Crowd Marketing for Information Sites

Information websites compete for reader attention just as much as they do for search rankings. For them, crowd marketing becomes a practical tool: it drives traffic from discussions, helps retain the audience, and strengthens trust in articles.

Tasks here differ from commercial projects. A business expects leads and sales, while an info site prioritizes read-throughs, subscriptions, and return rates. A comment with a useful link in a live forum thread provides much more value than dozens of random mentions.

Crowd marketing for such projects works simply: live mentions in communities generate clicks, clicks strengthen the positions of articles near the top 10, and trust is formed through expert answers. The reader receives help, and the website receives a stable flow of interested users.

What crowd marketing is specifically for info sites

Crowd marketing for info sites is participating in discussions on forums, in news comments, in Q&A, and communities where readers are looking for answers. The main task is to give useful advice and suggest a link to an article that fully addresses the question. This format helps drive traffic to pages, increase search rankings, and build trust in the website.

Crowd vs. Link Building

• • Goals: link building is aimed at the growth of link mass and donor metrics; crowd marketing solves the tasks of engagement, clicks, and repeat visits.
• • Platforms: link building more often works through directories, articles, and PBNs; crowd marketing is built on forums, comments, and social networks.
• • Metrics: link building is evaluated by DR/UR and the number of links; crowd marketing is evaluated by CTR from discussions, thread indexing, and time on page.

How to identify a good platform

• • The thread has been active in the last 30 days.
• • The page is indexed by search engines.
• • Links are placed with rel=nofollow or UGC.
• • There is moderation and live answers, rather than just advertising inserts.

Link policy for info sites

• • 70-85% of links are anchorless.
• • 60-90% are marked as nofollow or UGC.
• • 10-20% are brand mentions without a URL.
• • Anchored links are permissible only for exact navigational intent.

Why info sites need crowd marketing

Reader retention

An info site loses value if people do not return to the articles. Crowd marketing provides touchpoints in discussions where there is already an interest in the topic. The reader receives advice in the thread and clicks through to the material to fully resolve the question. Such traffic more often results in subscriptions, page saves, or bookmarks.

Supporting articles near the top 10

Many materials sit at positions 11–20 and do not bring the required volume of clicks. Links in active discussion threads help drive targeted traffic and increase engagement. When people click, read, and spend more time on the page, the article gets a chance to move higher. For evaluation, it is useful to look at the CTR from crowd marketing (usually 1–3 percent) and the average time on site, which should not be lower than organic traffic.

Trust and expertise

For an info site, not only traffic is important, but also recognition in the community. When an article is mentioned in participants’ answers, it is perceived as an authoritative source. This format strengthens E-E-A-T: expertise of the text, the author’s experience, and trust in the website. This is especially critical in YMYL niches, where transparency of sources and the presence of links to official data are important.

When results are weak

Crowd marketing will not yield returns on dead forums, in closed communities, or in topics without activity. Threads older than a year often lose indexing, and links there do not work. It is important to choose platforms with live discussions, check the index in search, and set tags to track transitions.

Where crowd works: platforms and selection criteria

Forums and Q&A

These platforms provide stable traffic if the threads are active. The check is simple: the last answer is no older than seven days, at least ten new messages per month, and three or more authors in the topic. Additionally, indexing is checked via the site operator, as well as the absence of noindex and a canonical tag to the root.

Comments on media and blogs

Only articles with discussions work. Empty posts without activity do not generate clicks. It is worth checking the publication date, the number of comments, and individual URLs for threads. If comments are hidden behind authorization or load through infinite scroll, they are often not indexed.

Social networks and chats

Niche groups and channels where links are allowed are suitable. For Telegram and Discord, it is important to understand that transitions will fall under “direct” rather than “referral,” so a UTM is mandatory. For Reddit and local equivalents, the rules of each community, the share of posts with links, and the reaction to them are taken into account.

Review sites

Effective in “products and services” topics. The visibility of cards in search, policy regarding external URLs, and the frequency of deletions are checked. On many platforms, only a brand mention without a link works.

Selection Checklist

• • Activity in the last 30 days.
• • Indexing of discussion pages and pagination.
• • Link format rel=nofollow or UGC.
• • Availability of comments without authorization.
• • Moderate moderation, without mass deletions.
• • Correspondence of the topic and region to the requests.
• • Low share of hidden or deleted links.

Step-by-step crowd marketing process

Step 1. Searching for platforms

Search operators are used:

• • site:forum.* "how to choose" [topic]
• • intitle:forum [topic]
• • inurl:comments [topic]
• • "what is better" [category]
  Additionally, Google Alerts are set for keywords and brands, with a notification frequency of once a day.

