Yahoo answers help please!

20 replies
Hello. I've been posting on yahoo answers for a couple weeks now. I'm currently level 3 with 42% best answer rate and rising. I have been putting a link to my squeeze page at the bottom of most of my answers, and have been getting traffic and conversions every day I post answers.

My question is this, how long does it take before my answers start sending residual traffic? I've noticed that if I go a day without posting answers, I get 0 traffic. This happens every day I don't post. But every day I do post, I get subscribers. So I think the original askers are the only people seeing my answers. Does yahoo wait awhile before they start putting up resolved questions from search queries?

I've been told that on average, 1 best answer is good for a few hundred click throughs a month, assuming it's a popular niche. I have 88 best answers right now, in a very popular niche, and getting zero residual.

Please help me make sense of this.

Thanks
#answers #yahoo #yahoo answers
  • Profile picture of the author PeterGarety
    I have two questions for you -
    1 - how much time you spend in yahoo answers on average per day?
    2 - how many subscribers you get when you post answers?

    Now, think about this for a moment. I do not know what you do and how you do it, but I am sure you spend less time than any other people who are posting articles, participating in forums, doing PPC and SEO, working on social media campaigns.

    So, if the time you spend and the subscribers you get are reasonable, why you should worry about residual traffic. Just post the answers. On the average 1 subscriber can be worth up to $10 for your business per month, so why you should bother. Just continue the good work you are already doing.
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    • Profile picture of the author TrishMullen
      It sounds like you're most definitely using Yahoo answers in the way it was intended and that is to help people who need solutions. If you keep doing that and not focus too much on the making residuals then it will happen.

      What are you doing with the people on your list, are you communicating with them regularly once you have them? That is what is important also.

      Forum marketing takes time but it is one of THE best ways of building a sustainable business for years to come providing it is done in the right way.

      It looks like you're definitely doing it the right way, it just takes time, that's all.

      PS: I notice you don't have anchor text here for your signature, are you missing out a bit do you think?
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  • Profile picture of the author Doran Peck
    I might advise not putting links to your own site right there in your answer....you will likely get banned when it gets discovered. It is considered advertising.


    put it in your profile.
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    • Profile picture of the author PhoebeSmellyCat
      You need to remember that YA is an ever-changing site with new questions posted by the second.

      Everything depends on how many questions are being posted. YA does not bump up a question just because it received a reply. The Q&A can be relegated to the second page within minutes.

      It might be a good tactic to have yours be one of the first, if not the first, replies. Make it very informational and there's a greater chance of it being chosen as Best Answer.

      Having yours as the Best Answer will make your answer appear at the top right under the question in the archives.
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  • Profile picture of the author gvannorman
    Yahoo Answers will not ban you or remove an answer even if you respond with your own site. The thing to remember is not to sound too spammy. You need to keep your answers informative and if you include a link, make sure that the answer is also on the site. In other words if someone asks "What is the best food for my dog?" Do not answer with a question and then send them to a site that only talks about dog toys. You need to send them to your site that is about the best food for dogs.
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  • Profile picture of the author TomBuck
    Well questions that are no longer open will rarely be seen by people solely visiting yahoo answers to answer/ask questions. If the question is searched in google and it is a long tail keyword or phrase chances are it will come up on google. Which gets you residual traffic. But you will always see results more when a question is "open".
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  • Profile picture of the author skeetermcgee
    Thanks everyone.
    Well, if I spend about 3 to 5 hours answering, I'll average 5 subscribers. That has actually gone up to about 6 or 7 since I got top contributor status.

    I have no product to sell. I have written some articles and I send an article to them every 2 or 3 days. in message 2 i ask them to ask me for advice, i've had 2 people reply. message 4 i link to an affiliate product. no sales yet. I really have no idea how to email market, I just figured if i at least start building a list, that's one step closer to making some money.
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    • Profile picture of the author Snow_Predator
      In my experience, yahoo answers doesn't work very well at all for residual traffic. I wouldn't bother. Just write a whole load of keyword optimised articles, load them up as posts or pages on your own site, then backlink these articles. Get these articles on the top of google and THEN you will get decent free residual traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sam90
    I personally wouldn't use a link for all answers as this might raise a few red flags. You might also want to spend time on other answer sites like Mahalo or AOL.
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  • Profile picture of the author stephfoster
    I haven't found Yahoo Answers to send much traffic. I tried it some time back, and while I still get occasional traffic from some old answers, it's not significant.
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  • Who really uses Yahoo Answers.

    Think about that.

    Is your target audience... the people with money to buy looking for those in depth super accurate life changing Yahoo Answers? Or is it trolls and nerdy kids just home after school?

    It is what it is.
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    • Profile picture of the author Zachmo
      I think Y! Answers is not reliable enough to get the traffic you are targeting. The number of questions there and the possibility an answer will be viewed by lots of people is quite not a good idea to invest something in it. You may continue with Yahoo answers but I suggest you to add techniques to get traffic like what others suggested.
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  • Profile picture of the author dexterfulton
    I use Yahoo Answers for traffic and backlinks. If your best answer appears in the search results, then you'll see the traffic spike you are looking for. Good Luck
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  • Profile picture of the author MisterRight
    It only drives traffic on the same day, but after that gone. Why? Yahoo answers I think is good for adding links to your site, but does not drive much traffic. There are lots of similar questions out there.
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    • Profile picture of the author Essive
      Although it is an alternative to getting some trickle traffic - you should really focus on other traffic generation techniques considering the amount of effort you're putting in. I would add it as a low to medium low priority. And, as others have noted you can get banned easily with a slip-up to your link.

      My advice is search this very forum for traffic techniques (use your 3 to 5 hours) and up your education on best options.

      Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author dsbusiness23
    It is dangerous to have a link in every answer if they see too much of that they will suspend or ban your account,.. I think that a 25% ratio, maybe 33% would be safer for your account. Don't want all that work to go to waste. Of course you can always make another account but still why allow that to be your only option.

    Just my 2cents
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    • Profile picture of the author lacraiger
      Originally Posted by dsbusiness23 View Post

      It is dangerous to have a link in every answer if they see too much of that they will suspend or ban your account,.. I think that a 25% ratio, maybe 33% would be safer for your account. Don't want all that work to go to waste. Of course you can always make another account but still why allow that to be your only option.

      Just my 2cents

      thats not true. i have a level 5 account and all of my answers have links on them. it all depends on how you answer the question and give the link.
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      • Profile picture of the author skeetermcgee
        Thanks everyone. I'm seeing some good advice here. Here's an interesting update. My account just got suspended!
        I guess regardless of how good the answers are, links are links, and some people (probably competitors) wish to report those answers. One was even reported that had no back link, which is why i think it is my competition.

        Anyway, looks like ill be writing articles, as I hate doing SEO, and I don't want to pay for traffic to a squeeze page where I offer no product yet...

        Thanks again
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  • Profile picture of the author pethanks
    Well, actually we cannot tell when you will get that traffic you desire. I advice you only continue what you are doing. You will reap the harvest soon.
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    • Profile picture of the author charlesgosu
      Using yahoo answers is good to get traffic.. just make sure your comment is not too spammy... i prefer you put your link in your profile so u wont get ban
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