Getting Links for your site

[Scottish Business Owner]

Many people on the forums have skirted around the subject of getting links etc. In many places i've read that these are key to good rankings but part of the secret is making sure the anchor text that links to the site page is relevant.

I realise i'm simplifying this a great deal but i've also heard that building links is boring and very tedious and many people recommend you outsource this. Why would you outsource something that is so important?

A few questions which I hope people can answer:-

How do you start looking for links? Is is all directory based etc?
How do you track how many links you are creating?
Should you take you time building links? Is too much too soon bad?

Hoping from some useful advice please :thumbup1:

 

[peteark]

Link building is my specialist subject, over the past 5 years I have populated a database with over 75,000 sources for inbound links

Yes it's boring

Links have to be built naturally, so too many in one sitting is not a good idea

Directories are an easy source but are generally low scoring, a little like forum posts, they naturally lose strength over time.

The best way is to design some kind of link baiting tool, I use a directory, was slow to start with, now it offers me a steady flow of automated back links.

If I was you I would allow people to list in your directory in exchange for a reciprocal link, this would only form one part of the battle plan.

The real key to SEO is implementing good quality procedures during the build stage of an online venture, following this through with quality work. Many people who come me in an attempt to turn their business around wanting hear the news that structural changes are required on their site. This is obviously not great news however they are lucky that we can do everything necessary in a cost effective manner.

 

[Mike Lewis]

, I agree with your point about anchor text, but I think even more important is the "quality" of the page that contains the incoming link. By quality, I mean how the search engine perceives the importance of the page.

If the page contains nothing but a long list of URLs, with little or no other text, it won't rank high in the eyes of the search engine, and the link will therefore have a lower value. But if the page contains a lot of useful information that is relevant to the content of your site, the engine will rank it higher and give more value to the link.

At least, that's what I've always supposed. By all means, someone correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Mike

 

[stuarty]

"specialist subject?" - "75,000" reads pretty much like a sales pitch IMO ...lights blue touch paper...lol.

Anyway....some relevant how to's and information on successful linkbuilding below.

Check your backlinks...

You can check the number of back links to a web site in many different ways. The Firefox browser has an installable extension that can check backlinks. Check the firefox site for the latest plugins.There are various web sites that offer tools to do this too. Google "backlink checker".

Link strategies
Natural linkbuilding – Add quality content or something that benefits the visitor that they would want to link to. If you're a plumber, give tips on how to bleed a radiator for example.
Affiliate linking – gets one-way backlinks very easily.
One-Way Linking (purchase links but frowned upon by google) – Buying one way inbound links to your web site - Google "buy links"
Reciprocal links – Exchanging links with another web site (low value)
Three-Way Linking – A links B - B links C - C links to A
Link farms – Companies like linkmetro, linkvault etc (but avoid certain directories, free for all's and any other abusers)
Forums/blogs – Links from forums and blogs are good but dilute over time.
News articles such as submitting to PRWeb Note: Only place 1 link per article to any one web page.

There's actually lots of ways to obtain back links. Offer valuable information on something that an end-user finds useful. For example a map to a destination, a mortgage calculator, a price quoter, a pricelist, a coupon or shopping tips.

On this subject put a "10 top tips" article or a "10 don't do this" article.

Add a joke or humourous slant on your company's articles.

If you have a blog - write an article that disagrees with someone or something. Let people comment on it.

Create a stir on a forum. For example, my "dig" at the "specialist subject" above is in total jest. Designed for effect.The point is to get some more posts. That's provided you've all read this far

All the above is the way the search engines want you back links to occur…as this is the natural link building way. A visitor finds something useful and they link back to it.

Proceed with caution: One-Way Links. You must be really careful using this method because much can go against you. Google detests this type of thing but as yet haven't found (and probably never will) a way to combat it. (Disclaimer: The new "Universal algorithim" may be working in Google's favour to combat this but it is still early in Q1 2009 to determine the effects).

The Link
Equally as important as the back link itself is the actual content of the back link.

If your anchor text is "buy blue widgets" and the resulting page is a site about "buy red widgets" then think again. This is known as "link gaming" and the Search engine algorithims now eliminate this sort of thing so as to provide genuine relevant results for the end user.

Google tweaked their algorithm to place an increased weight on not only back links, but the actual content of the back link.

USE BUFFER WORDS
Say my prime phrase was "blue widgets" most would create a back link that said “blue widgets”. The smart way is to use a buffer word such as "buy blue widgets" or "hire blue widgets".

The reason? Because Google's algo can "red flag" certain high competition phrases. So many people are tragetting these that they can be diluted on the basis that so many tricks have been used.

A great example would be (buffers words in red, key words in blue)

"Quality blue widgets designed" or "Get cheap blue widgets now"

 

[stuarty]

HAD TO SPLIT THIS IN TWO POSTS.... CONTINUED

More things to get links...
1. Get social media bookmarking icons on your web pages.
2. Build lists such as FAQs, Glossaries etc - people can't resist linking to these things and they can appear on Digg pages etc.
3. Do a few 10 easy/top/best tips to help you "add your topic here" articles and post them on your site. How many people search for "wedding tips", "dieting tips" ?. People can't resist linking to these.
4. Upload a page with millions of resources on a specific subject. People will link to this.

