I stopped chasing traffic. I started building assets instead

For a long time, I treated SEO like a numbers game.

Publish more articles.
Build more backlinks.
Target more keywords.

Sometimes it worked. Sometimes a Google update erased months of progress.

Recently, I changed my approach.

Instead of asking, "How can I get more traffic?" I ask:

"What digital asset am I building today that will still be valuable in 3 years?"

That has completely changed how I work.

Now I spend more time on:

Building small tools people actually use.
Creating resources that deserve backlinks instead of chasing them.
Improving UX so visitors stay longer.
Turning websites into products instead of content farms.
Building an audience alongside SEO instead of depending on search alone.

Traffic is rented.

An email list, a useful product, a trusted brand, and loyal users are assets you actually own.

I'm still doing SEO—but now it's just one distribution channel, not the business itself.

Curious how other indie hackers think about this.

If Google disappeared tomorrow, what would still be generating value for your business?