How To Build Link Popularity!
Link popularity is very important with regards to search engine
placement or ranking. Most Search Engines including Google, place
much importance in a Website's link popularity. They use the number
of outgoing and incoming links to a Website to determine the importance
(relevance) of the Website for a particular keyword or keyword phrase.
However, incoming links are more important than outgoing links.
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The search engine Google, uses its PagerRank (PR) as a measure of
the link popularly of a Website. If you have the Google tool bar installed
on your browser, you can easily see the PR of any site you visit on
the Web. You can download it at: http://toolbar.google.com.
The PR of a site ranges from 0 to 10. The higher the number, the better.
A grey PR bar means the site has not been indexed, been dropped or
has been banned.
Why Link Popularity
Search Engine builders, continuously research ways to make their
search engine result pages (SERPs) relevant to users. Different methods
have been employed to determine the most relevant pages. Methods such
as keywords in title, keywords in metatags, keywords in filename,
keywords in headings, keywords in links, keywords in content of pages,
etc.
Webmasters have found ways to manipulate these, thereby improving
their ranking in the Serps. The latest method is link popularity.
Obtaining quality links from good Websites is not easy. A good Website
will only link to you if there is some benefit to that site or that
site's visitors. However, Webmasters have again found a way of beating
this latest hurdle. They do this through reciprocal linking. I see
search engines rejecting reciprocal linking in future because this
is an artificial way of boosting link popularity. The only sure way
for search engines to ascertain link popularity will have to be one
way incoming links.
Do's And Don'ts Of Site Linking
1. Don't do reciprocal linking with sites that sp@m. Your outgoing
links to unethical sites could get you into trouble with search engines.
2. Don't link to FFA link farms. You might be penalized by the search
engines.
3. Keep a close watch on your link partners always. Link to relevant
and complementary sites. The higher the PR of the site, the better.
4. Obtain one-way incoming links when possible. It's the best. Use
anchor text in links.
5. Most important of all, create good, original and unique content
and one way incoming links will come naturally.
Reciprocal Linking
Reciprocal linking is simply exchanging links with other webmasters
in order to boost link popularity. It involves sending e-mails to
webmasters of sites with relevant and complementary content.
How To Do Reciprocal Linking
Write a nice and polite e-mail to the Webmaster you wish to exchange
links with. However, take note of the following points:
1. Visit the sites you want to exchange links with so that you have
an idea of what the site is about.
2. Before visiting the sites, download the Google and Alexa tool
bars. The Google tool bar gives you the PR of the sites. The Alexa
tool bar gives you an approximation of the site's traffïc and
sites that are linking to it. Download the Alexa tool bar from: http://www.alexa.com.
3. Mention one or two things about the site in your e-mail. Explain
how beneficial a link exchange will be for both sites and site visitors.
You can put a link to the site before sending your e-mail. Tell the
Webmaster where to locate the link. Provide the keywords or keyword
phrase with which you want to be linked.
4. Make it known on your site that you are willing to exchange links.
You can use a "link to us" or "reciprocal linking"
link. You can also use a web-form so that potential link partners
can fill in their details.
Points To Note
Most sites do not have their contact email on their sites because
of spammers or email harvester software. You can contact webmasters
through their "contact us" form or use www.whois.com to
obtain information on how to contact the webmaster. You can run your
link popularity campaign through third parties such as LinkExchange.com
but their prices seem a little bit on the high side. You can also
use software such as Zeus and Arelis. These software apps automate
most of the manual tasks that go into building link popularity. However,
care must be taken when using them. One could be labeled a spammer,
if they are used incorrectly.
One Way Incoming Linking
One way incoming links, are the best type of links to have for your
site. They increase your PR and link popularity. They indicate to
the search engines that your site is an authority on the keyword or
keyword phrase used to link to you. However, incoming links are the
most difficult to acquire. You can build your one way incoming links
using the following strategies.
1. Build good quality websites or web pages with original, unique
content. With great content, other webmasters will naturally refer
visitors through links to your site.
2. Provide a frëe, useful service or tool on your site. For
example, a link popularity chëck tool. This will bring repeat
visitors and other webmasters will refer visitors to your site.
3. Give away something for frëe at your site. It could be a
quality e-book, a useful program, software trial download, or a gift
in exchange for links. You may give out the gifts after ascertaining
that they have linked to your site. Some webmasters might bring down
the links after collecting the gift, but many sites will still retain
your links. Although you might not get many high PR sites linking
to you, lots of low PR sites will still enhance your link popularity.
4. You can organize an award so that winners will link to you before
claiming their prizes. Be sure to make your policy on this clear enough.
5. Pay to be listed in niche directories. Provide good topical articles
on your site with links to your home page. Give permission to other
webmasters to use at their sites.
To Cap It
As you go through the web, running your e-business everyday, you
will discover that the most successful sites are those that give something
away for frëe. Sites that are an authority in their segment of
the market are those that provide useful content, or frëe tools,
service, and/or software. Building such sites takes a lot of patience
and perseverance, but, in the end, the reward is immense.
If you
are a Webmaster and you think this site is full of important information
please spread the word by linking to our site. You can get the information
here
on how to link to our site. Thank you!
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