When it comes to website promotion, most people immediately think of SEO, content marketing, and advertising. But there is another effective method – crowd links. They not only help to raise positions in search engines, but also attract real people to the site.
What are crowd links?
Crowd links are links that are placed on various sites in a natural format. These can include forums, blog comments, social media discussions, and question-and-answer platforms. The main difference between such links and others is that they fit seamlessly into the context of the discussion and benefit users.
What does it look like in practice? For example, someone asks on the forum where it is better to buy camping equipment. In the response, the user can share his experience and mention the site where he bought himself. If the recommendation looks natural and does not look like an advertising post, such a link will be considered a crowd link.
How are crowd links and crowd marketing related?
Crowd links are part of a broader strategy called crowd marketing. If links are a tool, then crowd marketing includes the entire process of working with an audience.: participate in discussions, build trust, and promote the brand through live communication.
Instead of aggressive advertising, crowd marketing uses people’s trust in each other. People are more likely to listen to real reviews than to advertising banners. Therefore, crowd marketing is not only about links, but also about the company’s reputation.
How do crowd links work?
These links serve two key purposes:
- They increase the authority of the site. Search engines see that the site is being linked to by different users on real sites. If the links look natural and come from high-quality sites, this has a positive effect on ranking.
- Attract a live audience. People follow the links, explore the site, and become customers. Unlike classic link building, where links are most often created for search engines, crowd links are targeted at people.
How to use crowd links correctly?
In order for links to benefit rather than harm, it is important to follow several rules:
- Select relevant sites. You need to place links where there is a target audience. For example, if an online sportswear store is being promoted, it is logical to post links on sports forums and blogs.
- Do not spam. If you insert a link in every message for no reason, it will look like an advertisement and lead to the account being banned. It is better to provide links only in cases where it is really appropriate.
- Use natural language. It is better not to write “Buy the best products here”, but to share your personal experience: “I bought here, I liked the quality.”
- Alternate between different sources. Crowd links should appear not only on forums, but also on blogs, social networks, and review sites.
Crowd links are natural links that are posted on forums, blogs, and social media. They help improve your position in search engines and attract your target audience. In order for them to work effectively, it is important not to spam, but to use them organically, choosing the right platforms and formulations.