[xdude]

I thought to write this thread because of the recent discussion about sponsor backlinks. It was not practical to ask a backlink from those who don't run a web server and forcing them to set-up a page just for this is even can do more damage can any good. We all can agree on one thing. When you look at the server list we have today these sponsors truly deserve something worthy in return., Something more than a review, signature link, and a backlink.

So what do they really expect in return? I think all sponsors like their brand to be more popular and to get more paid customers. This is why we provide a Review, Signature links even backlinks, if possible in return. Can we do more than that to help them? Definitely!

So let's see what we offer already, Signature link - Well, it's nice, better than nothing but it's not gonna be much help. A backlink is better but I know not many of us can offer once and even if there are websites not exactly gonna make a huge impact in today's SEO. Unless you have a decent site with authority on Web Hosting. So the review is what really takes the cake.

So let's see how does a proper review would help our sponsors. In simple reviews gonna be ranked in Google if you do it properly. And potential customers will see those. Also if someone wants to research the provider and search in Google, the person will see many cool reviews and get positive vibes.

Now, what is a proper review? Here, I know many believe posting a bunch of benchmarks is the most important part of a review. Sadly it's not. It might look nice but it doesn't let the sponsor. Google doesn't read screenshots and the average customer would care about it either. They want to hear good things about the provider, personal experience, something more than one line saying how amazing the provider. They like to listen to it from someone like them. And if it's a seasoned hosting buyer for professional use, they would go to the provider and talk and ask for a 3-day trial and find out themselves. Someone like that wouldn't believe in someone else screenshots.

It's like reading a label of Jam bottle. Sure it says about expire date, ingredients, manufacture but everyone can read those. It won't give you an idea of the taste. You have to taste the jam and tell what you feel about it. Writing "Taste" doesn't do any good either.

So if you want to write a good review then you need to do more than a bunch of benchmarks. It starts with the title "VPS",  "Hosting", "Review" keywords are important. people search for these in Google. Then you can post those benchmarks if you want but you need to write more. Like for what you are using the VPS and how it's working for you. Also need to write about the provider and paid packages they offer and their features. Make sure to use the brand name in several places and link back to their packages page.

Also, you have to keep your review thread alive. Don't let it buried down under other reviews and die. Add something to the time to time. Ask questions from the sponsor if they have a rep in the forum.

If you can't provide a Backlink ----

There is a way you can give your sponsor something more valuable than a backlink. There are sites where you can write a small review and rate a web hosting provider. If you do this it will help your sponsor more than a backlink.

01. Google Review - This is the first place where you should rate your sponsor. Type in Google " Sponsor Google Review " You will see the current review and where to rate on the right side of the result.

02. Facebook Review - If you have a FB account and Sponsor has a page then Like, Rate, and write a small review.

03. Twitter - If you have a Twitter account then make a Tweet about your sponsor.

04. Rating sites - There are many of those. Here are few examples.

• https://www.whtop.com/review/shadowhosting.net.
  
• https://www.websiteplanet.com/web-hostin...w-hosting/
  
• https://hostadvice.com/hosting-company/s...g-reviews/
  

So here are few methods on how to give something back which would make your sponsor happy.

[ikk157]

I thought to write this thread because of the recent discussion about sponsor backlinks. It was not practical to ask a backlink from those who don't run a web server and forcing them to set-up a page just for this is even can do more damage can any good. We all can agree on one thing. When you look at the server list we have today these sponsors truly deserve something worthy in return., Something more than a review, signature link, and a backlink.

So what do they really expect in return? I think all sponsors like their brand to be more popular and to get more paid customers. This is why we provide a Review, Signature links even backlinks, if possible in return. Can we do more than that to help them? Definitely!

So let's see what we offer already, Signature link - Well, it's nice, better than nothing but it's not gonna be much help. A backlink is better but I know not many of us can offer once and even if there are websites not exactly gonna make a huge impact in today's SEO. Unless you have a decent site with authority on Web Hosting. So the review is what really takes the cake.

So let's see how does a proper review would help our sponsors. In simple reviews gonna be ranked in Google if you do it properly. And potential customers will see those. Also if someone wants to research the provider and search in Google, the person will see many cool reviews and get positive vibes.

Now, what is a proper review? Here, I know many believe posting a bunch of benchmarks is the most important part of a review. Sadly it's not. It might look nice but it doesn't let the sponsor. Google doesn't read screenshots and the average customer would care about it either. They want to hear good things about the provider, personal experience, something more than one line saying how amazing the provider. They like to listen to it from someone like them. And if it's a seasoned hosting buyer for professional use, they would go to the provider and talk and ask for a 3-day trial and find out themselves. Someone like that wouldn't believe in someone else screenshots.

It's like reading a label of Jam bottle. Sure it says about expire date, ingredients, manufacture but everyone can read those. It won't give you an idea of the taste. You have to taste the jam and tell what you feel about it. Writing "Taste" doesn't do any good either.

So if you want to write a good review then you need to do more than a bunch of benchmarks. It starts with the title "VPS",  "Hosting", "Review" keywords are important. people search for these in Google. Then you can post those benchmarks if you want but you need to write more. Like for what you are using the VPS and how it's working for you. Also need to write about the provider and paid packages they offer and their features. Make sure to use the brand name in several places and link back to their packages page.

Also, you have to keep your review thread alive. Don't let it buried down under other reviews and die. Add something to the time to time. Ask questions from the sponsor if they have a rep in the forum.

If you can't provide a Backlink ----

There is a way you can give your sponsor something more valuable than a backlink. There are sites where you can write a small review and rate a web hosting provider. If you do this it will help your sponsor more than a backlink.

