The 13 “Rules” of SMO

While doing some research I came across a great article in Search Engine Journal, “Social Media Optimization: 13 Rules of SMO”. Although the true rule of SMO is that we, the community, make the rules, this article is quick to point out the must haves for success in the world of SMO. Here’s the run down folks…

- First, linkability, get your links out there, whether it be blogs, content, or linkbait.
- Make bookmarking easy and include calls to action. Don’t you love those little icons… Digg, Facebook, Twitter? There all the rage, so use them.
- Reward those who will link to you by linking back to them. Of course, don’t suddenly link to 100 sites overnight - add links naturally, and only link to quality sites. Remember, links are all about quality, not quantity. Stick to just a handful of reciprocal links, and ensure you’re only linking to great sites.
- Help your content travel, the more places to be found, the more opportunity it has to move.
- Be a resource for users. It may not help when selling a particular product but it certainly adds value and credibility to your site.
- Know your target audience, attract those that will appeal to your site.
- Be real, no one wants a computer generated conversation.
- Last, but not least, stay fresh and try new things. Social Media is changing constantly so keep up on the new tools, products and challenges.