Using Q&A Sites for SEO

Question and answer websites, where users can ask questions that are then answered by other users, are extremely popular ways to get information, opinions and advice from other internet users around the world. They can also be excellent for SEO purposes.

There are two ways to use Q&A sites for SEO. The first is for research. Let’s say you’re building content for a site on tax preparation. To start, go to any of the top Q&A sites (Yahoo Answers, Quora, ect.) and search for a basic tax preparation question. See what other questions the site suggests. Start making a list of what types of questions come up the most often, as well as the words most commonly used.

Keep searching around the site, taking notes as you go. You should also use a search engine to enter in some of the questions and keywords, to see what other questions (and Q&A sites) come up. The information you’re gathering by doing this can help you to determine keywords for your site, as well as what phrasing is ranking high in the search engine result pages. You’re also learning what questions are most frequently asked, and should be answered by the content on your website.

The other way that Q&A websites can help the SEO of your website (as well as your personal brand) is through providing links back to your website. After you have set up your website, start seeking out questions that relate to your content. Provide thorough answers, and then provide a link back to your site where readers can find more information, if they’re interested. The challenge here is to leave a link in a helpful way, instead of coming across as someone who is only trying to earn backlinks to your site. Answering the initial question, in full, is essential. Don’t just leave a link with a “I have the answer on my site” sort of reply.

Answering questions can also help your SEO by building a strong social media profile on some of the Q&A sites. Quora (a promising new Q&A site) allows users to set up a profile, including a link back to their website and a short professional description of themselves. They can also create “mini-profiles”, where you can describe your experience in the topics you have chosen to view questions from. With search engines now looking at social media sites to determine the relevance of your websites, building a strong profile on sites like Quora can help your website’s SEO, as well as giving you the opportunity to build your personal brand.

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