Optimising for social media has become a basic part of SEO for most sites. Each social media site has its own quirks and unwritten rules, and it’s an absolute must to learn what appeals before you venture in. For Digg, the popular social bookmarking site which can be used to promote your pages, the rules are different yet again.

Digg is an interesting site for social media, as a lot of the activity of its users takes place off the site. Diggers look for interesting content around the net, aiming to alert other Digg users to anything that’s interesting. The sight of a Digg button on your pages is one way to appeal to Digg users, but there are plenty more. Here are some tips for optimising for Digg.

• Technically literate content. Digg users are a specific kind of internet user, and tend to like technical content, technical industry news, and quirky humour. If your business has nothing to do with technology, you can try a sideline in humorous content, or you may decide to look at another type for a social media campaign
• Intelligent titles. Your search engine optimisation consultant will tell you that every title is important to SEO. Avoid cheesy title formats, but don’t be afraid to show humour when you want to appeal on Digg. Title composition is difficult and it can help to get professional assistance. Talk to our consultants at SEO Consult when you have title issues
• The need for speed. Slow load times are annoying to all site users, but Digg users in particular. Diggers tend to be highly technically capable people. A slow server is a guaranteed way to put them off your site forever
• No bugs. Just as page load speed is important, general site misbehaviour is unlikely to impress Digg users. It’s particularly important to make sure that your Digg bookmarking button is live and working at all times. This may seem like a small annoyance, but malfunctioning elements on your site send a message that it is badly maintained. To the technically-minded user base of Digg, this is a message unlikely to put you in favour
• Unique attractions. It’s awfully hard to be truly unique on the net, but finding some new angle is a good way to grab a Digg user’s attention. All it can take is a little creative thinking. Your SEO consultant should be able to help you look for alternative ideas for content, and you can talk to us at SEO Consult

It’s important to note that this point has a dark side. Overused content ideas can put Digg users off. The endless repetition of ideas on the net is wearing on any user, but Digg users have the ability to bury your content as well as ‘digg’ it up.

• Lists. This may seem to go against the previous point, but many Digg users love lists. They just do. A list gives you a better chance of getting on Digg’s pages, but it must be squarely on the right topic.

Get Involved