Link Building Strategies >> Forums
Online Networking With Forums
Online forums are a great place to exchange ideas, post and respond to questions, and learn about a particular topic. They're also a good place to gain inbound links.
Most forums let you create a signature that you can attach to your posts. In your signature, you can often include a hyperlink to your website. So, for example, if you're a real estate agent in Austin, your post signature might look like this:
John Doe
Austin Real Estate Agent
By linking to your website through a key phrase like this, you're both gaining a link and telling search engines what your site is about.
Important: But don't join a forum just for a free link. Most forum moderators have quality control procedures in place to prevent this sort of thing. Join a forum to share information with like-minded individuals. Join for the networking benefits and think of the link as a bonus. And always be sure to read the forum rules before posting.
Finding Relevant Forums
These days, there's a forum on just about everything — from motorcycle maintenance to reptile husbandry. Chances are, if there's a hobby, profession or topic that a lot of people are interested in, there's at least one forum out there dedicated to it.
To find a forum on a topic that interests you, just Google the topic plus the word forum. For example, I'm obviously interested in topics relating to Internet marketing, so I might find forums by searching for the following:
- internet marketing +forum
- internet marketing forums
- website forums
- online marketing +join our forum
- Etc...
Related item: More link-building strategies
