Most search engine optimizers (SEOs) and Internet marketers in general would agree that getting links from quality sites pointing to your site is one of the keys to generating traffic. In-bound links can improve your esteem (and therefore ranking) in the eyes of the search engines. They can also allow for direct traffic to your site.
So how do you get tons of in-bound links? Well, there are lots of ways to do this. Probably the best way is to create such compelling content that other, respected sites voluntarily link to you.
But 'build it and they will link' is not a strategy I'd want to rest my entire traffic generation strategy on!
On the contrary, it's probably a good idea to do what you can to rustle up some in-bound links yourself.
This is, of course, where you can very easily find yourself on shaky ground. Just a few years ago, people used to buy links and exchange links with fairly good effect in terms of raising their search engine rankings.
Both approaches have, however, been discredited in recent times as the search engines - especially Google - have taken an increasingly dim view of overt tactics to boost search engine rankings.
Getting in-bound links per se, however, remains a sound strategy. And if you can get in-bound links from high quality, trusted, authoritative (in the search engines' eyes) websites so much the better.
But don't necessarily dismiss 'average' links. There are still many in SEO circles who believe that any link from a half-way decent site is still a link worth having.
As such, submitting your links to various directories, posting articles (containing your links) to article directories, bookmarking your sites on the social networks, and commenting on blogs (with your link either included in the text of your comment or in the submission form, depending on what's allowed) are still beneficial.
The key to having your links approved on directories, article sites, social networks and in blog comments is, of course, to think in terms of 'what you can do for them' rather than 'what they can do for you'.
In other words, only add links to directories that are aligned with your topic... only submit your own articles to article sites where your article offers something of value to readers... be prudent in what you submit to the social networks (or they'll ban you)... and only post blog comments that enhance the conversation taking place on a given blog.
Don't worry about the use of 'no follow' links on blogs or social networks. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the search engines - including Google - do NOT discount 'no follow' links altogether. Google may well give them less weight, as it may give less weight to any links from social networks (since the 'social network slap' earlier this year), but there's still lots of direct traffic potential in posting links that people click on.
Now, I will say that finding lists of directories, article sites, social networks, etc to which you can - in one way or another - submit or post your link can be pretty daunting.
But a search on '[name of niche] article directory' or something along those lines will get you started. Also consider using some of the tools that are designed to find places where you can submit your links.
One such tool is Link Militia, which I recently had the opportunity to test. Link Militia is a rather neat tool that locates all the Squidoo Lenses and groups on Squidoo that accept links.
Basically, you type in a topic, and Link Militia searches through its database of 21,050 Lenses and Groups to generate those Lenses that accept links.
No guarantees, but a quick test of the tool indicates that this might be quite effective in generating topic-related links.
A few qualifications though...
Firstly, you need to be a Squidoo member to be able to add your links. Also, there is some debate about how the search engines regard links from Squidoo (but test it to see, and don't forget the value of direct traffic).
Thirdly, it's essential to use this kind of thing with care. As mentioned above, you're most likely to get what you want (i.e. a link) if you give the Lens owner what they want (i.e. a link of value they can offer their readers) so only approach those who are likely to appreciate having your link on their Lens. (Don't submit a link about dog breeding to a lens about bird watching, okay?)
Finally, Link Militia is not expensive, but it's not free either (as you'd probably expect). You can find out more here: Link Militia -
http://www.linkmilitia.com/All in all, getting one-way links is still a tried and true strategy for raising search engine rankings, getting search engine traffic, and attracting direct traffic. It also has other benefits in terms of branding, reputation, etc.
And while I still urge you to create 'link-worthy' content, you still need to publicize that link-worthy content. So get out there and start building links!
Topic: How To Get One-Way Links To Your Site (Read 11483 times)