SEO and Forum sites ; Why go to Forums?

What is the connection between SEO and forum sites?

Forum definition: A medium (as a newspaper or online service) of open discussion or expression of ideas.

(As given in merriam-webste dictionary, I found this forum definition most appropriate since this is about online forums)

Site promotions or promoting your website online is actually a sum total of your promotional activities online. This includes SEO and SEM.

Forum sites are not directly related to SEO or SEM. But they do impact SEO positively.

Forum sites are sites that many people go to for help and to offer help. These are of immense benefit because the solutions are provided in real time and most of the members are extremely knowledgeable and usually help you out at every step.

Recently, I checked out a forum for word press  when I had trouble with a page upload. When I started working as a SEO professional, over ten years back, the SEO forums came to my rescue. I would put up questions and there would be some answer and that was a big relief.

There are active SEO forums that will help you with your SEO needs. Your questions can be very basic or complex depending upon your need and you will get an answer.

Questions such as “What is SEO”, “Do I need to submit my site to search engines”? , the difference between a Search engine and a “Search directory”?, “how do I prepare my website so that the search engines can index it without any problems?” and anything that you wish to know.

The internet is a place where you will find a lot of information. Some may not be entirely correct; you may have to take it with a pinch of salt. Most forums have moderators and to a large extent you will not be misled if you ask questions relating to SEO. Just ensure that the forum you go to has been in existence for quite some time has decent ranking on major search engines and has a good number of members. Check out the topics for discussion and you will get a feel of the forum. The other thing that is important about forum sites is that you are required to participate. Share your experience; help out anyone with their problems…that’s how it works best.

If you have expertise in any field, become a member of that forum and actively participate. People will recognize you, they will visit your website to find out more about you. Not only will you gain credibility as a knowledgeable professional, people will request for your services because you have established yourself as an expert and they trust you.

That’s how Forums help in SEO. They work as catalysts or enhancers. Their job is to get you more visibility and credibility.