Forum Posting for Back Links
If you have a web site, two of the biggest challenges facing you are bringing in visitors and improving your visibility in search engines like Google and Bing. Today we’re going to explore a marketing method that addresses both needs: forum signature link building.
One of the wonders of the internet is that it has the ability to bring together people with similar interests regardless of geography and the distance that might separate them. Whether obscure or mainstream, your interest is shared by others and more than likely, there is a place on the internet where those others gather together to discuss it.
Often referred to as forums or discussion boards, these web sites that usually have a variety of sub-categories in which users can post a new thread of discussion or comment on an existing thread. To participate you simply need to create an account and jump in with both feet. It is advised that you spend a little time reading threads before you post yourself as each forum has its own culture and set of unwritten rules that the existing user base is protective of.
If you go into your account settings you should find the ability to set up a signature for your posts. What this means is that every time you make a post in the forum, your signature will appear at the bottom of your comments. Now for the link building: you want to set up your signature link so it has an html link back to your web site. As you participate in the forum and make interesting and relevant posts, you will find that other members will click on your link and visit your site.
A great trick is to use a short description of your site rather than just a URL in your signature – this will help you with your rankings in the search engines. For instance, a link using the words “Dallas Used Book Store” will improve your search rankings for that term more than just a URL or the name of your store. Think about the words your prospective site visitors might be using to try to find you and use those.
Some forum owners guard against intruders who show up by establishing requirements before you are allowed to include links in your forum signature. For example, some require you to first make a certain number of posts; others may have a set period of time you first need to be a member of the forum; and with others you may need to contact a forum administrator or moderator and make the request.
As you can imagine, many members of these forums are protective of their home turf and do not take kindly to people showing up and making nonsensical or irrelevant posts in an effort to spam their links. That’s why it is recommended to only join and link from forums relevant to you r web site.
Forum signature links are a great way to add to the overall inbound link profile of your website as well as improve both your search engine rankings and the number of visitors. It stands to reason that people who are interested in a topic might also be interested in your web site on that topic. Just go to your favorite search engine and type in the topic of your website and the word forum or discussion board. Give it a try today and see how it works.
