Forum Link Building tips (it's not just your signiture!)

Forum links have little or no value in google.

 

Could you please elaborate more on this?

Making blanket statements without any data or facts to prove them isn’t the wisest thing to do.

 

Sig links certainly do have an effect, likely not as much as many other types of link, but when I've had an increase in PR based on sig links. I know the boost was there because when I removed the sigs, my PR went down.

But then, it's not all about google! Traffic and product recognition are equally important steps in both link building and advertising. Case in point, you have links in your sig. You are not trying to get the threads you are linking to to have better PR, but you do want them seen...right?

Controversy is a GREAT tactic for sales, and getting the word out. In fact, of all the people that posted in this thread, you are the only one that I've bothered reading the sig for.

Kudos to you for helping to prove the point!

 

Sig links can have value as marketing. Just look at the alive and aviva directories on this forum.

As for passing link juice - why would google place value on links where anybody can create?

Sig links where devalued way back at the 'florida update' in 2003. Before this some smart seo's actually did spam forums for sig links.

Digital point seams to be one forum that many place value on these links. If you look at most of the big webmaster forums the opposite is the case.

Qryztufre controversy was not my aim just wanted to get my point across - as you said I am the only one making it.
.

 

Most links anyone can make, in fact, it's the users links I think that Google is looking for, not the links from webmasters ~ as it's the people that are searching that they want to please.

So in a way, a link in a thread is more valuable then a link in a footer.

Many forums are still getting spammed... The trick is to NOT spam.

I'm not a member of any other webmaster forums (that really matter). Though, with more and more forum admin flagging signatures nofollow, it should show that such a trend is wider then just here at Digital Point.

Yes, but in many ways, it was my point you were helping to prove.

Sig links DO pass some (and likely more then a stumble exchange), that should be evident. Though one of the main points of placing a link in your sig is to pull in the members of the forum you are posting in. In both cases posting within your niche works best, though posting outside of your nice does help pull in some traffic (I have three new members on my forum that were referred there from my sig here). Thats a new member a month...not the greatest, but meh...I'm posting here anyway. In the other forums that I post in that are within my niche, I get even better ratios.

According to Google Analytics I'm getting more visitors from forums then I am from MSN (lol).
Q

 

What is a good way to go about getting other links without spamming?

 

thx Qryztufre for the advices .

 

Being a HUMAN that's a part of the COMMUNITY. By posting relevant things that are on topic to the forum, the thread, and to the actual post itself.

Think of yourself as a forum moderator. While posting ask yourself "would *I* allow this?" if the answer is NO, then you are spamming. If the answer is yes, ask yourself "will these mods allow this?" if the answer is yes again...go ahead & post.

 

Excellent tips mate. Appreciate it!

 

Very interesting tips

Only put at the step zero: check if that forum has

rel=nofollow

PHP:

to all external links

 

Honestly, if a forum was a big as DP I'd not worry as much about it. Especially if you post in the 'better threads' and even better if you can get a link off in a post

Though, generally, yeah, nofollow == bad.

 

Nice tips, thanks for sharing!

 

It would be great if sig links did have an effect. When I get a new client in all I would need to do if find related forums and post away!

Google is constantly looking to block methods spammers can use and they closed the signature file route way back in 2003.

If take a look through link building tips from the top seo's - notice the lack any tips on posting sig links.

Use these links for marketing - trying to use them for link juice is waste of time much better used in other link building methods.

 

Very interesting thread - I've done some forum/blog promotion on a couple of my sites and they have been very helpful in building 'viral' traffic even if I don't get much link juice from them. I'll second the thought of being viewed as a community member - any time a long-standing, well respected forum member comments about how cute my site is, or actually link to my site voluntarily, traffic and links go up exponentially. Even most net newbies can smell the difference between self-promotion and actual praise - even if they don't know why.

Again on the topic of link juice, I have some private forums I participate in that Google has no way of seeing that I still find valuable - some have over 90K members - many of whom have hobbiest websites on the same niche as mine. I've gotten many PR 4+ links from these folks without even asking for it! You'll have to work hard to get that kind of cred in a forum, but if your sites are on something you are knowledgeable in and enjoy, it shouldn't be that hard.

Lastly the 15K challenge was a good example of using forum postings to drive traffic to a site. If you haven't browsed through it it's worth a look.

 

Good point on sticky threads.

 

Hello all, as a newbie I appreciate forums such as this to learn as much as possible. Thanks for the great tips. Now I need to ask a question. Please forgive me if I offend anyone on this forum. Anyways, what is sticky threads and link juice??

 

Excellent post on how to use your sig. Have some green on me!

 

Good information. Although I do not have the time to be active on many forums these days so I stick to the ones such a DP that I know provide valuable information.

 

For click through traffic from your signature its a matter of posting on a reputable forum, but rather posting reputable posts. If you are bringing nothing to the table, no one will bother looking at your sig ~ accept maybe bots, but then, if that's all your after, your time will likely be better focusing on your own site and paying peons to post whore for you on pay-per-post boards.

 

nice info here man.. my site just got its first pr2 and I had no sig links.. now i do..

hopefully it'll help improve my pr..