Topic Tuesday: Video Games

Gamers will appreciate the Video Games topic on Zujava. There have been some real gems published in the past couple of months that introduce great RPG games, new game apps, and old school game choices. No matter which genre of games you decide to write about, they all share one thing: experience. The video game topic is hard to "game," pardon my clever pun. In order to write about a game, you really need to have actually played that game 99% of the time (unless it's about upcoming releases, which is a cool topic idea).

The video game topic is broken down into the subtopics of 3DS games, DS games, game walkthroughs and cheats, gaming consoles, gaming gear and accessories, mobile games, pc games, Playstation games, retro gaming, Wii games, and XBox 360 games. Right now, this is a good range of topics for us to have available. If you've played any game in the history of gaming, it should fall into one of these basic categories.

Video games is one of the most competitive topics in terms of getting search engine traffic and exposure, but in this post, we'd like to give you some ideas on how to gain a better foothold in search, find new readers, and how to optimize your leaf to make a sale or take the next step.

Make your goal clear to yourself. What is it that you want the reader to do on this page? Would you like them to be well informed about the video game, do you want them to watch a specific video, leave a comment, or buy an Amazon product? You can have more than one goal, but driving the theme of the leaf around your goal can make its focus more clear and produce a more useful leaf.
Utilize photos, videos, and helpful resources. Link to content that is genuinely helpful (like if there's a certain cheat on another website). Include a YouTube section of reviews of that game. Include screenshot photos from flickr of the game. The more media you provide, the clearer picture you will paint about the game.
Don't assume the searcher already knows about the game. It's important to provide a synopsis about the game somewhere near the top of the page, so those browsing your content will understand what it is. Not all of your readers will know what the game is about, so why not tell them in your own words?
Be specific in the title of your leaf. There's major competition in the field of video games in search engines, so being more specific can yield better results than being broader. For instance, a leaf on Sonic the Hedgehog may not fare as well as a leaf on Sonic the Hedgehog villains, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cheats, or Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile Games. This will also help hone the content of your leaf to a more specific idea. The one exception to making a simpler title: when the game is very new, hasn't been released yet, or you've just created one amazing page unlike any other currently out there about the game (you beat the best).
Expand upon the topic by publishing more than one leaf on that game or game series. Publishing one leaf is great. Publishing a whole series of leaves around that game or game franchise can bring in more traffic, get traffic flowing between your leaves, and establish your credibility as an experienced gamer in that specific niche/game. For example, who's recommendation would you take first (assuming they are equal quality), the guy who published a single leaf recommending a certain Wii game, or a gal who published 10 leaves on her favorite Wii games? The person with more content to offer often becomes the expert, and therefore more trusted, making the chance of a sale greater for that "expert." Plus, there's the side benefit of having 10 leaves, which are more likely to make sales than a single leaf. That's the power of multiple leaves.

What topics are likely to be hot in the video games topic this year and beyond?

Nintendo is releasing a new Wii console later this year called Wii U. When announcements are made, get ready to publish some speculations, then pre-order leaves, then, when it's finally released, be the first to review games.
Mobile games are hot. It isn't just about Angry Birds, there are a lot of other options out there. What are the best games for BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad, and other mobile devices? Expect this genre to remain superhot and continue to grow, grow, grow.
Come Christmas time, parents are looking for simple guides for certain age groups and for certain game consoles. If their son or daughter already has a Wii, they want to know what the best game releases are this year for their child's age. Make it easy for them and round up your own top ten list of releases that came out this year (or, you could do a more specific leaf by genre like RPG or action). A leaf like this should perform well all year-round.

Authors have published some amazing leaves in the video games topic. Here are some of the best we've seen (read, view, and learn from these excellent examples!):

What's your favorite video game of all time? Why not write a leaf about it? Who knows where it might take you!