by Peter Blake
If you think of the Internet as one large community, you want to be as immersed as possible within it. In order for that to happen you have to get your website visible in the form of links. The art of link building is the process of gaining inbound links leading to your site, and it’s a great way to increase traffic and sales.
Just to make totally sure you understand: A link is a clickable piece of text or a clickable image that takes a visitor from a different site to your own. Links can be found almost everywhere: in written text, blog posts, banners and videos and in an author’s resource area at the end of an article.
If you are running your own website or your own online business, link building is an essential tool. However, not all links are great links. You have to put in the time to build high quality links from trusted outlets that people will actually be inclined to follow.
Some of the most common and most useful ways of building links to your site are:
-Article directories such as Ezine Articles -Search engine submissions -Link exchanges (reciprocal links) -Website directories
The main benefit of writing articles for online magazines is the resource box containing a link back to your website. Make sure you fill in both the HTML resource box as well as the standard text box. Make equally sure that you make the link attractive enough for the reader to click on it, and go to your site.
You can also write and send out a newsletter to a list of prospects and current customers. You can talk about changes or updates to your site as well as new products or sales. Of course, provide a link to everything you talk about. You have now done the job of informing customers and clients, as well as giving them a direct and easy path to get to your site. You’ll say in better touch with your contacts and will see more sales and traffic.
Using online article directories offers the same benefits as writing for an online magazine. The benefit is of course the resource box, where you can place your links for distribution in hopes of seeing increased traffic and establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
Don’t overlook the fact that you have to submit your site to search engines. You also have to optimize your website and content so that it can be found by people looking up your topic using the search engines.
Another way to link build is by finding websites that are in a similar field and exchange links with them. You both benefit from additional links and inbound traffic. It’s more important to get a few quality incoming links than dozens of low quality ones. Having links to your site from respected websites, and websites that are in a similar field as our own, makes them more valuable.
Always make sure that your link takes the visitor to the specific page he or she wants to see. No use just linking to your home page, and making the visitor work to find what they are looking for. Most will not bother. This will both simplfy the process for your visitors, and increase the conversion rate.
Whilst it can be time-consuming link building is an essential part of making your online business a success. Go to it; the benefits are huge.
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