Tag Archives: linking
Linking With Integrity – Avoid Being Labeled a Link Spammer (Page 1 of 2)
It’s just as important to know what not to do when executing a website linking strategy as it is to know what to do. With inexpensive linking software and services so readily available, there’s a strong temptation to take shortcuts when it comes to getting quality links. Avoiding these traps will help your search engine placements rise naturally and stay that way for a long time. In this article, I describe two ways that you can help yourself avoid being labeled a link spammer.
Link Farms
What is a link farm? A link farm is any website designed and set up for the sole purpose of getting search engine spiders to crawl and index web pages. These websites provide absolutely no end user utility or benefit.
So how do you recognize a link farm? First, you need to ask yourself, is this site heavy laden with links? Most link farms will have a “farm” of links with little to no content. As for an explanation of the site’s existence, it’s usually missing too.
The next question you need to ask is, what does the URL of the site itself look like? Most of the time, link farms will have long, hyphenated URLs (i.e. our-great-linking-directory.com). This is a generalization so not all link farms will have these types of URLs. Many of these link farms are generated using software. The software will go out and find a domain name that contains specific keywords even if it settles on something with several hyphens and numbers. You may still consider a long, hyphenated site for linking purposes but make certain you conduct more research before you submit a link.
Next, look at the domain name extension and note if it’s .info or .biz. In order to sell these extensions, many domain name registrars offer a one-time, deep discount. I know of several registrars that sell .info domains for 89 cents per year. These cheap domain names allow spammers to generate thousands of sites at a huge discount.
The next criteria I use to help identify a link farm is what I call the “cheese factor”. Although some link farms will look professionally designed, most are either 1) generated with software or 2) are designed with the same cookie-cutter, non-altered templates that fill search engine results. This is especially true with blogs. Spammers and Internet newbies will not take the time to brand their websites or blogs. These are commonly referred to as “pump and dump” websites.
Another question you should ask is, does it look human? That is, does it look like someone hangs around and takes care of things? You should also be able to contact the webmaster either via web form or e-mail. If there’s no contact information available anywhere on the website, be very afraid.
If it’s a directory site, check out the links in a few of the main directory headings. Are the URLs hyphenated just like the main URL? If you visit one of these sites, does it look the same as the site you just came from? Are there more URLs crammed onto one page than anyone could possibly visit in a lifetime?
The Most Effective Link Building Strategies for Your Website (Page 1 of 2)
Getting your Website to the top of Google and other major search engines should be your top priority if you wish to make money online. To reach the top of Google, your website will need to offer something of value, provide quality content, and build a lot of inbound links.
Inbound links are a key factor for improving Google rankings. How do you build links to your website? There are a number of strategies that have proven effective time and again. Use these seven strategies for building links and improving search engine rankings.
1. Identify the right websites for link targeting. Getting links from other websites is beneficial, but not if you don’t have a plan. Trying to acquire links from just any old website won’t generate the type of return you’re looking for. To determine the best sites for link targeting purposes, simply visit Google and type the keyword or keyword phrase you’re trying to optimize for. Record the 1 Google ranked website for that keyword and see who’s linking to that website. By targeting the same sites, you can mirror the achievements of the 1 ranked website. There are many tools that can help you do this. One is to type in “link:” into the Google search box and the name of the top ranked website. This will list all of the sites that link to the top ranked site.
2. Build a links page. Before starting any link building program, I strongly encourages those I consult for to build their own Partner page. A partner page or links page is where you can post links from your website to those who may be placing your link on their own website. This is referred to as reciprocal linking and is a great way to start building valuable links to your website. This links page can also be used for other types of link exchanges like 3-way linking. The key is to have some real estate on your own website that you can use to barter for links on other sites.
3. Contacting other websites. Once you’ve identified the sites you should be getting links from, the next step is to begin contacting them and asking for a link exchange or post. There are a variety of ways to acquire links from these sites but one of the best, and most simple ways, is to ask with a contextual email. This is simply an email you send to the webmaster of the site revealing your intentions. The key is to spend some time on the website you’re targeting and to reference something on the site and the fact that a link exchange would be beneficial for both parties.
4. Directory submissions. Getting links from quality directories is a great way to start building links to your website. There are many free directories, and some paid, that can provide one-way links to your site. One-way links are the most valuable kinds of links because each serves as a vote from another website to yours. These are even more valuable if the site that is linking to yours has a high Google PR and only a few other links present on the page where your link is placed.
The Most Effective Link Building Strategies for Your Website (Page 1 of 2)
Getting your Website to the top of Google and other major search engines should be your top priority if you wish to make money online. To reach the top of Google, your website will need to offer something of value, provide quality content, and build a lot of inbound links.
Inbound links are a key factor for improving Google rankings. How do you build links to your website? There are a number of strategies that have proven effective time and again. Use these seven strategies for building links and improving search engine rankings.
1. Identify the right websites for link targeting. Getting links from other websites is beneficial, but not if you don’t have a plan. Trying to acquire links from just any old website won’t generate the type of return you’re looking for. To determine the best sites for link targeting purposes, simply visit Google and type the keyword or keyword phrase you’re trying to optimize for. Record the 1 Google ranked website for that keyword and see who’s linking to that website. By targeting the same sites, you can mirror the achievements of the 1 ranked website. There are many tools that can help you do this. One is to type in “link:” into the Google search box and the name of the top ranked website. This will list all of the sites that link to the top ranked site.
2. Build a links page. Before starting any link building program, I strongly encourages those I consult for to build their own Partner page. A partner page or links page is where you can post links from your website to those who may be placing your link on their own website. This is referred to as reciprocal linking and is a great way to start building valuable links to your website. This links page can also be used for other types of link exchanges like 3-way linking. The key is to have some real estate on your own website that you can use to barter for links on other sites.
3. Contacting other websites. Once you’ve identified the sites you should be getting links from, the next step is to begin contacting them and asking for a link exchange or post. There are a variety of ways to acquire links from these sites but one of the best, and most simple ways, is to ask with a contextual email. This is simply an email you send to the webmaster of the site revealing your intentions. The key is to spend some time on the website you’re targeting and to reference something on the site and the fact that a link exchange would be beneficial for both parties.
4. Directory submissions. Getting links from quality directories is a great way to start building links to your website. There are many free directories, and some paid, that can provide one-way links to your site. One-way links are the most valuable kinds of links because each serves as a vote from another website to yours. These are even more valuable if the site that is linking to yours has a high Google PR and only a few other links present on the page where your link is placed.