Confused about links

Holbrog · #1 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 06:36 PM

Hi Guys - first thread.

It's late at night here in the UK and I've just spent another frustrating day trying to get my website listed and visible on the web.

It's been up for about a year now, submitted to all the big engines and still it doesnt show up (in fact position checking software says its not listed with google, yahoo etc.)

Suddenly I find your forum and a lot of discussion about links including statements such as "use signatures to link your site with your targeted keyword there" and "Leave the link to your site using your targeted keyword in the comments".

Now I know what keywords are but I dont understand how putting what is basically my web address on forums benefits my sites ranking. I thought inward links that search engines look for - related to other bona fide sites that pointed to yours - not simply me littering the web with my web address as graffeti on forums and message boards.

Am I wrong or missing something here?

How does leaving my address on this forum for example - benefit my listing?

Sorrry to be so basic but treat me like an idiot with your explaintions. I'm off to bed - tired and frustrated. Hoping I'll have some revelation in replies tomorrow morning (or midnight your time)

Thanks in anticipation for your help.

Holbrog

James · #2 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 07:39 PM

Not knowing something doesn't make anyone an idiot. Everyone is ignorant, just on different subjects (Gerald Mann).

I've been around computers for as long as they have existed and this is one area I have yet to learn much about. Thanks for asking. I look forward to learning with you.

Good success!

James

marketingmama · #3 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 07:46 PM

No, of course you don't want to just spam the forums with your link but if you post meaningful things in forums, the links to your site count just as much as any other links to your site and they're one-way links which are even better.

I'm not saying that the search engines can tell any better which of your posts are "meaningful" or not, that's just for the benefit of the forum itself. Of course if you want to be taken seriously and get traffic from forums, you'll post useful information.

There are things that you're going to know that other people may not know. Those are the kinds of things you can post in forums. Also, don't be afraid to ask questions.

As far as the keywords, use your keywords as anchor text in your signature instead of just putting a link to your website.

Sheree

guzie · #4 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 09:00 PM

Ok it works like this.

You need to put your website URL on your bio page...

Google will crawl this forum website and see that you have a link here. (bio page only)

Now the google bot knows you have another link pointing back to your website.
Thus giving your website more leverage, importance, in the google rankings.

Of course you need lots of good links pointing back. Not just this one. ( No offense Lisa )

Remember do NOT put your URL on the main forum thread unless it really relates to the subject matter.

James · #5 (**permalink**) 01-29-2008, 11:55 PM

Guzie

Why this line? Obviously it would be blatant and so unacceptable self advertsing, but I am asking if this presents a technical link issue.

Also, I assume this doesn't reflect on links under the signature line?

James

MikeD · #6 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 01:59 AM

Go to Google webmaster tools (https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools) and get verified. Basically you put a page Google generates for you on your site and they know you are there. Then get a site map made for Google to crawl and submit it to Google. I found this: http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/

I don't know if you have a site or blog because your site isn't in your sig file...put it there. Google crawls this forum and they will find it that way.

Go to www.stumbleupon.com and create an account. bookmark some pages you want to keep from sites you visit then bookmark a couple of your own. This create activity and you site will be found. I use a 5 to 1 ratio...for every 5 sites or pages I BM, I BM one of mine. Do this a few time then STOP. If all you do is BM your own post you'll run the risk of getting banned from the site.

Create a free blog on www.wordpress.com or www.blogger.com and point to your site off of a keyword. This create spider activity and the bots will find your site that way as well.

--Mike

Holbrog · #7 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 03:14 AM

Hi (Bet you are all snug in bed now that I'm up

)

OK, when I said treat me like an idiot - I really meant it in a nice way and here's why -

I cannot for the life of me see the difference between being told "dont use your URL etc" to someone who puts links to their site via a statement like "Make your website super dooper". Surely this is just symantics?

The link is obviously to your website - so why the double standards? If search engines rate you on links - why is it frowned upon to leave your URL?

Also, how does one link (via the above) on one forum help? Do you actually place the same links everytime you reply to a post?

If so, surely this shows that the "poster" or "repliers" main motive is self promotion and answering the question or giving advice is secondary.

Dont get me wrong, I have no issue with this but why the "covert" approach? Why not just place your URL?

And if you have 20 posts on a forum over a period of time and you use the above strategy do the search engines count 20 links or see them all as 1 link to ultimately the same site(s)?

Please dont get me wrong if my tone seems a bit off - I have answered many, many questions on my subject on different forums but I belived it was "bad practice" to self promote while doing so - it looks like I was wrong and have missed this "trick".

When you read stuff on SEO - you get info that is confusing and conflicting from different sources. My meta tags, page title etc related totally to my site's content - as do my keywords. My keywords are also used throughout my home page (trying to show relevance to the search engines). I have submitted a site map to google (nearly a year ago!) and still I dont appear unless someone actually searches directly for my site's name. But I do know I have virtually no external links - so this information will help me.

Anyway - thanks to all who replied. It's most interesting.

And to show I've got the hang of it - if any of you are struggling with the mental side of sport and want to know if Sports Psychology can help you with your game, this might help you . . .

Brian

Sport Psychology

lisa · #8 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 12:11 PM

At one time a bunch of links to your site helped whether you just put your URL or you use keywords to describe your URL in the hyperlink. These days I believe if you have hundreds of forum links, it may help some but the engines no longer put as much emphasis on that backlink as they do backlinks from different sites who just link to your site because they like it.

IMO, the best way to get the most out of forums is to do what others have said... post helpful, useful information. People will visit your site because you have developed some credibility and people are naturally interested in what your site offers.

There's nothing wrong with using a forum to promote your site and I know that's why a lot of people are here. (I think the cash prize helps too

) That's fine. As long as people continue to post useful information that is relevant to the topic and not just say "visit my site!" (AKA spam) then it's OK.

A forum is a win-win situation. The owner (me) benefits from the content contributed by the members and the members benefit from being able to promote their sig file.

But you no longer get much of a benefit from having the same link all over the place (sig files). Yes, they help some but overall to get the most benefit from a forum is just by people clicking your link in your sig... not from the search engines giving you credit for having the same link in multiple threads.

Holbrog · #9 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 12:54 PM

Cheers Lisa

marketingmama · #10 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 01:09 PM

What about other ways to get backlinks such as:

Articles
Social bookmarks
Video sites
Social networks

You know, all the web 2.0 methods of getting backlinks. Have you tried any of that? I have had pretty good results with that as well as reciprocal link exchange sites.

I've heard that reciprocal linking is dead but to me, and a lot of other forum posters I've talked to about this, it doesn't make any sense at all.

About self-promotion, in the beginning, before your site gets out there in front of a lot of eyeballs, what's wrong with it? I mean, if you don't promote your own site, knowing that you have something to offer, who's gonna do it?

Sheree

WB Sponsors