This shows how stupid you are. You don't need to rely on Google if your sites contain the answer the surfers are looking for.
People go to a site without the help of any search engine if the site is good and pleased them before. How many times do you buy from a completely new source. Or do yo go back to a place you know and trust?
The problem with using free content to get traffic is obvious. Anyone can do it and there for everyone does. Giving 100s of affiliates free content means they're allsharing the available surfers. So now more there's free content online than paid for content. SEO is a help if you get on the first few pages.
But the problem is back in the days of TGPs a few sites like The Hun had most of the traffic. Today a few Tubes do. Because surfers love them and affiliates don't even see the vast majority.