Link Development Action Plan

Status: 0 inbound links.

[arikgub]

I launched a new site yesterday. At the moment it has 0 inbound links, not indexed by search engines and not listed in any directory. The site provides information, guide and price comparison for widgets, and "the widget" is related to home electronics.

The next step is trying to get some inbound links and get indexed by google/yahoo/msn, right?

I am starting from scratch and I wonder how to do it right. What are the first steps to make?

Here is an action plan I thought of. Can you please comment on that (the order has a meaning)

1. Submit to DMOZ (..and forget about it for the next 6 months)
2. Submit to other major free general directories: Skaffe, GoGuides, JoeAnt, Zeal, Ask Jeaves
3. Submit to 2-3 small niche directories
4. Buy 2-3 links on related PR4-PR6 sites
5. Reciprocals with related sites (yeh, recips are devalued and all that...but I have to start from something, so that people get to know the site, before they can link to it "naturally").
5. Distribute article once a week for the next 3 months
6. Post regularly in 1-2 related forums
7. Press Release?

Anything else?

I'll appreciate your comments.

Thanks,

Arthur

I'd appreciate your comments.

[Wiep]

I'd say add your link to some business listings (Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce). You could also write a blog and I guess you could also attract visitors with electronics image search.

[afterburner]

Arthur,
Looks like a good plan, please keep us posted on your progress.

[jchampliaud]

4. Buy 2-3 links on related PR4-PR6 sites

I have to say I don't like this one. My feeling is that when people sell PR Google finds out and any advantage is lost. Or at lest Google makes a good guess as to what is going on and there is no positive affect other than traffic.

[idolw]

1. Submit to DMOZ (..and forget about it for the next 6 months)

is your site ready? if not, don't bother with DMOZ. it may happen someone sees it very fast and they can put you in a sort of queue or whatever else they have there.
Submit there when your site is working and really cool.

[bsaric]

Create a list of related sites for you related keywords where you can ask for link, make sure you have something useful to link. Let this sites have nice rankings and look special for old ones :)

[bsaric]

Or even better try to call for links.

[arikgub]

Thanks all for replies.

I have started to put my plan into action, completed steps 1 and 2. I don't believe those dirs can bring me much traffic, but step 2 was sufficient to bring msnbot and yahoo slurp to my site, both were crawling today. So, I'm getting indexed in MSN and Yahoo... Hope to see Googlebot in my stats soon...

Wiep,

could also write a blog and I guess you could also attract visitors with electronics image search

Currently I disallow images indexing in robots.txt. I've read too many posts on WW mentioning awful conversion rates for image search. I do plan to distribute RSS feed once I have enough content. Is it different from having a blog?

jchampliaud,

I am a bit scared to buy links myself, and if I do that it will be on highly relevant sites, not solely for PR but for traffic potential as well. We'll see how it goes.

idolw,

Well, I think my site is ready...Not sure what DMOZ would consider as ready.... I don't have much content, but all I have is original and high quality (I want to believe so..). I plan to add new articles on a weekly basis.

bsaric,

Create a list of related sites for you related keywords where you can ask for link, make sure you have something useful to link. Let this sites have nice rankings and look special for old ones

Ask for a reciprocal link, or just ask for a link? I do plan recips (step 5) and considering my site is PR0, it will be hard enough. It's hard to believe someone will link unilaterally just because I ask him. I hope some day others will link to me one-way because of the content, but at the moment it is not realistic, the site is not mature enough.

Thanks all.

[bsaric]

"Ask for a reciprocal link, or just ask for a link?"

Not reciprocal, you need to say others that you have something to offer, you will not get natural links by waiting, but don't spam :), if you have something valuable on your site, promote it, ask other webmaster, let them know and thats it

[jchampliaud]

jchampliaud,

I am a bit scared to buy links myself, and if I do that it will be on highly relevant sites, not solely for PR but for traffic potential as well. We'll see how it goes.

That sounds like a good plan. Personally I don't like when people start talking about PR. IMHO PR is just about meaningless.

It's hard to believe someone will link unilaterally just because I ask him.

Sometimes you don't even have to ask! I have just built a very small niche site and guess what. Someone found it and linked to it one way. I only know because I looked through my server logs.

Ask for a reciprocal link, or just ask for a link? I do plan recips (step 5) and considering my site is PR0, it will be hard enough.

I think you are selling your site short. I've been building quite a few sites lately and I've had one person more than willing to exchange links. Some people are looking to get in early on a site that might be able to really grow. I for one will exchange links with just about anyone as long and the link is relevant. I could care less about how long it has been up of its PR. I have one very big site and I get requests for link exchanges often and most times I do the exchange.

One think about link exchanging not to miss, is that it's a great way to network and meet other webmasters. People can look at other things when exchanging links and not just the site. I for one do.

If I'm not mistaken Matt Cutts has been talking lately about link exchanges in his blog you might try looking around it.

[AuthorityDomains]

1. Submit to DMOZ (..and forget about it for the next 6 months) - YES

2. Submit to other major free general directories: Skaffe, GoGuides, JoeAnt, Zeal, Ask Jeaves - THERE's MORE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUBMIT TO MORE

3. Submit to 2-3 small niche directories - SAME AS ABOVE

4. Buy 2-3 links on related PR4-PR6 sites - MAKE SURE THEY HAVE AUTHORITY STATUS

5. Reciprocals with related sites (yeh, recips are devalued and all that...but I have to start from something, so that people get to know the site, before they can link to it "naturally"). - TRY TO MAKE SURE THE RECIPROCALS ARE RELATED TO YOUR SITE, DON'T GET NON-RELATED RECIPROCALS

5. Distribute article once a week for the next 3 months - ABSOLUTELY

6. Post regularly in 1-2 related forums - ABSOLUTELY

7. Press Release? - YES

ALSO:

8. GET LINKS FROM EDU SITES

9. ADD CONTENT REGULARLY TO YOUR SITE - KEEP A STEADY UPDATE RATIO.

We have a pretty good post about how to structure a long term link campaign on our blog if you want to get some more ideas.

[fourchette]

5. Distribute article once a week for the next 3 months - ABSOLUTELY

Regarding that step...

Is it better to just send the article on the net, or to also keep a copy on your site?

Thanks

[bsaric]

"Sometimes you don't even have to ask!"

I agree, but for that you need really great content and some support in your industry :) Its hard to get that for new domain but its possible.

[bsaric]

Or some nice link bait ;)

[AuthorityDomains]

Fourchette, I would suggest 2 different variations:

Version 1 goes on your site, and is published before you submit to article directories.

Verson 2 gets submitted.