Newsletter ArchiveSUBJECT:Adding Links Welcome to The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter. This week I want you to ask yourself this question. How many websites link to my site? The answer to this question has an immediate affect on the traffic and success of your site. Because of the ever-increasing number of web pages (Google just reported 1.4 billion pages indexed), search engines view the number of links that point to your web site as crucial in their relevancy algorithms. Simply put, the more links you have pointing to your site, the higher your site will rank in their return. Search engine ranking is not the only benefit of expanding your link base. Your best prospect will always come from a well-placed, targeted link. Think of the visitors that come from these links as referrals. When a new prospect comes to you by way of referral, there is already some level of trust. These make the best visitors you can have. Warning: Gaining links to your site is not an easy process; it will take time and effort. First, look for local directories and portals tailored for your specific geographic area (city, county, state, etc.), industry specific guides, and topical guides. For instance, if you own a bed & breakfast in Santa Fe, New Mexico, look for: Santa Fe business directories/portals, Tri-County directories/portals, New Mexico Directories/portals, bed & breakfast guides (local, statewide, & national), travel & recreation type guides/directories, and especially combinations of both (ideally, a guide to Santa Fe bed & breakfasts). Many of them may ask you to consider advertising, and perhaps you should. Decide on a case by case basis. At the very least though, be sure to take advantage of all free listings available. Look for links that say, "Add Listing", "Submit URL", etc. Next, go to your favorite search engine. Do a search for the same keywords you believe your customers would use when looking for your product or service. The sites returned become your prospects for adding new links to your site. Search for other key words consumers would associate with your product/service. Remember different search engines produce different results, so when you finish searching Lycos, try Excite (and then Yahoo, Altavista, etc.). Visit these sites, and ask yourself these questions: Are they in direct competition with me? If the answer is yes, skip them and go to the next link. While it is possible to make these types of arrangements, its usually not worth the effort. Is this a web site with which I want to be associated? In most cases, in order to get a link, you will have to provide one for them on your site. If having a link to this site on yours would present any type of problem, go to the next site. After reviewing the site and finding it to be a good candidate, find a contact e-mail address. The higher on the organization chart the better. Send a personal e-mail explaining why you feel a link to your site would be mutually beneficial. It is more effective if you offer a link to their site right up front. This is not always necessary, but unless your site offers some service that their users might find useful you will probably not get the link. The relationship needs to be mutually beneficial for it to work. If you are unsure whether the site you found is a viable candidate, ask them anyway. Remember, "Who Dares, Wins". Also, keep a list of the sites you contact, as your sure to get duplicates (even within the same search engines' results). I recommend using an Excel spreadsheet, recording at least the company name, email and web addresses and dates of contact. Be sure to follow up with each until you are turned down. One last thing, investigate further and see if a joint venture may be in order. Over the years we've formed more than one advantageous partnership from something that began with a simple request for a link. All Contents Copyright ©1995-2001 The Internet 800 Directory Subscribe To The Newsletter: |