Crawl this: forum search engines can benefit e-Business

We all know how important search engines are for page ranking and popularity. Nowadays, search engines use off-page content (specifically inbound links) for their algorithms, leaving your written content on the back burner. But what if I told you your e-Business could rank on page one of search engines based on your company services and products written in your on-page content?

The search engines I’m talking about have nothing to do with Google or Yahoo; instead, they are geared specifically towards indexing online message boards and forums. Forum search engines rank according to written content rather than link popularity— an incredible benefit that traditional search engines cannot provide. Because results of forum search engines include only online message boards and forum threads, you can easily avoid spamming websites and irrelevant content.

To get the full effect, I submitted the No.1 Artist Forum to three different forum search engines. You can read about my experiences and site feedback below.

Omgili.com

Omgili.com has very good page statistics (PR 6/10, Alexa 16,980) which helped me decide it’s a reputable and popular site. Omgili.com offers an advanced search for forum topics, relevant search results, and a handy “preview” feature so you can check out a forum before you visit it.

Submitting the No. 1 Artist Forum was extremely easy (and free!). All I had to do was provide the forum URL and an active e-mail address. There is a catch, though. After submitting, an Omgili.com statement read, “we do not add all submitted Forums to our index, and we cannot make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will appear.”

Boardtracker.com

Boardtracker.com also has some decent page statistics (PR 6/10, Alexa 26,393). For browsers, Boardtracker.com offers both a free and premium package. Premium packages run at $49.99 per month and have additional features such as spam control, search by author, and forum statistics.

When the submission process was finished, I felt a little more confident that the No.1 Artist Forum would be indexed successfully. The only required information for submission was my name, the forum title, URL, type, and an active e-mail address. This site also allowed me to upload a thumbnail logo that would be displayed next to my URL and overview in a given search.

Boardreader.com

Boardreader.com is the last site I reviewed but has the most impressive statistics (PR 6/10, Alexa 11,824). On the About Us page, this team asserts that they “strive to increase traffic and exposure for the individual forum and message board,” which, when linked back to your e-Business website, is wholly beneficial.

For the Boardreader.com submission form, I needed to provide my name, an active e-mail address, and the forum URL, language, topic and software. There was no official disclaimer or guarantee for this site. After submission, the website simply informed me that my “information was sent successfully.”

Overview

Online message boards and forums are excellent opportunities to post relevant content and establish a network of interested peers (essential for any e-Business!). Online message boards allow you to link directly back to your homepage, easily generating more traffic for your e-Business website. Having your forum indexed in popular forum search engines only increases the chances it will be discovered (and by extension, your e-Buisness will be discovered as well!

If your company has a message board, I highly recommend you submit it to be crawled by forum search engines like the ones I reviewed. If not, you can still benefit from the above sites by browsing and commenting on forums of interest to you. Niche forums are a great way to find answers, share knowledge and increase online interaction among users. Enjoy!

You can't fake real counsel, either.

When my boss told me about Jill Whalen’s article entitled "You Can't Fake Real Content" (posted on Search Engine Land), I anticipated an initial hack into spammers and encounters of SEO-gone-wrong, followed by helpful advice on how to properly write and distribute online content. I was not only disappointed, but slightly (read: extremely) irritated by what she wrote. I found her article to be an immature attack on companies who encourage online content distribution which, when done properly, greatly increase the chances of a browser finding your services.

Whalen irresponsibly generalizes e-Business motives and incentives for online content distribution. Her only piece of advice: “fix your site,” and her suggestions to do so are limited and vague.

Let me turn now to the reader: do you really think that with one spiffy site, you’ll end up on the first page of a Google search? Not likely. You need consistent, positive publicity.

Whalen uses the example of a laminating service in her article. I’d like to continue with that example. If I’m sending important documents off to Joe Shmo to be laminated, I want to be assured of his professionalism, proficiency and skills in the laminating industry. He may have an incredible website that tells me everything I need to know. But my chances of finding that website are slim if he doesn’t practice accurate online content distribution.

There’s nothing wrong with him posting articles about his services or client testimonials affirming he is the right one for the job. Sure, that will jumpstart his ranking in search engines but that’s probably not his only motivation. He wants to get his message out there! And his prevalent online content benefits me as a browser. How am I supposed to be a responsible and well-informed online shopper if I don’t know what the heck his e-Business is up to?

Joe Shmo needs to tell me about the benefits of choosing him by posting information on the big project he just finished for an important client or a new division his company just opened up. He needs to utilize a variety of online mediums— such as blogs and article archives— to get his point across. And if he is really focused on SEO, he needs to insert a link back to his website and services (just like Whalen has done in this article!). That’s part of what SEO and web content are all about.

I’ll agree with Whalen: people can be con-artists. You have to be careful when sifting through online content just as you have to be careful with someone trying to sell you a Ford Pinto. But when it comes to surfing the web for a service, no content = nothing to sift through— nothing to confirm or negate the quality of that service. Without content, it becomes much harder to differentiate between the scam and the real deal. Let’s examine this from mathematical perspective: content can equal publicity; the lack of content cannot equal publicity. I’m no statistician here, but I’d rather go with the former… as an online shopper or a seller, I’d rather go with the better odds.

Whalen writes, and I agree, that “…visitors who come from keyword searches at Google may not already be familiar with what you offer. It doesn't work to speak to them in a generic way. You must use the words that got them there in the first place.” Finally! Advice! Good content must involve accurate and repeating key terms that revolve around your services, experiences and relevant news. This will only make it easier for search engines to target you and for browsers to find (and benefit from) your e-Business. Including these key terms on article archive sites or business blogs isn’t such a bad idea either.

