Yahoo Answers - Do you use it and can you explain something to me

by VicG

Posted: 10 years ago 8 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

I joined Yahoo Answers as a means of forum marketing. I have various niche websites and I was attracted to the variety of topics that I could address within one site.

Not to toot my own horn but I am an expert within my niches. I answered questions thoughtfully and comprehensively, providing value that outside the digital world I would charge a good consultation fee for.

Out of the first 5 answers I submitted, 4 were voted the best and I was awarded the useless 10 points or whatever Yahoo awards you.

Then comes the email notification from Yahoo that the "community" has disqualified my answers and will erase the original posts and penalize me points.

My only guess why is that I included in the resource box my websites urls. They are authority sites on these topics and I was sincerley attempting to provide more value to the questioner. The sites are monitized and my guess is that I was preceived as spamming.

I have since challenged these "community" disqualifications and have been waiting for a reply from Yahoo for two weeks now.

My question to the Warrior Forum community is what has your experience been with Yahoo Answers? I like the fact that it covers forum topics all in one place but I am baffled by the "community" disqualifications. And yes I did read their TOS and am still at a loss.

Thanks, Vic

#answers #explain #yahoo

Alexa Smith Banned 10 years ago

Originally Posted by VicG

my guess is that I was preceived as spamming.

That's my guess, too. Probably your posts were "flagged" by competitors. If you're in something like an IM/MMO-related niche, that would be normal.

I've done the same as you but put my links in only 10%/15% of the questions I've answered. It's no more effort (you answer the same questions, either way) but the results are much better: one method typically survives - the other typically doesn't!

The difference is that if you put links in all your answers, you're going to look like a spammer (whether what you're doing is actually "spammy" or not) and because of that you'll get other people (competitors?) "flagging" your posts and having them all deleted.

That's one of the reasons why Yahoo Answers works so well for some people and not at all for others.

The niche concerned may be relevant, too - some are more competitive than others, and that also increases the chances of getting into trouble, for doing what you've been doing.

These threads might also interest you ...

Yahoo Answers Worth The Trouble?
Do You Use Yahoo Answers For Traffic?
Any experience traffic success with Yahoo Answers?
Does Yahoo Answers Still Work?
Yahoo Answers
How to play the Yahoo Answer IM game?
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- Mormo 10 years ago
  
  I just got suspended from Yahoo Answers and I doubt I will be back.
  
  It's policed by users instead of paid workers. So basically someone who is winning at life so hard he works for Yahoo for free gets to determine whether I get banned or not. No thanks.
  
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  SunilTanna 10 years ago
  
  Any 3 complaints, by any one, will get you banned I believe.
  
  (suspension= ban, since it's never undone, I believe)
  
  There are some categories, where people, yes your competitors are just itching to hit the ban hammer.
  
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  Joel Young 10 years ago
  
  My only experience with Yahoo Answers wasn't IM related, but it turned me off from the whole thing forever.
  
  I had a problem with my Yahoo Instant Messenger. When I tried finding support, I was told to post my issue at Yahoo Answers in the appropriate category. That is exactly what I did.
  
  The only "support" I received was getting told to contact Yahoo support....
  
  :confused:
  
  I questioned it a couple times, explaining the circle I just went in, but was ignored, and I never went back, and stopped using YIM. So you can guess where I will also never waste my marketing efforts.
  
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thatjc 10 years ago

I've had good results with Yahoo Answers. After many months, I got one answer disqualified. I appealed (in a friendly, polite manner) and they reinstated my answer.

I believe (like Lexy) that the key is to use links to your own websites only once every X number of references. Like 1 out of 10 or some such. I almost always get voted best answer and I think it does help my sites.

And even when I do link to one of my sites, I often include others at the same time.
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Irish802 10 years ago

I am at Level 4 on Yahoo Answers. You're not taking Yahoo Answers seriously. None of us at Yahoo Answers considers best answer 10 points "useless". You said you just joined Answers? A big no-no was to submit your website URL's with your first five answers. That's why they were deleted. I doubt you were sincerely trying to bring value to the questioner.
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- VicG 10 years ago
  
  Well Irish, I take exception to your post. I understand the basic concept of providing value before even asking someone to even visit my website. My point being, I provided a great value to the questioners, left a url for their continued benefit and was sanctioned.
  
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  http://hamptonsgreen.com Kicking Back At the 19th Hole Take a Break from IM and Visit for an Entertaining Experience
  
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  substance 10 years ago
  
  I have recently joined and now at level 2 with 50%+ best answers.
  
  The best way is to answer lots of generic questions and put your links only in some relevant answers and only around 10% -20% answers.
  
  I keep getting few 2 or 3 visitors from it daily from just 1 or 2 links..
  
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  When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
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