3 Ways to Using Yahoo Answers to Build Rank
Yahoo! Answers and other answers websites such as Answers.com, AOL Answers, Askville from Amazon and the like are actually a great way to get backlinks and to build rank for your website. The key is to leverage these kinds of websites effectively for your needs so that you can create a community around yourself. Here’s what you need to know:
What is Yahoo! Answers?
Let’s start with what Yahoo! Answers is. It’s kind of like a search engine and kind of like a forum. The idea is that people can ask questions that they want answers to and real people can answer those questions. The people doing the answering don’t get money but they get points for offering the “best answer.”
I’ll assume that you couldn’t care less about getting the points. As near I can tell, the points are mostly for bragging rights and for getting your answers featured. Bragging rights don’t matter, but getting your answers featured should definitely matter to you.
Build Backlinks
The reason is quite simple: You can offer a short answer along with a link back to a page on your website which has more information. Backlinks of course are the backbone of the web and will help you to build a website and to build rank.
If your answer is a well written one, it rises to the top and generates a higher PR rating making your link on that page much more valuable to you as a place to get backlinks to your website.
Build Authority
Another great reason to participate in the answers community is building authority. Don’t forget that the Internet is ultimately intended to help people, not Google.
We sometimes don’t remember that when we’re in a rush to gain new backlinks and to build up the keyword density on our web pages, but the truth is that we don’t really need bots to find us. We need real people with real money to spend to find us.
If you offer a thoughtful and useful answer, not only will you generate more backlinks, but you’ll also generate goodwill and authority. People will learn to come to you for the answers they need to specific issues.
Get Interviewed
Finally, by building yourself up on a website like Yahoo! Answers, you will be creating a kind of portfolio of informational answers for yourself. This portfolio means that your authority is worth more than just getting new people to drop by your website. It also means that people looking for experts to interview will consider contacting you.
It’s simple: just like creating a blog gets you the benefit of being considered an authority, answering questions on answers sites also builds authority and that means potentially be interviewed by major blogs or news outlets, which will ultimately drive lots of traffic back to your website.
But doesn’t Yahoo Answers tag its external links with nofollow? So, while it may bring you a trickle of real customers, long-term for SEO purposes, it is really not a true backlink-building strategy.
From what I understand, if you get to a certain level, your answers are made into do follow links. Plus, no follow links are not totally worthless, especially since Yahoo still indexes them.
thanks for this wonderful info, but yahoo doesn’t let put website link over there, any reply will be appreciated.
You have to put the link inside your answer rather than in the sources. You would just write: source: xxx website.
Actually, it doesn’t matter where you post your links in Yahoo Answers. They don’t become active until you reach “Level 2.” This is due to the high amount of spam on the site. Once you’ve answered enough questions to reach “Level 2” then your links will become active.
is it true that at level 7 or so your source link is counted as dofollow link?
I have heard something to that effect, however I haven’t found this anywhere in the actual rules from Yahoo! Answers, so I can’t say for certain.
Interesting. I didn’t know that. However as far as I know, they’re still no follow, right? I mean, I can’t find anything in the Yahoo! rules which says one way or the other.
How about comments, is it worth writing comments on old questions?
I don’t think you can write comments on old questions. Once the question is answered, it seems to be sealed so that comments can’t be added. In any event, if you could I imagine it would have about the same value, though it wouldn’t count toward getting you higher in the point system there.
The no-follow figure has become quite big but even though no-follow may not be that effiective for PR but those help in SERPs. Almost all sites make the links no-follow now, if no-follow links do not help then the whole concept of Google etc considering the links as your reputation goes down the drain. I have done some good experiments and those proved that no-folow links help the search rankings.
Yahoo Answers links are nofollow (and you must have enough points to be at least rank 2 to get even that — until then you’re links aren’t even hyperlinks).
There are some benefits to nofollow links, but rank is not one of them. Nofollow links do not pass pagerank, alas, though search engines do follow them, ironically. There has been some evidence that they do pass anchor text and count toward your IP diversity.
They don’t pass link juice in Google. However I believe that Yahoo! does index even no follow links so it can’t hurt to have them.
This is a constant source of controversy and I’ve heard both sides of the argument. The fact remains that do follow links are much more valuable, but even no follow links have their uses.
Actually, I found that you can’t do so. I don’t know if you were once able to, but I happened across an old Yahoo Answers question once and wanted to comment and wasn’t able to do so. I also doubt it would be particularly useful as an SEO tool except as a way to get direct links from the people who see your comment.
I have a level 2 account and create links to sites that have a follow attribute.
I make only meaninful contributions and strive for having the best answer to provide to the group.
Reading what questions are posed and researching for a coherent and helpful response helps me as a business owner to keep a finger on the pulse – call it market research.
Are you sure your links are do follow links? I’ve been trying to find out about it and have yet to get a firm answer one way or another. OTOH, like I said, even if you don’t get do follow links, they can be valuable.
I would definitely try this out and let you know the result, i think i could really work.
Happy we could help. Please be sure to let us know how it works out.
Great post, I’m closing in on Level 2 as well on Yahoo. I’ll check back and let you know if any traffic trickles over. Still i do like leaving a link in the source, just loved Yahoo’s idea with Answers, you can see people really get involved.
Yes. It is definitely helpful. As I’ve always said, just because a link isn’t a do follow link, it doesn’t necessary follow that it’s not helpful.
Hmmm. I actually have a Level 2 account at Yahoo answers. I think I may run off and start promoting my websites there a bit!
Good idea. Remember though — I think the links are no follow. Still, in a post Penguin world, I think they may be useful. Not to mention that you could get direct, organic traffic from them.
I have used Yahoo! answers before, I find it great! It surprises me the questions people ask.
Indeed. And if you stick with it, it can be useful for SEO too.
Using Yahoo answer is not easy you need to contribute genuine and useful information then only you can build trust.
Nobody ever said SEO was easy. If it was, we’d be out of business ;).