There are many good methods when it comes to establishing a solid link network as well as tactics that should be avoided at all costs. Establishing good links that point to a website can not only help boost a website’s page rank but also help build credibility too. Bad or “Black Hat” methods can destroy a particular website’s credibility, as well as risk losing page rank or even worse, total removal from a search engine’s index. Here we will explain some of the good and bad link building techniques used today.

Directory Submission Links

Submitting website links to Internet directories can be a great start with regard to link building. Internet directories can cover regional searches, niche topics, as well as general search inquiries. Internet search directories usually hold a good page ranking. Because of a directory’s good page ranking, a website that is linked with many can see positive results in terms of their page ranking getting a boost. Examples of reputable general website directories include Yahoo and MSN. While free Internet directories can be great way to increase ranking among the search engines, it can take some time for a website to get included due to the overwhelming amount of submissions they receive. Paid niche directories can add even more exposure while taking less time to see results. There are literally thousands of internet directories available at the webmaster’s disposal as well as many online companies that will take on the tedious task of submission for a reasonable fee.

Link Farms - ”100,000,000 Links for $99″

Link farming is considered one of the most underhanded attempts at increasing search result ranking when it comes to link building. Also known as a form of “Spamdexing”, link farming is a process where inbound links are provided, usually through an automated process, for a nominal fee. This tactic became extremely popular with Internet business, however, it has been shunned by most reputable webmasters as the consequences of doing so can result in a website being penalized or completely removed from a search engine index. In an effort to provide more relevant results to the casual Internet user, search engine companies have cracked down on websites that link to several other web pages that do not share relevant content with each other. Fly-by-night search engine optimization companies that offer this type of service to their customers should be avoided at all costs. While short term page ranking gains may be obtained by link farming, search engine providers have streamlined the process when it comes to finding and punishing offenders who use this method.

Blog Links

Having good inbound blog links can be risky business but can also serve a couple of good purposes. Extremely good ranking blogs that feature a website’s link to a website can not only help where link building is concerned but can also shed a positive light on a website when it comes to a particular product or service. Trusted blogs with a high amount of readership can do wonders where exposure is concerned. This is especially true if the blog’s content directly relates to a website’s particular niche or topic area. Contextual links that are usually associated with a specific topic or review supported by relevant content are always preferred over irrelevant links posted on a blogs sidebar or similar. Sidebar links that are placed on a blog that do not share any commonality with a website could easily be considered a party to link farming by a search engine. It can also be difficult to convince a highly ranked blog to consider the inquiring website inclusion. While it is easier to have a lesser performing blog to do a flattering post about a website, the efforts usually prove fruitless if the blog has a very small readership or is not ranked well within a search engines index.

Link Exchanges

Link exchanges can be a great way to target specific traffic to a website. While these reciprocal relationships can be setup on a personal webmaster to webmaster basis, many popular link exchange websites have been setup to quickly find partners that operate websites that share similar content or related topics with each other. It is the responsibility of the website owners to incorporate and maintain the link partner’s graphic banners or standard text links on their websites to continue the relationship. This kind of traffic sharing when equally distributed can be beneficial to both parties who wish to draw in more customers or causal Internet patrons. It is essential for the webmaster wanting to perform a link exchange with another website to do a little page rank checking and other statistical checks regarding the amount of traffic the other website receives before committing to relationship. The better the ranking and traffic numbers of the other website willing to share links, the better the chance at receiving a hike in visitors from that website.

Paid & Rented Links

There has been quite a controversy where Google is concerned when it comes to paying for and renting links. Google’s stance on paying for link space on another website can promote abuse while many in the SEO community feel differently. Buying advertising space on a relevant website can be a great way to drive traffic to the purchasing partner’s website as well as provide a lucrative means of income for the advertiser. While using paid links for the sole intention to gain a better page rank is a violation of Google’s guidelines, using the “nofollow” attribute will ensure compliance where Google is concerned. The “nofollow” attribute simply tells the Google website crawlers to exclude the link from being considered in page ranking. Many webmasters choose to disregard these guidelines; however, if caught by Google, the offending website can be penalized. No matter what approach is taken, purchasing links from a website that will provide a good return on an investment can yield fantastic results for a webmaster who wishes to increase their traffic.

Press Release Links

Press releases are often touted as one of the most prestigious and trusted ways to get the word out about a business or niche website. A press release will provide great coverage about a websites dealings, as well as good inbound links, for a relatively low cost. When a press release is submitted to various news wire organizations on the Internet, reputable news outlets and journalists alike have the ability to use this information in conjunction with a story or as a credible resource. Because news organizations have the ability to reach millions of people across the globe, a great deal of traffic from respected high page ranked sources can propel a website’s exposure greatly. Press releases can also be picked up multiple times by various news sources for months and even years to come. Many websites issue several press releases in order to keep the public abreast of new services and products.

