UK-based search engine optimization (SEO) website SEO Consult says that climbing Google’s page ranks is not the only objective that SEO campaigns should target. A presence in relevant internet communities can help enormously.
SEO Consult writes that "bloggers can be just as influential as a powerful journalist in the real world." Either submitting articles for a blog’s consideration or engaging with a blog’s readers in the comments section can raise a company’s online profile within their community. The website does warn, however, that companies should exercise caution in selecting which blog to interact with, as some blogs can easily bring negative publicity.
Online forums are another excellent way to interact with users relevant to a company’s business, according to SEO Consult. Since they are generally focused on specific topics and are usually free to join, the potential for both market research and community engagement are excellent.
Other experts have pointed out the mostly untapped potential that social media networks like Facebook and Twitter offer to enterprising companies looking to explore alternative means of engaging their potential client base.