Step 2. Account warm-up

The profile is set up, avatar and bio are filled. Within 7-14 days, 10-15 messages without links are published. The share of responses with links after the warm-up is no higher than 30 percent. It is important to alternate between own topics, answers to others, and reactions.

Step 3. Answer plan

For each article cluster, 3–5 scenarios are prepared: comparison, brief instruction, myth debunking, a link to a calculator or table. For YMYL topics, answers are built on reviews of official sources, with a disclaimer. For each scenario, 5–7 text variations are created to exclude repetition.

Step 4. Publications

From one profile, 2–3 links per week are allowed. Messages without links are placed in between. Entry points vary: articles, categories, tables, tables of contents. We adhere to the link policy: 70–85 percent anchorless, 60–90 percent nofollow or UGC, 10–20 percent brand mentions without a URL. Anchored links are permissible only for explicit navigational queries.

Step 5. Measurement

UTM tags are set. Example template:
?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=crowd&utm_campaign=[cluster]&utm_content=[scenario]&utm_term=[phrase]
The tracking table includes: date, platform, thread URL, link type, anchor, UTM, indexing status, clicks, time on page, depth, subscriptions. Target benchmarks: CTR 1–3 percent, indexing 40–70 percent, time on page not lower than the organic average.

Link and anchor policy

Shares and distribution

• • Anchorless links account for 70-85 percent.
• • Links marked nofollow or UGC – 60-90 percent.
• • Brand mentions without a URL – 10-20 percent.
• • Anchored links are permissible only for explicit navigational queries.

Entry point selection rules

• • In general topic discussions, the link leads to a category.
• • In questions about choice, a link to a table or comparison is placed.
• • For queries with calculations – a link to a calculator.
• • When discussing options – a link to a collection.
• • For a specific problem or step – a link to an article with a full answer.

Anchors

• For anchorless, a bare URL, article title, or brand name is used.
• For brand mentions without a link – a text mention when external URLs are prohibited.
• For navigational anchored links – “detailed breakdown,” “step-by-step instructions,” “specifications table.”

Restrictions

• • No more than one link per answer.
• • Comment length 300-800 characters.
• • One fact, one figure, one source.
• • Checking the destination URL: status 200, correct rel.

Playbooks by info site niches

News

• • Entry point: page with facts and quotes from primary sources.
• • Link type: anchorless or “detailed breakdown.”
• • Examples:
  – “Regulator documents and dates of changes are collected for this event, [link].”
  – “Chronology and sources on the topic in one place, [link].”

Recipes and DIY

• • Entry point: step-by-step instructions with photos, substitution block, time, and temperature.
• • Link type: anchorless or “step-by-step instructions.”
• • Examples:
  – “If the dough sticks, 30 minutes of proofing helps, step-by-step photos here, [link].”
  – “This type of dowel is needed for shelf mounting, the list and sequence of actions are gathered here, [link].”

Tech reviews

• • Entry point: comparison table, tests, photos of artifacts.
• • Link type: “model comparison,” “specifications table.”
• • Examples:
  – “For photos in low light, this model is more stable, the test table and crops are available via the link.”
  – “For battery life, the version on chip X is more efficient, results in the table, [link].”

Health and law

• • Entry point: review of documents and clarifications.
• • Link type: “source review,” “primary sources.”
• • Examples:
  – “The methodology is described in the order of such a number, quotes and links are collected on the page, [link].”
  – “For this issue, the code section and the department’s clarification are relevant, texts here, [link].”

How to search for topics for discussion

Alerts

Google Alerts for keywords and brands. Notification frequency – once a day. Example queries:

• • “how to choose [category]”
• • “what is better [model]”
• • “problem [step]”

Mention monitoring

BrandMentions and Mention for tracking new threads. Setting up domains and keywords. For sites with Disqus, checking activity by sections.

Search via operators

• • site:forum.* "how to choose" smartphone
• • intitle:forum laptop cooling
• • inurl:comments router setup
• • inurl:thread "what is better" washing machine
• • site:news.* inurl:comments mortgage refinancing
• • site:reddit.com "help" "how to" [topic]

Filtering

• • Threads no older than a month.
• • Minimum of 10 new messages and three active authors.
• • Indexing of the topic and pagination is available.
• • Checking rules regarding links and moderation reaction.

Procedure

Collection of candidates once a week. Checking against the checklist. Evaluation of activity, indexing, moderation, topicality, and deletion history. Admission threshold – 7 out of 10 points. The list is kept in a tracker with the date of the next check.

Metrics and efficiency control

The evaluation of crowd marketing is based on traffic indicators and reader behavior. CTR from discussions stays within 1-3 percent, which is considered a working level. Indexing of discussion pages should be in the range of 40-70 percent; otherwise, the contribution of links is not confirmed. Time on page and depth of transitions are compared with organic traffic: if crowd marketing indicators are below the median, it means the entry point or answer scenario needs to be changed.

