In the ongoing quest for connections, readers, and book buyers, authors need to be aware of the online tools that can help them build a solid web presence. One that is based on more than the foundation (though solid enough) of content alone. Content is crucial, but you have to do more if you want your readers to start finding you through search results too.

Most people search for what they want to find online through a search engine – be it Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. It's much simpler and saner than searching through the people you know, the pages you like on Facebook, or who you follow socially.

So what is an 'Organic Web Presence'? An organic web site gains most of its traffic from unpaid sources like consistent, keyword-rich content, social media, and links from other websites – all of which are free for the taking online. This method of building an online presence is the most dependable, inexpensive, and long-lasting, though not necessarily the easiest – which is why many people opt for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising instead. Pay-per-click is fast and it gets people to your site, as long as you're willing to pay for it, but it lacks the solidity and viability that an organic web presence creates.

If you're already writing content for your blog you should also know which keywords are being used to attract readers through search results. To use Google Alerts to help you boost your organic presence, simply set up an account and enter your keywords. You can decide how often and which results Google will email to you at that time. Once you start receiving emails with results, look for those that interest you and pertain to your keywords or your area of expertise, and visit the sites. What you're looking for are blogs, forums, and even articles where you can leave a comment and post your own link.

Your comments should be just as well considered as anything you might place on your own site. The idea is to add value for the people you're visiting, while enticing the search engines to believe that your website has the best content for your keyword topics.

If you have the extra funds in your marketing budget to pay for advertising in addition to building some organic presence, by all means do so. But if you're a struggling writer with more time than money, over time this organic method alone can build substantial traffic to your website or blog.

Please feel free to comment on this article with your own views or if you have any ideas to share that have worked for you regarding building website traffic.