less time there, but worry about losing visibility if they step back.

Remember when Instagram began pushing reels to compete with TikTok? How many solo business owners began sharing reels, saying they didn’t want to but because Instagram said they had to. That’s an instant disconnect - between your values, your energy, and your marketing.

In this post, I’ll share what’s worked for me over 10+ years of running my outdoor blog, including web traffic graphs and the simple, steady strategies that have helped me build long term visibility.

And, as a bonus, I’ll end with ten ways to grow your website traffic without relying completely on social media.

How much web traffic really comes from social media?

The truth is, visibility today isn’t about choosing between social media or SEO.

It’s about balance - and slow marketing methods give you that balance. It’s building visibility in ways that feel sustainable grounded, and true to your values. By focusing on things like your website, search content, and email list, you create visibility that lasts far longer than fleeting algorithms.

It’s easy to assume that if you’re not posting often on social media, there’s nowhere to share links for your new blog posts - and that will mean your website fading into the background. Combine that with how search now works, where AI answers and zero click results dominate, and it can feel like traditional SEO doesn’t matter any more.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

AI-driven search still relies on the same fundamentals of good SEO - clear, helpful, trustworthy content. The difference is that search engines now summarise and deliver that information faster, often with conversational answers right in the query. Even if a person doesn’t click straight through, being cited as a reliable source will still build visibility, trust, and authority. And when people do click through, they’re usually more engaged and more likely to buy or enquire.

It’s worth having a look at your website analytics. Check where your visitors come from - search, emails, referrals, or direct traffic. You might be surprised to see that social media isn’t the main source of visits after all.

How to check your website analytics

Yep, I know, analytics doesn’t sound exciting. But it’s worth spending a few minutes looking at them because you can find out loads about what’s really happening.

Most website platforms now make analytics easy to find.

I use Squarespace - and all you have to do is log in, click on your site, and head to the Analytics tab on the left hand menu. You’ll see your overall traffic and can adjust the time period - last month, year to date, or even several years back to find long term trends.

If you’re on other platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, you can use their built in analytics or connect Google Analytics (GA4) for deeper insights.

Google Analytics changed in 2023 so looks a little different these days, but the key information you need is still there. Look at traffic sources, page views and engagement. If you’re new to it all, Google still offers free tutorials through Google Analytics Academy to help get you started.

You might also notice that some of your visibility doesn’t show up in analytics. That’s because AI-driven search and zero click results don’t always lead to a website visit, but they still matter. When your content is cited or summarised in AI answers or featured snippets, it helps to build awareness and trust, even if the click doesn’t happen straight away.

Think of it as your website quietly doing its job in the background - planting seeds that help your audience find you when they’re ready.

What analytics should you check?

When you look at your data, focus on the big picture:

• Where are your visitors coming from - search, email, direct, or referrals?

• Which pages or posts attract the most attention?

• How do visitors move through your site?

Even a quick glance at these figures can show you what’s quietly working behind the scenes. And it often proves that social media isn’t the biggest driver of traffic after all.

Over the years, I’ve seen analytics from several different sites - my own and my clients’ - and the pattern is always the same. Social media can bring short bursts of attention, but search, email, and long term content are what keep bringing people back.

The graph above is a screenshot of the 2023 analytics for my outdoor blog. You can see a spike in social media traffic in June and July (the orange line) when I published blog posts about walking the West Highland Way which were shared on the Macs Adventure Facebook page.

Their Facebook page had over 19.2K followers, far more than most small business owners are likely to have. But look closely at what happens next - the traffic fades quickly through August and September. In contrast, the steady visits from search and direct sources kept ticking along in the background.

That’s the beauty of slow marketing. The effort you put into your website and content keeps paying off long after the social posts have scrolled past.

What consistent, ethical visibility realy looks like

If social media isn’t driving much traffic, how did over 17,000 people still find and visit my outdoor website that year. Honestly, it’s not ground breaking stuff and there’s no secret formula - just consistency, clarity, and creating content that appeals to my readers.

Here’s what I focus on:

1. Write with purpose, not pressure

I publish new content when I have something genuinely helpful to share. Sometimes monthly, sometimes less often. Each article is designed to help readers, not meet a posting quota.

2. Keep your website search friendly

It’s important to structure your content clearly, use headings that reflect what people are really searching for, and make sure your site loads quickly. If you’d like more help with this, I’ve written a free guide to SEO blogging, updated for 2025. Just complete the form below to get a copy.

3. Share with your community first

Before posting on social media, I always share new blogs with my email list. It’s a more personal way to stay connected, and far more consistent over time. Plus, you own your email list - and it’s not affected by those pesky algorithms.

4. Never underestimate compounding visibility

When your content is genuinely useful, people will find it - and sometimes share it without you even asking. For example, one of my outdoor posts on UK Mountain Adventure Film Festivals was included in a newsletter from Marvellous Maps, reaching a much wider audience than I could have alone. Another about mini adventures in winter was shared by someone else, again leading to a surge in web visits.

