Reference Worthy Content – Gain Street Cred Online

When talking about valuable SEO practices, “reference worthy content” is a phrase you’ll hear a lot.  But what is reference worthy content?

When writing reference worthy content, bloggers are aiming to build content that is likely to be cited by others.  Getting links from other sites is important to increase the credibility of your site – both in the view of the readers and in terms of your rank on a search results page.

It may seem obvious for how to encourage others to link to your site or blog, but any SEO expert will tell you it may be harder than you think.  To build a portfolio of sites that link to you, consider the psychological catalysts that make others want to link.

Links from non-commercial site give your blog or website more power than you would think.  “It’s critical to describe those folks who are the targets of linkbait – or the “Linkerati“.  The Internet’s Linkerati love non-commercial content.

Randfish, SEOmoz’s CEO and co-founder, tells us which types of non-commercial sites to target to get the best results:

1. Bloggers.  Bloggers are a great source of traffic to your website.  Randfish says they are “probably the most targetable and directly influenced folks.”  Bloggers can also help in spreading your content in a viral manner.
2. Forum Posters.  Randfish says that targeting those who post in forums can help bring others to your site, and in turn other likely linkers.  “Although the links these folks put up don’t often result in great search engine value, the traffic can be positive,” he says.
3. Social Media Marketing.  Those who use social media are optimal people to target to help your SEO efforts.  Randfish says if social media users and their friends love you, you can potentially see thousands of visitors.  Networking with these users gives you the opportunity to be in front of hundreds of other bloggers.
4. Journalists.  Online or offline creators of news content provide an opportunity to help your blog or website.  “These influencers are among the most valuable of all the Linkerati,” Randfish writes.  A reporter for a major publication like the Wall Street Journal or New York Times has the reach and ability to create links to your site.  Many times, this is often done in a second-hand fashion, meaning the site may not link directly to you, but many bloggers who pick up news items will.

The importance of having your website or blog cited by others can been seen across the Internet.  ”It’s the reason Wikipedia is more likely to be cited than your ad-sponsored blog,” Randfish says, “and why your ad-sponsored blog will outperform the blog on your e-commerce or affililiate website.”

Randfish thinks bloggers can take steps to help bolster “non-commercial” street cred:

Keep Intentions Pure.  Website owners are becoming more and more aware that their intentions are becoming a major piece of link building.  ”SEO savviness continues to grow, and as it does, greater scrutiny is applied to microsites, linkbait and viral content of all types,” Randfish writes.  ”It’s why we have to tell clients and colleagues to “look natural” – 5 years ago, this was barely an issue, but 5 years from now, it will be even worse.”

Target Citation-Likely Audiences.  The audience of “natural linkers” is very different from the Internet’s standard demographic.  ”Appealing to this group with your content is critical to earning their references,” Randfish says.  “Though they’re growing in size and variety, it’s still essential to have some effort to reach the core of this group.”  Randfish says the best way to get your handmade shop noticed (whether through blogs or websites) is to segment visitors accurately and appeal to the Linkerati, or “natural linkers”.

Making Sharing Easy.  Although we all know this intuitively, here’s how Randfish explains why making linking easy will take your site to another level.  “Yes, people on the web are lazy,” Randfish writes.  “Make it easy for them to spread content with copy and paste HTML, short URLs, and social media sharing links.”  He says after making adjustments in how you encourage others to share, you’ll find the ratio of those who spread rises.

Find a Non-Competitive Market.  Randfish suggests finding a non-competitive market online.  Although sellers may think the online handmade market is competitive, the market is quite friendly compared to others.

Randfish demonstrates this with an example in his article.  “Let’s say you’re in the field of real estate, and you write phenomenal content about the real estate market in your city,” he says.  You may think this is something every broker and agent want to share. “Guess what? They’re not going to,” Randfish writes.  “They are your competition, and they’d rather staple their eyeballs together than help you rank better for keywords they’re targeting.”  He suggests recognizing when you have come across a market that won’t feel threatened to cite your works.

How do you inspire social media sharing of your handmade shop or blog?  Do you think your website or blog has “reference worthy content”?  Why do you share links or source information from other sites?

Share your ideas for making the most of your blog content.  HandmadeMarketing.org provides a unique opportunity for free handmade shop advertising.  When readers share their ideas, our editors create articles about their experiences.  We link to your blog or site – giving your shop another way to reach potential buyers!