You know the drill. Everybody claims that in order to obtain and maintain a favorable ranking on the search engines you MUST have reciprocating links on your website.
This supposed "must have", so the theory goes, is necessary because the search engines look at links to your website from other sites. The search engines then rank the importance of your site based upon the number of inbound links to you. The more inbound links, the higher the ranking on the search engines. Or so the common wisdom would dictate.
While I am not saying that linking doesn't have its benefits, it is my belief that most SEOs over-emphasize the importance of this area. Ask yourself this?if my business sells domain names, why do I have a reciprocal link for www.nosehairtrimmers.com? How insipid do you think Google really is?
Besides the obvious amount of time that managing a linking program takes from other more important tasks, such as improving your site content, are you really getting any bang for your buck?
Ask yourself these questions:
* How many site visitors actually LOOK for your link partners as a resource?
* How many referrals are you getting from your link partner's site a month?
* Can site visitors even FIND the links page without a GPS and a magnifying glass?
* Are you offering a benefit to your audience or just playing the "Search Engine Two-Step"?
I submit to you that a linking program can be more effective if you follow these guidelines:
* Keep your links within your "industry umbrella".
* Linking to a site that has no advantage or benefit for your visitors shouldn't be there.
* Make your links "findable" on your website and offer them as a value-added service.
* Organize your links into categories to enable quick searching.
* Limit the number of links and categories to those YOU would want to use.
Links can be a valuable tool if managed properly but I firmly believe you would be better served taking all the time you are now using for linking activities and use it to write better, fresher and more readable CONTENT.
Search algorithms change and evolve all the time. What worked yesterday to artificially inflate your search engine rankings will not necessarily work tomorrow. Google is already been said to be "de-weighting" the importance of linking and placing more importance on relevant content.
When this whole internet thing began there was an expression that sadly we don't hear much anymore although it is truer today than ever before: Content Is King! Ergo: You had better possess the ability to tell a good story, regularly update your site and have relevant, thoughtful content. I don't care how many links you have, without content you are just playing the game.
Remember; design your site to tell as good story because robots and spiders are not the only visitors to your website. Real live human beings might just show up one day looking for something to read!
Allan Gunnneson is the CEO of Gunner Web Group (http://www.gunnnerweb.com), a website design and marketing company based in Kansas.
Online reprint rights granted as long as the article is published in its entirety, including links (http://www.gunnerweb.com). Copyright © Gunner Web Group, 2005
The number one key to getting business in the real... Read More
How many times have you been frustrated with your promotion... Read More
DMOZ editors are supposed to be professionals in the category... Read More
If your website sales are down and you desire to... Read More
Congratulations! You and your designer have just finished creating your... Read More
When you are deciding on the major search engine directories... Read More
Website owners and webmasters who are trying to improve their... Read More
Many people, in a rush to spike sales through the... Read More
Do you have a website or are you planning on... Read More
When it comes to website marketing and promotions, you need... Read More
Many companies after spending a substantial amount of money on... Read More
Seeking effective affordable website promotion should begin with listing your... Read More
There are many ways to market your web site, both... Read More
1. Using Hidden Links to increase subscribers or for a... Read More
Website promotion is a vital area in internet marketing that... Read More
When I first began attempting to make money on the... Read More
If you desire to succeed in internet promotion, you must... Read More
You have spent hours creating a HTML masterpiece, you have... Read More
Most people who are not doing well on the internet... Read More
Getting a loyal traffic base for your website is an... Read More
If you are website owner and you have begun exchanging... Read More
We have dealt with the tags so the search engines... Read More
My name is Barbara Mascio. I am the founder of... Read More
This article explains in detail the various issues related to... Read More
Submitting your website to the main search engines should be... Read More
Just because you put up a web store doesn't mean... Read More
Does your web site's visitors keep on hitting the back... Read More
As an authorative hub a link from a DMOZ directory... Read More
Promoting a Website is not an easy task. New Website... Read More
Viral marketing can work wonders for any business, web site... Read More
Successful websites extend their reach far and wide! They build... Read More
You may have created and established the best Web site... Read More
Getting targeted web site traffic from other people's websites is... Read More
Website promotion is a vital area in internet marketing that... Read More
Making money with your web site is the dream and... Read More
1. Ping weblogs.com and other search engines. When you ping... Read More
For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways... Read More
Repetition is the key to getting your adverts and promotion... Read More
Do what I did. Learn these 10 insiders' ad writing... Read More
Directories are important to your ranking and success with Search... Read More
Behind every good web page are codes only the search... Read More
You may ask, what is perpetual marketing?Perpetual marketing means when... Read More
Are you interested in empowering your website so it will... Read More
Search engine optimisation is big business. Ezines and websites litter... Read More
Let's face it. Getting webmasters to link to your site... Read More
Does your business struggle with profitable online marketing? If so,... Read More
What is web-marketing? Why does your business need it?The best... Read More
If you desire to succeed in internet promotion, you must... Read More
Here's a fairly obvious Multi Linking Strategy that is probably... Read More
Website advertising, the unending quest of every website owner. And... Read More
Are you making money from your website?Will you like to... Read More
What do you do next! you have been working so... Read More
How to build the ideal website for software archives. View... Read More
Until recently, audio, video, Flash, and static graphics were all... Read More
After spending substantial time and efforts the big day came... Read More
Assuming that it is legal to do so in your... Read More
After you have built your website the next natural step... Read More
Would it surprise you to know that Compaq Computer? outsources?... Read More
Market my website? Why should I have to spend time... Read More
Niche markets and mini sites are taking lately by storm... Read More
Well I started out with seven, Free and low cost... Read More
The following traffic generating ideas do not require costly set-up... Read More
Search engine optimisation ? it's the holy grail of website... Read More
No matter what you're marketing or promoting, if your Ad... Read More
Think about it, when you browse any web site, you... Read More
Creating a sense of credibility for your product and website... Read More
Web Site Promotion |