Would a forum like this be valuable?

[kdr4t]

I have vBulletin license sitting around -
want to know if you guys would find a forum like this valuable:

A closed forum where all members submit their own high quality seo case studies/experiments.

Right now learning great seo without testing everything yourself isn't very efficient:
- There is lots of misinformation
- outdated techniques
- biased/ people hype their seo services
- the best techniques/findings don't get posted on public forums for everyone to spam to death

The forum would be:
- A closed forum: maxed out at around 100 members
- To join you first need to submit a good quality case study
- The idea is you can cut the BS and learn actual legit seo techniques
- Added value that this is a a closed group and not everyone in the IM field is going to start copying/spamming these findings

 

[Adevictus]

those are making a killing right now

but i think you should just sell me your license for half price

 

[omgyams]

Has promise

 

[erifdekciw]

Good luck finding people to get the wheels turning. Hardest part about forums is getting people to stick around.

I think first you would need to get a couple people to commit to it.

Get you and a couple people you know to throw up some case studies on your forums for content.

Do some self promotion on internet marketing forums. Give them a little taste of what they will find inside. Tell them how they can be apart of the forum and what the requirements are and how only 100 people will be allowed in. You'll probably get a good number of people interested. Then it just becomes a case of promoting how many spots are left in your forum signatures or something.

I think the most important barrier you have to cross to make it work is you have to prove that there is real value inside on your forums. If you can't do that then why would anyone submit their own case studies to you? So the make or break part will come from the value you add to your forums from the get go.

 

[ScottDaMan]

A closed forum, even with paid memberships, sharing "secret" SEO advice won't work because, get this, Google can afford a membership to your forum too. Just like Google can afford to buy millions of links from blog networks and slam shit left and right.

 

[jsphfcll]

never understood why people give away information that basically puts food on the table for themselves... isn't this a business to most of you? so you essentially want people who used their money to test... tell what worked and what didnt...

 

[kdr4t]

A closed forum, even with paid memberships, sharing "secret" SEO advice won't work because, get this, Google can afford a membership to your forum too. Just like Google can afford to buy millions of links from blog networks and slam shit left and right.

The idea is you can't pay to join - you have to instead submit a high quality case study. Then membership is permanently closed after 100 members so I'd only be adding members the first month or two.. so I don't think Google would get in that quick.

never understood why people give away information that basically puts food on the table for themselves... isn't this a business to most of you? so you essentially want people who used their money to test... tell what worked and what didnt...

That point is the reason I think this forum could be valuable. People are spending their own money to test different seo strategies. - and why would they want to post what works - what they're spending their own time and money on in a public forum?

1 So the idea is it's shared with a closed community where it's in all of our best interest not to share our findings with everyone on the internet

2 Creating your own high quality case studies does cost time and money so it should be valuable to be able to submit one case study and see 100s of other high quality case studies other members have spent their time and money on

I'm just trying to find out if this would be a valuable resource. I got a couple PM's saying they'd be down if I make it.

PM me or leave a post here if you would as well.