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Astroturfing SEO 
By: Patrick Hare 2010-04-05 A recent CNN Article brings up the topic of "Astroturfing." What is Astroturfing? Basically, the process involves the creation of a fake "ground swell" of popular support. In the same... ....way that Astroturf is fake grass, Astroturfing is the creation of a fake grassroots movement. Previously, this was done by way of Public Relations firms and traditional print media, but new Astroturfing campaigns are carried out online as a form of reputation management and political advocacy. Naturally, most small businesses don't have the advantage of a multimillion dollar budget for this type of PR. In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), it may be possible to create a similar movement on a small scale, whether you're trying to promote your product or handle negative online publicity. If you can put together an integrated approach, you may even be able to have several search results on the first page of Google which are presenting positive information about you and your services. Better yet, you can build some "natural" turf that improves your online presence and shields you from the odd piece of online defamation. How would you start a "DIY Astroturfing" campaign of your own? First, you can publish some online press releases through sources like PR Web. Press releases show up in search results and often get added to "News Results" in search listings for a couple of days. By picking the right title for your release, you can present your name in relation to your keyword. Another somewhat low-tech approach might involve motivating your fan base to comment positively about you on their own social media accounts, link to you from their websites, or write a letter to the editor on your behalf. Generally speaking, it is best not to give people content or talking points to copy, as you can appear to be spamming the media, and it pays not to alienate news editors. In the world of SEO, a mini-Astroturfing campaign would either involve the creation of multiple sites and/or the placement of content on various sources. There are quite a few internet marketers who are devoted to placing paid content on other websites in exchange for a fee. Therefore, you can essentially rent a page on a popular and relevant website with your own message, and that page is far more likely to move up in search engine rankings vs. a page on a brand new site. Obviously, you want to make sure you are complying with FTC regulations on paid content, and this usually involves having a disclaimer below the piece itself. A similar tactic would involve buying blog reviews, which can be purchased for anywhere from a few dollars to many thousands of dollars, depending on the popularity of the blogger. Once again, FTC regulations may come in to play, but many of these posts can find their way into search engine rankings on top of the bump in exposure you're getting from readers. You can also use the power of Pay-Per-Click to gain exposure by ensuring your ad and a brief message shows up when people do certain keyword searches. Whether or not you are actually selling products, you can still link people to a page that promotes your point of view or sets the record straight on a specific topic. The ethics of an SEO Astroturfing campaign would vary by situation, but it is possible to use Astroturfing tactics in a manner that would not be dishonest. Understanding the potential of enhanced public relations is important to anyone who wants to promote a point of view or respond to negative criticism. Since the average SEO practitioner isn't in the same league as a multinational corporation or foreign government, the campaign is going to be a lot smaller but it can still be effective. Every day, people and businesses face unfair criticism, which manages to make its way into search engines, so the creation of some "natural turf" of your own may be the perfect way to protect against new critics while managing PR hiccups that may already exist. Comments Tag: Astroturfing, SEO Add to  Del.icio.us |  Digg |  Reddit |  Furl Have a bookmark! -  About the Author: Patrick Hare has been managing online and offline marketing projects since 1999. From 2005 to present, he has been with Scottsdale Arizona's Web.com Search Agency (formerly Submitawebsite). Patrick provides Search Engine Optimization and Marketing advice to in-house customers and Web.com Jacksonville’s web design group. |
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