PART 4 of 5: Google Webmaster Guidelines – Web 2.0 Link Building
The 4th bullet in the Webmaster Guidelines states “Make sure all the sites that should know about your pages are aware your site is online”
This part is a fun one. Google actually tells us to promote our site.
So this part is dedicated to letting everyone in relevant communities know about your website. The Fun part of SEO.
You can use these strategies on thousands of sites and be as creative as you can. The more creative and unique you are, the better. Don’t go overboard though, you still need to be relevant to your targeted keyword phrases.
TIP 1: Create a keyword-rich profile in Digg.com, Flickr.com & StumbleUpon.
For this post, I will use Digg.com, StumbleUpon.com & Flickr.
When I say keyword rich, I mean, somehow put your targeted keywords in your profile and in your profile url (if possible). This way, your permalink page within the site has the keyword in the url and hopefully in the title or <hx> tags as well.
Here are some good web 2.0 tips to follow.
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When creating your profile, if asked to add a website, add yours.
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In the about me section, create content unique to that Web 2.0 site and relevant to your website.
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If possible, apply attributes i.e. bold or italic to your targeted keywords.
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Next, add a link to your site from your profile page (the page with the keyword in the permalink)
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In your profile, try to put that link within content relevant to your website.
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Search for your targeted keyword within the site. then…
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Add all friends/contacts that are ranking high for that term. then…
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Comment their post/picture that’s most relevant to your targeted keyword with a relevant link pointing back to your website or a particular profile page. Make sure they are aware your site is online
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Now find the groups most relevant to your keywords and join them.
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If those groups allow comments, post a relevant comment within the group with a relevant link pointing back to your site.
When searching a Web 2.0 site, it’s easy to see who is most relevant to your targeted keyword and why, so join them, imitate them and then do a lot more than them.
NOTE: When uploading a picture, stumbling’ or digging’ a site, make sure when you add tags, that the tags are your keywords in your websit’s metas and are ALSO some of the most popular tags within that web 2.0 site relevant to your site.
TIP 2: Forum posting
This is probably one of the oldest and most played out strategies on informing other sites about yours. Probably because it’s something Google says we should do.
What we do here is find forums related to our field and participate.
A good way to find forums related to your field is to go to Google and search “graphic design forums” or computer forums.
Once we have found forums to post comments in, keep these tips in mind.
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Don’t spam or be spammy. A lot of forums have moderators that filter out sites. So to have a lasting link, don’t spam.
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If possible, within your forum profile, link to your website
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Also, add a keyword-rich anchor text link to your signature, so that every time you comment in a forum, you create a link to your webpage.
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Make sure that when answering a question or starting a thread, your post is obviously trying to contribute to the site and not just trying to draw traffic to your site. This is possible while at the same time making sure people are aware of your site. You just have to be creative.
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This is also your chance to make sure all content surrounding your link is of choice ;-)
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Something interesting…
TIP 3: Blogging comments
This is also one of my old school favorites. In this tip, we find blogspots relevant to our keyword and leave keyword-rich text links in those blogs pointing back to our site. Once again, this is just another way to make sure others are aware that our site is online.
Steps to Blogspot Commenting.
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First, we will search for the best blogs to comment in by searching terms like “graphic design blogs” in Google search.
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Identify a blogspot to comment in.
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Find that perfect blog to comment on.
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Make sure the blogger is aware your site is online by commenting one of his/her blogs with a link (with keyword in anchor text) pointing back to your site or profile.
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Keep in mind, the owner will screen your comment first, so make sure it’s a comment the webmaster and visitors would like. And one that the webmaster wont delete.
NOTE: Sometimes you will be asked to be signed in to blogger.com. If you are a member of any Google account, you will be able to post a comment. Unless the moderator has selected the option to only allow Blogspot bloggers to comment. In that case, you just need to create a blog at http://www.blogger.com.
TIP4: Classifieds. A short-term link that’s free and informative.
Another way to make sure others are aware of your site is to post classifieds in local directories. If your company is in Seattle, you may want to find classifieds in Seattle and post attention getting information about your site within those local classifieds. Theirs thousands of classifieds to submit a post/ad to…
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Search terms like Seattle classifieds or “graphic design” “classifieds”
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Or search for global classifieds using terms like “classifieds”, computer classifieds or classifieds “submit”
Remember, most classified links expire, so all traffic you get, you may only get once. (Unless your site gives that visitor a reason to return) This is just another way to may sure others are aware of your site.
Since Google’s next step is submitting to directories, check and see if any of the classified sites have a directory or links page.
TIP5: TAGS – Visit BlogOptimizer.Blogspot.com to learn the importance of tags
Well, this finishes off Google’s 4th bullet “Make sure all the sites that should know about your pages are aware your site in online.”
Just remember one thing; if you have a legit relevant site that people in your field will enjoy then it’s only right that you let all of them know you are there for them. Right???
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