How to promote forum for free

[peanuts]

Hi, I we are new to all this. Me and my girl have created our own forum but do not know how to advertise it for free. We would like it to appear on search engines, like google etc, but we don't want to have to pay to do so. Our forum is free to use, so financially we have no income from our site, this is why we don't want to have to pay to advertise.
Please help, any advice would be appreciated.
Carly x Steph :biggrin: :great:

 

[master412160]

Hey there peanuts,

I think I can help you with your problem. I know a site that submits your site to like a total of 140 Search Engines/Directories.

I will PM you the link to it.

Regards

 

[Luke]

Submit your site to google etc really helps get it indexed.

 

[David]

The above 2 methods mentioned won't get you posts or good rankings, sadly. It just triggers Google to consider indexing you, but has no guarantees.

For Google rankings, have a read of the Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, published by Google.

You really have to spend money to make money and if you want to succeed; I don't think you have lived so far in your life without spending any money to make money, eg. spending money on petrol to go to work to get money. But if you really can't, consider advertising on other forums through signature links, make comments on blogs with adding the link, connect with blog roles, by asking for a link exchange, or visit the support community of your free host and see if there are advertising places.

 

[msafiq]

The above 2 methods mentioned won't get you posts or good rankings, sadly. It just triggers Google to consider indexing you, but has no guarantees.

For Google rankings, have a read of the Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, published by Google.

You really have to spend money to make money and if you want to succeed; I don't think you have lived so far in your life without spending any money to make money, eg. spending money on petrol to go to work to get money. But if you really can't, consider advertising on other forums through signature links, make comments on blogs with adding the link, connect with blog roles, by asking for a link exchange, or visit the support community of your free host and see if there are advertising places.

yeah you're right without spending money we can't gain money quickly,if you don't want spend money then you have to spend lot more time.

 

[sapper]

The above 2 methods mentioned won't get you posts or good rankings, sadly. It just triggers Google to consider indexing you, but has no guarantees.

For Google rankings, have a read of the Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, published by Google.

You really have to spend money to make money and if you want to succeed; I don't think you have lived so far in your life without spending any money to make money, eg. spending money on petrol to go to work to get money. But if you really can't, consider advertising on other forums through signature links, make comments on blogs with adding the link, connect with blog roles, by asking for a link exchange, or visit the support community of your free host and see if there are advertising places.

Thats out of date and doesn't take into account Googles new approach to page ranking, back links, phrase recognition and new algorithms.

 

[David]

Thats out of date and doesn't take into account Googles new approach to page ranking, back links, phrase recognition and new algorithms.

You are very mistaken. Have you even read the guide? Anyway, I can get you out on either of these two counts: 1) note the date of my post; if Google changed anything after the 17/3 then I'm not accountable for any mistake thereof, and/or 2) the OP is looking for ranking on search engines (SEO, SEM, SERPs), not PageRanking, therefore the guide is an excellent tool.

The OP wants to get onto Google's rankings and by doing so, requires SEO. In fact, to talk about PageRanking requires SEO, so there is a contradiction in what you are saying.

 

[sapper]

Thats out of date and doesn't take into account Googles new approach to page ranking, back links, phrase recognition and new algorithms.

You are very mistaken. Have you even read the guide? Anyway, I can get you out on either of these two counts: 1) note the date of my post; if Google changed anything after the 17/3 then I'm not accountable for any mistake thereof, and/or 2) the OP is looking for ranking on search engines (SEO, SEM, SERPs), not PageRanking, therefore the guide is an excellent tool.

The OP wants to get onto Google's rankings and by doing so, requires SEO. In fact, to talk about PageRanking requires SEO, so there is a contradiction in what you are saying.

Ok apologies if it came across the wrong way, I will expand a little, that was written early 2010, since then Google have introduced a whole new series of measures to counter plagiarism and now uses content recognition in sites, which now affects page rank and position in organic searches for given keywords and phrases, much more relevance is given to relevant backlinks now, and to traffic, in saying that Google will also disregard traffic spam sites, as it can now recognise the click origin and the depth and time it spends on a site.
Yes as a rough guide that is a good tool, but it takes a lot more research and knowledge to fully understand (if that is possible) how Google works and ranks sites, the algorithms used now are far more complex than they were a year ago.

As for "getting me out" SEO is only one small part of getting a ranking, you need to do a lot more than just optimise your site for search engines. google will eventually find your site irrespective of you setting keywords, getting google verification or whatever, but doing these things speeds up the process of recognition.
Optimising your site, does not automatically get you a place on Google's pages

 

[MrJohn]

We have a few posts on our blog that you should check out. If you want your forum to succeed, you need two things. You need people interested in your forum from other sites, and you need SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

 

[David]

Ok apologies if it came across the wrong way, I will expand a little, that was written early 2010, since then Google have introduced a whole new series of measures to counter plagiarism and now uses content recognition in sites, which now affects page rank and position in organic searches for given keywords and phrases, much more relevance is given to relevant backlinks now, and to traffic, in saying that Google will also disregard traffic spam sites, as it can now recognise the click origin and the depth and time it spends on a site.
Yes as a rough guide that is a good tool, but it takes a lot more research and knowledge to fully understand (if that is possible) how Google works and ranks sites, the algorithms used now are far more complex than they were a year ago.

As for "getting me out" SEO is only one small part of getting a ranking, you need to do a lot more than just optimise your site for search engines. google will eventually find your site irrespective of you setting keywords, getting google verification or whatever, but doing these things speeds up the process of recognition.
Optimising your site, does not automatically get you a place on Google's pages

Would you think in the case of peanuts that she has a database of plagiarized content in need to be found on Google? I would not think so, so as she improves her forum content-wise, I provided the SEO guide to inform her on how Google can recognize their site on search engines. She needs this SEO because a forum will only have mediocre content and not be overwhelming enough to rank on its own, but nonetheless, it is still unique content. SEO is far complex than what you make of it and to say it's only a small part is far from the truth. In fact, to say any part of it is a small part isn't going to help you get anywhere. To say that an optimized link for SERPs to your site on an established blog by a well known author isn't as important or big enough as just having the content, would be deluding yourself. In that instance, off site SEO is being performed.

I for one, completely understand Panda and it is geared towards the major sites that don't provide that unique content. For new forum owners, they will be ranked by SEO, but probably not greatly ranked just by SEO, and need that content as you suggested. peanuts needs to understand both sides of it for a good ranking, but excluding SEO is not going to help promote your site in any way.

 

[fokerss]

you can try to write some content on you forum to get traffic , there still a lot of promotion forum outside there .

 

[techndeals.net]

Good read thanks guys

 

[SilverWolf]

You guys seem to assume someone is wanting to make money--the comments such as having to spend money to make money etc.

What about for those who are making a forum just for fun? What are the best ways to advertise for someone who has no intention of making money from their website, therefore doesn't want to invest money in advertisement (but IS willing to invest time)?

 

[Fergal]

...What about for those who are making a forum just for fun? What are the best ways to advertise for someone who has no intention of making money from their website, therefore doesn't want to invest money in advertisement (but IS willing to invest time)?

Making helpful posts on related forums with a link in your signature is a good starting point, as is blog commenting with a link to your forum in your profile.

 

[Fait]

Sig Links And buying promotion services

 

[sstudios]

...What about for those who are making a forum just for fun? What are the best ways to advertise for someone who has no intention of making money from their website, therefore doesn't want to invest money in advertisement (but IS willing to invest time)?

Making helpful posts on related forums with a link in your signature is a good starting point, as is blog commenting with a link to your forum in your profile.

I was wondering the same. Thanks!