I used to have a very popular free backlink checker tool with name of BacklinkWatch during early 2010s but then I handed it over to a friend who could not take care of it properly while I got myself busy in other activities.
Now I have taken it back under my supervision and I want to promote it but to my surprise SEO and Webmaster bulletin boards are way more less active now compared to early 2010s.
So, I am facing the problem to market it to seo community as it seems they have dispersed at too many places.
Your question is a symbol of the changing nature of how search engines seem to work. The days where tech minded people went to discussion boards to share techniques and such have shifted to more dynamic (and shorter) forms of communication. Video, pictures, social media, etc. have shifted how search engines work.
Now, backlinks only work if good quality content accompanies it. That not only draws the search engines, but it also draws in “live” people. Add in the much better crawlers the engines are using, and the backlink strategies don’t seem to be as effective.
I know it doesn’t help your specific question, but it’s the reality of the business. Tech discussion forums have migrated over to help/Q&A type where people get in an get out. If they think they really want to learn, they look for video tutorials on YouTube, tiktok or where ever.
You are absolutely right and I can confirm from my experience as I have stayed away from SEO and Webmaster communities during that period. And now after I got interested again uphill task for me is to understand the change in dynamics of the community.
In early 2010s forums were the place to go and share ideas and learn from others so my free tool got picked up really easily. Now forums are quite less active even the industry leader WW is way less active.
This phenomenon has posed me an interesting question that where the millions of members have gone and why I couldn’t see them because most of them must be in this trade.
For promoting SEO Tool, We should keep track of reliable and older forums. Instead of new forum site which is new. We should not focus major on new site compare older forum.