Posting in forums

[StockTrader]

When you post your message in forums such as this, and want to include
your signature like many of you do w/ a link to your site, what is the
best strategy? Im guessing you pick keywords related to the page you're
linking to on your site, like some of you have done, and have it link
to that page instead of just having a regular link with your site name.
I believe I have read that doing that will help the pagerank of the
page on your site you link to, is that right? Would that also mean that
if you were to say post in 30 different forums that you would want to
change your "anchor text" i think its called, with each post so that it
is helping many different pages on your site?
_____________________________________


Jeff from http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com

Stock Trading (http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com/trading_stocks_online.html)

[lalala]

I'm not an expert by any means, but all of your thoughts seem right on the money. That is what my strategy has been. I try to direct others to my pages with keywords and in different forums, I do use different keywords.

[elliot]

I think this strategy works great as long as your linked pages and anchor text are pertinent to the forum you are posting to. If you go to far off topic it might upset the search engines a bit ...
________
Avandia injury lawyer (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/avandia/)

[makphisto]

I think this strategy works great as long as your linked pages and anchor text are pertinent to the forum you are posting to. If you go to far off topic it might upset the search engines a bit ...

You may be right, it's hard to know. The other thing to remember is when you put links in forums you have the chance of doing "grassroots" advertising. I, for instance, know I've sold at least one pair of rope sandals to another forum member here on the LinkPartners forums based on my signature link.

[pageperson]

Well, there you go.

It always comes down to the chicken and egg question about which comes first. Do you structure your links to generate sales or to appease the search engine Gods?

I prefer to structure mine to maximize business because I have yet to have a search engine algorithm buy anything from me and I doubt that any of them have ever ordered a pair of sandals from you.

The other factor behind my decision is that I really don't believe anyone -- whether a well-meaning amateur or a $300-buck-an-hour SEO consultant -- has a clue how to truly impress the SEO Gods. Sure we all know about avoiding the obvious things like bad neighborhoods, irrelevancy, link farming, etc. But that just keeps your site neutral.

Structuring links that will skyrocket your PR is a crap shoot at best or alchemy at worst. That's why I prefer to link for end users.
________
TRIBE MALAYSIA (http://www.toyota-wiki.com/wiki/Tribe_Toyota_Malaysia)

[makphisto]

Structuring links that will skyrocket your PR is a crap shoot at best or alchemy at worst.

That's a good quote, and it is very true.

[hotpop]

Yes, I think you should change your "anchor text" for different forums.

[glenn33]

I have found that over the years when using forums that consistancy counts. Even though I use several forums I try to keep my screen name and signature the same. Many forum users visit multiple sites and it's nice to run into someone you know. I also agree with the enduser theory. Since I choose my forums carefully my URL signature really does tell it all, and most people in that forum know what I specialize in just by reading it.

www.carartonline.com

[Tugeza]

I wonder if Google, Yahoo and MSN treat links in the signature as good as those on other non-forum sites. There is a point of view that SE algorithms count links from forums a way lower - because the owner of the forum actually can not control all the threats and topics, so he can not keep a close look at what links are placed on his forum, and thus not responsible for such links. As a result their weight is a bit lighter than the weight of the links from thematical sites...

[Duke]

Linking to your site via sig can help to bring your site additional exposure but it likely will not be indexed as a backlink to your site.

I'd also suggest you read and understand the sites limitations in regards to signature display as many webmasters do not appreciate you "peddling your warez" on their forum.

[Cleaningprof]

On one of my sites 9% of the backlinks indexed by Google are from signature links. But it looks like they only index the first one fro a single site.

[The Old Sarge]

I think Google is changing the way it rates signature links. It used to be that 90% of my backlinks were from boards just like this. And there were multiple links from the same boards, even the same threads/topics. As the number of indexed pages rose, the number of signature links dropped. Not sure exactly why but I suspect Google is simply changing algos.

[Duke]

Is this a Stocks related thread? I read though the post, yet found nothing related to stocks. What am I missing?


It's got nothing to do with stocks, it's a discussion on forum signatures and whether or not they actually help you in the SERPS.

