Backlinks are the vote of confidence for a site but not all votes are the same. These votes vary in type. One type is forum backlinks. These backlinks pass very little to no SEO juice to the linking site.
Forums are communities where people discuss different topics, ask questions, and share knowledge. In this blog post, we’ll explore what forum backlinks are and how they make an impact on SEO. Their benefits and how to make them useful for your website’s reputation
Let’s see how you can use forum backlinks to support your digital marketing strategy.
What are forum backlinks?
Forums are online platforms on which people discuss their topics, ideas, and thoughts within the same niche.
Forum backlinks are present on these platforms that link back to your website. These backlinks are the easiest links to create which are placed by you in that forum or placed by someone else.
So, creating these backlinks known as forum link building helps to build your website’s SEO and improve your ranking in SERPs.
Types of Forum Backlinks
Forum backlinks can be divided into several types based on the forums in which they are placed. The main types of forum backlinks are;
1. Profile backlinks
As the name of this type suggests, these backlinks are placed in the user profile section of the forum.
In the upper example, you can clearly see that the user Petergoff on the Digital Point forum has a backlink to its blog in its profile description.
2. Signature Backlinks
These forum backlinks are placed in the signature section that appears below every post of use. It is also displayed every time the user gives an answer to a question or gives a reply.
This image shows that when a user enters a discussion and replies to a question, he uses his signature with backlinks to its sites
3. Contextual Backlinks
These backlinks appear in the content or a blog post on a forum. These links are embedded within the relevant the relevant anchor text. These links can be internal which points to the other post of the user or it can be external which points to the other blog posts of another user.
For example, a user on a forum writes on plant care. In its content, he links to a page of natural fertilizers in its content so it’s a contextual forum backlink
5. Comment Backlinks
Forum backlinks that are included in replies or comments on existing threads are comment backlinks.
Quora is a Q&A forum in which users answer questions. In this image, you can see that a user answers a question about SEO. In his answer, he links back to its blog of authority backlinks saying that backlinks are the most important aspect of SEO.
Each type of backlink serves a different purpose and can help build a diverse backlink profile.
Are All Forum Backlinks no-follow?
Many forums, especially those that are well-moderated and popular, tend to use nofollow links to prevent spam and maintain the quality of the discussions. However, some forums may allow do-follow links, especially if the forum is niche-specific or if certain users (like long-time members or those with high reputations) are allowed to post do-follow links.
To determine whether a forum uses do-follow or no-follow links, you can inspect the HTML code of the posted links. Here’s how you can check:
1. Using Browser Developer Tools
- Right-click on the link and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element” from the context menu.
- In the HTML code, look for the `rel` attribute of the `<a>` tag. If it contains `rel=”nofollow”`, then the link is nofollow. If there is no such attribute or if the `rel` attribute does not contain `nofollow`, then the link is likely do-follow.
2. Using SEO Tools
There are various SEO browser extensions and tools, such as MozBar or Ahrefs SEO Toolbar, that can highlight nofollow links on a webpage, making it easier to distinguish between dofollow and nofollow links.
While many forums default to no-follow links to combat spam, it is not a universal rule, and you may find do-follow links in certain forums.
The Role of Forum Backlinks in SEO
As mentioned earlier, forum backlinks are not useful for search engine optimization. However, they can pass very little SEO juice to linking websites. It has benefits as well as pitfalls in the field of SEO. These are;
Benefits
- Forum backlinks are niche-specific. This allows you to target audiences interested in your field.
- If you are an active user of forums, you can enhance your brand visibility through this.
- These types of backlinks contribute to a natural link profile.
- They help in ranking for long-tail keywords often discussed in forums.
- Popular forums are frequently crawled by search engines, which can lead to faster indexing of your backlinks.
- Your content can be discovered more quickly through forum links.
Drawbacks
- Spammy forum backlinks can hurt your SEO and there is a high chance of penalties from Google.
- This can be considered a violation of Google’s guidelines to participate in forums solely for link building.
- These backlinks have less authority compared to high-authority back links.
- Many forums use no-follow attributes for outbound links, which do not pass SEO value.
- Building a reputation and consistently contributing to forums can be time-consuming.
Effective Strategies for Building Forum Backlinks
Building forum backlinks can be a highly effective strategy for improving your website’s SEO if done correctly. Here are some comprehensive strategies to consider:
Choose Relevant Forums
- Identify Niche-Specific Forums: Look for forums relevant to your industry or niche. This ensures that the backlinks you create are contextually appropriate, which is important for SEO.
- Check Forum Authority: Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to check the domain authority of the forums. High-authority forums are more beneficial for backlinking.
Create a Complete Profile
- Use a Real Name and Photo: This builds trust within the community.
- Add a Signature: Many forums allow you to include a signature with your posts. This can be a subtle way to include a backlink to your website.
Participate Actively
- Answer Questions and Engage in Discussions: Provide valuable, informative, and helpful answers. Avoid spamming as it can get you banned.
- Start New Threads: Post interesting and relevant topics that can spark discussion. This can draw attention to your expertise and, indirectly, to your site.
Add Value to the Community
- Provide Genuine Help: Focus on contributing to the community rather than just promoting your site. This builds your reputation and encourages users to check out your profile and website.
- Share Resources: Link to your site only when it genuinely adds value to the conversation. For instance, if someone asks a question that you have a comprehensive blog post about, share that link.
Optimize Your Links
- Use Natural Anchor Text: Avoid using exact-match keywords excessively. Use natural language that fits smoothly into the conversation.
- Diversify Your Links: Link to different pages of your website, not just the homepage. This helps in distributing the link equity across your site.
Use High-Quality Content
- Share Informative Content: When appropriate, share links to high-quality content on your site that can help the community members.
- Create Evergreen Content: Post links to content that remains relevant over time, increasing the chances of sustained traffic from the forum.
Network with Influencers
- Engage with Influencers: Build relationships with key influencers in the forums. Their endorsement can significantly boost your credibility and backlinking efforts.
- Collaborate: Work on collaborative projects, such as guest posts or joint webinars, which can provide additional backlink opportunities.
Participate in Forum Events
- Join AMA (Ask Me Anything) Sessions: These are great opportunities to showcase your expertise and naturally link to your site.
- Attend Webinars and Online Events: Forums often host webinars or events. Participate actively and share valuable content during these sessions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, forum backlinks can be a valuable addition to your SEO toolkit when used strategically. They not only contribute to a well-rounded backlink profile but also enhance your site’s visibility and engagement within relevant communities.
However, the effectiveness of forum backlinks hinges on meaningful participation and genuine contributions to discussions. By being an active, valuable member of forums related to your industry, you can create credible backlinks that benefit both your SEO efforts and your reputation within the community.
Balancing forum backlinks with other link-building strategies ensures a comprehensive approach to improving your website’s authority and driving targeted traffic.
