The Backward OX

Umm . . .

Mr Sci Fi

Writer's Digest just released a list of the best online writing forums and this site wasn't on it. That may have something to do with the popularity diminishing.

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"The writer you envy today will probably have reason to envy you tomorrow." - Orson Scott Card

lin

Popularity diminishing? By what criteria? There are dozens of new members a week.

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Mr Sci Fi

It seems to be the main argument of this thread.

But if I had to take a gander, I'd suspect it has to do with the moderation. Who wants to post a comment or a review when people like you will ridicule them for it just to boost your own ego?

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"The writer you envy today will probably have reason to envy you tomorrow." - Orson Scott Card

chimchimski

~I just checked on Google and sadly, we are listed on Page 6...second from the bottom!...hmmmm...

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~Robin~


~Chimmy Has A Brand New Bag~

lin

Yeah, you bleated that out on another thread.
It shows a MASSIVE ignorance of how search engines work. (They aren't moderation popularity polls...see some previous posts for some hints that global search engines aren't all about your concerns)

You're one of the most nitpicking, negative posters on this site: and so much of it is about other people being that way. Curious.



Ah, my ego feels so much better now.

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JosephB

Friends, where you land in Google rankings is based on incredibly complex criteria. I have clients who have spent 6 figures on site optimization and haven't been able to achieve decent site rankings.

One of the main criteria is site content. Google crawls site content and through an amazingly complex set of algorithms partially determines your ranking based on the percentage of relevant keywords, such as "writing forum." So, for what ever reason, if another site has a higher keyword density for those search terms, it will improve their rankings. This may or may not be do to their efforts.

Over time, the number of visits a site receives effects rankings. But first, it is all about content and keyword density. Inbound links also are a major factor -- other sites that link to this site.

How a site is marketed and the time and money spent on search engine optimization, has almost everything to do with your rankings.

It's also true that the more people slugging it out for the same keywords, the harder it is to achieve and maintain rankings. So the more writing forums there are, the harder it is to stay near the top.

The owners have to want to stay at the top. It takes a concerted, organized and costly effort. Likely, someone is doing a better job of it.

But very little of it has to do with the actual quality of the site.

Google is organic. They are constantly altering search algorithms, as people learn to "fool" it. That's why you can't afford to let up on your efforts. Slack off, and you sink like a rock.

Perhaps. But I joined wordtrip.com, one of last years top sites, as well as Critique Circle. I was sorely disappointed. Sorry folks. I know that's like stepping out on your wife to see if there is anything better out there.

I'll be happy to have my SEO expert evaluate the site. He charges 150.00 and hour, but we take PayPal. Or I might trade for a bigger avatar. Not.

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"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein

"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor

smilinghelps

So are you suggesting in part, Joe that if we add the words : writing forums in our posts it may up our googlebility?

What if I post
writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums writing forums

Does that help?

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"All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific." --Lily Tomlin

JosephB

No. And why not boys and girls?

'Cause them folks at Google are right smart. That's called keyword stuffing and them big Google robots in sky can detect irrelevant keyword usage, and they'll spank your ass down that list faster'n if your grandma caught you stealing biscuits before dinner. This is one of the things I refer to when I say you can't fool Google -- not for long anyway.

But good thinking there, Smiling. I think those smokin' hot avatars might help rankings, especially if we could see a little more of what you got.

__________________
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein

"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor

chimchimski

Hey...thanks for all of the Googlerific info JB, ...and might I add...I think things just got hotter on the WF!...
Yup, Chimmy's going to play now...bye-bye!..LOL

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~Robin~


~Chimmy Has A Brand New Bag~

Sam Winchester

We can't beat the system, Joe. We can sure as hell try, though! Google's not really my bailiwick, but I'm sure there are many members on this forum who can help us achieve number one status again. C'mon, people, let's get cracking! (And by "cracking" I don't mean illegally breaking into a system!)

Sam.

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To those who live by and never stray from the creedo of "show, don't tell," here's a thought - it's called storytelling not storyshowing.

Baron

I like the shades.

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Lost in Some Story

Look quick! Your Georgia is showing.

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"Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a piece of blank paper until your forehead bleeds"--Douglas Adams

smilinghelps

Seriously?

That's my best impression of The Fly.

I'm incognito.

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"All my life, I always wanted to be somebody. Now I see that I should have been more specific." --Lily Tomlin

lin

Material from forums is pretty much ignored by google anyway. Especially links.

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