Back on topic, I really can't see google using forum signatures as anything other than a backlink from a webforum. While it’s true that a sig may or may not always be treated as a back link, unless the forum linking to your site is on par with your sites theme, I simply cannot see how it helps you in the SERPS.

Regardless of how forum sigs are treated, they are certainly no replacement for a comprehensive reciprocal linking strategy with sites that compliment your sites focus.

[The Old Sarge]

Regardless of how forum sigs are treated, they are certainly no replacement for a comprehensive reciprocal linking strategy with sites that compliment your sites focus.

100% agreed.

[sheetal]

When you post your message in forums such as this, and want to include
your signature like many of you do w/ a link to your site, what is the
best strategy? Im guessing you pick keywords related to the page you're
linking to on your site, like some of you have done, and have it link
to that page instead of just having a regular link with your site name.
I believe I have read that doing that will help the pagerank of the
page on your site you link to, is that right? Would that also mean that
if you were to say post in 30 different forums that you would want to
change your "anchor text" i think its called, with each post so that it
is helping many different pages on your site?
_____________________________________


Jeff from http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com

Click here to learn how to trade stocks online (http://www.best-stock-trading-systems.com/trading_stocks_online.html)
Hello Dear,

Your question is very much interesting and informative too. I m in SEO field for 2yrs. My experience say, we all register in forums to improve our PR as well as to generate hits. Now when anyone hit your site with different keywords, your keyword optimizer starts from there. Also your rank position on Search Engines improves gradually.

Hope i am able to make u understand.

Regards

[Art-and-Home]

I prefer to structure mine to maximize business because I have yet to have a search engine algorithm buy anything from me and I doubt that any of them have ever ordered a pair of sandals from you.


Excellent point. And, as another poster mentioned earlier, you have to be careful to make sure your links aren't considered commercial posts, or they'll be removed from the forum, leaving no value either way.

Most sites will allow a signature with a basic name / link, but some don't even allow that... depending on the site. If you get too carried away with keywords, then the signature file becomes an advertisement for your home page, and it will probably be removed.

Hope that helps.

Paul

----------------------------------------

Art and Home (http://www.art-and-home.net)

[Phil Staff]

Everyone,

Nice notes Art and Home!

We allow signatures with links here in this forum as we very well know the benefit to our members and the Internet as a whole.

Obvious abuse of signatures would never be permitted here as one bad spammy posting could negatively affect this forum and the members. We moderate this forum regularly.

One basic strategy of search engine marketing is to find as many other forums in your industry as possible and register and actually become active in the forums. Whether it is a personal forum or a business forum there are many possibilities out there.

Some sites don't allow signatures and some may charge for a premium membership that will allow the addition of a signature to your posts. Anytime you can get a signature with your link it is a good thing. The more *relevant* the forum is to your site and visitors the more beneficial it would be.

Phil

[Maurice]

This forum offers a wide range of formatting features to enable you to write messages, in an interesting and pleasing manner, with easy inclusion of images, attachments, links and E-Mail addresses as well as Emoticons (those little faces used to express emotions online)! Simply mark the test you want to change and click on the appropriate button - easy!

In order to be able to learn how to use the forum properly, we have provided a range of descriptions to help you as follows:

1. Read all the messages in Forum Rules and Announcments
2. Click on the FAQ link found at the top of each page
3. If you are familiar with Microsoft Word, you should find posting messages easy as the formating tools are very similar
4. To have spell checking of your posts, you need to install a special software (free).


This is general way of writing a forum that is replying for some other forums...

[Cleaningprof]

Agree, the Vbulletin software provides a good editor but whether additional software is required for spellchecking depends upon the browser you use.

This is being typed in Safari but I also used Firefox until the latest versions became more greedy regarding both memory and CPU usage. Both have built-in spell checkers.

PS.

It is understandable but a shame that the Administration has disallowed private messaging due to repeated spam posting through that system.

[The Old Sarge]

It is understandable but a shame that the Administration has disallowed private messaging due to repeated spam posting through that system.


Most of it was automated and very difficult to keep up with.