Need a link from Wikipedia? Here's what you need to know!

The following article is about how to get a Wiki article accepted. It is for those of you that understand Search Engine Marketing.

The article is abstracted from Planet Ocean's monthly search engine newsletter and we thank them for it. If you are serious about search engine marketing we suggest that Planet Ocean is a great one to sign up for www.SearchEngineNews.com

My boss is convinced we need a link from Wikipedia. I thought Wikipedia was nofollow and didn't really provide much benefit these days. Even so, how do I go about getting a link? Every time we attempt to modify an article or provide relevant suggested external resources, those changes are reversed. What can we do?

You are correct: Wikipedia is nofollow, so there is certainly a very limited SEO-specific benefit to getting a listing there these days. That being said, there is a traffic component that can't be denied. Further, getting listed in Wikipedia can add notability and authority which in turn can lead to the achieving of hard to find .edu links. So absolutely, if you can get your client listed, definitely do it.

However, for your client to "get in" you need to overcome the notability requirement:

"All topics should meet a minimum threshold of notability for an article to be included in Wikipedia. Notable is defined as "worthy of being noted" or "attracting notice", but is not synonymous with "fame" or "importance". It is not measured by editor subjective judgment."

Simply stated, a topic is generally notable if it has been the subject of published material which is independent of the subject, reliable, and most importantly, attributable. Wikipedia looks at both the depth and quality of these publication sources and then makes its own decision as to whether these sources are notable. For best results, multiple sources should be referenced and they should be independent of each other.

It's also VERY important to understand that Wikipedia is not a soapbox about your company. Wikipedia should not be used for your own personal or political views, as a forum to voice grievances or as a vehicle to self-promote or advertise your company's product or services. Nothing in your article should ever be self-serving except to establish credibility claims. That's why you must be familiar with the concept of Neutral Point of View (NPOV) and use it religiously when writing up your article. NPOV is the cornerstone of Wikipedia and is the fundamental writing style used in all successful article submissions

Now that we know what not to do on Wikipedia, let's look at some best practices that will increase your chances of getting an article approved, specifically:

1. Find and resource your competitors. If they aren't listed, you probably won't be either.

2. Find someone who has an established profile with Wikipedia to write your article. Someone with an established editing history with Wikipedia who can provide published samples of past Wikipedia work is always your best option.

3. Notable, notable, notable...include a minimum of three outside references in the first paragraph to build up your notability to survive the initial audit you will receive. Having a link to your Web site or resources on your Web site just won't cut it.

4. NEVER write in first person (see NPOV above) and check your content.

5. Cite lots of experts and cross-link to existing articles; the more the better.

Most companies attempt to write their own Wikipedia articles for publication. Unfortunately, unless you are very familiar with the editorial landscape, this is a very unsuccessful route. Instead, consider the following three options in getting your next company article written:

Option 1 - Request the article be written by a Wikipedia current author (slowest method and cheapest: it's free).

Option 2 - Find a content writer by searching Google, Bing or the following content-creation sites using Wikipedia-specific search phrases:

Elance
Guru
GetaFreelancer.com
CraigsList
You can also search Google for a wikipedia writer or other similar terms.

Option 3 - Visit select online forums and put up a request for people who can do this for you (get samples):

DP Forums - Content Creation
v7n Forums - Looking to Hire
Warrior Forums - Copywriting Forum

That's all the advice we can give you. Again, for best results, make sure anyone you hire can provide you samples of their work. Also, don't be cheap! Offer your author a solid fee for writing up the article AND another fee that is deliverable if the article stays approved and in Wikipedia for a certain period of time (say 30 days).

Wikipedia is not what it used to be. But it is still the #7 ranked Web site worldwide according to the most recent Alexa data. Further, Wikipedia is a great backlink that adds authority and relevance to any site. If you can get a link, we still believe it's worth the effort. To get started, click on the Wikipedia Article Wizard.

- Casey Markee, Writer & Lead SEO Consultant, Planet Ocean

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