-
Step 1
You're going to actually need an account to get started. It's free, so sign right on up. If you're going to be using the site for a specific project, I recommend using the project as your username. It'll help your google pagerank for whatever keywords you're targeting. If you're going to be showcasing several of your projects on the site, use your own name (the same that appears, for instance, on your eHow articles).
-
Step 2
Figuring out just what to submit can be tricky. As I've written about previously, taking unique photos for your blog or eHow articles is a good place to start. In these examples here, AwesomeStart.com is sharing many of the web interfaces their designers have created. In deciding what to post, you're going to have to think like an artist. What would Deviant Art users actually be interested in? This is where the need for creativity comes in. Maybe you could draw some amusing diagrams for your eHow articles. It's really up to you. Remember: It doesn't matter if what you're making is good, only that you try to actually make something! Your poor art skills won't hurt your Google pagerank, and DeviantArt users will be very vocal on how you can improve your craft.
-
Step 3
Once you've got your art piece picked out, we need to optimize it so search engines and gallery browsing users can find it. The best way to do this is through the keywords and the description. Let people know what the image is about and what it includes. Too many keywords may hurt your Google pagerank, but you can get away with quite a few. The more keywords you have, the more likly someone will find your art when they're searching.
-
Step 4
Include a link to the site you're trying to promote in your description. If there's a link specific to the image (for instace an eHow article that uses it). The ideas is that if someone is looking for images of...say...a sewing machine, they would come across your macro stitch photograph and find out you actually have a How To article about it. The interested user would then find out about your project! Aside from google pagerank, the actual traffic from deviant art is fantastic - the users tend to revisit your site frequently and track your new submissions.
-
Step 5
Now that your main content is taken care of, fill in the gaps a bit. Any links here will help your Google pagerank when people search for you name. Update your profile. Add some information about yourself. Utilize the journal space - it's a great way for people to see what you've been up to. Extra links here can help beef up your google pagerank as well. You can mirror your site's blog, provide some teasers for what's coming up, or post information about what articles you've recently written.
-
Step 6
Watch. Get watchers. Browse the site and find others with similar interest, or artists who's work you enjoy. Comment on their stuff, add it as a favorite, mark them as a friend. The site is a community after all. While it isn't that beneficial to your google page rank, simply browsing around and telling people what you think will actually result in fantastic amounts of traffic.
-
Step 7
Stay active. Even when you're away from the site for a few days, people will be poping by and commenting on your art. Mark these people are friends. Send them messages back. It's very important that you keep up with the people who are showing interest in your project. It shows them that you actually value what they have to say, and it'll help keep them coming back. You can also come back to the site everytime you came new content to help boost the google pagerank of your new items.
