Social Media Optimization : 13 Rules of SMO
Cameron Olthuis at Pronet Advertising has a nice write up on optimizing for social media, dubbed Social Media Optimization (SMO) by Rohit Bhargava.
The concept behind SMO is simple: implement changes to optimize a site so that it is more easily linked to, more highly visible in social media searches on custom search engines (such as Technorati), and more frequently included in relevant posts on blogs, podcasts and vlogs.
There has been some cross blogging back and forth between Rohit, Cameron, and Jeremiah Owyang on the rules of Social Media Optimization, and I’ll add a couple more.
Here’s a summary of what they’ve put together to date:
1. Increase your linkability : Think blogs, content, aggregation & linkbait.
2. Make tagging and bookmarking easy : Include calls to action for users to tag, bookmark and Digg your stuff. I’d suggest the Sociable Plugin if you have a WordPress powered blog.
3. Reward inbound links : List blogs which link back to you via permalinks, trackbacks or recently linking blogs (like the Yahoo & Google blogs do).
4. Help your content travel : Content diversification can lead to mobility of your content beyond the browser.
5. Encourage the mashup : Let others use your content or tools to produce something a bit different or outside of the box with your stuff, even RSS.
6. Be a User Resource, even if it doesn’t help you : Add value and outbound links, even if it doesn’t help in the short term, it will in the long.
7. Reward helpful and valuable users : Give your contributors and readers the recognition they deserve.
8. Participate : Get in there and get involved in the discussions going on among the blogs and sites of others, and do it organically. Earn your rep on Digg.com, don’t try and force it.
9. Know how to target your audience : Understand your appeal and those people you wish to attract.
10. Create content : A little bit of rules 1 & 4 here, but the underlying message is know the form of content working for you.
11. Be real : Transparency pays off and no one likes a fake.
And mine:
12. Don’t forget your roots, be humble : Sometimes it can be easy to get carried away being a BlogStar or industry talking head. Remember those who helped you along the way, and that respect will help all involved.
13. Don’t be afraid to try new things, stay fresh : Social Media is changing and morphing by the minute, keep up on new tools, products and challenges in your social sphere.
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Joe Shmoe, Yes, I was running the YPN ads pre-SES San Jose, then switched back to Goog AdSense for a couple of days, now back to YPN so I can put together some statistics.
So far, the comparison is very up and down, and right now… I’m double checking with the companies to see what is safe to print, and what is not.
Thanks and expect a review soon!
Loren
Our first incoming link? Great idea! Wow… I’ll have to jump into my Google Time Machine and check that out.
Wow i found this post via Google Trends, not bad! ;)
If you want to get huge relevance traffic then using SEO+SEM+SMO trio can be the perfect strategy compared to traditional marketing methods like banner and contextual advertising.
SEO- Search Engine Optimization
SEM- Search Engine Marketing
SMO- Social Media Optimization
So after sometime even if you stop all three campaigns, you will be still getting good traffic.
Really Good
I an new to social bookmarking and I found there are a lot of ways to use it as a seo tools, but it takes some real effort and time.
Thanks for the info, it worth reading.
You can also done Group Submissions in Google, Yahoo & MSN.
I’d be interested to see any other SMO plugin recommendations aside from Sociable for WP, if anyone can suggest some.
Very helpful article, Loren. I think #3 is one of the most underrated ideas floating around, and it can also make all this cross-linking a lot more fun.
Hello, i am russian smogger.
How you consider concept SMO переросло in the parties of social communications or aside attraction of visitors?
I might give it a try with all the recommendations, thanks
Is any difference between Social Media Marketing & Social Media Optimization?
Hi and thanks for the article. Do you have any advice, or what is your take on the value of MySpace regarding SMO? What would you consider to be the most valuable social site to target? Just curious to hear your opinion and the opinions of other posters here.
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Thank you,
Jim Summer
http://tentonweb.com/
I do not understand how can we reward our valuable user for a blog site.
Excellent post and organized list of SMO tips. Thanks
informative post, solved many questions which i had.
Hi,
Very good SMO rules. I really appreciate you. These 13 rules really help to generate traffic and business on website.
Thanks
Usefull rules. Thank You!
This rules when analyzed and adopted gives a very good result in improving business.
King,
http://www.lendingstream.com
Great information for smo. i think this rules is useful for many online marketers
Thanks for sharing this information related to Social Media Optimization (SMO). These rules are really very good.
Way Impressive..
we applied the social media optimization rules on our surplus stocks and found a lot of customers online.
Yeah! SMO has been growing on and on…. Soon the business is all about networking. Sure SMO will help gain business reputations :)
As we can see social media marketing is getting more and more important for all online marketers and website owners but it takes time to reach the required goals.
I like point #13 the most. Keep fresh. Social Media Optimization is certainly adding new things in the web market. One just need to try new things as it comes into the web market and keep their eyes open.
Awesome article on SMO. I think it’s definitely fast becoming a crucial element in search marketing strategies.
Great rules – and even sticking to just some of them would be beneficial.
Frank @ http://www.todayloan.co.uk
Very good, I like all the points you have specified in your posting. And I am 200% recommend these are very good and useful for a SEO. Because I have covered almost all the points specified here.
Very Good Posting and keep posting
Bye.
Social Media Optimization is the best way of linking, to make relation with internet community, and more looking the site by the international level.
In the recent change done by the search engines it has become very hard to promote any web sites. The best alternative for the traffic generation is the social media optimization. This post has covered all the points regarding the smo.
Great Job
Loren Baker
Great post with some helpful information. I am trying to get SEO started on my site and this is helping me formulate my game plan.
Thanks for Sharing. This is very help to me because I was searching some good info about SMO.
Really informative post.
I would like to say , that I had found all the important points about SMO here in this blog. As above said that earning reputation is important, when you are in social networking, I would like to add a simple tip here regarding this.
Reputation in these social networking websites can be earned by being a active and regular participant in these websites. More active you will be more reputed you will be.
Thanks
smo rules
nice post thanks dear.
nice post thanks dear.
Find your blog while doing some research on SMO. Really wanted more info on Google using Facebook’s likes as a ranking factor. Bing is in a big way … anybody have more info?
Interesting post with helpful rules…