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Increasing Link Popularity

By: Zaak OConan

Article Word Count: 1771 words  [Comments (0)]
Total Views: 61 Views







Search engines are the gateway to the Internet; they are the




first tool that potential customers use to find the products and




services they need. This is why link popularity is so




imperative. If the customers do not find your website, you have




no possibilities of making any sales.









You're probably wondering what the blazes is popular about a




link! Well, in a word - plenty! Link popularity refers to the




ranking assigned to your website by the search engines, and it




determines the ranking your page gets when keywords are entered




into a search engine. So, you're probably wondering, how do I




make my link popular?









Search engines are discretionary, giving status and ranking to




sites that have links to their pages from related, quality




sites. It's a simple formula, but a very important one. Google




created the system, and now virtually all the most popular




search engines employ it to rank your web pages in their indexes.









The more commonly used your keyword is, the harder it will be to




achieve link popularity, but without achieving this step, it is




almost certain your site will never rank highly on any search




engine. But don't be discouraged; there are tried and true ways




of achieving link popularity using the most competitive keywords.









There are a few things you should be aware of. The first is that




just linking up with a large number of other websites will not




achieve link popularity. In fact, it may have quite the opposite




effect. This is particularly true when pertaining to websites




that are nothing more than "link farms" - pages containing line




after line of indiscriminate links. Search engines may




aggressively discriminate against your website if you are




associated with a link farm, so steer clear of them!









The next thing to bear in mind is the quality of the site you




are linking to. Never link to a page you have reservations about




your visitors seeing. The last thing you want your website to




appear as is indiscriminate and cheap. Linking to sites of poor




quality will only lessen your link popularity, if not completely




destroy it.









So let's get to what you need to do to achieve supreme link




popularity and improve your rankings to stellar status on all




the popular search engines.









The first step, and the fastest way to get your foot in the




door, is to get a listing in a popular directory, such as Open




Directory Project and Yahoo. If your site is business-related,




you will want to be listed on Yahoo, and despite the fact that




it will cost you around $300 a year, it will be money well




spent. If your site is non-commercial, the listing will be free,




but it will take time and follow-up to actually get it listed.




Open Directory is gives you a free listing whether you are




business-related or non-commercial, but be prepared to make a




lot of follow-up inquiries before you see your site listed.









You are aiming to get listed in the highest level of appropriate




category, and this just takes some common sense. For example, if




your company ships Alpaca wool from an Alpaca farm located in




the middle of Nowhere, Tiny State, do NOT submit your listing to




"Retailers from Nowhere, Tiny State." BIG MISTAKE! All you have




to do is look a little deeper - and submit your listing to the




"Fine Alpaca Wool" category. You will not only associate




yourself with culture and quality, but you will be listed in a




national category.









The next step after you have attained directory listings is to




locate other quality sites that will increase your link




popularity. Try to find sites that are in some way related to




yours, so not only will your link popularity increase, but your




customer base may also be expanded. You want to avoid your




competitors and look for sites that are useful to your site's




visitors. Let's look at the Alpaca Wool site example. Linking up




to a site that sells knitting supplies would be helpful to your




visitors, and the chances of the knitting supply site wanting to




link up to your site are also greater. By linking to a related




site that will be relevant to your website's traffic, you are




increasing both of your site's business prospects - and both of




your sites' link popularity.









Not all sites want to link to other sites, so you will have to




do some research when you are looking for possible linking




partners. Google is an excellent starting place for your search.




Make sure you enter keywords that you think quality customers




will also enter to find your own site. Remember, your criteria




are quality, highly ranked, non-competing websites that have a




links or resources page. Go to these sites and objectively




assess them. Look at the quality of the product, the graphics,




and the ease of use. Then check out the other sites they are




linked to, and determine if your own site would fit in with the




crowd.









When you decide you have found a good prospect, you must set out




to woo them. The first thing to do is to add a link on your own




links page to their site. This is an essential first step; it




shows good faith, and ups your chances significantly of their




reciprocity. After you have added their link, you must contact




the webmaster of their site. Since this is almost always done by




email, you want to make sure it is immediately clear that your




message is not junk mail. This requires that you tell them right




off the bat that you have added a link to their page on your




site. A hook like this almost always insures the reader will




read on.









Next, be sure to be flattering and let them know how much you




appreciate their website. Make sure you emphasize that you have




actually visited their site, and that their site is not just a




random pick. Give them the address of your links page, and ask




them to check out the link for themselves. It's a good idea to




mention that they will not only benefit from the increased




traffic your website will direct their way, but you will also




increase their link popularity. Briefly, explain why link




popularity is so essential, but do this in a sentence or two so




you don't sound like a professor! Finally, tell them you would




greatly appreciate if they would reciprocally add a link on




their own links page to your website.









Go through this process with as many appropriate sites as you




can find, bearing in mind the criteria of quality and




non-competitiveness. After you have emailed all relevant sites,




be sure to check these website frequently to see if they have




added a link to your page. Give it about a month, and if no link




appears, try another charming email. Then give it another month,




and if your site is still absent from their links page, it's




time to remove their link from your own links page. The only




time you want to pursue a link further than this is if you




believe a site is crucial to your link popularity and your




business needs. Just remember to keep all your communications




complimentary and cordial.









Then set up a schedule to check your ranking in search engines




frequently to see if your link popularity has improved. This is




not achievable in the blink of an eye. It will take some time




and a good deal of work. There is no way around the




labor-intensive quality of improving your link popularity, which




is why search engines regard it with such importance.









By the way - make sure you have a beautiful, streamlined site or




you will never persuade anyone to link up to you. Be prepared to




keep plugging away at this process, as long as it takes, until




you achieve link popularity stardom!




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