 Obtaining vital links is a long process
but a necessary one, unless you want to spend a fortune
buying them. For most though that's not an option.
So this basic guide is to learn how to do this the proper
way and get new sites off to a flying start.
Linking for Traffic:
Traffic is the most important and the main reason for
linking. At the end of the day a website needs traffic to
build more traffic, sales, reputation and presence on the
web, and swapping links is the best way of doing it. For
one thing it's free and the only cost is the time it takes
to perform the exchange. The benefits are that links get
spidered and can generate additional links, some sites
will approach you and some will just link without your
immediate knowledge. But not all links are equal in PR or
traffic levels, so any unknown links may be untargeted and
not favorable.
Try and get links on targeted sites as this will provide
both sets of visitors with useful information and make
life a bit easier for everyone. I'm always thankful for
webmasters who go to the trouble of setting up a few pages
of extra links that point me in the right direction and
your visitors will like this too.
Approaching and asking for links:
This is quite easy, well the approaching bit anyway - but
it's harder to convince the bigger sites to link with you,
if they are more established. Good sites just don't always
link easily, and why should they give you a link when they
can charge for it.
If you managed to get a few PR6's to link with you, then I
say that's an achievement, but it's near impossible to get
PR 7 and above to grant you that favor, especially when
you are the new site on the block! As earlier stated, PR
is given according to the time a site has spent on the
web, so a new site can't expect to be a PR 4 status right
away - it has to pay it's dues and EARN that PR.
How to approach webmasters:
All you need is a simple email. Just ask politely saying
their site is nice looking, targeted and would be useful
to your needs and place a link to their site first. This
normally does the trick - I've gotten hundreds of
exchanges this way, and it works very well.
But some will refuse, or insist that your PR be higher
before they exchange (even though their site has lower
value), and some will even insist they get a homepage link
in return for a reciprocal page placement from them (yes,
these parasites do exist) but most webmasters are kind
hearted folks and are usually chuffed you approached them!
A word of warning though - DON'T use link exchanges paid
or free! They only ever send untargeted and desperate
pleas for links that won't provide decent traffic or
referrals, and once signed up with these exchanges, it's
very tough to cancel or unsubscribe from the emails and
offers.
Link For Presence:
Always, always see links as 'branding'. In my experience
many webby folks feel that because a single link (put on a
high rank site) should and will automatically force tons
of traffic, link swaps and instant fame to their site. Er,
this isn't so, and people without experience of the web
are just deluding themselves thinking this way.
Links are actually 'paths' or 'access points' that lead to
more information, sites etc etc - and nothing more at this
point!
I say nothing more because, that's all a link is at that
'point' - a piece of web coding that allows travel. But
links are seen as gold, yet what you should realize is
it's the resource or site that's the real gold, and not
the link. People go to view sites and for the information
- not the link - so build a quality website and your link
suddenly becomes valuable to the internet world. Of
course, it's not that simple and many man hours are needed
to even start such a popular site, and then some after
that.......
You actually want to build 'popularity', and ensure
visitors return time and time again. Do that to a large
enough scale and links will come automatically and easily.
http://www.eventdomain.co.uk
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