Explanation for Top Florist article?

[LJVF]

Can someone explain this so-called article on my flower shop?
Top Florists in San Diego

Is this a method of generating click throughs for their ad content? What is in it for the writer of the article?

 

[tulip]

I do know that writers get paid for their submissions and I think a variety of interesting topics are chosen. The author said nice things about your shop.
Sandra

 

[Bigted]

Darrel, we get those things a couple of times a year. Someone votes us top something or other. I say go with it. Put it on your website and everywhere else that you were voted top florist by so and so. It can't hurt.

 

[bloomz]

I dunno but I'd love it to death, and proudly put that in your popup on your web site.

"Voted San Diego's Top Florist"

 

[Mac]

I could be wrong, but it could be linkbait. Linkbait is a tactical move used to get in-bound links from a targeted company in an effort to build PageRank. As I read some of the posts above, I sense that is what is happening as you would be playing right into their hand by linking to them.

Linkbait isn't necessarly bad as it could benifit you on the public side but it would also be benifiting them on the SEO side.

 

[Mac]

In looking at the homepage http://www.associatedcontent.com/ my memory was jarred. Indeed, the articles that are posted there are intended to target entities in an effort to get inbound links. When the targeted company links to the article the PageRank increases. From there, if the tactic has worked, text links are sold from the article itself to other similar companies and the anchor-text links that currently occur in the article are replaced with links to other companies.

These new links are not for the purpose of public persona but rather ment to pass the PageRank that you gave the article when you linked to it.....to the new linked-to entity.

That was mouthful but that is what's going on. It's underground SEO in short.

 

[LJVF]

In looking at the homepage http://www.associatedcontent.com/ my memory was jarred. Indeed, the articles that are posted there are intended to target entities in an effort to get inbound links. When the targeted company links to the article the PageRank increases. From there, if the tactic has worked, text links are sold from the article itself to other similar companies and the anchor-text links that currently occur in the article are replaced with links to other companies.

These new links are not for the purpose of public persona but rather ment to pass the PageRank that you gave the article when you linked to it.....to the new linked-to entity.

That was mouthful but that is what's going on. It's underground SEO in short.

I was skeptical of the article, that's why I initiated this thread to gain some insight. Typically when an article is written on us, we are informed by the publication, but I just happened to stumble on this one.
I still wonder why they chose my shop.

Looks like a creative way to generate revenue and page rank.

 

[CHR]

From Silicon Alley Insider

Associated Content

Estimated Value: $65 million

Business: Pays users to contribute news stories on popular topics, which are then optimized for search-engine discovery.

Location: Denver, CO

More Info: About Associated Content

CEO: Geoff Reiss

Investors: Canaan Partners, Softbank Capital, Tim Armstrong

Analysis: Self described as the "The People's Media," Associated Content pays writers $1.50 per thousand page views.

In a VentureBeat interview in August 2007, CEO Geoff Reiss where he said AC's secret to success is SEO tactics such as loading posts with tags and using keyword heavy language. Last summer, Reiss said the site had five million unique users and 12 million page views monthly. Compete shows flat traffic since August.

Associated Content makes money from advertising and syndicated content. It has few employees, and jams its posts full of advertising. Google's Tim Armstrong was the Chairman and a board member until March 08, when he stepped down from the Chairman role.

The company raised $10 in a second round of funding in August. We estimate that the company could generate about $7-$10 per thousand pageviews, which would put the monthly revenue run-rate at about $100,000 a month. Assuming significant growth from there (not supported by Compete's traffic reports), we estimate that 2008 revenue might be in the neighborhood of $10 million. We value Associated Content at $65 million.

Supposedly there are paid downstream users, but my guess is that the majority of income comes from Adwords advertisers. Like you, I agree it looks more like keyword optimization to place for search terms where they can generate AdSense revenue.

My guess is that the writers look for popular search terms, look at the top results, and then create articles to compete in those searches. They're smart to include info about top results, since that's what consumers would expect to see.

They do link to your site, but as I suspected, they 'no follow' the link:

For more information you may contact the business at 858-453-5022 or visit the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://lajollavillageflorist.com">Web site</a> for further details.

which means the link passes zero PR. I defintely would not link to them.

 

[bloomz]

He11 - link to them and nofollow it also. Make sure the link opens in a new window so they don't lose your site.

It's called a link condom. This way you don't pass any to them either.

I think you lucked out Darrel and I wish I could find a link to me like that - a search for florists turns up 435 pages.

I'd jump all over that one in a heartbeat.

If you need to know how - PM me.