Posted by: Sam Eidson, Partner

Looking for an expertise-focused Web 2.0 tactic to increase your search engine visibility? If the fit is right, try personas. A persona is an online alter ego that corresponds to your unique expertise.

Start by creating an account using gmail, yahoo, or any other web-based email. In the place of your first and last name, enter a title that reflects your target keywords – “Nashville Tax Attorney,” for example. 

Next, identify the online forums that are relevant to your area of expertise, login using your persona email account, contribute and where appropriate include links back to your own blog or a section of your site that illustrates the point of your comment. The keyword-rich persona creates a relevant link from a relevant 2.0 channel – which can drive competitive visibility and target audience traffic.

A couple words of caution, though: don’t overdo it.  Blog readers are not impressed by blatant tactics that aren’t built on a real foundation, so be authentic with your persona and insightful with your comments. And try to keep the alter ego title’s “cheese factor” to a minimum. Visibility without credibility gets you nowhere.