Site traffic: the good, the bad, and the scammy?

When researching ways to get traffic to your site, how do you know what is legit, and what is a scam? Most ‘blog circus’ sites, blog registrations, seo help, etc charge a fee. That’s fine, but it’s definately difficult to know who’s trying to make a quick buck and who has tangible knowledge. And, when ‘donations’ are accepted – what is the going rate on this? Why not just have a set fee? Any imput, or light shed on this topc is appreciated.

Sincerely,
Carrie
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