All in all, this article gave me the impression that companies should make one website and let it sit on the Internet to collect dust… because with no online content distribution, that’s most likely what will happen.

And I must admit that I find the article a bit… hypocritical. Whalen seems to be attacking the use of content which leads back to your perfect website. Yet this article contains a link to her SEO company’s homepage. That homepage contains a link to her SEO blog. And that blog contains a link to her company’s online SEO forum. There’s nothing wrong with that… except the fact that her article disagrees with it altogether.

As a writer for a company that not only promotes online content, but personally utilizes (and benefits from) it, I have to say that Whalen’s article is one-sided and negligent. She fails to examine or explain the benefits of proper online content drafting and distribution.

Rather than tell you that your online content is fake and crappy, I invite you to check out some of the services Hudson Horizons has to offer. The HH team members will actually provide you with advice and services for how to create meaningful content and show you how successful online content distribution can enhance your e-Business.

Successful Content Distribution via Social Networking Sites

One of the most important things for any e-Business is sales! A great tool for ensuring strong sales is consistent, positive publicity. Promoting your company's services and achievements on a variety of relevant social networking sites creates new opportunities for browsers to discover all that your e-Business has to offer. This form of online content distribution is simple, popular and effective.

Wait, content? What's that all about? Don't worry. “Content” doesn't always mean dense essays or twenty-page PDF documents. Content refers to any information on the Internet. One online dictionary defines content as "the ‘message’ rather than the ‘medium.’”

As the market for e-Businesses expands, dozens of free social networking sites are emerging. They act as vehicles for getting your message out there. But it's important to make sure you're utilizing the appropriate one to fit e-Business interests and objectives.

Here are brief descriptions and examples for five types of free and easy social networking sites that you can use to achieve successful online content distribution:

MySpace and Facebook: Social networking sites such as these are well-known online communities. They provide users with free, customizable profiles and encourage them to interact with other members. Some information sections on Myspace include "About Me" and "General Interests." Plugging in your e-Business services and experiences here create great opportunities for online content distribution. Facebook is geared towards students and alumni, placing users in networks based on schools and location. This refines searches and considerably simplifies online navigation. Both social networking sites allow users to blog and upload digital photos, though their main focus seems to be gaining acquaintances.

Blogger, LiveJournal: The function of these social networking sites is to allow users to publish personal web logs (blogs). While some blog purely for entertainment, you can increase online content distribution by publicly posting relevant articles, testimonials, contact information, or examples of work if possible. Blogger, a product of Google, and LiveJournal both allow for complete customization of your blog's appearance to help maintain any e-Business logos or aesthetic themes.

Ezines, Articlesbase: Another avenue for company-focused blogs is publishing articles written by you or your co-workers. Social networking sites such as EzinesArticlesbase, most online article archives have sections on the homepage for featured authors. Also, these social networking sites often list submissions according to category which increases the likelihood of your article being found by interested parties. This also allows you to get the scoop on any e-Business competitors.

Fickr, Fotki: Geared towards mass image uploading, social networking sites like Flickr allow users to “store, search and share your photos.” This is an excellent opportunity for promising photographers or artists looking to maximize online content distribution. All accounts are free and browsers have a choice between searching for photos by keyword and perusing through a list of categories, much like the article-based social networking sites. In addition to uploading photos, social networking sites like Fotki hold contests for viewers to vote on their favorite image. Your original artwork, for example, is more likely to catch the eye of a potential buyer when it’s situated in the right place.

Broadcaster, Youtube: The Youtube phenomenon has had a considerable impact on the lives of average people all because they plugged their video on a very popular social networking site. This can happen to anyone! Got an interesting short film? Or an e-Business promotional video? Uploading your clips to social networking sites like Broadcaster.com or Youtube is a smart outlet for online content distribution. A handy feature of these sites is that viewers can comment on your work, giving you the initial feedback you need. And even if your video isn’t the first one they see, a useful “related” tab can lead browsers right to you.

These are only a handful of the social networking sites out there and each kind has its own target audience. I encourage you to visit each of the sites to learn more so you can find your own social networking site niche. allow you to upload hundreds of articles at no charge, and online browsers can obtain the full article text for free as well. This vastly increases opportunities for people to reach your work. In addition, authors can upload a mini biography, including a user picture, work experience, and e-Business objectives.

If you have an e-Business and are seeking free exposure, I strongly recommend you to get out there and take advantage of these popular social networking sites. Online content distribution is essential to generating publicity for your e-Business. A great benefit of all these sites is they allow you to include personal information and links for your e-Business website. Remember: the main goal is to get your message out there and have as many doorways leading back to your website and your services.

Get noticed: a glimpse into online content distribution

So you wrote a great article promoting the exceptional services of your business, or you just finished compiling a portfolio of your original essays… now what? You need to generate positive attention from interested parties. A fruitful first step towards obtaining that much sought-after publicity is exhibiting your work, and there is no better venue than the Internet. As we progress into the future, the Internet is becoming our most vital tool for exposure. But in order to get optimal results, you have to master the art of online content distribution.

Online content distribution is pretty self-explanatory: it’s the distribution of metadata (information about content) throughout the Internet. The more links and arrows pointing back to your work, the more traffic your website will receive, thereby elevating your status in the online market. Simple yet effective mediums for online content distribution include blogs or social networking sites. But there are more complex avenues as well; perfecting online content distribution requires attention to SEO and potential media partnerships.

Check out this post on toprankblog.com for tips on how to approach online content distribution. For more information on metadata specifically, I recommend reading through this document for a detailed explanation of the process and benefits of online content distribution.