How to Use Yahoo Answers to Drive Traffic to Your eBay Store

Yahoo Answers is a feature offered on Yahoo.com where users can ask questions, and other Yahoo users submit answers. Savvy business people are learning how to use Yahoo Answers for internet marketing to drive traffic to their websites, including their eBay stores and listings. Yahoo Answers is easy, effective, and free to use.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Log into your Yahoo account. If you don't have one, you can create one in about 5 minutes. It is free.

2. Click "Answers" on the main page of Yahoo, on the left side.

3. When you get to the next screen, click the advanced tab next to the search box. You will want to narrow down your search as much as possible. That is the internet marketing part - target your audience. You don't want to just answer a bunch of questions not relevant to your eBay business.

4. Enter the key words that relate to your website, eBay store, or blog. I usually only search for open questions that have been posted within the past 7 days. Chances are that these questions won't have very many answers yet and yours will be near the top of the answer list.

5. Answer the questions in a professional, helpful manner, then include a link to your store. Portray yourself as an expert in your field. Not only will the asker see the answer, but anyone else who visits that question from now until forever will also see it. (I get hits on my website from questions I answered months ago.)

6. Warning: You will have to wade through some non-serious questions and plenty of people playing or wasting their time on the site. Focus on helping people who really can benefit from your information.

7. For example, let's say that you sell computer parts in your eBay store. You can search for questions regarding computer repair, building a computer, computer viruses, how to remove adware, etc.

8. Yahoo Answers take some time and effort, but you are constantly building links to yourself over time - and time is an important factor in internet marketing. Think of your respones on Yahoo Answers as free advertising. You are also able to reach a large number of potential customers who are looking for your information.

Tips & Warnings

• Yahoo Answers takes time and effort. You will see the results over time if you are consistent and answer questions on a regular basis.
• Be professional and helpful when answering questions.
• Don't throw up a lot of spammy links. Yahoo will block your access to Answers and you won't be able to answer questions anymore.

Resources

• Learn more about eBay selling
• Join my eBay Facebook Group
• Follow me on Twitter

[zzzz]

on 9/25/2009 STEP ONE

DO NOT TRY TO USE YAHOO ANSWERS to drive traffic to your E-how pages, blog or website.

Yahoo calls that "solicitation", and it is taken as seriously as simple spamming. It WILL lead to your account being suspended and all your content wiped.

Some people who persisted found even their ISP accounts suspended.

Even if you don't put links on every answer, they will get you.

[eliptica]

on 3/2/2009 Thanks for the great information. Good tip.

[sgfgirl]

on 2/20/2009 Just stumbled upon Yahoo Answers - great insights!

[amylaine]

on 8/4/2008 great article.

[bookmom]

on 8/2/2008 What a good idea! It sounds like it would work to promote all sorts of things. Even eHow articles? Hmmm....