Traffic sources are sites and platforms where there are users. From here they get to your site by links. Traffic sources can be search engines (Google, Yandex), social networks (Facebook, Vkontakte), email and many more platforms.
Traffic sources are grouped into traffic channels. For example, Facebook and VKontakte are different traffic sources. Together they are combined into a social media channel.
What are the traffic channels:
Direct (direct traffic) Direct traffic is when a user enters the exact address of the site in the browser bar, bypassing Google search. Direct includes pages saved in bookmarks and addresses that users remember by heart.
Organic search is the largest traffic channel on the Internet. Search engine algorithms scan millions of sites every day and select those that will most fully respond to user requests. We see such "most useful pages" at the top of Google search.At the moment when the user is looking for some information, the search engine shows the pages of sites where there may be an answer.
Paid search (paid advertising in search) - search engines do not just find the necessary information for us on the Internet, they earn money through search advertising.
Referral (referral traffic) - referral traffic is the traffic of users from other sites to your site.
Social (traffic from social networks) - in social networks, traffic can be obtained from links in your community posts, from paid advertising and through advertising from bloggers.
Posts on the official brand page are an example of organic promotion in the social network. Any brand can create a page in social networks and invite users to subscribe to keep up to date with the news. On this page you can post information about discounts, promotions, new products, useful posts about how to choose a product and how to use it.
Paid advertising in social networks is advertising based on the interests and demographic data of the user. We come to social networks to read the feed and sometimes we see paid advertising from brands in it.
Advertising from bloggers - you can buy advertising posts from them — give them products for review and pay for it. Sometimes bloggers just post a link where they bought a product or mention a brand (put a link to its page on a social network).
Display (display advertising) - this traffic source includes the display of banners, videos and audio ads on third-party sites using media networks.
Google, Yandex and other companies rent on sites designated under the banner. Advertisers can place their ads here: pictures, videos, animations. This model is beneficial to everyone: site owners receive money for renting space for banners, and advertisers receive new customers.
The transition from these banners, videos and audio ads to the site is the source of the "display advertising" traffic.
Other is traffic from all other sites that web analytics systems cannot detect automatically. Sometimes search and paid advertising gets there.
Additional traffic sources:
Response sites are special sites where users write impressions about products and stores.
Reviews in online magazines - sometimes journalists and just users write articles with reviews of stores.
Price comparison systems - websites collect prices from different stores and show the user where the goods are cheapest. Online stores pay such sites for clicks or purchases.
Advertising articles - you can pay for the placement of an advertising article about your website / store in the media that your target audience reads.
Marketplaces and trading platforms are catalog sites where different users and stores can place their products. These platforms are well optimized for search. The audience of marketplaces often goes directly to the site, bypassing Google. Placement here can be a good source of traffic for a small store.
Coupon and discount sites are coupon sites where discounts on goods in stores are placed. You pay these sites per action: that is, for activating a coupon or selling with a coupon from this site.