Comments on: Licensed Content: 7 Questions, 7 Considerations

By: Cool Gifts

Cool Gifts — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:42:11 +0000

Great tip Ron. I can definitely she how licensing your content to a credible authority in your industry would help. I’m sure it would be more valuable than the SEO juice that might be lost.

By: Ron Kunitzky

Ron Kunitzky — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:45:12 +0000

You certainly could be…especially, if that content is not well optimized to drive the types of users that you want to visit your site. Also, you don’t have to license all of your content – perhaps you license a portion of it by partnering with an authority in the space that you are in and that authority adds credibility to your offering, as a result.

By: Cool Gifts

Cool Gifts — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:56:45 +0000

All great questions to ask. I have an additional question about the SEO factor. Wouldn’t you run the risk of losing potential SEO juice by using licensed content?

By: Ron Kunitzky

Ron Kunitzky — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:07:31 +0000

Great points Wayne! I have not had any direct experience with the creation of a unique app to pickup links as you described, but having said that…I think you are on to something and it’s certainly worth testing.

By: Wayne Davies

Wayne Davies — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:24:08 +0000

I can’t see how licensing content is ever going to deliver a unique site that attracts inbound links and/or followers. I suppose if I was guaranteed exclusivity on the content, maybe then.

I’m also not completely convinced that creating a lot of content will, in and of itself, pick up links or followers organically. Anybody can copy content, thus rendering it non-unique.

One area I have wondered about in SEO terms, is creating a unique application that picks up inbound links. I think creating something genuinely useful in this area is much harder to replicate than content, and therefore more likely to be linked to. It means more work up-front, but less over time (not constantly creating new content). I suspect it’s ultimately more rewarding (at least in SEO terms).

This is pure speculation on my part, rather than something I’ve actually done. I’m very interested in your thoughts about this idea. Especially if you’ve actually done this, and can weigh in with experience.