SERPentus

Joining and posting on forums can bring in loads of traffic to your own site if you keep a few things in mind while posting. You can also gain a few friends, and in return a few one way links as they plug your site as well. So read on…

Your first steps here will be to actually find applicable forums to post on.

1. You’ll need a valid email address
   Having a VALID address will prove you are a human, so this is actually important enough to mention.
2. Find a forum.
   The easiest way to do this is to search for “your niche” + Forum. If you have a preferred forum platform then replace forum with something like SMF, vBulletin, or phpBB. This should list several forums within your specialty.
3. Join the forum!
   Remember to use your valid email address.
4. Fill in your profile.
   Most offer a spot for your homepage, but also add an Avatar, your YAHOO or AIM information, and of course your signature! Fill in the biography as well, just don’t spam your location. Either put in your real location or something witty. Most people are put off by a web address there.

Now that you are a member of a forum you should be ready to get posting. You do not need to stay logged into the forum, or work very hard at what needs to be done, so relax. Log into the forum for as little as a half hour a week, check the ‘new posts’ link and answer a few questions or get involved with a few conversations. Log out, and head back the following week. In 30 minutes you should be able to get out 2 or 3 decent quality posts. However, the longer you stay, and the more you post, the more recognition you will get.

Forum Etiquette:

1. BE HUMAN!
First and foremost in forum linkbuilding is to be HUMAN. No one likes a bot, and most forums will delete the post anyway.

2. Be a part of the Community.
Your posts should speak for themselves. If you are personable and people like you, they will click on your signature links to see what else you have to say.

3. Follow the rules.
Getting yourself banned from a popular forum does nothing but lower your click through rates. Think of yourself as a moderator on the forum you are posting at (even if you are not a mod) and ask yourself if you delete what you are about to post if it was being posted by someone else.

4. Don’t Spam!
Do not start threads that point to your links in your signature, though if someone starts a thread on a topic that’s relevant to one of your pages, then by all means quote a little bit of it, and give a link to the rest of it. This should be covered under fair use in the copyright laws, and most mods allow such things (if done in good taste). Just don’t over do it.

5. Don’t bother with checking for rel=”nofollow”.
The key to forum linking is traffic. People follow nofollow links, so use them. Especially if it is a popular forum. The traffic you’ll get should supersede any negative effects of the nofollow tag anyway. Besides, most of the threads you’ll be posting in have PR0 or are unranked anyway.

6. READ sticky threads!
Many forums have sticky threads for resources. As your site is a resources, post it! Sticky threads also have a higher tendency to get PR which is, as you know, the best backlink. It is better to wait a few weeks (and a few posts) before plugging your sites like this.

7.Post!
But don’t post whore. 10 GREAT posts will bring in more traffic then 100 one-liners that people simply scroll past. The higher quality you can keep the forum, the higher quality your links will be.

8. Be keyword rich
Don’t list them, but use then as often as possible. Your posts will do better in the SERPS and may result in more guests clicking your links.

9. Trade sig links with other community members.
If you link to your site and someone else’s, and they do the same for you it can potentially double your linking power. This can be tricky to ask for however, so beware.

10. Make friends with the mod team!
If you have a friend on the inside, then you’ll have a better chance to squeeze out something a bit spammier. Just don’t let them know you read this list!

Posts to try:

1. Introduce yourself.
This post is important, as it’s +1 post count, and often a good way to make friends. Don’t bother plugging your site in your intro thread as that is generally an indication you are a spammer. Just give a good “hello” and maybe a little bit about yourself.

2. Post about things that interest you.
You’ll actually know what you are talking about, your posts will be relevant, and likely appreciated.

3. Be On-Topic!
Topicality is a major point that many forum goers neglect. Don’t be kind of on topic, be exactly on topic. The more relevant your posts can be the better for you, the forum you are on, and the internet community as a whole.

4. Controversy
Everyone likes a good debate, just don’t resort to name calling. If the thread you post in is a hot topic then it will have a higher chance of staying on page one. Just make sure you remain cool, and don’t troll or flame.

5. Thanks
While trying to stay away from pointless one liners, still be kind and courteous to your fellow forumers. Thank others when applicable, and they may just become your friend ~ a friend which you can later invite to check out your site.

6. Be friendly!
In all that you do, do it with a smile. People will like you and want to be like you…

7. Be helpful and informative.
Not every post needs a link as every post has your signature. So just post what you know, and don’t be overly concerned about backlinks. In fact, see the next point.

8. Give other links…
Link to sites other then yours. Doing that will show you are not just plugging your sites. Link to my sites, or link to your friends sites. You don’t need to do it often, but trust me, you’ll less like a salesmen and more like a part of the forum family. It may be wise to not link to competing sites, however, linking to other sites that link to yours can be a real bonus.

9. Make friends with the post whores.
Most of these people are on the mod team, but not all of them. Making friends with the ‘core’ members will help get you further in the community. They also tend to have a higher rep power on forums that use the reputation system, and they are generally inclined to use it on their friends. The first step in them liking you is simply posting in their threads.

10. BE HUMAN!
Again, no one likes a bot, and most hate spam. Post as a member of the community and you’ll find that your post links, and signature will take you farther.

If you have a forum yourself:

1.Do all the posting points above
The reasoning behind that should be obvious, and members clicking through from other communities should see the same person on your site.

2.Start a Street Team
Find a few loyal members that you can give a few added perks too in return for them posting on other forums. If they are also linking to your sites, that’ll help your cause even more. Have them read this guide, then have them do what they do best.

3.Join in on post exchanges.
So long as you and the person you are trading with are adding content, then both parties win. This point can work well with the Street Team mentioned above.

4.Expect people to use these guidelines on your site, and let them!
Seriously, as long as that member is contributing to your site what is the harm? Chances are they will be adding decent content, and as long as they are following this guide, they will likely do more good then bad. Though, if they are crossing the lines into spam, then don’t hesitate to issue them an infraction.

Two Bonus Tips:

• Many new forums actually PAY you to post.
  Take advantage of this. While the traffic may be a bit slow, if you prove your worth you may find yourself asked to join the mod team. Though pay attention to the actions of the owner/admin. If they are not actively promoting their forum your work may be wasted.

• Sell your signature!
  Really. If you are plugging one or two of your sites via your signature, then selling a 3^rd spot should not be out of the ordinary. Just don’t be spammy, and be sure you are only selling to relevant buyers. Promoting your automotive sites, with another link to a bid directory may seem a bit strange, which in turn could raise a few red flags with the site staff.

Lastly I would like to say that this method of link building is more about traffic and less about Search Engine Optimization. Your forum posts and signature may very well help you in Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) but will likely do very little in the way of Page Rank. Your posting style will reflect upon your product/site so for good product recognition it is generally advised to post with a smile and aways follow Good Form practices. Be yourself, and post what you know.

If you would like to discuss this article or see even more tips then see THIS thread on Digital Point.