In GA4, the share of engaged sessions is monitored; it should not fall relative to search traffic. Additionally, subscriptions and returns within 30 days are recorded. For reviews, 1–2 percent of subscriptions from transitions is considered the norm; for recipes – about one percent.

Quality control of publications is conducted regularly. Deletions should be no more than 20 percent over 14 days; at 30 percent, it is better to pause the platform. The ratio of messages with a link to those without links should remain at least one to two. It is important to consider the position of the comment: clicks come mainly from the top five answers. Timing also plays a role – for news, the first 60 minutes are important; for forums, evening hours; for recipes, weekends.

A metrics summary is made every 14 days. The report includes CTR, indexing, time, depth, and returns. For clarity of analysis, it is useful to keep a control group of pages without crowd activities and compare the indicators. For the conclusions to be reliable, the minimum volume for the first summary is 40-60 publications per month on 10–15 platforms.

Errors and risks

What not to do:

• • Spam with identical formulations.
• • Place several links with one profile per day.
• • Repeat a link in one thread more often than once a week.
• • Give anchored links with commercial words.
• • Insert a link without a substantial answer.
• • Work on dead forums or in threads older than a year.
• • Ignore UTM and the tracker.
• • Rely on platforms without indexing if the goal is a link.
• • Give advice on YMYL topics without document quotes and a disclaimer.

What to replace with:

• • In each answer, give one fact and one figure.
• • Alternate answers with a link and without a link.
• • Keep the pace: 2–3 links per week per profile, one entry into a thread once every seven days.
• • Observe the shares: anchorless 70–85 percent, nofollow or UGC 60–90 percent, brand mentions without a URL 10–20 percent.
• • On platforms with a ban on external URLs, use a brand mention or the title of the article.
• • For YMYL, post only a review of sources with quotes, indicate the update date, author card, and editorial policy.
• • Check indexing through tools, not just by eye.
• • For engines where parameters are stripped, use short links or an intermediate page.
• • Raise visibility by early entry into discussions and replies to top authors.
• • Every 14 days, disable platforms with CTR below 0.5 percent and move the volume to where clicks and read-throughs are growing.

Examples of crowd marketing for info sites

Below are three cases showing how communities can be a sustainable traffic channel for media and info sites.

Newsweek: Reddit as a channel for millions of visits

Context. Newsweek was looking for new sources of transitions besides search and social networks.
Actions. The editorial team worked systematically in subreddits: threads were chosen based on the article topic, discussions were supported, and links were added in the permitted format.
Result. Reddit brought 2–4 million visits monthly and more than 36 million over the year. In certain months, the share of Reddit exceeded 20% of all traffic.
What can be repeated. For info sites, it is important to pre-select relevant subreddits, establish contact with moderators, and publish links in the first hours of discussions.
Source: Digiday — Publishers refine Reddit strategies to tap into targeted referral traffic

Hacker News: “Front page effect”

Context. Niche info sites and services often underestimate the power of Hacker News.
Actions. Materials were brought to the top of HN, authors participated in discussions, and servers were prepared for traffic spikes. Publications were accompanied by markup and links to additional materials.
Result. In the cases of Simple Analytics and Reproof, articles gathered more than 30,000 visits in a few days. At the same time, a “tail” appeared — a growth in direct and organic traffic after the discussion.
What can be repeated. For info sites, this is a chance to test material with strong analytics or a review: if a post gets to the top of HN, it gives a sharp surge in transitions and additional citations.
Source: Reproof — Hitting the top of Hacker News = 30,000 Visitors

The Daily Beast and other publishers: growth through community

Context. Publishers were looking for stable content distribution channels.
Actions. The Daily Beast, Men’s Journal, Axios, HuffPost, and The Atlantic adapted materials for subreddits: they actively participated in discussions and placed links only where appropriate.
Result. In April 2025, The Daily Beast increased traffic from Reddit by 115% year-on-year and received 457k visits. Other publishers also saw double-digit growth.
What can be repeated. For info sites, regularity, choosing active threads, and answers that look like part of the discussion rather than advertising work.
Source: Digiday — Media Briefing: Reddit becomes a more noticeable source of publisher traffic

These cases confirm: crowd marketing for info sites works if it is built into the editorial process. Results are given not by random links, but by participation in relevant communities with content that addresses the audience’s request.

Crowd marketing for info sites is a regular channel for attracting and retaining traffic. A strong effect is given not by the links themselves, but by answers that help the reader and lead to useful material. Transitions, read-throughs, and repeat visits are more important for the website. Discipline in pace, clear link rules, and metric control turn crowd marketing into a stable stream of audience.