01. Google Review - This is the first place where you should rate your sponsor. Type in Google " Sponsor Google Review " You will see the current review and where to rate on the right side of the result.

02. Facebook Review - If you have a FB account and Sponsor has a page then Like, Rate, and write a small review.

03. Twitter - If you have a Twitter account then make a Tweet about your sponsor.

04. Rating sites - There are many of those. Here are few examples.

• https://www.whtop.com/review/shadowhosting.net.
  
• https://www.websiteplanet.com/web-hostin...w-hosting/
  
• https://hostadvice.com/hosting-company/s...g-reviews/
  

So here are few methods on how to give something back which would make your sponsor happy.

Excellent post that’s stuffed with great information! Kudos on the effort you spent putting this together!

I agree, our sponsors deserve more than what the requirements state... they are literally offering us a paid (and usually hella expensive) service for free! And no way in hell are the current requirements bringing them the traffic/paid customers they deserve.

Apart from reviews, we can also do other stuff.

Firstly, and probably the easiest, is informing family and friends about the sponsors and how well their VPSs perform. Along with educating them on the plans and pricing... heck, we can even introduce people who don’t even know what a VPS is to this great ecosystem! And who knows, they might decide to buy a VPS from the sponsor!

Secondly, we can post on other communities/forums about the sponsor (not necessarily a review, but more of an advertisement) provided that the community/forum rules allow for that of course.

And finally, those who will eventually become capable of affording their own VPS, can buy one from their sponsor and let go of their sponsored VPS for another holder that can’t get a paid one. I know many would choose the free path... but in all honesty, if you can afford it and are able to buy it, leave the free/sponsored VPS for someone else that can’t.

[deanhills]

Thank you for an excellent post and suggestion @xdude.  One of our members (I'm not mentioning him by name since he may wish this to be kept private) added a review at Quora two weeks ago. He did it as he did not have a Website on his VPS. The fact that he did it completely on his own initiative was much appreciated.  Even more impressive was the quality review he posted at Quora - genuine and adding lots of value:
https://www.quora.com/Which-companies-of...imesh-Ray/

Also thanks to the suggestions that @ikk157 added, particularly the ones that are doable for those who don't have the same writing abilities as others. Not all members are gifted with writing good reviews. There are many other ways to create backlinks or to add value for our sponsors. They may have opportunities where they can refer to their experiences at post4vps and the sponsors when they are chatting in informal platforms like Discord for example. It could be as small as putting a link at a Discord discussion.  

Xdude also mentioned benchmarks are not enough.  Hopefully though bechnmarks won't be thrown out or underrated, as benchmarks are an important part of any review.  But Benchmarks should not be the only part of a review or take up the entire content of a review.  A good review will contain benchmarks PLUS complete information about what the objective was to use the VPS, and what the experience was like. What were the projects that the VPS was used for. What were the expectations when the VPS was acquired and whether those expectations have been met.  And particularly what could be improved, if there were anything that could be improved.

[xdude]

@deanhills

Thank you. Yes,  I hope my wording won't give the idea benchmarks are completely unnecessary. I was weighting on that because I noticed there's a trend, people start believing posting benchmarks is what a review post means, along with a line saying how great the server is. Also, it's true not everyone going to be good at writing reviews at begin. But we all are going to stay in the forum so we all going to be writing reviews. So it's good learning how to write a good. Maybe we should create a template for Reviews, Giving members a good idea for what should be in a good review.

Even in my own review, I thought it's no point of posting those since there are several identical benchmarks that are posted already about since all of those VPS in the same node. I have posted links to those posts in case someone interested in benchmarks. Also, I might probably use certain parts of benchmarks in some review parts I'm planning to add in the future. I want to make sure the thread stays alive. It's already in Google for many keyword phrases including " Shadow hosting Review ".

oh, I thought about Quora too but didn't mention because it will have very bad consequences if everyone starts posting links there especially if in some spammy way just to get the requirement done. Places like Quora and Reddit have very tough standards against spam. That's why I suggested Google reviews, Facebook, Twitter, etc which are a lot safer.

 I too like ideas posted by @ikk157. I guess nothing better than a personal recommendations. This is one of the reasons Facebook and Twitter shared can come handy. But we have to make sure those don't look spammy when post in other communities.

[rudra]

so here i would like to take this opportunity to say that it is true they have very strict standards against spam. that is one reason why these posts should not come as a flood.

but they have more visibility and influence in rankings. So if you think you like post4vps and feeling thankful and want to do something in return, then you could upvote. actually that could be much more impactful.

same goes for other review sites too. even the little effort it takes to give a genuine upvote will go a long way in reflecting positively in their popularity.

[Manal]

Well, for Shadow Hosting, it's what we've been working on. To build a reputation on review sites. Thank you @xdude for making this post and I do really appreciate it. For whoever that Quora guy is, I appreciate him too.

[tryp4vps]

What a great collection of ways to show extra support to our sponsors.

I especially like the idea of using Twitter and would prefer using it over Facebook.

Because nowadays not too many people are still using Facebook. Twitter should actually be more powerful. You know, even Donald Trump is using Twitter every day.

[sagher]

Great Thinking @xdude i really like it because i also raise this point when backlink support is suppose to be compulsory for every vps holder. and in advance i do make a blog for my sponsor vps. and also share links on social media which i used. because i though it will be more positive response then make a dummy static web page. and people those days can more approach websites and new offers which shown on social media.

[Decent12]

Good thinking but I do think we are already doing something for them if not much as we are making monthly 20 posts for the vps and P4V site giving them backlink at the footer.
But I do agree we should do more than what we are doing right now we should promote and review their services on other sites aswell and help them to grow.