Bookmarks To Success With Google

A relatively new and extremely effective method for promotion is social media optimization better known as social bookmarking. MySpace is a good example as it YouTube. Technorati is the recognized authority on what's going on in the world of blogs. People who habitually visit a lot of blogs and monitor their own online buzz generally agree that Technorati is indispensable. Digg was formed initially with a technical focus and should still be considered your primary target for tech or computer specific content that you wish to expose to the masses.

The ability to search other users' bookmarks and even subscribe to users' bookmark feeds via RSS feeds encourages linking among site members who share similar interests. Wikipedia the great online encyclopedia has only been online since 2001 but is already the world's largest reference website.

While it's true that getting your content noticed on these sites isn't always easy, there are ways to use social media optimization (SMO) to maximize your content's potential and get others to bookmark you. SMO strategy has become a very keen focus for professional SEO firms and can involve many different approaches.

Make sure your site is linkable! Increasing your linkability means making it easy for outside parties and social media sites to link to your content.
This can be done in a variety of ways, including establishing a great blog on your site. If blogs aren't your thing, maintaining an active forum and free white papers, content-rich articles and resource pages are all great ways to increase the linkable nature of your website.

Encourage social bookmarking. Adding bookmarking buttons has been around for awhile, but you can go beyond this by including buttons and this text link at the bottom of a post, and a Digg button near the top of the article. This format has been shown to be very effective in generating votes for your content. And be sure you manage your buzz. Start participating in the conversations swirling around your site, your products, and your niche.

Start blogging on your own or make it a point to visit leading blogs and forums that target your audience and join the discussion.

Answer some questions, provide some needed advice, and discreetly drop something about your site at the same time. Don't do blatent advertising but work it into your comments and you won't be sorry. If you don't have the time, consider hiring someone who does.

Reward helpful users who offer content to your site. Site visitors who contribute useful tips or valuable content should be recognized and rewarded. Be sure you link back to them when appropriate. This can take the form of a simple thank-you or a note of recognition on the blogs or forums themselves. This means you gain vocal champions who tout your merits to other individuals and sites within the online community. Look for ways to engage your site visitors on their terms. If you can get them buzzing about you in a positive way, there's just no telling how far that buzz can fly along the viral lines of popular social media.