Forums are online discussion sites where people go to exchange notes on various industry topics. With online conversations, forums walked so that tweets and online social groups could run. Forums may not be the in-thing today, but no one can deny that they pioneered the online conversation space and continue to be valuable marketing tools to date. Online forums come in different versions, namely:

• Traditional forum
• Private forums
• Social Media groups
• Q & A sites

Are Forums a viable way to get backlinks?

Backlinks play a role in digital marketing. And to answer the question simply, yes. Online forums that allow do-follow links are perfect territory for a robust link-building strategy. But does that mean that all links built on forums are valuable? Far from it! Littering online forums with spammy links can be counterproductive to an SEO strategy. If anything, one risks getting penalties since Google may view spamming as a way to manipulate site ranking in Google’s search results. That said, a Forum allowing do-follow links come in handy for several reasons:

• They help drive traffic to a site, all thanks to the direct access they allow to hundreds of people interested in various industry topics.
• Forums provide an excellent opportunity to establish and nurture trustworthy relationships with notable influencers and decision-makers in your industry. That increases the likelihood of earning high authority backlinks.

It is worth noting that you cannot get the same magnitude of benefits from all forums. Not all will offer immense SEO benefits for your business. Forums that are inactive, not niche specific and those that only allow no-follow links will do little for your venture.

How do you Get Do-Follow Forum Backlinks?

You know what backlinks will tip the scale for your SEO game. So, how do you gather more of those from forums? Here is the ultimate guide to help you:

1. Identify forums that are relevant to your industry

Niche-specific forums do more to your SEO game. The first step in building backlinks from the forum is to find industry-specific forums to post on. Make the most of the link juice by posting in forums exclusive to your industry that are still active. Here are some ways to locate relevant forums:

• Use Google search strings such as Keyword+forum, Keyword+discussion board, Keyword inurl:/forums or keyword “powered by vbulletin”. Search strings do the neatest job unearthing potential forums that allow for do-follow links.
• Maximize competitor module backlinks to identify opportunities that may not be readily available on google search strings.

2. Find out if the relevant forums offer do-follow links

No-follow links may not have immense potential for an SEO strategy. The next logical step after identifying industry-specific forums is to filter them based on whether they offer do-follow backlinks. You can do that by:

• Using Google Chrome to inspect the link using the “inspect” function.
• Installing a browser extension on Google Chrome to highlight the do-follow links. One of the best extensions you could consider using is Automatic Backlink Checker. And the good news is that it is free.

3. Know where to place your do-follow links

You have identified relevant forums that offer do-follow links. But guess what? That is not the end of your worries. People are not lining up to visit your site. You have to put effort into earning backlinks. Some places to get backlinks are in Forum signatures, in-post links and the forum profile page.

4. Develop a posting strategy

The rules and guidelines of the forums should guide your posting strategy. Most forums require that all their members remain respectful, be helpful with the information they offer and abide by the rules and regulations of the forum. Most forums also shun members that blatantly promote themselves and their businesses or go off topic by posting unrelated content. These are general rules to have in mind before posting anything or contributing to the discussion on the online forum. Identify posts that are in line with your area of expertise. That way, you will be more confident in offering an expert opinion.

Lending your thinking in such forums establishes you as an authority in your industry and increases your reputation. You will be offering incredible value with the information you post, and you are more likely to get backlinks and generate traffic to your work in return. You are also more likely to get the most interaction and exposure to newer topics. Be sure to engage with posts at the top of the first page. You could also set automatic notification alerts to inform you of recent posts you can chime in to stay relevant.

5. Offer in-depth responses

Leaving a sentence or two does little for your reputation. Go the extra mile by offering in-depth responses when you post. Provide as much value as possible, even if it means offering wordy posts and replies. It is also always a good idea to maintain a conversational tone and link to relevant resources that people will find resourceful. Make your responses easy to read by using bullet points where necessary.

6. Know what to avoid

You should not just post it for the sake of it. There are things you should steer clear off to increase the chances of gathering high authority backlinks. Generally, avoid spamming links to your site. That flags the forum moderators. You could be banned from the forum and lose your profile. Avoid spam one-liners or give in to the pressure to post daily and reply to every relevant post. You add incredible value to the conversation, even if you post weekly or every two weeks. That should be enough to earn you high-quality do-follow forum backlinks.

Wrapping up

Forum backlinks may not be the most popular source for SEO backlinks. That said, they offer incredible value and other benefits, like the chance to be part of an industry-specific community. You get to cement authority in your field and draw more traffic to your site, which eventually translates to conversions. All you need to do is the best way to build forum backlinks correctly and mistakes to avoid.

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