Website Promotion - Links

Link Popularity

How many links exist to your site from other sites? That is your link popularity. Links are important for two reasons.

They have the potential of bringing traffic to your site.
Search engines, especially Google, use link popularity to help determine a Website's importance.

Link Popularity is now used in some form by 19 of the top 20 search engines.

There have been successful Search Engine Optimization campaigns based sorely on links.

According to research from http://www.gatech.edu Georgia Tech, 85% of people find new sites through following a link - this compares to 87% for search engines and 38% for email. So linking can be one of the best ways to attract new business. According to the Seybold Group, 50% of Amazon's new customers arrive through links from other sites.

What kind of links?

It is not just the number of links, it is the important of the links which is based on quality and relevancy. The best links are from quality sites that are relevant to your site.

Quality of the site that is linking to yours - is it a good site?
Relevancy of the site that is linking to yours - is it a related site?

What is a link?

A link (or hyperlink) is a reference from some point in one hypertext document to a point in another document or another place in the same document. A browser usually displays a hyperlink in some distinguishing style, font or color. The link is activated with the user clicks the link with the mouse.

It is important how the the hyperlink itself is done. Hyperlinks contain the link and text, called the anchor. The text is important. All of these link to the same place

Example 1:: http://www.wizard-creek.com/
Example 2:: Wizard Creek Consulting
Example 3:: Great Website Services

The Link Campaign

Build a quality website.

It is a long process to create link popularity, and it should be defined and worked like any other marketing campaign.

Consider Links to be a business network

Links are the concrete way of finding ways to join a community, of complementary services, industry publications, and industry groups.

Directories
Partners, Associates, affiliates
Articles, newsletters, ezines, news sites
Blogs, list serves
Reviewers, Trade Association

Submit on Internet Directories

Exchange Links with Partners and Associates.

"no site is an island"

Exchanging links is establishing a business arrangement. It is a business decision, not a link decision.
Getting links is finding your place in the industry. Finding what your industry offer as far as portals, newsletters, and associations.

Publish

Write articles, blogs, newsletters, ezines and letters that reference your site. Articles build content on your web site, articles are published on other sites with links back to your site, and articles present you as the expert.
Participate in forums and discussion groups. Use URL in signature.
Write a testimonial for someone else. Let them include your testimonial if they include a link to your site.
Sign Guestbook with Link

Be Creative

Create an award program and give awards to other sites. Sites must include link back in the award.
Start an affiliate program.
Consider Web Rings

Reference Information

Websites