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How Q&A Sites Can Help Your Link Building Strategy
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012Online marketers and SEO analysts are forever trying to find new and innovative ways of link building. One method that seems to be cropping up recently is the use of Q&A sites. After examining a selection of these sites, we try to find out the best ones and how they can help link building.
What is a Q&A site?
Traditional types of Q&A sites involved the creators of the site using the images of pop culture icons to answer questions asked by users. Now users can ask questions to be answered by other users and they are an ideal way to integrate social and SEO. From an SEO point of view, interacting with users and researching various topics will be a lot of fun!
Social sites such as Quora and Facebook Answers are my personal favourites, as they involve interaction with other users, whereas standard or non-social sites (Yahoo! Answers) focus entirely on getting specific answers to questions. Q&A search engines such as Ask.com can be pretty useful, as well as How-to guides (WikiHow) although they can be time-consuming.
Why use them?
Because of the number of people who are typing questions into Google rather than specific words or phrases, the popularity of Q&A sites is increasing. For example, people may write something like “Where are the best hotels in London?” rather than simply “London hotels”. This means that relevant answers on Q&A sites will appear higher in the search rankings – great news!
Search rankings and link building for keywords
As many of the top Q&A sites are continuously updated by users, they can often rank high in Google search results. Content is frequently updated on these sites as users love sharing their knowledge and expertise on a subject – who doesn’t like to show off every now and again? Google is more likely to prioritise these in the search rankings rather than dead content on other sites. If you’re link building for key words, Q&A sites can also help as they will generate natural links.
Findings
The number of questions available to answer is the main difference between a good Q&A site and a not-so-good one. Some had a lot on a variety of topics and others very little. Social sites such as Quora and AOL Answers allow users to build an online community making it lots of fun and are a great place to start. Sites that allow follow links enable you not only to link back to a relevant site, but also Google will take more notice of it. No-follow links are also useful though as they help build up a natural-looking link profile.
Q&A sites are a great way of learning new things but are also a valuable tool in link building. Other methods of generating links should not be ignored, but integrating the use of Q&A sites into your link building strategy is worth investigating. New methods of link building are sure to arise in the near future but for now Q&A sites seem to be becoming increasingly popular.
Infographic: How Social Networks Changed in 2011
Friday, January 6th, 2012
Why Choose Social Media? – An Intern’s View
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
I consider myself lucky to have grown up in such a quickly advancing technical world. I was using computers by the age of 9, had my own email account, MSN login and social network account by the age of 10! It wasn’t until a couple of years later I started asking questions like ‘Who controls the internet’, ‘Who is Bill Gates’ and ‘Mum, can I have a laptop for Christmas!’
I’ve always been interested in computers and especially social media . I’m fascinated by how it can bring people together, how it can tell you exactly what you need, where a product is and how to get it. A little later on in my life, questions started turning into actual research for my A Level IT coursework and I thought I’d be a fool not to understand how this whole thing works seeing as I use it so regularly and it’s evolving at such a rapid speed!
I have been an Intern at Bluepost Digital for the past 2 months learning all aspects of social media and specifically how businesses can use it. I recently read an article about ‘steps to selling with social media’ and was surprised to learn that these principles aren’t widely known by businesses already. After some exploration into what businesses do to market themselves it became clear that some companies aren’t doing anything with social media at all.
From my point of view companies should be social, talk to their users, and be able to understand who their target audience is and what they want more of! As a user I want to know that a company or product I support is using social media. For me as a huge music fan I feel the same theory comes into play. When I go to see a band perform I want to be noticed and heard, and feel a connection with them not only in the crowd but on other platforms too. I want to be part of a network where I can see what’s going on and get all the latest information.
While learning about how to run engagement campaigns at Bluepost, I’ve been excited to discover all the programs and tactics that can help a company boost its online presence. I’ve found that there is a multitude of management and analysis tools that can save time and help gather all the data that is available. It’s pleasing to see that these tools are accessible – even if some of them only do very simple things, such as counting up @mentions on Twitter. Often it’s the simple things that make all the difference.
In my opinion social media can substantially change communication between communities and organisations as well as individuals. I’d like to think that soon the power of social media is going to be so strong that all companies will have to sit up and take notice.
Google+… will it or won’t it?
Thursday, November 24th, 2011It’s a topic of considerable debate… Google+: what will be its fate? When we look at the social media landscape in a couple of years’ time, who – if anyone – will reign supreme? There are plenty of opinions flying around, so the social media team at Bluepost decided to get round a table to see if we could gain some clarity on the issue.
