Search Engine Optimization For Your Forum - tip #2

[Brighteyes]

Add HTML pages to your forum for enhanced SEO!

Once you have identified your main keywords, create a web page for each one of those phrases.

Why? Several reasons.

First, because unlike on a forum thread, you control the exact content, so the page can be highly optimized for search engines and dedicated to that particular keyword. See: Basic Search Engine Optimization for HTML Pages

Now, make sure that page links to the appropriate forum or forums on your site.

Then, treat that page as though it is it's own web site, and obtain links directly to that page that are related. This way, that page gains a good ranking in the search engines and becomes a strong page, so when you link it to the corresponding forum, that forum receives that ranking relationship as well.

Be sure to link to this page from your homepage. I like linking to these pages in the archive as well. You will find your forums are being spidered more often.

SO, for example, lets say you have a forum about the Ford Mustang.

Maybe you have one page for the 2005 & 2006 Mustang, Another for the 1998 - 2004 Mustang GT, Another for the 1998 - 2004 Cobra, etc etc.

Each of these pages should be strong with the particular topic. High keyword density, etc.

You can also sell links on these pages as I bet they will have a high PR.

Your members will find this page helpful as well because they will find it to be directly related to something of interest to them.

[cpt.pike]

Thanks for the great tip.

This is one of those things that you ask yourself "why didn't i think of that myself"

So simple; SEs love HTML pages, which is something forums lack. Although you can search engine optimize a forum to the best of your abilities, HTML is always a plus. If you think about it, an HTML page for each specific key aspect of what your forums are about is a great way to make things easier and more interesting for your visitors.

I have to ask if you can show me an example of a forum that does this though.

I might just get started on that right now.

[Brighteyes]

Actually I do it myself on my own site.

On my forum I have a category for each of my graphical areas... i.e. vBulletin designs, webpage templates, website designs, etc.

I actually went at some of it backwards. I had started my website first. Then purchased vBulletin to demo my skins/styles on. Then because I had some of my webpage designs and templates on my website, I made a little place for them on my forum.
I also have a modification on my forum called the webtamplates hack, available at vBulletin.org. I store my vB button sets, forum markers etc on those pages, but link to them from my html website. ;)

There are all kinds of ways to do this.

Here's my site: Themes by Design

You can also find this in action at vBulletin-FAQ

[iughk]

Do you think it helps to use typically searched for phrases in category names and forum descriptions?
An example would be like, if most people searching for the fastest way to build a tent Google 'build a tent fast' use the phrase 'how to build a tent'. Would it make sense to actually Google that phrase, and see what comes up in the descriptions of the sites in the top 5 and use variations of the descriptions in the actual forum or category description on your forum?