Forum Moderators: martinibuster
Okay, this month I developed a strategy to try and increase my link success. Prior to this month, I was doing just about nothing.
Curious as to your thoughts or additions.
1. Every day I am emailing a couple of dozen related sites for links.
2. For the first time I have spent hours seeking out directories. I double checked DMOZ and the other big ones, and I have been searching and submitting to others. For those of you looking for directories, this post from a previous thread helped a lot.
There's a site called self promotion dot com that contains a list of directories, both free and those you have to pay for. Click on "list of search engines" in the right hand column of the site, it lists both search engines and directories, since most of these sites types of websites are both.
3. On the top left area of my site (above the highest banner) I put a link, "Link to us." It takes visitors to a page with different types of banners and text links. Here I hope to get some one way inbound links.
4. On the bottom of the page, I have a link, "Submit your site." This link takes visitors to a page where the reciprocal linking offer is made.
5. I also added the Submit your site Link to my existing links pages.
6. On the bottom of the submit your site page are several phrases...Submit URL, Submit Your site, Submit Your Link, Add your Link, etc. I put these there for webmasters doing searches on those terms for sites to link with.
7. Site award. While I'm not crazy about banner links, there are still plenty of webmasters who love site awards. Requests are granted with the understanding that is links back to me.
8. I have a 200 page site, and set a goal of adding 50 pages with internal links back to my index page. Hopefully, this will help. I am adding a directory. Once finished, I will email everyone in the directory explaining that their link was temporarily put up and will be permanent if they provide a return link.
Any other suggestions?
Many site owners don't understand, nor care, about the importance of links back to their own site. They figure their word of mouth and PPC is enough. You'll find more than 50% won't link back to you for a number of reasons.
1. They don't see it helping their own site.
2. They don't have an area to add your link to and don't want to ruin their own website with a bunch of links.
3. They don't understand the concept.
4. They think submitting their site will just give them more spam.
5. They think they'll lose business advertising other sites.
You have to give them an incentive to put your website on their own.
Maybe you could offer to include their link in your email newsletter (if you have one).
Maybe you can place their logo next to their listing.
Maybe you can BOLD their listing if they link back or put them at the top of the link page.
Since you are starting a directory, offer them a higher listing above all of the links that don't link to you.
You have to give, to get.
Also, check out a software called Arelis. I highly recommend it.
