sbj
Well-known member
Can you give an example without typing out the site name into the search?
Let's see if I can find your site or the areas of your interest on first page.
The demise of Reddit is happening right now. Thoughts?
- Thread starter Alternadiv
- Start date
Let's see if I can find your site or the areas of your interest on first page.
PatriotGB
Well-known member
This is almost too easy. And that's why the claim that forums don't appear in search results made me chuckle a bit.
Search up a particular problem for a car, for example, and you'll find many car forum threads listed in the google search results.
Search "subaru wrx sti broken oil pickup tube." The first two results are car forums.
Search "best way to charge solar g-shock." The 2nd result is a big watch forum.
sbj
Well-known member
Your examples indeed worked, nice.
Maybe my selective area of interests were bad then (or the searches in my native languages). If you google for "resident evil 4 remake zoom", do you see any forums listed? But perhaps this problem is for the English-speaking world not that big of a problem then.
Maybe my selective area of interests were bad then (or the searches in my native languages). If you google for "resident evil 4 remake zoom", do you see any forums listed? But perhaps this problem is for the English-speaking world not that big of a problem then.
PatriotGB
Well-known member
That's why I did say in my previous comment that it may be dependent on the topic of interest. But in my (multiple) areas of interest, forums come up in the search results routinely.
I have no idea what "resident evil 4 remake zoom" is, though! LOL! My best guess is that it's a video game thing. I left the video game world in the era of "Centipede" and "Tempest."
Mr Lucky
Well-known member
This is the way SEO works though. Those are examples of what is called long tail searches, ie they are quite specific.
For example the term subaru wrx sti broken oil pickup tube is going to firstly bring up searches that contain all words. So you are likely to find a site where that question has been asked, and it will most likely be a forum due to the word "broken"
Note that all there results on fist page are about mending your oil pick tube and of course Youtube videos are quite high.
If you search then without the word broken, subaru wrx sti broken oil pickup tube you are more likely to not get a forum but you will get a sales site - the big companies spend a lot on SEO. (But you'll also get the Youtube videos because, well, because you are bound to Google makes sure of that.
Basically the forums won't get such good hits for less specific questions. Lon Gail searches are good, but there are fewer people using them probably.
I can give you a long tail search that brings my forum up first: Why are there extra pillars on a vintage buffet tenor however doesn't mean it gets top for most queries about saxophones.
sbj
Well-known member
Good catch actually. You are right of course.
PatriotGB
Well-known member
I'm quite familiar with how SEO works... and Long Tail Searches are often (foolishly) overlooked by the webmaster.
That said... forums naturally cover topics that would fit neatly into the "Long Tail" category. That's the beauty of forums when it comes to google searches. If my forum is about a specific car or category of cars, I don't want it to come up for someone looking to buy that car. But enthusiasts for that car will search for very specific things about that car. THAT'S where I'd want to show up.
My point was simply to refute the claim that search engines skip over forums. That's just not true. Long tail searches are exactly where forums shine, and that's a good thing, IMO.
sbj
Well-known member
I was not saying that search engines skip over forums. I just don't see them on 1st page anymore like I used to see them. Also, here, this is from my GSC:
I think not many forums can say that their average is as high as my average position. So I am aware that forums can be seen on google search results. I am just saying when whenever I google for something, I just see youtube video suggestions or those damn useless wordpress articles mainly. It was not like that many moons ago. But maybe I am wrong, no problem.
I think not many forums can say that their average is as high as my average position. So I am aware that forums can be seen on google search results. I am just saying when whenever I google for something, I just see youtube video suggestions or those damn useless wordpress articles mainly. It was not like that many moons ago. But maybe I am wrong, no problem.
PatriotGB
Well-known member
As I said... probably depends on what you're searching for. If your forum is a niche topic, that's in "long tail" territory. If your forum covers a broad topic, then yeah... no way to compete with big tech sites.
Personally, my searches are pretty specific. So, I do get forums showing up in the 1st page results for many of my searches in my hobby topics.
I just checked... here's my stats since the inception of my site only 15 months ago.
My average position isn't as good as yours. But my CTR is pretty decent, eh?
Suzanne O
Well-known member
@Tracy Perry
You should try posting your forum up on reddit. See if they ban you or remove your posts.
You should try posting your forum up on reddit. See if they ban you or remove your posts.
TPerry
Well-known member
Already do, with links to articles I have on my site and images……. And I still can post there.
In fact, it’s where I got several registered users from.
Kleazy
Active member
What genre is your forum?
TPerry
Well-known member
Astronomy/Astrophotography. Site is in my sig.
Kleazy
Active member
Thanks. Nice form.
You genre is in alignment with reddit hence shouldn’t get any red flags.
Same for mine (motorsports). Different on social/politics/religion genres unless it echos their zeitgeist of the day.
sbj
Well-known member
Are you guys for real?
Would you allow self-promoting on your websites? Backlinks were also a big deal in the past and it still is. It is a very common strategy for SEO.
So, of course sanctioning you because you went the self-promotion route is normal. Not just for forums, it is disallowed for every kind of things. You couldn't have one genuine discussion on there if they didn't disallow it since such a big place would be overrun by self-promotion. From YT creators to forums, from serviceman to OnlyFans and everyone would direct the conversation towards their platform and services.
In other words, that is considered as SPAM unless that subreddit (community) allows it of course or if they look the other way here and then if it is not too obvious.
Would you allow self-promoting on your websites? Backlinks were also a big deal in the past and it still is. It is a very common strategy for SEO.
So, of course sanctioning you because you went the self-promotion route is normal. Not just for forums, it is disallowed for every kind of things. You couldn't have one genuine discussion on there if they didn't disallow it since such a big place would be overrun by self-promotion. From YT creators to forums, from serviceman to OnlyFans and everyone would direct the conversation towards their platform and services.
In other words, that is considered as SPAM unless that subreddit (community) allows it of course or if they look the other way here and then if it is not too obvious.
sbj
Well-known member
I was reading some stuff on reddit and wanted to quote it here in this thread. But I decided to create a new thread instead because I didn't want to change the focus of this thread to something different. But it is related to this thread, I am sharing it here if it is okay: Public's perception about forums and what we can learn from IMDb's boards
Especially there is one quote I put in for @PatriotGB where someone talks about that they don't see forums in the top of search results anymore. I can promise that I have no affiliation with that reddit user
.
Especially there is one quote I put in for @PatriotGB where someone talks about that they don't see forums in the top of search results anymore. I can promise that I have no affiliation with that reddit user
.
TPerry
Well-known member
Well, I don't know... you tell me?
My site's an astronomy/astrophotography site....
Oh, look who actually created those links to competing forums! Me.
As long as the user/admin doesn't go overboard, I have no issues with them, or other users referencing other sites as long as it's topical in nature (like referring someone to a post on another site to get an answer). You see, I'm more concerned with the distribution of information than getting users on my site personally.
The Reddit group(s) I participate in dealing with my niche are pretty much ran the same way... now there is at least one big niche forum that runs as you refer to.... they are afraid of ANY post referencing any outside competitor... ironically, I've gotten several users from that site by posting simple links to images.