How to use Wordpress (Free PHP application/website script) to successfully promote Independent Music on the Internet

A short resume and a few tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your Wordpress based music website. Script suggestions and plugin list. Use this info as a basic guideline for how to optimize any specific subject Wordpress script for search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo Search

To accomplish the following I’ve been investing quite an amount of time. I had to since I used mainly free resources which require investment of time instead of money.  Since my part time job has been building web pages for people I realized the power of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and the built in power in the free Wordpress PHP application

By adding content to the WP site with carefully chosen keywords built into every post Google responds very positively to my site. Additionally I joined a few music forums and social networking sites biased towards electronic music production and psychedelic trance music. My latest favourites has been Groundzeroprojects and Psytracks.com. I also maintain pages on the ‘basic’ unavoidable sites Myspace.com and Facebook. Also recently started Blogger.com Blog page called psychedelic-trance-music.blogspot (just to cover the base)

Then I post free promo songs or/and posts on the three authority sites for psychedelic trance music which are Goabase Goatrance.de, IsraTrance forum and Chaishop.com.

There are a few ‘tricks of the trade’ that I frequently use. Example; make a few different searches on Google for what you believe people would use to find your own site. In the top ten results one will then find that certain websites ‘always’ appear. They are, in the eyes of Google (and most other search engines) the ‘authority’ sites for the chosen subject. Now… within those top sites there are, very often, one or two of them that allow free membership, posting of articles, links exchange or some other free service (even Yellowpages will do fine..). I then join up with some of these sites and post something, like a blog, link, article, music or comment. The links to my content in those posts are picked up by Google (and other search engines). Like that I create an association of the very highest quality available on the Internet. The result is that my own site ascends in Googles search results.

However, Google is smarter than that. To maintain a high position one have to post fresh content regularly, on your own site and preferably elsewhere too. Already after about one month of not posting anything new one will slip down the ranks again.

Additionally I use a few indispensable WP plugins like:

1. All in One SEO Pack or Headspace 2 (advanced SEO wp plugin)
2. Audio Player
3. Drain Hole (prevents people from downloading anything unless registering beforehand)
4. Email Users (Sorts sending a newsletter to registered members)
5. Google XML Sitemaps (Sorts the noticing process to the major Search engines)
6. SABRE (sorts all spam registrations to the WP site)
7. Dagon Design Form Mailer (Easy install contact form)

I also installed DADA mail Newsletter script on my server. But it’s actually overdoing it since WP solves the mailing-list/newsletter building. I use it as an option for people who don’t want to download stuff from my site and yet want to keep up with the news.

Okay, that’s it for now, this became a long post. If you reads this and have a Wordpress music site without these plugins, well, go for it… :-). But remember, it’s more or less required that the WP site is installed on a independent server/domain in order for this system to work optimally.

There is, of course, more to it. Feel free to ask me anything if you have questions regarding how to optimize your Wordpress for music promtion. Then use either the comment form below, or send me a message by using the contact form.

Peace
d(·.·)b Ricky - QPA Qubenzis Psy Audio