As you construct your
online empire, you need good quality links to get higher search engine rankings
and put your website out there in the public.
A common mistake
is to get as many links as possible. It pays to be discerning and know a good
link from a bad one, as search engines are smart enough to judge in a split
second how genuine links are. Hundreds of links might seem like you’re on to a
good thing, but unless they lead to relevant websites they’re about as useful
as a scooter is to a goose. Implement the following rules of link building to
build the visibility of your website in the world of the web.
Cull Bad Links
Like a new Weight Watchers member embarking on a diet, cut the junk from
your website’s pantry. Bad links are those that are ‘dead’, leading to a
website that doesn’t exist or has since moved or closed down.
Bad links are also those that lead to irrelevant websites. It doesn’t
help the page ranking of your Perth roof tiling business to link to a number
of McLeod’s Daughters fan sites. Instead, our tiler could build up a bank of
links to tile suppliers and construction companies with a focus on roofing.
Directories are the new digital version of the old local phonebook. A
source of listings of trades and services in a particular locale or industry,
directories are reputable links if you go with one that has a high ranking. Run
a search for ‘directory’ and your area name and contact a handful of the best
looking ones with link request.
For our Perth tiler, www.perthperth.com, www.streetsofperth.com.au,
www.perthexchange.com and www.truelocal.com.au
are good places to list a service such as area-specific roof revamping.
Link Throughout Your Text
Instead of just having one page titled “Links” where you house your
online rolodex, place links throughout the text of your entire website. On our
Western Australian tiler’s “Services” page, he could mention the brands of
tiles that he uses with links to the manufacturer’s websites. On the “About Us”
page, he could link to the institution that he trained at when listing his
qualifications. The more links on each page, the higher the ranking, as long as
they’re relevant.
For people to follow a link to your page and trust your opinions on a
topic you need to come across as a reputable source of information. Forums and
online discussions are a great place to communicate with potential customers
and make comments about what you know best. You can have a link to your website
in the signature that you create for yourself that shows up at the end of each
comment like an email signature.
Our tiler – let’s call him Pete – could hunt out some home renovation
websites with discussions. If I was wanting my roof tiled, that’s where I would
go for real people’s opinions and experiences. http://forum.homeone.com.au would be
the perfect place for Pete to show off his knowledge and contribute to
conversations by answering the questions people have left about roof tiling. He
should also leave a few comments about carpeting based on his own personal
experience as a consumer while he’s there, so it doesn’t look like he’s just
out for a little shameless self-promotion.
To get links back
to your website from desirable (good authority and highly ranked) sites, you
need to take action by writing letters of request for link exchange. There is
an art to the Link Exchange Letter, as anything that even vaguely smells like
spam will be deleted instantly.
You need to make
your letter genuine and personal by including:
- the
name and address of their website
- the
name of the webmaster or company director if this information is available
- make
it obvious that you have visited their site
- tell
them, with a link for proof, that you have linked to their site
Sample Standard Link Request Letter
Hello _________,
My name is
______________.
I have been
spending some time on your website, (Site Name), at http://__________.
I am contacting
you about my site, (Site Name), http://____________,
with regards to your links section at http://____________.
As per the link
request instructions on your site, I would like to request a link to our
(description of website products/services) in your __________ section at http://______________.
Please let me know if the above provides you with the information you need to
review and consider our new section for linking. I can be reached via email at email@address.com,
or, if you'd like to talk about this by phone, my direct number is (12) 3456
7891.
I have also subscribed to your e-newsletter and look forward to receiving it.
Kind Regards,
Your Name, for Your Website Name
mailto: email@address.com
THE GOLDEN RULE OF LINK BUILDING: Relevance Is Key
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