In today’s tough race to the top of the Google SERP’s (Search Engine Result Pages), there are a number of factors that can help you earn one of those coveted spots. While certain techniques may get you better results than others (based on your industry and level of competition), there is no questioning the power of links.
There are a number of methods, some common and some yet to be discovered, you can try out to help increase your link density and search rankings. In this post I have tried to outline some of the more common techniques webmasters and bloggers can use to increase their site’s popularity.
1. Reciprocal Links
Reciprocal links used to be a huge asset and played a significant role. Today, fewer and fewer sites are making use of this technique as it is thought by many to have no significant role in the eyes of Google. This is simply not true. While the overall value of reciprocal links may have declined over the years, they can and will still help your rankings - if done correctly.
The key with reciprocal links is very simple - relevance. If you trade links only with highly relevant sites, it will increase your site´s ranking. But there are some things you need to watch out for: ensure that the links returning to you (inbound links) are search engine spider friendly, that they are placed on pages with as few links as possible, that they are contextualized, meaning the content on the page - and preferably the site as a whole - is related to the content of your link and site.
When you contact a relevant site to ask for a link exchange, keep the email personal to help grab the attention of the blogger or webmaster. Most link exchange emails are spammy automated submissions and are deleted without being read. Write the subject as well as the entire email in such a way as to entice the user to read on, but keep it short. Offer to put their link up first, or even better yet, put it up before you contact them.
2. Purchasing Links
Google has been devaluing links, and in extreme cases, even penalizing sites for selling links, but there is no denying that this technique still works as many sites have climbed to the top of the SERP’s by way of buying links.
A lot of high profile sites such as major and local newspaper publications and magazines sell text links, yet nobody seems to be penalized for it as the publications rank well with high PageRank and the sites they link to rank well as a result.
If you choose to purchase links back to your site, check out how they are linking back, how relevant they are, and try to find out how their site is treated by Google as well as other major search engines. If you see other sites that appear to have purchased links from them, check their backlinks and see if the linking site appears (although it may not be displayed as Google offers very little of this information to the public these days).
It is assumed that if penalties will arise from the sale of links, that only the selling site will be penalized. Even if this is the case, Google’s policy could change at any moment, so be warned that this could potentially come back to bite you.
3. Quality Content
Believe it or not - it works. If you fill your site with original, valuable content, you will get some people linking to your site on their own. While you can not base your entire linking strategy around this concept, as it could take forever to get enough links, rest assured knowing that if you follow this strategy, some will link.
4. Start a Blog
Everyone and their dog seem to have a blog these days, and for good reason - they work. Blogs help you create a never ending stream of content, and if updated regularly (at least once a week) and written well, you will find people will link to it. Not only that, others may pick up your blog through your RSS or Atom feed - which can result in an increase in both links and site traffic. Be sure to utilize your Digg, StumbleUpon and other social media accounts within your blog to help gain a little extra attention.
5. Social Media
Promote your site as well as your blog using various social media tools. When someone "Diggs" or "Stumbles" your content you can not only get a link back to your site from the media platform, but you can also see additional traffic generated by this. The more people bookmark or recommend your article, the more traffic you can get, and the higher the value of the link.
Creating company profile pages on platforms such as Squidoo, Facebook, MySpace, and even uploading photos and videos to YouTube and Flickr, can all count as backlinks to your site - so be sure to utilize these platforms to the fullest extent. DO NOT use these networks to spam them full of links, just to inform and entertain. Build unique relevant content and become a member of the community, and you will find your links will become much more valuable.
6. Article Syndication
When you write highly relevant articles, submit them to any known article aggregation websites in your chosen field or major general portals such as ezinearticles.com. When submitted to the right sites you can drive traffic and increase your links. Again, be sure to include a link or two within your article so you get some backlinks (if allowed).
