Ways to get more links!

(besides link exchanges)

[PFOnline]

Hi all, I been stuck on the 2nd page for Google results for the last about 5 updates or so, so I thought it was time to try hunt the web and try acquire some more good links!

Since I have played the "link exchange" game to about the fullest, I thought maybe we could start a thread on ways to get more links besides link exchanges.

Here are some I came up with:

1. Google Search competitor sites for there backlinks IE (link:www.competitorsite.com) and try to get links from where they do.

2. Google Search: "your keywords" + "add a link"

Anyone else have any good ones to add? (P.S. No signing guestbooks!) ;)

[trapez]

3. Post your resume on a job board that allows all to see your resume (monster does not). Make sure you have a link back to your home page on your resume.

[buckworks]

4. Put "Link to Us" info on your site that provides easy-to-use cut and paste code snippets.

[sem4u]

5. Look for relevant categories of search engines and directories in Yahoo and DMOZ

6. Write press releases and issue to magazine websites in your sector. You may get a link back plus receive free press coverage.

[Webber]

7. Find business directories in your branch or in your region, which can post you.

8. Little affiliate programs, such as pay per inquiry. Especially sites from people with low budgets might work. It can get your logo (link) or search box on the index page, which has normally a higher PR than the linking pages.

[brotherhood of LAN]

9. the web is known to be markedly divided into communities, illustrated by linking structure. Getting into some communities has a "viral effect", like DMOZ. An example I've experienced is in the American edu system, and getting into a libraries recommended set of references. I'm now in over 200 library sites' "links pages" because of the central hub of the community, which is the backbone of it, and passes on its references to its smaller counterparts.

[Trodda]

On the link development topic.....How effective is it to use an affiliate program?

We currently have an affiliate program running with about 100 odd links back to our site. Unfortunately there has been no keyword specific link or alt text included in the affiliate banner/link that gets downloaded. How beneficial would it be to include this?

Also would it be beneficial to split up the affiliate offering, such that separate affiliate banners/links get
downloaded according to specific keyphrases.

e.g.

Instead of;

Affiliates A,B,C, downloading one link code for products ACME-Widget, ACE-Widget, ECON-Widget - which includes one link text "blue widgets, yellow widgets, green widgets".................

Affiliate A - downloads link code for ACME-Widget - which includes link text "blue widget"

Affiliate B - downloads link code for ACE-Widget - which includes link text "yellow widget"

Affiliate C - downloads link code for ECON-Widget - which includes link text "green widget"

Additionally, each specific link back looks to build the link pop of that product specific page only (i.e rather than link back to the home page).

Is this a viable strategy, provided the PR of these sites is OK?

Thanks
Trodda

[Wired Suzanne]

Try to get affiliates in the same branch. Linking is not only good for the SE ranking. Think about valuable links, which will give you traffic.

Linking is important for your PR as well ofcourse. But most important of it is the anchor text of the link to you.

[kellymonaghan]

This won't work for every site, obviously, but it worked for mine.

Create a dictionary of glossary in your area of specialty. The more extensive the better. If a technical terms glossary is not appropriate, what about a dictionary of slang ("Snowboarder Slang" for example)?

This will get you links from sites that list dictionaries on the web and perhaps from educational institutions in your field.

Another idea, which is really about link exchanges but which may help you uncover overlooked possibilities. You can search for "built with arelis" or "themeindex" to find link directories created with the two most popular programs. Add a keyword to narrow the search.

[Marcia]

>>"themeindex"

Those have been penalized - PR0. Unfortunately any software that encourages cranking out links pages en masse comes into disfavor, and people who carefully check back-links won't exchange links with sites that link with bad neighborhoods, it's too risky.

Going through ODP to dig out good sites that are somewhat related and using "keyword phrase + add url" or "keyword phrase + add link" or "keyword phrase + directory" turns up a lot - and not even necessarily from the pages at the top. There are some unoptimized sites that are great quality and worth digging through for.

Usually a good site or two is found at a search engine or at ODP or Yahoo and then following trails of backlinks and links from that one from one site to another and then checking their links turns up some gems, sometimes some worthwhile linking to just because they're good, not even thinking of a recip.

What Amazon says about people buying a book "also buying" some others listed gives a clue, too. If people will be interested in what your site has, what else would those same people be interested in?

[elektra]

Could some afilliate programmes be considered link farms and therefore be cause for drop of PR by Google for example. I've been checking out some competing websites with little relevance to my keyword combination who manage to rank 1st based on having 100's of backlinks from 'link farms'. Google doesn't seem to spot them and in fact some of them who seem devoid of any contents other than links rank 5! I don't get it!

[Wired Suzanne]

10. Have such a great site that everyone wants to link to you. Example: Geocities, WW, Google.

[tyrojds]

brotherhood of LAN: "An example I've experienced is in the American edu system, and getting into a libraries recommended set of references."

'American edu system' - not familiar with this; could you elaborate? also, any tips on library ref lists? sounds very interesting. thanks.

[sem4u]

American edu system = American eduction system

Domains used end in .edu

[brotherhood of LAN]

>U.S. edu system

Well, wish I could eloborate, partly because I posted it, and glad I can't because of the popularity of this place and what could happen if I did. I think they go out hunting for the links, not the other way around, so get yourself seen is the crunch i guess ;)

I can't remember the URL, but someone mailed me, they were interested in adding my site, but wanted to know who I was, i.e. reference & author. I was lucky to get listed ;) It's an edu site, selling nothing....

When listed, their "trusted feed" of references feeds through to other library sites across the U.S., thats what I meant by that "viral" stuff.

There are probably similar examples across the web, but I think the #10 point in this thread sums up how I got listed (not that mine is, but its got lots of content and no fluff)....and a little B.S. to get the link ;)

[tyrojds]

"American edu system = American eduction system" - Duh! so much jargon flying around I can miss the obvious. thanks

brotherhood_of_LAN: thanks

[Susanne]

If you're dealing with sites that have been online for, say, at least 3-5 years then this might work in some cases: I searched once for a client's company name and found many sites that mentioned the company but hadn't given a link. I found everything from articles to private home pages. So all I had to do was write a friendly email thanking for mentioning the company and asking for a link. It worked pretty well. I included a simple copy and paste html code for the link.