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Hello My Name is "Columbus, Ohio real estate"

By Maureen McCabe

Real Estate Agent with HER Realtors

December 17, 2011 12:09 AM

"Hello My Name is Columbus, Ohio real estate" "Hello My Name is Hardwood Floors" Or "Hello My Name is _______" you fill in the blank with your keywords.

ActiveRain University is teaching members to use their keywords rather than their names to sign comments on sites outside ActiveRain? Really? A comment on Getting more backlinks...easily...by commenting on blogs says to people who disagreed with the idea of using keywords rather than your name for your name on blog posts outside ActiveRain: I'd point them to AR University where my instructor gave our "class" exactly the same "hint" about using keywords in the name field..."

Point me to 'em....

Who? Point me to the ActiveRain University instructor teaching members to use keywords rather than their name outside ActiveRain? I'd like to see that.

When Debbie Gartner suggested a technique in a post that got featured on ActiveRain, using keywords rather than a name, John Novak and I both stopped by Debbie's post to say using keywords rather than your name when commenting outside ActiveRain may not be a good idea. Neither John or I claim to be SEO experts... John mentioned Jay Thompson's blog commenting policy.

Jay Thompson's real estate blog, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy (his WordPress.org blog) is not a bad place to get a backlink... The Phoenix Real Estate Guy's comment policy but if you fill in the box for "Name" with keywords you are not going to get a backlink.

Originally Debbie wrote:

"So, how do you leave a comment to optimize your SEO?

For your name, type in your KEY WORDS. I use "Westchester Hardwood Flooring" rather than Debbie Gartner (since Debbie Gartner has no relation on the search terms my customers use."

Jay stopped by Debbie's post to comment on commenting out in the blogosphere (real estate blogs outside ActiveRain, the local blogs you read and comment on, real estate blogs that are not ActiveRain) using keywords rather than your name and I paraphrase:

You probably don't want to do that. Hello my name is keyword

Debbie edited her featured post, to say using KEYWORDS instead of your name might not be the best idea.

An ActiveRain member says ActiveRain University is teaching members to use keywords instead of their name when making comments? Really? Comment #138 says "As for "spammy" and according to some here, "snarky" ways to self-promote, I'd point them to AR University where my instructor gave our "class" exactly the same "hint" about using keywords in the name field"

Point me... Point me to where ActiveRain University is saying to me to comment saying "Hello My Name is Columbus, Ohio real estate" or "Hello my name is __________" something other than my name out on the web. Show me where ActiveRain instructors are teaching members to turn their comments into keyword spam!

Don't get me wrong. It can work. If the comments are accepted, your site is linked for the keywords. You have to make it through the spam filter and the blogger has to see it as a legitimate comment rather than spam, to get a backlink. If you can pull it off you have a backlink to your keywords linking to your site.

Using keywords on your ActiveRain name fields?

The comment says: As for "spammy" and according to some here, "snarky" ways to self-promote, I'd point them to AR University where my instructor gave our "class" exactly the same "hint" about using keywords in the name field on AR."

Is the ActiveRain member confused? Is ActiveRain University telling members to go out and use keywords when they comment on WordPress.org, WordPress.com, Blogger.com etc. blogs outside ActiveRain? Or is the confusion of that most of us use keywords "in the name field on AR?"

Was Debbie talking about how you use keywords in the name field on ActiveRain?

Was Jay Thompson talking about how ActiveRain members use keywords in their ActiveRain signatures?

I did not think so.

Using keywords in your ActiveRain name fields

Hello my name is confused I've used keywords in the name field on ActiveRain since 2006 or 2007...

I don't think AR started teaching that. Instructors at AR Univesity may teach it now but as I remember it, it was more spontaneous. People started doing it on their AR account, adding more than their name to their comment signature ON ACTIVERAIN.

Each comment you leave on another member's blog gives a link to your profile.

My ActiveRain comment signature now reads "Maureen McCabe - Columbus Ohio real estate (Real Living HER - HER Realtors)." John Novak's AR comment signature reads " John Novak - Las Vegas and Henderson NV Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace.)" Each time we comment on ActiveRain our names and a few keywords link to our ActiveRain profiles.

It's not the same thing. Not the same thing at all IMHO.

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Barbara Hensley

RE/MAX Properties - Rockwall, TX

Homes for Sale in Rockwall County, Texas

Maureen - ONG - you gave me so much to think about this morning. I have bookmarked this to come back to later in the weekend as I am trying to leave for an appointment now. So much to learn! Once learned - things change! Thanks for this excellent post.

Dec 17, 2011 12:16 AM

Tammy Lankford,

Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA

Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I didn't "learn" it I copied it. Likely back in 2009. Steve Lyond made a comment about "wanting to know where peeps were from" and I thought... how can you easily know. I like my name there. And when I google my name some of those comments show up starting on page 3 & 4 (I didn't go deeper than that), but it also has my key word.

