A relevant Wikipedia backlink(Direct Wiki Link) helps build a metric Google has called trust rank. Once a site has built up its trust rank, it allows for your site to rank without risk of Google slowing you down due to unusual link activity.
For example, WebMD.com is listed all across Wikipedia(Direct wiki link) as a reference. Sure, many of us may know that name and already consider it an authority; but Google’s algorithm is a computer and only came to recognize WebMD as the authority it is today via authoritative links. The only way a computer comes to recognize such a thing is by seeing that a site like Web MD is referenced from hard to manipulate sites such as Wikipedia.
There is a common misconception that ‘anyone’ can edit pages on Wikipedia. Although this is true on the most basic level, the fact is that one of the way people get points on Wiki is via removing content others put that’s deemed ‘spam worthy’. Which is essentially links made for commercial reasons.
Well, the reason our links remain and editors normally leave them untouched is because we create our clients inner pages which are are relevant, have references from our partners at highly authoritative sites, and contain new information missing from the wiki page. Essentially giving Wikipedia exactly what it’s looking for. It is white hat linking at its finest.
A Direct Backlink From Wikipedia: What Does It Do For You?
Can Anyone Edit Wikipedia?
In some cases, anyone can edit Wikipedia. However, the site is heavily edited by their staff and people who have been approved to edit pages on the site. Because of this, all the links you created for pure marketing purposes will be removed. Therefore, you cannot simply a direct backlink from Wikipedia hoping to market a product. You must use the appropriate techniques to get the results that you need.Plus, you will get banned because you were adding marketing links to every page.
Because of this, Wikipedia has created a nofollow policy for their links. No matter how authoritative the link is, it is listed as a nofollow link. This makes Wikipedia a safe place for Google to search, and it helps add a bit of credence to your links.
This is the same reason that private blog networks do not work because they are seen as bad practice. Google does not take those links seriously, and you should not link to other sites you own. Google knows that you are linking to all your own sites, and that is why you need to start using Wikipedia to help your website’s reputation grow.
Why Does Wikipedia’s Nofollow Policy Matter?
Wikipedia is a nofollow site, and that makes it useless from a pure marketing perspective. Because of this, some people might think there is no reason to use Wikipedia links at all for marketing purposes. You want to get an instant result, but you can use Wikipedia is a different way to get the results that you want.
No, you should not put marketing links in Wikipedia articles. You will get banned, people will catch on, and you will go viral for trying to outsmart Wikipedia. No one can outsmart Wikipedia. That will never happen.
Does Wikipedia Have Value As A Marketing Tool?
Yes. Wikipedia can be used as a marketing tool if you are using it properly. Most people who dive into Wikipedia assuming that it will transform their business have not thought the process through. This is why you need to work with a company that can create the appropriate links for your business.
This means that you need to be used as an authoritative source on Wikipedia pages instead of trying to market your products. A good start might be creating a well-sourced, factual, and diverse article about your own company. You can establish yourself as a company that makes quality backlinks for Wikipedia, and you can continue from there.
You should put everything about your company in the article from the name of all your CEOs to the mergers, transactions, and history of your company. You cannot create a fragmented page just for the sake of SEO keywords. You must build a large Wikipedia page that people can use to learn everything they need to know about your company. Your trust rank rises every time you add relevant information that can be verified.
What Happens If You Become Too Big?
Think about someone who is a successful entrepreneur. They might have authoritative links on their Wikipedia page from a magazine like Forbes. This is a wonderful way to lend credence to your expertise. Plus, bank links to your website that are used throughout Wikipedia are even more powerful than they were in the past.
However, you will begin to lose your credibility in the eyes of Google’s algorithm if you become a contributor to some of the sites that once featured you. If Forbes hires you to write articles for them, you suddenly become too entwined with Forbes. Those links lose their credibility, and you will need to find other ways o make your name and site look authoritative.
