Fresh Content

[djbaxter]

Again using the hockey sticks example. I would think a site based on hockey sticks would be a little dull. But I think a hockey blog containing a few SEO optimized hockey stick posts would work? Again i'm not pursuing this, but just want to make sure I understand.

Yes, mixed in with other hockey related content. The idea is that you attract readers who are interested in/passionate about hockey. They will come to read what you have to say about hockey players, hockey equipment, team composition, the latest news, etc. But if they are passionate hockey fans, you now have them on your site and they become potential buyers of the products you sell.

It's essentially the principle behind how Google targets page content to display its AdSense ads. The page content doesn't have to match the ad identically. It just has to be relevant or related to the page content (and therefore to the type of visitors that page would attract).

 

[Adammo]

I think people were responding to the post title and the core of the questions in this post which are around "fresh content". So all the points about fresh content have been really good.

But I just wanted to mention, that there ARE pure shopping sites that only have product info that are successful. Typically this is what the merchant's site is, but sometimes affiliates have pure product sites too. Fresh content in these sites comes from changing inventory mainly, but many of them also display articles and industry news or other changing content.

Affiliate datafeed sites used to do really well for awhile. These were just like stores filled with all the merchant's products. But then Google decided they didn't like datafeed sites very much and called them 'thin' affiliate sites. So now affiliates who want to have datafeed stores have to get pretty creative, tweak the datafeeds and add lots of unique content.

Just wanted to make the point that there are different kinds of sites, even hockey stick sites, I'm sure.
But for getting started, I think building a site around a niche and people's interests is easier than trying to make a pure play product site work.

Awesome thanks. That is what I was wondering about. I know i've seen it before but based on what i've read on other topics like SEO, I never understood how they made it work.

Yes, mixed in with other hockey related content. The idea is that you attract readers who are interested in/passionate about hockey. They will come to read what you have to say about hockey players, hockey equipment, team composition, the latest news, etc. But if they are passionate hockey fans, you now have them on your site and they become potential buyers of the products you sell.

Thank you again . Like you've seen, this is what i'm trying to accomplish with my current site. The problem is that I think I will see a huge drop off after the Olympics this year all the way to next December.

 

[djbaxter]

The problem is that I think I will see a huge drop off after the Olympics this year all the way to next December.

That's why I'm suggesting you expand it a bit to include international hockey in general, the World Cup tournaments, the World Juniors, etc. That way, there will almost always be something in the wings.

And in time, if you were to create some companion sites in another sport or sports, you could potentially bridge the months between hockey with products related to other sports in which you have an interest.

 

[Adammo]

Hope you guys don't get to mad for me bringing this up again .

This is unrelated to my current site, but I think i've found quite a few keywords related to another niche that would be really good. The problem is that if I select a URL based on those good keywords, I don't think i'd attract anyone to the blog. I've heard that selecting your URL around your niche is a good idea, but i'm wondering how much importance it plays? Not sure if i'm making much sense, but i'm wondering if there is any difference in the following two scenarios (using fake examples):

1 - select a URL based on the main niche (such as golfing.com) and add posts/pages based on the good keywords I have found (such as nike golf balls, womens golf irons).

2 - select the URL based on the good keyword (such as womens-golf-irons.com) but blog about the main niche (golf).

Perhaps it is best to find another good keyword with good SEO and blog about the niche subject with posts/pages on the good keywords? Again, hope this makes sense. Sometimes it's tough to explain what i'm trying to get after!

Thanks again!

 

[Linda Buquet]

but i'm wondering if there is any difference in the following two scenarios (using fake examples):

1 - select a URL based on the main niche (such as golfing.com) and add posts/pages based on the good keywords I have found (such as nike golf balls, womens golf irons).

2 - select the URL based on the good keyword (such as womens-golf-irons.com) but blog about the main niche (golf).

I'd go with #1. As long as your root keyword is in there then like you said you can blog about the other related key phrases you've found.

I'd only go with #2 if the site was a micro niche that only featured womens golf irons.

Do try to get the root keyword golf in the domain, but also try to find a name that is brandable too and sounds good.

 

[Adammo]

I'd go with #1. As long as your root keyword is in there then like you said you can blog about the other related key phrases you've found.

I'd only go with #2 if the site was a micro niche that only featured womens golf irons.

Do try to get the root keyword golf in the domain, but also try to find a name that is brandable too and sounds good.

Thanks Linda, I was leaning that way as well, but wanted to ask the veterans . I'm not doing a golf site as I know very little about it, but i'm looking at another sport.

Appreciate the help!

 

[lexdino]

The two factors that I assume would keep a site/blog at the to of search engine result pages should be continual updating of the site's content and building fresh backlinks to the site.
These two will make the search engines to see the site or blog as not having an outdated content on it.