Hello. Right now my forum www.computalk.net is on page two in a google search for web development forum: http://www.google.com/search?q=web+development+forum&hl=en&start=10&sa=N How can I make it gain 5 places so it becomes on page 1, or more so it gets higher? I have submitted it to thousands of directories, done blog comments, put it in my forum sig. I will willing to spend $50 max. Calum
What you have done already is correct. Do the SEO work perfectly and increase the traffic. Try to get more back links from related niches. When the number of posts increase in your forum, that itself will be taken into account by the google. Keep on promoting your forum. You can hire forum posters also when the activity decreases. Then wait and watch. It will sure go up in the search!
Thanks So if I keep blog commentings and directory submitting how long do you think it will take to gain 5 places and reach the first page? Also, will hiring posters to make 1000 posts make much difference? That is all I can afford. Thanks Calum
Try to create backlinks for different pages of your site not only one page (eg. homepage) so that Googlebot would know that many pages on your site are worthy.
Ok thanks for the advice, but since it is a forum there isn't many other pages, so would linking to threads or the registration page be good? I have created a Google Sitemap so Google knows about my pages.
Google gives more credit to sites that have many "worthy" pages, I'd get some backlinks to interesting and informative threads in the forum.
as everyone has already mentioned keep on getting backlinks... but it also wouldn't hurt to get loads of posting in there.. as we all know fresh content is king with google