What Does Wikipedia Require Of You
When you want to create a page of your own on Wikipedia, you need to pass what is known as the Notability Test. Wikipedia uses guidelines and rules to determine how authoritative your page is. If you are creating your own page, Wikipedia wants to know that you need a page for your topic. They decide if your topic is worthy of an article, and you should follow those guidelines carefully.
Remember, this is the backbone of your Wikipedia marketing and authoritative linking plan.
- Information on your page needs to be verifiable. An editor with Wikipedia will check all the information that you have posted with third party sites.
- You need to make sure that your page does not fall into the list of exclusions. Exclusions include: definitions, think pieces, propaganda, mirror links, blog posts, directories, manuals or guidebooks, speculative pieces, etc.
If you think that your company or page will fall outside of the exclusion list, you can continue to build your page. Make sure that you have created a website that avoids all the things listed above. Plus, you should be prepared to have your page removed the first time. You can simply make changes to the page and post it again in the future. You will learn a lot about marketing yourself on Wikipedia during this process.
Get Links To Your Pages On Wikipedia
Start with a full search of the site to make sure you have not been mentioned before. Someone might have already added you, and you can use these mentions to add your Wikipedia page. This is a simple way t link back to Wikipedia for authority’s sake, and you do not need to try to add your site to pages that already have it.
You can continue to add links on Wikipedia that are authoritative and relevant. You are offering information and value to the reader. You are not adding a sentence that tries to sell your products.
How Do You Send People Back To Wikipedia?
When you are creating links off of Wikipedia, you should make sure that you have been mentioned on sites that are authoritative. However, you cannot be affiliated with them. Reference the story above. If you are affiliated with a site that backlinks to your own site, those links are not considered authoritative.
You can get people to write guest posts for you on other sites, and they might mention your Wikipedia page. You are creating a level of authority and expertise that you cannot get anywhere else.
How Do You Build Up Your Wikipedia Page?
You might start with a stub that will serve as a test for the editors. You can add a wiki link that comes from a page that already mentioned you. You can enter a bit of information that has been sourced, and you can use SEO keywords in the midst of a proper article that educates the reader.
When you move on from the stub, you can begin to grow your page. If you get several people to contribute, the page looks much more authoritative. Plus, you should sign up for Wikipedia with a username that cannot be traced back to your company. You should use a proxy server to ensure that your IP address is not linked to the creation of the page.
Wikipedia and Google will notice if you built the page on your own. Plus, you should as a direct backlink from Wikipedia that takes the reader to third-party pages. You need to source everything that is said about your company. If you are only sourcing your website, you will not look authoritative. People who can read a Forbes article about your company or a local news story are more likely to believe you. Plus, Wikipedia and Google take third-party content seriously.
There are a few exceptions that you should consider. You can link back to your own website for the history of your company, but you should still use news articles about your company to bolster the links about your history. Your trust rank rises every time an editor can check a third-party source instead of your website. When your website is the only source of information, you are not giving Wikipedia what it wants.
The Discussion Page
Once you get some traction on Wikipedia, you also need to look at your discussion page. You can read about concerns that people have about the content you have posted. When you are honest with the readers and yourself, you can improve your page. Your page will begin to look perfect in the eyes of Wikipedia, and it will become a very authoritative link for your company.
Wikipedia will notice when you are making an effort to improve your pages.
Can You Use Alternatives To Wikipedia?
Wikia is a lot like Wikipedia, and you could build up a page on this site. You might add information to Wikia that is not yet ready for a full Wikipedia page, and you can transition to a full Wikipedia page when your company has enough third-party information for an editor to verify.
Plus, you could like a wiki link to your Wikia page on your Wikipedia page. This is a good way to show how your company has grown because you started with these simple pages.
Try to avoid the marketing Wikia and move towards the entrepreneur Wikia. You need to get a lot of community input, and you need to keep the page active if your page is stale, Wikipedia editors cannot verify any of your information through it.
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