7 Link Spam Messages I Love to Hate

Link building spam drives me crazy. I mean really, who has the time to go thru their blog to weed out hundreds of spam comments? Sure, there are tools that help sort out the good from the bad, but still. If only these link spammers could use their incessant powers to offer an actual opinion on a topic, or to share a true thought — that’s the kind of Internet world I hope to live in one day.

Today, I’ve decided to pass along some of these crazy link spam messages. My hope is that you’ll spot some similarities that will make it easier for you to recognize and weed out the spam from your blog.

Here are my all-time favourites – 7 link spam messages I love to hate:

7. Buddy/Buddy: Sup. Basically wanted to leave a swift note and inquire exactly where you gathered your particular blog page model I am starting out own wordpress blog and factually like your specific model. (Sup, yo dawg!)

6: Confrontational approach: Sorry, but I disagree with this unique story. I do appreciate your particular website still and may continue to keep moving right back for updates.

5. Attempted flattery: Yo. I just simply desired to firmly make a short commentary and let you recognize that in fact I’ve been focusing on your particular wordpress blog for quite some time. Keep up the grand work and I will be returning back once more fairly quickly. (This one also falls under the Lost in Translation category.)

4. Blatant disregard: Couponing app fans using Droid or iPad should give a go with one called The Coupons App. This weekend get a 50% coupon to Nordstrom Rack. $15 off coupon at Herberger’s. A FREE entree coupon at Captain D’s and an appetizer coupon to Black Angus Steakhouse! http://thecouponsapp.com/download Really, it’s absolutely free. (Now these guys aren’t even trying to sneak a message past me!)

3. Lost in translation: Greeting there admin, I just wished to place a brief observation to say that I adored your story. Thanks!

2. More flattery: Fantastic piece of writing. Continue to keep up the amazing performance. (this one was a little better, had it not been for the sex for seniors backlink.)

1. WTF?!: You have a great weblog and I like your style of writing about this sexdat 4 e allstuff. Keep up the good work! (Wow, was I writing about sex dates for all stuff again in my sleep?! My sincerest apologies to my readers if I did ;-))

Uninspired? Content ideas are all around you!

Ever sit in front of your laptop ready to write a blog post, and nothing comes out? Sure you have, we all have. It’s interesting that when we’re surfing, the ideas are at every turn, you can’t slow them down. But when you find yourself staring at that white computer screen, you can go blank. Nothing, zip, zilch.

What you may not realize, though, is that content ideas are at your fingertips. Here are a few things I do to get inspired:

Analytics

Take a look at Google Analytics or Webmaster Tools, or whatever analytics tool you’re comfortable with. Identify which keywords people are using to find your pages. For example, if you’re a flower shop in Manitoba, you may find that more people are searching for ‘white roses in Winnipeg’ than they are ‘cactus plants.’

Now take a look at your content to see if you have pages built around that keyword phrase. Do a little research to find variations of that keyword phrase to use as well. If you know how your prospects are searching online, you are in a better position to give them the content they seek.

Social Bookmarking

Visit popular social bookmarking sites to see what’s hot. Check out Digg, for example, and click on Trending.

If you’ve read anything online lately, you’ve see at least something about SOPA. Does it relate in any way to your business? Is there a unique spin that you could put on the information that your readers would find insightful?

Maybe you have an e-commerce site that sells baby stuff or tech gadgets. Now that you can see it’s a “hot topic” do some keyword research to find out how users are searching. Now that you know which topic people are buzzing about, and you know which keywords they’re using to find the information, you’re in the perfect position to deliver.

Remember, content is more than just text on a page. Content also comes in the form of videos, infographics, presentations, and more.

Read Blogs

Check out your favourite blogs, whether they’re from industry thought leaders or competitors. See what others are talking about and then put your own spin on the topics. Believe it or not, you do have an interesting perspective on these things. The way you view the world is different than anyone else – so go ahead, be yourself, share you thoughts! Now, don’t steal today’s ideas and post them tomorrow. Go back a bit, dig into the archives for ideas.

What you can do today is take a peek around LinkedIn, Quora and Yahoo Answers to uncover those burning questions just begging for a quick resolution. Fact is, people have questions and you have answers.

Remember to ask questions, too! You’re the expert in your field, but not every field. You probably have questions about project management tools, a local car service, or the latest smart phone. When you have questions, you can bet others have answers.

How do you find new ideas for your content? Share your thoughts with us here!

~Aimee

16 Ways to Build a Loyal Blog Readership (and 5 ways not to)

Just because you write a blog post, doesn’t mean people will read it, share it, like it, etc. Until you understand what you’re writing about, to whom you are writing, and why, you’re wasting your time. Here are a few ways to tell if you’re writing for the wrong reasons:

1. You’re trying to sell a product by pitching it in every post.
2. You’re trying to write a blog post every day b/c that’s what you’ve heard you’re supposed to do.
3. You read somewhere that using keywords in text will get you more traffic, so you’re writing posts filled with keywords you think matter.
4. You like to hear yourself talk and you have a lot to rant about.
5. You figure there’s enough info online that you can regurgitate other bloggers’ posts.

If, on the other hand, you understand the purpose of your blog, you understand who your readers are, and what they want to learn about, you can begin to position yourself as an industry thought leader. Yes, there are some tricks of the trade that are proven to evoke emotion and entice followers to faithfully return time and time again. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Talk TO your readers, not AT them.
2. Find a challenge your readers face, then offer a viable solution.
3. For the love of all that is holy, check your grammar – not for slang and conversational tones, but for blatant errors.
4. It’s been proven that the mind absorbs information more easily when broken out into geometric shapes. Use images, charts, graphs when it makes sense to do so.
5. Write short, concise paragraphs and break out the content with sub-heads. It’s visually easier on your readers.
6. Less is more. If you can shorten 2o words into 5 and still deliver a complete thought, do it.
7. Use bullets, they’re easier to read than long blocks of text.
8. Guest-bloggers, you get back what you put into your blog. If you hire crappy writers who know nothing about your industry to pump out volume, you’ll lose credibility.
9. Make people smile! Everyone likes to feel good, don’t let your business message overpower your own personality.
10. Read as much as you write. The only way to stay on top of your industry is by taking control of your professional development. Make sure you read and learn from your peers.
11. There’s no such thing as perfection – strive for greatness, yes. Strive for perfection and you’ll never get anything done.
12. Ask questions – true thought leaders know that they don’t know what they don’t know 😉 Everyone has something to contribute. Ask your readers for their opinions and feedback.
13. Use ALT tags in your blog images – it helps reinforce the keyword relevancy for your post.
14. But do NOT keyword stuff your pages! Your blog is not the best blog of all the blogs listed on blog directories, but you think your blog should use the word blog.
15. Be consistent. If you say you’re going to blog on X day, then do it. It’s how you build trust with your readers.
16. Don’t bash other people or businesses. It’s just impolite. Be objective when talking about what others may or may not be doing well.

What are some of your own must Dos and Don’ts when blogging? Share your expertise with us! The SEO Vault is open 🙂

~ Aimee