Hamilton Web Solutions

Link Exchange

There are a number of ways to increase your page rank and traffic. Each method has positive and negative aspects. One-way links have more value than reciprocal links, but a combination is the best.

Reciprocal Links

This is the linking of two or more sites with each other. There are many sites that will offer free link exchanges. But this option will actually lead to lower page ranking for your website because search engines don’t like mass link sites.

The basic rules for link exchanges are:

• Don’t just link back to a site because it has a high page rank. Search engines consider related themes and content to be more important than page rank links. Unrelated links get very little attention. Remember, too, that a site can rank high on Google, but low on other search engines. Link to sites your visitors will find useful, and request links from those sites back to you.
• Be cautious of some unethical site link practices such as robot blocking. Some sites have a code which pre linking back by spiders; what appears as a link exchange is actually a one- way link to that site and you don’t benefit at all. Before you place a reciprocal link to a site, check its source code. If it has nonindex, nonfollow, rather avoid it. You should also check the robot.txt file to see if sites are listed in the file for sites not to follow.
• Don’t link to sites with hundred of links. Search engines will not consider your site and you will be penalised. Also, if 50 sites are linked, it n your site will have a very low vote. Ideally, link to sites with 10 links or fewer.
• Check to see how high your link is on the site; if it only appears at 9 then it isn’t that valuable at all.
• Make sure you only link to sites that will still have a high value in the future.
• Reciprocal links to sites with bad reputations, poor content or a history of unethical practices will harm your site’s ranking and name, so avoid them. If they are banned or blocked, you face the risk that your site may also be blocked.

Getting Links from Directories

Inbound links from good directories carry a lot of weight, so get listed in as many directories as you can; Yahoo, DMOZ and Ananzi are examples. Make sure you select the most relevant categories when you list. Make use of search engines to find directories.

Paid Linking

Paid linking is the process of purchasing links from websites for the value the link offers, applying the same criteria as for reciprocal linking. This has become a very popular link strategy. When a visitor clicks on a certain item on the site, they are led straight to your site. The link must be located well, such as on the home page.

Link Software

There are a few link building software products that find related sites with high page rank and good content. These tools make link exchange easier, and are worth trying. Use search engines to find link exchange software. Check all your out- bound links at least once a month to see whether they are still relevant and working.

Forum Links

You can build many inbound links by adding a forum signature that includes your name, a short description of your site and a link back to it. Use the signature whenever you post a comment on a forum. You can also create two or three blogs yourself, and add your signature to some short articles.

This article is written by nPresence, an online web marketing agency that specializes in search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, content management systems, web design, tracking and analysis. For all your web marketing needs, please visit Web Marketing Dublin.