9 replies to this topic

[PatrickGer]

I realize I might broaden my scope to other forums of this website in the future lol...

but I'd like to ask another question:

I know you guys on here seem to be big on the whitehat link building approach - e.g. useful content that drives targeted traffic. However, I would say in most niches, this isn't the only approach that works (for SE rankings).

However, in the e-learning niche (which I'm very interested in), it seems that creating useful content is pretty much the only way to get links. How are you gonna get links to an e-learning website using controversy (okay technically that could work in some cases lol)...but you get the idea - I'd say in the e-learning niche creating useful (sample) content and finding the right needs for which to create that c ontent should be key. Now for link building. And later perhaps for WOM (if that ever goes big).

Am I right about this? Or is there more sneaky stuff going on in the e-learning niche than I'm thinking..?

Can anyone think of other niches, that are like the e-learning niche in this regard?

Do niches like that usually pay worse for consultants (than the more competitive ones)?

[Michael Martinez]

There are absolutely no niches where there is only one way to build traffic.

[PatrickGer]

There are absolutely no niches where there is only one way to build traffic.

Okay, this was a bit of an exaggeration on my part, but wouldn't you say that there's much more room for giving away truly useful content/doing "whitehat" linkbuilding in the e-learning industry than in the gambling industry for example?

And I'm wondering if there are any other industries where this kind of link building is the most prevalent, I guess. :-)

[SelfMade]

but wouldn't you say that there's much more room for giving away truly useful content/doing "whitehat" linkbuilding in the e-learning industry than in the gambling industry for example?

The scope of what your saying is as I see it...giving away "truly useful content" in exchange for links..AKA article submission in a nutshell?

Why??

I would much rather give away "truly useful content" in exchange for an email address..and believe me I could point people to my site without the need of G.

Yeah ok links are EVENTUALLY going to get you up the rankings but so what????

Being on the first page of google is not the holy grail..it helps but it is not the magic formula!!

Links to me are only a part of SEO yet people get so hung up on believing it's the secret ingredient!!

[Michael Martinez]

I can tell you that gambling Websites swap articles all the time. There is just no niche-specific traffic building or link building technique of which I am aware.

Anyone with a non-search audience can leverage that audience.

Anyone depending solely on search for traffic can use all the tools and techniques available to anyone else who is looking for search traffic.

Anyone with unique, legitimate content can create and distribute that content through widgets, article networks, RSS feeds, etc.

[PatrickGer]

I agree with you on most of that kaz (look at the first line of my original post - i noticed i was asking a few too many linking questions ;-)).

But I did not mean article submission at all.

I meant it more as in..fidning a true lack of information in the marketplace (that a certain group of people would like to share to their visitors if it existed) and then creating it.

Say there are lots of websites in the US that mention "you should go out and practice public speaking. Public speaking will be utterly important for your c areer, no matter how shy you are".

However, none of them actually has any decent information on where people could go out and practice public speaking. So you might do that deep research work for them, and come up with that list of places where practicing public speaking regularly is possible.

If I was an altruistic webmaster (wouldnt target commercial public speaking sites with this), and wanted to help my audience by giving them helpful advice for their career/personal development (publ.sp. = important...knowing they have a problem wiht that), then I would definitely enjoy sharing that sort of deep research content to my visitors...by linking to it.

That's what I think of as giving away useful & original content to get links..not saying articles can't be, but I'd only include (truly good) articles as a subset of what I mean.

[Vintor]

How does any website get super popular without Real Content?

[PatrickGer]

@Vintor:

Thanks for sharing that article by Jill.

However, actually the following is exactly what I meant:

If you sell laminating machines or door stops, should you really be writing articles about them? No, no, no, no, no! Why would anyone in their right mind want to read an article about door stops? They wouldn’t. Nor would the search engines.

If you do SEO consulting for vendors of laminating machines or door steps, there isn't much room for truly useful informational content. Maybe, I misunderstand Jill's point (I agree with the part that people should have information on their website explaining their products, etc. very clearly), but I think if youre in the niche of selling door stops, there isn't much truly useful (&original) content to be created that you could promote to the right sites, whose visitors would benefit from following a link from their site to such an article.

Is it really that false of myself to assume that if someone enjoys doing SEO on websites where creating useful & original content is key, that solves someone's problem, fills a need, etc. ...then in some niches (e-learning for a certain topic he's passionate about) he will be much more likely to be able to do that than in others?

Another example that comes to mind would be the SEO/IM-niche (not that I plan on working in this field), which is very informational (with some aspects of it changing frequently) in nature. Thus a lot more opportunities to create truly useful and original content by finding the right needs (I think the ever changing aspect of the niche is helpful with creating original content, not just useful content that has been done 100 times already).

How does any website get super popular without Real Content?

[SelfMade]

If you do SEO consulting for vendors of laminating machines or door steps, there isn't much room for truly useful informational content.

I see what your saying patrick, but some of the "niches" that I have literally cleaned up in time and time again, I mean I am an avid believer of KEI analysis..which means I find niches, most people wouldn't dream of entering!

Now, that means 1 or 2 people might or should I say think I am completely off the wall stark raving bonkers..but, the simple point here is that no matter how plain a product may seem, there are unlimited angles from which you can sell a door stop in your example.. I could get content out of promoting a plant pot!!

I should also point out that PPC exists for sites with your dillema...SEO is CONTENT, CONTENT and CONTENT.

(though I could still get content out of promoting a plant pot in the serp's)

[PatrickGer]

I see what your saying patrick, but some of the "niches" that I have literally cleaned up in time and time again, I mean I am an avid believer of KEI analysis..which means I find niches, most people wouldn't dream of entering!

Hehe. Are you really an avid believer of KEI analysis, though?