Creating
Link Popularity - Without Getting Banned
By now, most webmasters know that link popularity is the single
most important factor in driving top search engine rankings.
But did you know that some links can actually kill your search
engine rankings?
The importance of links has led to the creation of "links
programs" such as LinksToYou and others. If you're already
in a links program, hold on to your hat, because I've got bad
news for you.
How
Links Programs Work:
In a links program, every member of the program uploads a page
or pages to their website. These pages carry links to the other
program participants' websites.
Why They Don't Help Search Engine Rankings:
All of the major search engines are aware of these programs,
and most of them use automated processes to weed out "identical"
pages. Even if a search engine recognizes the link, they won't
give it much weight.
How Links Programs Can Kill Your Business:
The most popular search engine in the world today is Google.
In late 2000, Google began a systematic campaign of permanently
removing links program participants from their index. Altavista
has begun a similar program, although recent problems kept them
from executing it.
Don't the operators of links programs know all this?
Of course they do, yet they continue to operate and proliferate.
Tobacco companies know cigarettes kill people, yet they continue
to sell them.
What To Do If You're In A Links Program:
First, immediately remove all of the program's pages from your
site. Second, remove all the links they had you set up on your
other pages. Third, if possible, cancel your membership... then
get to work creating some legitimate link popularity.
Creating True Link Popularity
If you want your site to have lasting popularity and relevance
with the search engines, you need links from related sites.
Dedicate 10 minutes a day to locating and contacting other webmasters
to swap links, adding your site to directories, and publishing
articles in your area of expertise.
Create Multiple Layers Of Links
For some search engines, links to your home page are good enough.
At least some of your links, though, should be targeted at your
internal pages. For example, if your site sells tools for gardeners,
get some links set up to your "how to" and FAQ pages
too. This will help you get more of your site's content into
the search engine, and increase referrals significantly.
Get Those Links Indexed!
It doesn't do you any good to set up links if the search engines
never find them. You can submit the pages that link to you,
but most search engines nowadays won't index them unless there
are other links to those pages somewhere on the web. Consider
adding a "resources" page to your site, linked from
your home page, with links to all the individual pages that
link to you.
My Secret Recipe: How To Make Sure Your Links Get Indexed
In order to ensure that the links pointing to your site get
indexed, you really have to take an additional step, and set
up a second domain and website - ideally with a completely different
hosting provider. For instance, the gardening website in the
above example might need a partner site like "gardening-resources.com"
with a single page linked to every webpage that links to your
site.
Once you've set up the secondary domain, add a link to it from
your main site's home page, and wait for the search engines
to index it. Don't forget to link back to your main site, of
course. You should submit this additional site to the same directories
that you use to list your primary site.
It also helps to ask for an additional link to your secondary
domain when you set up links swaps. Just explain how the secondary
site helps both partners, by adding link popularity and helping
the links pages get indexed. Any sensible webmaster will gladly
add the second link.
What Happens Next?
As the link popularity of both of your sites grows, they begin
to feed on each other. Don't neglect to track any search engine
referrals to your secondary site - if they grow to a high level,
you may want to turn it into more than just a links page. If
you've done a good job of optimizing your primary site, though,
chances are your secondary site will never outrank your primary
site on any search.
If you take these initial steps today, and commit to a program
of link building for ten minutes a day, your site's traffic
will begin to rise dramatically within just 2-3 months, and
it should only get better if you stick with the program.
I wish you success...
Dan Thies
Website
Promotion Central
Dan
Thies is the author of "Search
Engine Optimization Fast Start," a concise, step-by-step
guide to search engine positioning for the beginner to intermediate
level webmaster - available now at http://www.cannedbooks.com
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