Quora isn't just a highly ranked question and answer site, it's one of the top online destinations as well. It is the ideal place to start making a site popular and improving ranking and traffic.
Quora: What Is It?
What is the Quora
Process?
According
to the web metrics company Alexa, Quora is ranked #345 in traffic out of all
U.S. sites. It is
ranked #357 on Google's list of the world's most popular websites.
Google Trends data shows that Quora has experienced an upward trend over the past five years. In other words, Quora is getting more popular.
It is
not just the United States that is experiencing that upward trend. Similarly, France,
Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia reflect this trend.
Quora
is a popular website that continues to grow in popularity.
Is It OK to Link to
Your Site on Quora?
As long
as you link to your site in a way that enhances the answers you provide, it's
acceptable to do so. Linking
to one's own site should be done as part of a citation and to support an answer
to a question. The
post that does not answer a question or has a low quality answer might be
viewed as spam. Provide
a knowledgeable answer by focusing on what you know.
The Role of Quora
in Marketing
Quora: What is the best way for marketers to use it for SEO?
Quora
is often thought of by some marketers as a one-and-done deal because of the
transactional nature of search marketing consultants, where clients pay for
rankings, and agencies deliver spreadsheets with the results. Although the links are
nofollowed, Google could still use them as part of its ranking process.
There
is also a belief that they could boost a website's “authority.” First, Google does not
really rely on “authority” metrics other than links. There are indirect ways
to establish the kind of authority that causes users to become familiar with a
site and begin searching for it by name. It can also result in better ranking and direct visits, as well
as links and word-of-mouth popularity.
Get the Word Out
Getting
the word out about a business online is the most crucial part of marketing it
online. A
friend recommending a site to another friend is one of the strongest
recommendations a business can receive. If you can get people so excited about your business that your
friend tells another friend, “Go to this business, they'll take great care of
you,” you've practically got a license to make money.
That
simply isn't competitive for competitors. However, to reach that point, a business must get the word out. Friends often recommend
each other's products or services, which is one of the reasons most success
stories become popular.
If the
sole focus is on search engine rankings, that part of online marketing gets
missed. Web
pages that are expected to be displayed by users are ranked higher on Google. Google will want to show
a site for a particular product or service if it is suddenly successful and
consumers are sending signals.
Due to
its mission to display users the most authoritative site for any given search
query, Google has always emphasized this as the most important factor. It is impossible to
become popular if no one knows you exist.
Building a
reputation like that on Quora is the first step.
Former
Google spam-fighting head Matt Cutts is a Quora member and is answering
questions regarding his new job as a United States government employee.
Matt Cutts also answers questions on Quora, so maybe you
should do so too.
Build Goodwill on
Quora
With
Matt Cutts as an example, he demonstrated the value of building goodwill
through genuine engagement in communities.
Cutts says:
"I
was reading a book called The Cluetrain Manifesto when I came across a story
about an employee at United Airlines answering questions and helping others. A
webmaster forum shared some conspiracy theories regarding Google, including
"if you buy Google ads, you'll rank [higher, lower] on Google."
During
the webmaster forum, I asked the Google PR team if it was okay if I answered a
few questions or debunked misconceptions periodically. They said it was fine. In my free time, I
responded to questions and registered an account under the name
"GoogleGuy" on Oct. 8, 2001.
On that
forum, I eventually accumulated more than 2800 posts."
Imagine that: 2,800 posts
on a webmaster forum answering questions about Google.
There
were no other search engines or companies in the early days of search that
spent as much time and effort building goodwill with the communities within
their ecosystem.
Goodwill
affects reputation. Companies
with a good reputation are naturally trusted and recommended by the public. The importance of
goodwill is underrated and overlooked in online marketing. If you only focus on
factors such as links, anchor text, and title tags, you can't build goodwill.
Authenticity
is increasingly important to Gen Z workers, who are entering the workforce
today. It is
impossible to build goodwill by engaging in inauthentic activities.Advertising
during the Pandemic of Covid-19 is described in an article published in Adweek,
“These
digital natives are used to consuming a lot of information at once, they are
tech-savvy, and are inherently suspicious of advertising. This audience seeks
authenticity…”
An article in
Harvard Business Review on the topic of companies marketing during the pandemic
stated:
“…companies
need to show that their contributions are material and not solely for
commercial benefit. Consumers recognize authenticity and true purpose.”
“Authenticity” and “true
purpose” should be the goal in participating in a community like
Quora. Authenticity
and goodwill mean participating on a regular basis and in a manner that is
helpful. A
one-off campaign of a day, a week, or a month of participation may not build
momentum. In
moderator circles, that kind of activity is called Drive-by Spamming and tends
to be frowned on by users and moderators alike.
The
same way you can't stuff a dollar into a charity collection box and expect to
buy goodwill and authenticity, a company can't one-shot its campaign for
popularity, goodwill, and recommendations from friends.
Companies
that participate the most are more likely to gain the reputation of being the
"good guys" or "good girls."
Piggyback Rankings
Ranking
on another website is another way to build an online presence. That’s something
that I call Piggyback Rankings.
Earlier,
a strategy for ranking a software company consisted of identifying all the
relevant software download sites and submitting the software with highly
optimized and unique content.
For
software related keywords, the software download site should rank among the top
ten. In the
same way, a company can answer questions on Quora in a useful and comprehensive
manner and end up ranking for keywords related to those questions.
For any
search query, it's best not to have Quora ranking ahead of you. But if the page has a
link to the website or mentions it, that counts as a win. If your company receives
traffic or builds goodwill from that ranking, then it will benefit.
When a
brand appears as an answer, consumers can become familiar with it. If a friendly page ranks
in the top ten, it is better than if a competitor takes that spot.
Why Quora Matters
for Your Marketing Strategy
Quora
is only one aspect of community participation. Sometimes there are
micro-communities that are specific niche verticals. You can apply whatever
you learn from participating in Quora to other communities as well. Hard work will pay off
and the effort you put into the campaign will become your unbeatable advantage.
More
Resources:
How To Use Quora Effectively in 2021
Beginner’s Guide to Quora: The Most Helpful
Uses for Marketers in 2021
How to Build Quora Backlinks That Get
Indexed
Forum Link Building: How to Drive Traffic
with Quora
Promote Your
Website On Quora With Contextual Links