Understanding the Focus on Domain’s Organic Traffic in SEO: A Critical Perspective
In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), professionals often rely heavily on specific metrics to evaluate website quality and backlink opportunities. Among these, the domain’s organic traffic figures—particularly those reported by tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush—are frequently used benchmarks. However, is this reliance on surface-level traffic data justified, or does it risk misleading practitioners? As someone new to the community, I’d like to share some insights and raise awareness about the potential pitfalls of this prevalent practice.
The Dominance of Traffic Metrics in SEO Evaluation
For years, SEO specialists have adopted organic traffic numbers as a quick and seemingly straightforward way to assess a website’s authority, relevance, and link-building potential. Platforms like Ahrefs have set the standard, providing metrics that sellers and buyers of backlinks often trust uncritically. While these tools are invaluable for their data richness, over-reliance on their traffic estimates without deeper analysis can lead to flawed decision-making.
The Market for Backlinks and Its Changing Landscape
The pricing for guest posting and backlinks is witnessing a consistent rise. Gone are the days of acquiring quality links for as little as $100; top-tier websites now command higher prices, and competition intensifies continuously. This trend is especially noticeable in European Union markets and Tier-3 countries, where the demand for authoritative links increases in tandem with outreach challenges.
In 2024, the demand for backlinks from Asian countries—such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam—has surged. Outreach in Japan, in particular, is notoriously difficult due to the language barrier, cultural nuances, and strict site approval processes. Despite these hurdles, many SEO practitioners find creative ways to facilitate link placements, often focusing heavily on traffic metrics like those provided by Ahrefs to identify potential link sources.
Changing Trends in Link Acquisition Strategies
Interestingly, recent market shifts illustrate a move away from creating local, niche-specific websites in favor of leveraging indicator-based metrics. Previously, most Japanese traffic came from native Japanese sites, which were genuine and content-rich. Now, a significant proportion of sites purportedly targeting Japanese audiences are either English-language or artificially optimized to appear as though they have substantial Japanese traffic.
For instance, I discovered a surprising case where our website ranked for the keyword “sponsored link” in Japan, with a search volume of around 12,000. The site was not targeted at Japan, yet it appeared in the search results, highlighting how