Creating Link
Popularity
Without Getting Banned
by Dan Thies
By
now, most webmasters know that link popularity is the single
most important factor in driving top search engine rankings.
But did you know that some links can actually kill your search
engine rankings?
The
importance of links has led to the creation of "links
programs" such as LinksToYou and others. If you're
already in a links program, hold on to your hat, because I've
got bad news for you.
How Links Programs Work
In
a links program, every member of the program uploads a page or
pages to their website. These pages carry links to the other
program participants' websites.
Why They Don't Help Search
Engine Rankings
All
of the major search engines are aware of these programs, and
most of them use automated processes to weed out
"identical" pages. Even if a search engine
recognizes the link, they won't give it much weight.
How
Links Programs Can Kill Your Business
The
most popular search engine in the world today is Google. In
late 2000, Google began a systematic campaign of permanently
removing links program participants from their index.
Altavista has begun a similar program, although recent
problems kept them from executing it.
Don't
the operators of links programs know all this? Of course they
do, yet they continue to operate and proliferate. Tobacco
companies know cigarettes kill people, yet they continue to
sell them. I'm sure both would tout the "benefits"
of their product as a justification.
What To Do If You're In A
Links Program
First,
immediately remove all of the program's pages from your site.
Second, remove all the links they had you set up on your other
pages. Third, if possible, cancel your membership... then get
to work creating some legitimate link popularity.
Creating True Link
Popularity
If
you want your site to have lasting popularity and relevance
with the search engines, you need links from related sites.
Dedicate 10 minutes a day to locating and contacting other
webmasters to swap links, adding your site to directories, and
publishing articles in your area of expertise.
Create
Multiple Layers Of Links
For
some search engines, links to your home page are good enough.
At least some of your links, though, should be targeted at
your internal pages. For example, if your site sells tools for
gardeners, get some links set up to your "how to"
and FAQ pages too. This will help you get more of your site's
content into the search engine, and increase referrals
significantly.
Get The Links Indexed!
It
doesn't do you any good to set up links if the search engines
never find them. You can submit the pages that link to you,
but most search engines nowadays won't index them unless there
are other links to those pages somewhere on the web. Consider
adding a "resources" page to your site, linked from
your home page, with links to all the individual pages that
link to you.
How To Make Sure Your Links
Get Indexed
In
order to ensure that the links pointing to your site get
indexed, you really have to take an additional step, and set
up a second domain and website. The gardening website in the
above example might need a partner site like "gardening-resources.com"
with a single page pointing to all the links pages you've set
up.
Once
you've set up the secondary domain, add a link to it from your
main site's home page, and wait for the search engines to
index it. Don't forget to link back to your primary site, of
course - not just your home page, but any content pages as
well. You should submit this additional site to the same
directories that you use to list your primary site.
It
also helps to ask for an additional link to your secondary
domain when you set up links swaps. Just explain how the
secondary site helps both partners, by adding link popularity
and helping the links pages get indexed. Any sensible
webmaster will gladly add the second link.
What Happens Now?
As
the link popularity of both of your sites grows, they begin to
feed on each other. Don't neglect to track any search engine
referrals to your secondary site - if they grow to a high
level, you may want to turn it into more than just a links
page. If you've done a good job of optimizing your primary
site, though, chances are your secondary site will never
outrank your primary site on any search.
If
you take these initial steps today, and commit to a program of
link building for ten minutes a day, your site's traffic will
begin to rise dramatically within just 2-3 months, and it
should only get better if you stick with the program.
I
wish you success.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Dan
Thies has been helping his clients (and friends) promote their
websites since 1996. His latest book, "Search Engine Fast
Start," is available at http://www.cannedbooks.com