traffic : Discussion forums

Discussion forums
What is the point of discussion forums for SEO? How do these forums  can help you promote a website? What  forums should  you choose? What can be done on a forum and what should we especially not do?


Definition: Forums

A forum is a place for discussion between users on a specific topic. It is a space in which a person can ask a question, answer questions from others or just broadcast their opinion about a specific topic .

The forums are not commercial and therefore are not spaces in which you carry advertising for your website. The primary purpose of a forum is to provide information free. At each forum, a charter of participation clearly indicates that you will not be allowed to make direct promotion of your website.

There is one solution, fully accepted and used by most Internet users wishing to make known (or make their website): Signature.

Your signature

When you "post" on a forum, insert in this forum a new message or a reply message, you must register for this forum. When registering, you will be asked to identify yourself with a username, a password, sometimes some personal information and especially: Your signature. This entry will be your profile on the forum. This profile is partly displayed in each message you post on this forum.

Of course, your signature must contain the address of your website. So this is an easy way to display your URL across multiple pages.

Benefits

There are two interests in the forums. The first is the pure SEO: The address of your website will appear on many pages there are messages that you have posted and many messages that you have answered. Search engines consider this as external links (or backlinks BL) and it will therefore participate in the popularity of your website.



What to do

First: Puttyour web site address in the signature of your profile. In a context of pure SEO, it is useless to post on forums that do not allow to display your signature.

Choose forums related to the topic of your website, if possible: More about the forum will be compared with that in your website, most members of this forum will be attracted to your website. This logic is very simple: If your website deals with gardening, you will be known on all forums about gardening.

Upload consistent messages related topics in the forum: It is unnecessary and negative to be "irrelevant."

Post interesting answers to other forum members (not just type: "Bravo for this message" or "thank you for the info).

Respect always, and completely, the charter of the forum which you participate.

What not to do

Make explicit advertising for your website in the text of your messages. This is oftenly prohibited (see forum charter) and this will cause admin to delete your messages.

Reply on subjects that you are not absolutely familiar with because it is not "constructive" to other forum members.

Being abusive or overly negative (because it is your image and the image of your website).

Make defamation in your posts

Conclusion

If you actively participate in one or several forums dealing with a subject close to your website, you will let people  know (personally) your website (and consequently to attract visitors) and harvest a large number of  external links that will greatly improve the popularity of your site.