On the plus side (no pun intended), the team liked the platform’s visual appeal and were impressed with its range of features. But the conversation very quickly turned to some of the challenges that Google+ faces, which may or may not be surmountable at this stage in the game…
So, Google+… who is it actually for?
Well, at first glance it seems the platform is for everyone. The branding is clean and non-offensive, repelling no one in particular. Group chat features such as Hangouts and Messenger have perhaps been designed with younger audiences in mind. The Ripples feature is a handy tool for brands and proactive influencers. And then of course there are Circles. But, could it be that the platform is trying too hard to be all things to all people? No doubt Google would like to mimic Facebook’s success, attracting users from all walks of life. Facebook didn’t start out that way, though. It took many years to evolve from a platform for US college students to a universally appealing hub. Perhaps Google+ has taken on too much too soon, and in trying to appeal to everyone, it’s actually appealing to no one in particular.
Circles – are they really all that?
When Google+ first launched back in June, it was the Circles feature that jumped out as new and exciting – as of course it was intended to. For a short time, it seemed as though this was what would make the platform different. Even when Facebook improved its own ‘lists’ function, Circles still seemed a lot cleaner and easier to manage. But… how many users really need the process to be made cleaner and easier right now? Personally, I can already achieve what I want with Facebook messages, Google chat and emails. So, are Circles really useful enough to encourage people to move all my friends and social media interactions from other platforms over to Google+? Asking around the team, the general answer seemed to be ‘no’.
What happens in a case of Goliath versus Goliath?
It is unfortunate that Google’s two most recent branded social media ventures met such sorry ends, despite their sophisticated features (Wave) and ease of access (Buzz). Perhaps that’s because the company didn’t quite understand the needs of its audience. Or perhaps people sensed Google was increasing its presence in the social space for a bigger piece of the pie, not for the love of it? Another theory is that people don’t really want a social platform from the search engine giant. That’s not what Google is for. It’s known for its complicated search algorithms, its effective PPC, and its intuitive email system. Despite its successes with certain acquisitions, such as YouTube, what the brand itself isn’t generally associated with are friendly, cohesive communities. Maybe Google believes that it is bound to attract success eventually. But in a battle between the likes of Facebook and Google – such as the one being seen at the moment – we’re being forced to choose between one Goliath and another. There’s no underdog for people to back here. So, perhaps Google would have been better off disassociating itself slightly – even if only symbolically – and launching Google+ under an entirely new brand.
And what’s the verdict…?
The above are just some of the angles we debated during our team chat – there’s plenty more to discuss. I can’t help thinking that at the moment much of this is academic, though. Whether we believe it has a future or not, Google+ is here right now. The platform will have an impact on search (it’s Google after all). And there are audiences on there who brands could benefit from talking too – regardless of whether the numbers have been rising or declining recently. So we’re not ready to write off Google+ just yet. Let’s see how the story unfolds. And if this platform does go the way of Wave and Buzz, no doubt more ‘hard-won’ lessons will have been learnt.
Do you think Google+ has a future? Let us know your thoughts below. Or join in our #BPDdebates on Twitter next Friday, 2nd December 2011, at 1pm: @bluepostdigital.
SearchLove 2011: The Right Tools for the Job
Monday, November 21st, 2011Duncan Morris, CEO of Distilled, opened this year’s SearchLove conference with something of a disclaimer. He warned us that actionable recommendations would be few and far between and that we were going to have to read between the lines during the two days of presentations if we wanted to find implementable outputs. It sounded like we were in for two days of serious note taking!
As it turned out, identifying actions wasn’t as tricky as it first seemed. There were two prominent themes that quickly emerged and dominated much of the conference: the future of social communities and the importance of great SEO tools. In a number of presentations these themes overlapped and we were offered a whole raft of suggestions for social plugins, analytics and competitor monitoring tactics. But the most exciting homework project wasn’t actually the application of any of these off-the-peg resources – it was the idea of adopting new DIY techniques.
Distilled’s Will Critchlow was the first to touch on this theme, evangelising about the value of robust, diverse and customised SEO toolkits. In a presentation fitting as much for sysadmins as for SEOs, he suggested learning to cope without the middle man when it comes to analytics; for example, using server logs to establish Googlebot activity instead of relying on third party tools.
