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We're developing several blogs and I was wondering if it would make sense to periodically create blog entries that 'naturally' link to certain pages on the main site. For example we have a large amount of 'partners' across the country, and we wanted to do an interview series on the blog, and insert a link into the interview, such as "partner bob services the Boston area", or something more elegant than that. Would have have any significant impact on the 'boston page aside from the pass through traffic from the blog?"

We didn't move up or down anywhere. In all of our keyword niches, the top players are still ranking with blatant partner links, unrelated viagra reciprocal links, paid right-side-menu links, profile/forum spam, and blog commenting. This is what's getting first places in the IT industry right now and its really starting to aggravate me.

Do you guys think careful blog commenting is still a valuable day-to-day linkbuilding tactic? If I create a list of relevant unspammed blogs, and spend maybe 30 minutes per day commenting on 3-5 of them per day, while making sure that they're not inundated with spammy comments - is that worth my time?

I would wondering if there were ways to find non-indexed content in private forums/discussion boards. Is there a scalable 'foot-print' that suggests the forum has a private section?

To be honest I'm starting to wonder about the presence of these mysterious boring niche sites that everyone purports to be ranking using high level white hat strategies. Every single service niche site I have ever seen, ranks at best with profile links, blatantly paid directory and footer links, and sponsored reviews. I have yet to see a local service site that actually USES this tactic you're talking about -  content that actually 'sticks'. I'll re-state the question: show me a site that does this successfully. It doesn't have to be a client...it can be any site.  It feels like your answer 'skirts' the question to be honest and instead tries to showcase your strategy (which isn't what I asked for). I didn't ask "what would your strategy be for a boring service niche site". I asked "show me an example of one that does. I don't mean to sound harsh but this is the second question of mine you have weighed  in on where you have 'dangled' an answer without actually answering the original question. I'm asking for a URL I can study and examine myself.  I'm not looking for an elaborate theoretical answer.

I'm looking for an example of a site in a very boring service niche locally "let's say elevator doors in chicago" or something like that, that successfully using blogging, content generation, etc to achieve top rankings above its spammy competitors. Anyone care to give out a case study? I'm not talking about companies that submit to 100's of local directories like yelp, or google maps rankings. I'm talking about organic or blended serps.

Adam

I think for reputation management, and to get an initial base of links it still makes a difference. For example your own company has quite a few, aside from the basic ones. You have:

manta

crunchbase

elance

digital spinner

ematters

sortfolio

designer listings

free press release

guru.com

agency tool

indeed

etc. I'm looking for legit places like this.

etc.

Do you have a list of these I can use but that give away a do follow link?

I'm doing some SEO for small niche service sites...and aside from niche directories and some light article marketing and local search directories (yelp, etc) there really isn't a budget for content generation. I really only have a budget for profile/submission links. What are some sites where you can quite easily fill out a personal profile with an anchor text variable link that may not be THAT juicy but will stick (i.e. not a spam/fake profile type of link, but something like Linkedin).

I'll start with giving away 1

www.istockphoto.com

Any others that aren't obvious?

Syed

Do you think it would follow then, that a company that devotes a LOT of time to create such garbage articles has 'something to hide'? I know this is a bit off-topic but that's something I think as both a consumer AND an SEO person. I.E. if someone's spraying water, there must have been a fire.

I think this almost warrants a youmoz post, but I was wondering if anyone has used MLM or 'shady' industry companies to see where they place their reputation/brand links to dominate the first 2-3 pages of google for things like 'company name + scam' 'company name + reviews'. On a side note what is your opinion of a company that goes to great lengths to create a very strong push to control those keywords? Would you recommend your clients dominate the first 2-3 pages with 'honest review about company x' and 'the truth about company x' fakeditorials? Do you guys think people see right through them.

Take any MLM..for instance

legal shield scam (not my company, but an MLM that I am very wary of)

as professionals what do you think of their reputation management build out......what do you think consumers would see when they read this? is there such a thing as going to far to refute false claims and building sponsored reviews? I'm personally against doing sponsored reviews and spamming with them, but maybe I am naive.

We have a company with 2 offices, 1 on each coast. I was wondering what would be the best way to create a google+ business page for this to maximize them? We'd like to show a nationwide presence with 2 offices. Are there any downsides to picking any 1 of these?

To clarify, there are 3 choices: local business, brand, and company. Which of the 3 would you recommend for a company with a nationwide presence and 2 offices?

That seems really vague but the rock bottom seems to be around $15/published post on a PR2 blog.

Thanks for your help that's a great idea regarding the blogs - 2 questions, 1. would I just need to alt-tag the image and that's it? or would I have to write a blurb on the blog post to discuss a topic that is related and insert the brand's name into the title of the post, and somewhere in the text as well?

Link profile and exact match. I was able to grab the equivalent of plumberlosangeles in every major city in the country. They were #1 for new york, la, houston, philly, etc.....This was a 7 figure gross generating adventure.

What value? Same as ServiceMagic for instance...........We have as much right to be in a city as a local 'plumber'. What does a user in Montana care if the website looks the same as the one in New York?

They're split up over 5-6 hosts...but identical WHOIS info......so there's maybe 20-30 per hosting account.