7. Press Releases
Press releases are still doing wonders. Whenever your business hits a milestone, releases a new product, or has anything worthy of a press release, issue one through the services of PRWeb (Unfortunately, not a cheap service. Only think of doing this if you have money to spend.) You will get a link back to your site, and you may also get some targeted traffic from interested parties.
If your press release happens to qualify as significant news, you may also find bloggers and other writers referencing it and linking to it from their articles, providing even more value. Make sure that you include deep links back to your site with every press release. Links from within the bio are helpful, but those integrated into paragraphs of the release itself are worth much more.
8. Comments
I know, I am going to get a lot of flak for this one, but if used wisely, it can help. If, after reading a relevant blog entry, you have something useful, constructive, and worthwhile to say, leave a comment and include your link if the option is provided. A comment like: "Nice post" will not do, but if you have something to add or contribute that others may find interesting then go for it. These links can add up, and they do add a bit of value. Do not stuff your comment with keywords, keep it natural - and use your real name.
9. Forum Posts and Signatures
This is an area where you may be able to grab a few links, but it is also one you need to be careful about as it can backfire quite easily. Going out and wildly posting in random forums and including your link is NOT recommended.
This method can be useful if you establish yourself as a solid contributor to a particular forum directly related to your industry. Once you are established, and people know and trust your name and understand that you are not just one of the spammers, you can consider adding your link to your signature file as well as including the odd link in your forum posts. This will allow you to get the occasional relevant, inbound link. It is advised to check with the terms and conditions of the specific forum before you start. Some do not allow links of any kind.
10. Testimonials
You see them on many sites that offer products or services, and quite often they include a link back to the submitter’s blog or website. If you have used a product or service, do not be afraid to write a testimonial for the company´s website. In many cases online businesses will post your testimonial along with a link. The testimonial helps that business instill confidence in their customers and you get the valuable backlink.
11. Directory Submissions
Yes, it is still a good idea to submit your site to the major directories. While DMOZ can be very difficult to get into, but once you are there, it is like gold and will play a part in your top rankings. Yahoo directory has a very high price ($299), but can also provide you with a valuable inbound link. Consider submitting to the major directories as well as any industry specific directories. These links add up and will contribute to your site’s ranking.
12. Link Bait
Most of us have heard the prase thrown around for a while now, but the technique itself has worked long before the phrase "link bait" was coined. Why all the hype? Because it works.
Take a look at your website, your business, your industry. See if you can think of some way, any way, to attract people to link to your site. You could sponsor a contest, add an elaborate and unique tool, write a controversial article, provide something useful for free (ebooks are always a good choice) - whatever you do, do it well and promote your effort to the max, then people will naturally link to you.
General Rules:
Before you actively seek out a link from a specific site do some investigating to ensure that the site is not spamming or using any black hat techniques. If they are, stay away.
If the link you are seeking is merely an attempt to boost your link density, then do not forget to check out how they are linking to other third party sites.
Does the site use the ‘rel=nofollow’ attribute? Are the pages your link would appear on blocked by the one or all of the search engines, or do they use the robots Meta ‘nofollow’? Are they using other techniques that would not allow a spider to follow them (such as JavaScript, Flash, or frames)? If so you may want to move on.
A note on Google PR (Page Rank) - the PR you see on your toolbar or on a PageRank checker is outdated. While it can give you some insight, just because it says 0, does not mean it is. Also what has a PR of 0 or 1 today, could be a 4 or 5 tomorrow. Do not use the PageRank of a site as your sole means of deciding if you should obtain a link or not.
Summary
Using any or all of these linking methods will help you to increase your link density. There is power in diversification. Use variations on anchor text and descriptions, use inline text links within articles, and gain links in as many different venues as possible. By being diverse, your site will stand the best chance of being around well into the future.
Today, blogs are huge and can be a strong asset, but what would happen if tomorrow Google decided to ban blogs? Highly unlikely, but it could happen. And if it did, would your site survive? By being diverse, your site has the best chance to survive any change.
Good luck!
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