Educate Yourself about Link Popularity

 by: Tom Bishop

Links make it possible for your website to be found in cyberspace. Links and search engines work hand in hand to make the process of seeking out information go more smoothly.

Link popularity can make or break your website. Search engines have their own ranking systems and they use links to do it.

Google leads the pack when it comes to search engines and most of the others look to Google for guidance. Search engines give the most prestigious rankings to sites that link to other sites that contain related subject matter.

Keywords matter in regards to link popularity. The more often a keyword is used the more difficult it makes it to obtain the end result of link popularity.

It's not as simple as managing to link up with plenty of other websites. Quality is your aim, not quantity. Link farms are everywhere on the Internet but they only make your search for link popularity a nightmare. Look past these awful "endless lines of link pages" and continue your quest for exceptional quality.

It cannot be stressed enough- quality of a site must always be put before quantity. Cast aside junk sites masquerading as sites of worth and soldier on to higher peaks!

Now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty of how you actually go about making link popularity a reality.

What you need to do first is to get your site listed in a directory that is popular. Yahoo or an Open Directory Project are two excellent choices. If you have a business- oriented site Yahoo will charge you approximately three hundred dollars a year but it is free if your site deals with anything else. Open Directory lists sites for free no matter what they pertain to.

Look to major categories such as national ones to list your website in. Sure smaller sites are very nice but can they really help you achieve your ends? Think big!

Once you have directory listings you now need to find other sites on the Internet that provide some of the same products and services that you yourself provide to customers. Related sites help ensure a higher degree of link popularity so bear that in mind as you do your homework. The time and effort you put into your site will benefit if it is linked up with others who feel the same way. And they will in turn benefit as well.

Do your research first as not all sites have an interest in linking up with others. Search out sites and see what they have to offer and see whom they are linked to.

Once you have found a site that suits your needs, congratulations! Now it's time to get to work. Right off the bat make their link a part of your site. Drive the traffic to both of your sites. Now via e-mail inform the owner of the other site that you proudly have linked their site to yours. You've joined forces in a sense. Everyone needs allies in the online world after all.

In your e-mail let the other webmaster know that you are pleased with what he/she has going at their site and are glad to be in some small way connected to the ongoing success of the site. Be as cordial as possible.

Repeat the same process with as many sites as you wish to link up with. You can never have too many link partners in the Internet. Just remember that you stand for quality and you won't accept anything less.

Visit the search engines often to determine if your efforts are paying off. Don't be too discouraged if progress is slow. Stay focused!

Ask yourself one final question- is your website up to par? If it isn't, shame on you! Make it as fantastic as possible in order to achieve the link popularity that you deserve.