That’s the power of creating content that others naturally want to recommend. Even in today’s world of AI-driven, zero click search, having helpful content available means your work can be cited, referenced, and shared - quietly building visibility over time. If I hadn’t bothered writing those posts because I thought zero click results made them worthless, there would have been nothing for those people to share.

Slow marketing isn’t about doing everything all the time. It’s about showing up in your own way, writing helpful content, and building trust quietly and consistently. It’s about making it easy for search engines to find your content, and it’s about playing the long game.

Organic SEO takes time, but it keeps giving back

It’s easy to feel discouraged when your website gets less than 100 views a month. But that’s where we all start.

I remember the early days of my outdoor blog - when it was mostly immediate family and a few friends reading what I wrote. All that effort, with little visible reward. But I carried on because I loved writing the content, even if nobody saw it.

Like many, I started on a free WordPress.com website. The analytics above show growth from 2014, when I began the blog, until I moved to Squarespace in 2020. 

In that first year, I had a grand total of 35 views and 18 visitors.

But, over time, consistent posts combined with simple SEO and occasional shares via email and social media built a website that still attracts readers today. Organic search continues to bring in most of the traffic, even with zero click results, and looking at Google Search Console one post I wrote back in 2014 regularly ranks among the top ten most popular posts. It still blows my mind.

So, even in a world of AI-driven, zero click search, having a solid foundation of useful content means your website keeps working for you - quietly, and without chasing social media algorithms.

Ten ways to build website traffic without relying on social media

All this shows the power of patience, consistency, and creating genuinely useful content. Over time, the small steady efforts - writing posts that help people, making your site easy to navigate, and sharing your content quietly in places that fit with your values - add up.

So, if you’re wondering how to grow website traffic without relying on social media as your main channel, here are ten practical ways to build visibility.

They’re all rooted in slow marketing. Each focuses on long-term impact, ethical promotion, and strategies that align with your values. No frantic posting or dancing to TikTok videos if that’s not your thing.

1. Focus on your website first

Your website is your starting point, the one place you truly control. Make sure it’s clear, easy to navigate, and mobile friendly. Every post, page, or guide you create is a long term asset that keeps working for you.

2. Write content that helps people

Create blog posts, guides, or articles that answer real questions your audience has. Helpful content is more likely to rank in search engines, be referenced in AI-driven answers, and be shared by others - even when you’re not using social media

3. Use slow, strategic SEO

Incorporate natural keywords, conversational content, headings, meta descriptions, internal links, and descriptive images. Focus on making your content clear, useful, and easy to find. Even with AI-driven search, the SEO basics are still relevant.

4. Email newsletters

Your email list is your own space, full of people already interested in you and your brand - and it’s not dependent on algorithms. Send thoughtful, practical content to subscribers, not just promotions. Your newsletter reaches people directly, builds trust, and encourages repeat web visits and sales.

5. Collaborate and guest post

Work with complementary businesses or industry websites. Guest posts, interviews, and link swaps reach a wider audience and give you valuable backlinks. That helps build your visibility and credibility in search and AI systems.

6. Repurpose content

Turn one piece of content into several different formats. Take a blog post and create a newsletter snippet, short video, downloadable guide, or slide deck. That increases where you’re seen, without having to create more content from scratch. It’s a perfect slow marketing tactic!

7. Get involved in online communities

Online communities like Reddit and Quora are huge for visibility and credibility with search systems. They’re also places you can offer genuine help and expertise, not just promotion. Get involved with forums, discussion groups, or memberships where your audience hangs out. It will build visibility and naturally drive traffic to your website.

8. Press and media mentions

If you have something worth sharing, updates or achievements, write press releases or contact relevant publications. Independent mentions increase trust and help both human readers and search engines see your authority.

9. Case studies and testimonials

Sharing real stories of how your product or service helped someone creates credibility and content that others may link or share. Written, video, or audio formats all work. You can also gather testimonials on Google, TrustPilot or other relevant review sites, and add them on your own website to build trust and credibility.

10. Be patient and consistent

Slow marketing is about showing up in ways that are sustainable. Organic SEO and helpful content compound over months and years. You can see by my early web analytics that SEO is not an overnight success - but your content can still be cited, referenced, or discovered years after publishing.

Start building slow, sustainable visibility

You don’t need to post on social media every day or chase every algorithm to grow your visibility. Slow marketing is about being consistent, creating helpful content, and being discoverable in ways that feel ethical and aligned with your values.

Yes, social media is one element. But maybe this post helps take away the pressure of that never ending cycle. By focusing on your website, writing content that genuinely helps people, and sharing strategically in different ways, you can quietly build credibility, trust, and long term visibility - even in a world of AI search and zero click results.

If there’s one thing to take away, it’s that small, thoughtful actions will compound over time. Every piece of content is an investment in your business’s future.

I share more practical tips like this in my newsletter: ways to grow your business without burnout, and tips for creating content that works with search and AI in 2025. Sign up below to get connected.