Dec 17, 2011 12:21 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Tammy and Barbara I remember when people started "doing it." I remember discussions about whether it is right or not. Someone I invited who has left AR in a snit and took down her content told me to do it probably back in late 2006 or early 2007.

I really, really like to know where people are from. I like knowing if they are a real estate agent / broker, home inspector, stager, SEO guru, social media guru or something else. I thought AR would eventually hardwire fields like that into comments but maybe there is a reason to leave it flexible. It works. It's worked so long when AR developed training, the trainers started sharing it with newbies.

I think some people use it better than others.

There is a big difference in doing that on your AR settings and going out on the web and acting like a spammer.

Dec 17, 2011 12:31 AM

Liz and Bill Spear

Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH

Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Maureen, Like most, I'd like to know people's names and where they're from in their AR comment signature. I typically will hit the link to find a name to respond to, but there are a few profiles that even there it's just the company, no named individuals at all. Oh well....

Dec 17, 2011 12:35 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Liz or Bill That's why people started doing it here. Perfectly acceptable. Has nothing to do with becoming a spammer on local blogs or visiting other real estate blogs and presenting your name as "________ real estate." It's an old and accepted practice here. ActiveRain University did not develop it.

I hope AR U is not teaching members to use keywords to represent themselves outside ActiveRain. It is spammy. I spent some time this morning removing links to AR members on my WordPress blog. I was not paying attention until Debbie started championing the trick commonly used by paid spammers. It works. It's a cheap easy way to get backlinks.

Dec 17, 2011 12:42 AM

Steve, Joel & Steve A. Chain

Chain Real Estate Investments & Mortgage, Steve & Joel Chain - Cottonwood, CA

Maureen,

I believe there maybe some great ways to increase SEO that aren't "social" and won't fly well in "social media" circles.

Steve

Dec 17, 2011 01:08 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Steve I am not sure what "social media circles" are? Is ActiveRain a social media circle? I think it is. It is an online society populated by those in the real estate industry.

It's been acceptable and desirable here (in this social media circle) from nearly the beginning to use YOUR comment signature to make a nice descriptive signature. It increases engagement, helps us identify and qualify one another. It often tells the readers of the comment including the blogger, location, location, location. It may tell branding. It probably tells what the commenter does, re agent, lender, home inspector, stager. It makes it easier to know who is commenting.

Doing it outside AR filling in the name blank with keywords may be seen as the same tactic used by paid comment spammers, because it is. I don't think it is the same thing as enhancing your AR signature. AR instructors may be teaching using it outside AR but I doubt it. Members should be able to understand the difference between comments within AR and comments outside. Some do.

The real estate industry is not always embraced when they start commenting on food blogs, mommy blogs, local event blogs... for most not acting like a spammer would be better to engage with others IMHO.

Dec 17, 2011 01:29 AM

Kathy Streib

Cypress, TX

Home Stager/Redesign

Maureen- I saw this first on Google + and did suggest. It's definitely something for us to think about since we're all engaged in other forms of social media. We take what we do here for granted as to how things are done but we've got to remember to "play nice" outside our home here. I'll have to look to see what my signature is here.

Dec 17, 2011 06:57 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Your signature which links to your profile, tells your name, that you are a stager, your branding, a phone number and your location. Good stuff. Customary here.

My WordPress blog is getting a comment policy. It's needed one...

Dec 17, 2011 08:38 AM

Debbie Gartner

The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY

The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Maureen - I don't know if ARU teaches it or implies it or not (although clearly they do teach you to do this wi/ AR..and that I do remember from ARU and rain camp.

Within AR, there are blogs and links to other blogs that teach using your key words in there. And, I would not have thought of this idea on my own.

I now understand that you and others see this as spammy - some agree; others don't, but hey, you make the rules on your blog and that is fine. And, given that this has now been pointed out to me, and I can see that's how some interpret it, when commenting now I'm using my name. (BTW, the comment you deleted is from close to a year ago).

Please do not think that I was trying to trick you..or others. Nor was I trying to hide my identity. (In fact, my picture shows up thereI just thought that was what I was supposed to do, esp as I saw others doing it. And, as you've noted, I changed my post. I do try to learn from others and adapt. And, I'm not trying to promote spamming.

I even wrote another blog post referring back to the original, in case some missed the edit.

Dec 17, 2011 10:23 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

We have a few sleazy SEO people that hang out on AR, perhaps someone is teaching keyword spamming in the name field.

I am glad I have a blog with backlinks without stooping to stuffing keywords in the field for "Name."

I've deleted your comments where you stuffed your keywords in place of "Name" from my WordPress site.

Dec 17, 2011 04:02 PM

Elyse Berman, PA

LoKation Real Estate - Boca Raton, FL

Boca Raton FL (561) 716-7824

Maureen, You always give me something to really think about! Thank you. I've bookmarked this to come back to later. Happy Holidays and all the best in 2012

Dec 18, 2011 09:23 AM

Maureen McCabe

HER Realtors - Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Real Estate

Happy Holidays Elyse enjoy beautiful Boca Raton.

Dec 18, 2011 11:58 PM

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