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As a
website owner, getting your site listed and placing well in the search
engines can turn into a full time job. Search engine optimization is the
process of altering your site so it appears in the top listings of the major
search engines. You can hire someone to do it for you and pay out thousands,
or you can be "web savvy" and learn how to do it yourself.
True search
engine optimization does not involve tricks or search engine spam, but
techniques that help websites become more search engine friendly and
therefore rank better.
So how does
a novice learn what search engines find important, let alone which search
engines to optimize for? The answers to these questions and much more can be
found online in discussion forums. Discussion forums are a valuable resource
and a fertile learning ground for anyone with the motivation to learn. Hang
out a while and read the posts and you'll soon absorb so much new
information that you may become an expert yourself.
So where do
you find these forums? If you want to learn from the best, you've got to
know where the best hang out. I'm going to save you the research time by
introducing you to the "cream of the crop."
1)
HighRankings Forum:
http://HighRankings.com/forum/
This
discussion board, run by the acclaimed search engine expert Jill Whalen, is
priceless. The forum is broken down into categories ranging from
optimization tips and techniques to link building and copywriting
techniques. You'll need to choose a user name and password and confirm your
new account by email before using the board. Jill really knows her stuff,
and I highly recommend her free newsletter as well.
2) Best
Practices S.E. Forum:
http://IhelpYouServices.com/forums/
You'll find
this forum to be a very busy place. Nice variety of topics broken down by
individual search engines so you can pick the exact engine you want to
study. You'll also find information on pay per click search engines, link
popularity and much more. Again, you'll need to register before using the
board.
3)
SiteOwners/ Webmasters Forums
http://SiteOwnersForums.com
Not
specifically a search engine board. Topics are for website owners, but if
you look closely you'll see a category titled "search engine optimization,"
with a lot of activity. You'll find a range of topics and general questions
on how to achieve a better ranking. As with the others, you'll need to
register first before posting.
4) Search
Engine Marketing Forums:
http://SearchEngineForums.com
Offered by
JimWorld.com, this forum is a great example of everything an informative
board should be. You'll find a real sense of community here. Topics are
broken down by categories like "search engine optimization," organic and pay
per click search engines, Net marketing strategies and more. At the time of
my visit, there were over 5,000 topics posted in the optimization category
alone. JimWorld offers many excellent resources like free website templates,
tutorials, helpful tools and again, a great ezine.
5)
Cre8asite Forums:
http://www.cre8asiteforums.com
Covering
topics like usability, web design and search engine optimization. You'll
need to drill down to find the category you need. Some of the categories had
well over 4,000 posts when I visited, so there are a lot of goodies to be
found here.
Who said
there's no such thing as "a free lunch?" Search engine forums are literally
a goldmine of information, and they won't cost you a dime. By spending some
quality time in these forums, you'll find your knowledge base increasing
daily until you become one of the "experts" yourself. When that happens, you
can start posting responses and helping other newbies yourself.
Forums are
a community of people, so if you benefit from them it's always a good idea
to give something back by reaching out to other participants. Remember,
everything you need to improve your search engine rankings is out there;
it's your job to go and get it. See you at the "top."
Merle
(just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter
Consultant. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful.
She has been online for over five years and has three websites to her
credit: MC Promotions
http://www.MCPromotions.com - Merle's World
http://www.MerlesWorld.com and Ezine Ad Auction
http://www.EzineAdAuction.com
Merle
lives in a suburb right outside of Cleveland, Ohio with her two dogs, Teddy
Bear and Dakota, and her fiancée. Her hobbies include reading (especially
anything Net-related), writing and publishing her three ezines, MC
Promotions Press, Merle's Mission and Ezine Ad Auction Authority. All 3
publications have a combined subscriber base of well over 11,000. Feel free
to contact her with any questions.
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