For Startup Founders Who Hate Marketing: Here’s How to Get Organic Leads
If you’re a startup founder who’d rather build than market, here’s a simple step-by-step system to get organic traffic and leads—without spending on ads or doing cringey sales tactics.
- Find Keywords You’re Almost Ranking For
Go to Google Search Console
Download your keyword data (CSV file)
Look at the "Position" column
Focus on keywords where you're ranking #10–#30 (almost on page 1)
Create dedicated pages for these keywords to push them higher
- Post on Reddit Without Getting Downvoted
Go to reddit.com/best/communities/1/
Find the biggest communities in your niche
Start your post like this to avoid downvotes:
"With the hope to provide value first and ask for help later, here are…"
Share valuable insights, lists, or tools related to your industry
End with a CTA:
"Is this useful to you? How could it be better? {Insert your product}"
- Use GIFs to Get Free Social Media Exposure
Go to Giphy.com
Make 5+ GIFs related to your industry (add your logo or URL)
Apply for a free brand channel
Tag with keywords so they show up on Instagram, X, Facebook, etc.
- Build a Free Tool to Attract Users
Find high-traffic, low-competition keywords
Build a simple, useful tool that solves one specific problem
Link the tool to your main product
This is the same strategy used by Framer, Canva, Miro, Ubersuggest, and Notion
- Get Free Traffic from Hacker News
Go to news.ycombinator.com
Find discussions relevant to your product
Leave thoughtful comments + a link (links are allowed in comments)
A single comment can drive thousands of visitors to your landing page
- Tap Into Bing’s Free Search Traffic
Go to Bing Webmaster
Sign in with your Google account
Import your site from Search Console
Check performance metrics and adjust your content
