1. SEO Purposes
You’ll want to learn a little bit of how the search engines work and html to understand how you can use forum postings for SEO purposes. Search engines index information on websites to store in their index.
You can apply a bit of html code to tell the search engines whether or not they will index the links on the page. You do that by using either the ‘no-follow’ attribute or the ‘do-follow’ attribute. The no- follow one tells the search engines not to index the links. The opposite goes for the latter.
To determine whether or not a page is do-follow or not, then you just simple ‘view page source’ while on the page you’re analyzing. Many forums are no-follow, but that doesn’t prevent you from obtaining the other benefits of forum postings; JV partners & driving traffic.
2. JV Partners
JV stands for joint venture and many entrepreneurs start them to leverage someone else’s skills, leadership, and resources. As you become a regular participant in the forum of your choice, you’ll undoubtedly make connections.
I really like to use the internet as a spring board to a real friendship or connection. To do this, you have to elevate the relationship beyond just words. When a connection is made, I’ll set up a meeting on skype to get to know the person and see their face. Take the opportunity to get to know them. Ask them about their goals and what they’re trying to accomplish.
You might just find out a JV with this new connection will help you both reach your goals and objectives. No JV is the same. Some will be good, while others will be a miserable experience. Do your due diligence before you start a JV with someone.
3. Traffic How do you use a forum to drive traffic?
You’ll be wise to get to know the forum’s guidelines. Some will allow links in the posting itself, while others will not. More often than not, forums will allow for some type of a signature.
Many marketers neglect to take advantage of the signature box. Everyone can improve what they put in their box. Just like you’ll spend quality time crafting the perfect title for a blog post, you’ll want to take some time to create a sentence that will motivate someone to click through and visit your website.
If the website is do-follow, then I would recommend linking to your main blog or website. If it’s no-follow, then I typically recommend you using a capture page of some sort so you can build your email list.
4. Information
If you’re looking for an answer, you can browse the existing threads on the forums. Even I spend time reading forums to learn more information. (Side note: you can use forums to get ideas for blog posts and other content.)
Another option available to you is to start your own thread asking the forum members a question. You’ll find that many forum members will participate and offer up their advice. Make sure you signup for email updates so you know when people have commented on your thread.
These from Viglink. Hope this help.