For example - on our website we have the Wordpress ping list | Breezemedia Internet Marketing

This gets people linking back to us.

5. Draw up a 10 myths list and noise it up a bit. People can't resist these things.

6. Post a list of the top 10 experts in a subject like "top 10 pizza chefs in Edinburgh". Flattery alone will get people linking back to you.

7. Dotsno mentioned this but put a picture of you on an article - it gives mor trust. Look at some of the authority sites with good articles - the picture conveys authority.
8. Submit to article sites such as EzineArticles, GoArticles etc. NOTE: sit your own article on your own website for a few weeks before doing so. This way Google will index your content as the originator.

The bonus with article sites is that it can send high quality traffic.

10. Submit an article to a news site in your marketplace.
11. GIVE AWAY FREE STUFF. If you sell photographs, give away some free images for people to use with no restrictions other than a link back. If you sell websites - give away free templates - make sure they link back to your website. Add the creative commons licence at the footer.

12. Syndicate a news release. Make it exciting, compelling and email it to a reputable news reporter or journalist.
14. Offer an exclusive to a journalist, local newspaper.Track who picks up your articles or press releases. Offer them exclusive news or content.
15. Sponsor an article on a university website, chambers of commerce, local government or tourism site. Dot gov, .org .ac.uk sites hold a lot of weight as authorities. A linbk back from one of these can send your site into orbit.
16. Write an article for the BBC - if you cxan get a link back from here it can launch you miles up the rankings. This is not so easy but if say you are a great chef and have a great recipe then this can be worth it's weight in Gold.
15. Email a few friends when you have important relevant news asking them for their feedback and/or if they would mind referencing it if they find your information useful.
16. Write to friends and ask them to link back.
17. Conduct surveys on your website. This in addition is free marketing research!
18. Do a competition - win a prize etc.
19. Create a forum.
20. Create a directory.Your own topical directory about your field of interest.
21. Look at the big mouths and see what gossip is spreading - make comments, stir things up or contribute positively - all good link attractors. Your site may get listed from these authorities.
22. Launch an affiliate scheme - whilst the links may not get much SEO value back they still expose your site to more traffic.
23. Add stuff to craigslist.
24. Answer tech questions on forums,blogs and groups websites and provide a link.
25. Start again and never give up.

 

[peteark]

Don't have much time to make a large post on the subject of link building an anchors, what I will do is highlight a major consideration in a none technical manner.

I will base this post around a keywords

popularity
competition

Popularity can be sorted out my messing around with Google's free tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
(Later I will explain in detail how to use this tool)

Competition, now this is something that is not so straight forward

When looking at competition for any giving keyword or phrase, use this string

intitle:"my keywords" - (dont forget the quotation marks)

This will show exactly how many sites are actively targeting any given phrase

Why do I mention this when we are talking about link building?

Sometimes you can find good quality phrases, that have next to no competition, so what happens when you add an anchor on 5,000 external sites for your selected term. Answer, you have shot yourself in the foot by inadvertently adding to your own competition.

Breeze everyone is well aware I am not punting for work, with 12 companies on the books I am busy enough. If someone does contact me, I will forward their details onto you. Rather than making sly digs, why not go back to the thread on ecommerce websites and finish off the technical debate....lol

You also mention Craigslist, we both know the site automates the no-follow attribute with the only way round it is to post your own html ads including the line
<a href="http://www.mysite.com/">Anchor</a>

Copy and pasting articles from external sources is not beneficial to the members here as most are not technically savvy in the methods of seo, keep it simple and keep it in your own words and people will not only understand they will benefit.

 

[stuarty]

Breeze everyone is well aware I am not punting for work, with 12 companies on the books I am busy enough. If someone does contact me, I will forward their details onto you. Rather than making sly digs, why not go back to the thread on ecommerce websites and finish off the technical debate....lol

LMAO - you bit didn't you! And my point was proved.:001_wub: See below.

Create a stir on a forum. For example, my "dig" at the "specialist subject" above is in total jest. Designed for effect.The point is to get some more posts. That's provided you've all read this far

Thanks for the offer of clients though - shall I add them to our list of blue chip clients:drool: and tell them to ignore Google too?

You also mention Craigslist, we both know the site automates the no-follow attribute with the only way round it is to post your own html ads including the line
<a href="http://www.mysite.com/">Anchor</a>

And your point is? It's resource which secondary links can be obtained - as I'm sure you know.

 

[peteark]

And your point is? It's resource which secondary links can be obtained - as I'm sure you know.

Thread title

GETTING LINKS FOR YOUR SITE.......

made my weekend....lol

 

[stuarty]

Thread title

GETTING LINKS FOR YOUR SITE.......

made my weekend....lol

Hmmmm....I'm sure that forum threads are allowed to develop from the title and unless I'm mistaken I think I wrote....

My title....

More things to get links...

In the overall context of what I wrote...it doesn't matter how you get there it's the result that counts. I'm glad your weekend is sorted. It sounds like you needed it to be. Don't work too hard now

 

[peteark]

Weekends are always quality time with the family, this weekend, sailing around some islands around Stavanger. The weekend after, skiing in Hemsedal.

Good luck with the blue chips, or should I say fried....lol

Keep offering the advice to the members here, when its not riddled with holes I won't pull you up...