The right toolkit for the job - by RLHyde on Flickr
Wiep Knol kept up the pace on day two, urging SEOs to become more self-sufficient in their use of tools. Stressing the importance of using competitor research to inform link building activity, Wiep introduced his own custom-made competition checking tool. He pointed out that by having the freedom to set the specific parameters of his research tool, he is guaranteed meaningful data that perfectly fits his requirements. An excellent example of effective customisation!
And he wasn’t the only one advocating the development of personalised tools. Patrick Altoft reiterated the point later in the afternoon and emphasised the importance of using a proper developer in order to create a genuinely valuable piece of software. He also offered a fascinating insight into the role bespoke software plays in his project management. Using a team foundation server as a basic platform, he’s bolted on a variety of programmes that enable the smooth running of day-to-day agency work. He was in good company – throughout the course of the event, speaker after speaker espoused the virtues of project management software.
People are so important to successful SEO that sometimes the tools they use don’t get all the attention that they deserve, but the SearchLove speakers provided great examples of what you can achieve when you show your tools a bit of TLC. So, while it wasn’t as tricky to deduce as Duncan’s introduction had me expecting, my take-away action from the conference wasn’t at all what I had been anticipating. Now I’m spending a lot more time thinking about the technology that underpins our work, making sure it perfectly fits our requirements and generally paying our tools some well-deserved attention!
The Learnings of an SEO Newbie
Friday, November 4th, 2011SearchLove Conference, 24-25 October, Congress Centre, London
SEO – three little letters, one huge industry. Six months ago I joined Bluepost Digital with (what I thought) was a basic knowledge of SEO – it turns out it was the tip of an ever-changing and ever-challenging iceberg. Emerging from a publishing background as a Senior Writer, there were two rules I quickly learnt. 1) Google is the daddy and 2) Just when you think you’ve worked it out, it sends out an update that, regardless of being named after a cute furry animal, can cause teams of adults to stamp their feet in frustration. I think you’ll agree with me when I say that Google certainly knows how to keep us on our toes.
However, after a few months into the world of SEO I realised that although updates can prove frustrating, I enjoy being part of an industry that is constantly evolving. (I do like a good challenge). With this in mind, my bosses decided to send myself and my colleague Bea to the SearchLove Conference last month to broaden my SEO knowledge and mix amongst like-minded SEO-ers.
When the conference commenced, I was somewhat flummoxed by the technical jargon and abbreviations circulating – until I remembered to put on my SEO hat. Any words that didn’t make sense post-hat I noted down on a ‘to Google’ list, alongside handy websites to investigate. My game plan was water-tight. The regular breaks in between presentations proved crucial as it was during these (complete with a brownie or two) where Bea and I could really get our heads around the tips, techniques and tools that were emerging – and how we can use them to propel our clients into 2012.
Power to the People
A recurring theme that I found particularly insightful, which I thought I’d share with you, was the importance of building a passionate community to propel your business to SEO and social media success.
Rand Fishkin’s opening presentation – Everything’s Easier with Fans – set the tone for the conference, with many speakers underlining the necessity of a loyal network of users. Fishkin passionately described how to leverage the power of a community to build a phenomenal inbound marketing machine.
Have a Little Patience
Building a community around your brand requires a lot of initial input, from research to time dedication. However this input is worth every second – once you’ve achieved your loyal community, your brand evangelists will be creating user-generated content and ultimately doing your job for you.
Never Feel Lonely
Don’t let your communities feel empty. A sense of density needs to be communicated to inspire people to interact. Blogs are a great first step in starting a community – but make sure each blog post has at least two comments on it. Use your comments box to spark debate and invite responses – get your community communicating with your brand.
This discovery immediately got me thinking about our company blog. Whether it means starting early or working late – I intend to ensure regular posts go up, starting with this one. (Please feel free to comment…)
Game On
Richard Baxter’s Gamification presentation explored community-building techniques via a dose of healthy competition. Whether you’re looking for brand ambassadors or wish to gather data, users thrive in competitive environments and react well to incentives, which can range from earning points to receiving badges and discounts for interacting with your website. Reward your community and you’ll reap the benefits.
SearchLove was certainly a beneficial event to attend – not only have Bea and I refreshed and expanded our technical understanding, but we’ve been reassured in our dedication to think outside the box when it comes to SEO. As Tom Critchlow said in his talk on Big Business SEO – think visionary. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
