Back links: a 'must have'

Understanding Back Links

By Richard D. Moore

There are no hidden secrets on how to rank high with the major search engines. All that is needed is a basic understanding of how search engines work and a bit of know how. Perhaps the biggest contributing factor to a successful web site is incoming links or Back Links. Without links, your website will more than likely go unnoticed. So how should you accumulate these links? Below are a few basic methods to accumulate quality back links.

Before You Get Started

You MUST understand how search engines work. Over 90% of your business will likely come directly from search engine results. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to optimize your site for search engines. You could have the greatest deals in the entire world, but if no one knows about them then your efforts are wasted. Do a search on google for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

You will find tons of great information on how to create a website that is both user friendly and search engine friendly. There are also countless numbers of companies and freelancers out there who offer SEO services. Just be cautious of their offers and do your research first. Remember, NO ONE can guarantëe top placement in major search engines, no matter what they say.

Where Should Back Links Come From?

1. Articles are a fantastic source of links and additional traffïc to your site. There are countless sites online that want your articles. It's a win-win situation for everyone. When you write articles and submit them online, you are able to leave a link to your own site and sometimes even anchor text. I know what you're saying, "I can't write about anything."

I use to feel the same way. But the truth of the matter is, anyone can write. You just have to find a topic that interests you. You can write about anything from dogs, to computers, to personal training, to web hostïng - heck you can even write about writing. The bottom line is, articles are a valuable source of "relevant" back links to your site.

2. Submit to directories. There are literally hundreds of "frëe" and "paid" directories online. With 3 hours of painless work, you can have your site submitted to hundreds of great directories. There are many quality lists of directories that are regularly updated. One of my favorites is Best-Web-Directories.com which is always updated and maintained.

3. Develop link exchanges with relevant sites. The major search engines such as google see incoming links from relevant sites, and give them more rank compared to a link from an unrelated site. For example, if you have a website about pet care products, your link strategy should target pet related sites. Again, with a bit of hard work and determination, you can develop a great number of "relevant" back links.

4. Forums are a great source for additional traffïc and links. Many forums allow their users to display signatures in their posts. These signatures can consist of both text and links. When you post a new message on that forum, your website's link will be displayed for everyone to see. This not only helps build valuable back links, but will bring additional traffïc to your website.

5. Join a link co-op. Co-ops such as the one found at DigitalPoint.com are an amazing source of valuable back links and frëe advertisement. What is a co-op network? A Co-op network is a network of site owners/webmasters that offers ad space to the network. In return, the ads they define are displayed across the entire network. The best part of ad networks such as the one found at digital point, is, they are frëe. Having your site in a co-op can literally mean thousands of back links for your site.

6. Buying ezine ads is a paid method of advertising, but it works, because it is the most targeted of these approaches. Write a concise ad for your business and link to either a lead-capture page or directly to your autoresponder. Then, begin contacting ezines to place your ad. (Do a search for "ezine directories," and you will find enough lists to keep you busy.)

When you contact an ezine, look for rates for both classified ads and solo ads. The advantage to a solo ad is that your ad goes out by itself in a separate email, but they can be more expensive. Because these ads are targeted (you should NOT advertise in an unrelated ezine), you will definitely see traffïc, but you will need to track your results to see which ezines bring you the most and best traffïc.

7. Ad Swaps can be an exellent source of advertising. Start by writing some killer copy (to coin a phrase...there are many frëe articles and ebooks writen on the subject). Simply use your favorite search engine and type in..."how to write ad copy". I googled this phrase while writing this article and got 12,400,000 results. WOW!

Once you have your ad written, search out ezines that are in the same category as your business or service. Again, use your favorite web search. Build yourself a list of ezines and then email them, asking if they accept ad swaps. Include your ad in your correspondence so they can see what you are offering. Another way to find ezines is to do a web search for "ezine directories".

Look up ezines in your category of business or service. Most listings will tell you if they accept ad swaps and the parameters of the ad such as how many lines and how many characters per line. Don't forget to place your website url in your ad. If you want to have a successful site, whether-it-be a hobby or for business, you have to understand how search engines work.

Part of that understanding, is knowing about link development. Maybe in the early 90's the idea of "if you build it they will come" might have been true. But, in the year 2005, the internet is a far more competitive and complex place. To be successful today, you have to work at it. Without a quality source of back links the search engines will all but ignore your site.

About The Author
Richard D. Moore is the President and Founder of IncomeNow! Marketing Masters. We offer Frëe support to every subscriber to IncomeNow! A No Hype, No Bull, Honest and Real source to help you start or grow your business and/or Ezine.

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