Group Setup

This article is part of a series about Group Optimization on Gather. Be sure to check out the other content on this topic.
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Any public group or blog you create on Gather can see more traffic by applying a few easy SEO techniques when setting up and maintaining your group. Regardless of the topic you select, you are likely competing with other sites, groups, and bloggers for visitors. If you are trying to attract a broad audience, here are some ideas for how to set up and focus your group to compete most effectively from an SEO perspective.

The most basic SEO technique is to identify “keywords” that will be searched for on the Internet so that your content may appear in the search engine results, such as on Google. Keywords are specific words or phrases that may be searched for by search engine users. If these keywords are present in the content titles and body text that you write, your content is more likely to appear in search results.

When you are starting a group, think about the keyword phrases that your group will be structured around:

1. Form a master keyword list of relevant keywords. To do this, create a list of candidate keywords, then look up search usage for those candidates to validate that they are relevant and highly searched for keywords. A tool like the Google AdWords: Keyword Tool is helpful for this step.
2. Sort the master keyword list according to competition and daily search volume.
3. Choose a primary keyword or phrase from the master keyword list that meets the following criteria: (1) Strong relevance to your target concept of the group; (2) Not too broad -- targeting a niche is more practical; (3) Has decent search volume and minimal competition
4. Pick a group URL and group name that incorporates the primary keyword.
5. Set group tags using the top 25 keywords from the keyword list.
6. Write a group description that is keyword-rich. The post Search Friendly Writing, Get Noticed in 4 Easy Steps provides guidelines for this.

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Related group optimization topics:

Group Layout and Theme Choices
See which Gather group presentation options can be helpful for SEO. learn more

Group Content Seeding
Think through your content development strategy for your initial launch and beyond. learn more

Group Search Engine and Directory Submission
Get your group indexed in search engines and site directories. learn more

Group Member Recruitment
Tell others about your group and invite them to participate. learn more

Group Link Building
Develop a link building strategy to drive traffic to your site. learn more


Creating a group on Gather is easy. Get started now! Create a group