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Appreciation post: My local business page got 80% of its traffic from one weird old forum
I run a small bike repair shop and spent months on Instagram and Google Ads. My analytics showed 1200 visits last month, but a huge chunk came from a single forum thread about vintage parts I posted on in 2019. Everyone says to focus on new platforms, but this dead thread from five years ago still brings in real customers every week. It made me rethink dumping all my budget into chasing trends. Has anyone else seen a legacy link or old post work better than your current stuff?
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dixon.willow1mo ago
Wait 80 percent of your traffic from ONE thread you posted five years ago? That's insane. I mean I get that forums can be sticky but that kind of long tail power blows my mind. Like every time I see someone say old content is dead I'm just thinking about your bike shop making rent off a 2019 parts discussion. Makes me wonder how many other businesses have goldmines buried in some random corner of the internet they forgot about.
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barbara3991mo ago
Didn't I read somewhere that search engines still rank old forum content higher than new social media posts?
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gonzalez.anna3mo ago
Interesting how a single old link can still pull weight. It might just be a fluke though, a niche group finding that one thread. Most forums from that era are ghost towns now. Relying on it seems risky when the traffic could dry up tomorrow. New platforms might be a grind, but they're where people actually are these days.
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