Tweeting for links

While Twitter may be used by many as a useful social networking device, it could also prove useful in the search engine optimisation (SEO) campaign of businesses who want to build their rankings, it has been suggested.

Writing in a post for Search Engine Watch, Mark Jackson said that website content could be "king" if firms ensured they widely promoted it.

"By writing about something that's related to your own industry and promoting it to your own contacts ... and on the social bookmarking sites, as the URL gets mentioned and recommended to others, you will naturally get more links," he explained.

He added that this, along with quality content, could help with SEO.

Mr Jackson advised setting up a Twitter account to communicate with other people in a business's industry or those they trust, using a unique avatar.

He also suggested searching for main keywords and talking to those who used the same ones.

Then, when new content or a blog is posted on a site, a company can promote it on Twitter, he concluded.

According to the second addition of Local Search Ranking Factors by David Mihm, the factor with the most positive effect on SEO is a Google or Yahoo! local listing.

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