Forum Links

Having a good web presence in Internet forums can be a fast and easy way to gain exposure. Web forums consist of conversational threads that can deal with a wide variety of topics. The forums can be of a casual or informative nature. Active participants can usually include what are called signature links that point to specific web pages or to a website itself for general purposes. This can be a great venue for free advertising, however, forum posters that use this method for link building must be careful not to appear “spammy” when contributing. Although certain behaviors when trying to promote a website on a forum are frowned upon, helpful and related advertising plugs that point to a website or web page may be allowed. For example, if a poster is looking for a particular product or service, a contributor to the forum can provide a link to a website that will help the inquirer meet their needs. Other Internet searchers, with a similar question or need as the original poster, can happen upon the same page and also be directed to the web site.

3 Way Links

Three way links offer more benefits or disguise when it comes to link exchanges. Because one way links are more valued than reciprocal links, three way links give a more natural feel when it comes to search engines. Having an excessive amount of reciprocal links on a web site can give the appearance of link farming. If a search engine suspects the tactic of link farming involved in a web site, harsh penalties can be enacted. In a three way link scheme, site number one is linked directly to site number two, while site number two is linked to site number three. The third website then provides a one way link to the first website, giving the all important inbound link needed to improve the first websites page rank. Many internet services are available to provide a strong three way link network for a website. Webmasters may also utilize their own websites, on different domains, to accomplish their own three way links.

One Way Text Links

These are the most commonly used methods to obtain an inbound link for a website. Although not as noticeable to an average Internet surfer as a contextual link from a website review or plug, one way text links that appear in a sidebar can be invaluable when presented on a high ranking website. This is due to the link being visible on every webpage regardless of the main content displayed. Webmasters who are fortunate enough to have an inbound link presented on a well ranked website can see a lot of traffic in a short amount of time. Webmasters should always seek out websites that share similar content topics as non related links on a website can appear to be spam or an undesirable advertisement. One of the best ways to receive inbound links in this manner is to provide interesting and useful information or products on a website. The more useful and informative a website is, the better possibility of another website linking to it.

Article Links

Freelance content websites offer a great opportunity when it comes to driving in more traffic while providing great and useful information to Internet users. Articles that have direct inbound links to a website give users a wealth of information about a particular topic or product that can eventually prompt them to learn more by clicking on a link to the author’s website. This is a less invasive way to build a potential customer’s trust as well as build page ranking for a website. An article submission site such as Ezinearticles.com allows authors to post content for free and has a proven track record when it comes to added press for a website. Other freelance writing websites are available that, depending upon the topic or content can actually provide quality back links with the opportunity to share in ad revenue.

Maximize Your Efforts

After spending a great deal of time getting a website to rank well within the most popular search engines used today through article links, one way text links, press release links, forum links and 3 way linking, webmasters who are serious about getting the most out of their efforts will employ the services of a reputable link tracker. Keeping track of purchased links and analyzing whether or not a paid link is still active can save a great deal of time and money. The sophisticated BacklinkReporter Tool can keep track of active and dead links as well as add/edit pertinent information concerning webmaster contact information, link purchase rates, and keywords in order to maximize your efforts while working on your link building campaign.

There are no membership fees to use backlinkreporter.com – Sign up today for FREE!

Benefits of Utilizing our “FREE” Software

With such powerful link software, keeping track of your link campaigns is made much easier. Instead of having to search for multiple spreadsheets, or worse, scraps of paper, all of the information is kept in one handy and consolidated location. This makes it simple to plan your next move. You’ll know what anchor text variations are already covered, which ones could use more work, and which ones haven’t been touched on at all. You’ll also know which of your old backlinks need to be replaced as the software keeps track of the status of your past work.

Out of all of these benefits, there is one thing about the Backlink Reporter link software in particular that’s worthy of extra attention: it’s free. We have decided not to charge money for access to it. If you’ve been looking for a great way to keep track of your links, give this free link software a shot and see how much success in your link building campaigns you will have.

The perceived importance of PageRank can vary widely depending on who you talk to.  Some have become borderline obsessed with the green little bar graph, while others claim that it really doesn’t mean much at all.  And while I personally don’t put much emphasis on it throughout my daily work, it can be useful in certain situations.

Most people use PR to gauge the value of a link that they are trying to get.  The problem with this, however, is that the link quality that a certain page can carry is determined by much more than just the PageRank.  The quality of your link would be affected by the number of other outgoing links on the page, the type of link (contextual vs standalone), and the location of the link, just to name a few.

Where the PR can be helpful, however, is when you’re comparing two very similar sites that would provide a “similar-in-nature” link.  In this regard, PR can give you a general feel for the differences in authority that the two pages may carry.

How I Mainly Use PageRank

In my own practice, I find myself using PR mostly as a filtering tool.  When link building, it becomes important to find the good and weed out the bad link opportunities as quickly as possible.  In that regard, PageRank can be a quick litmus test to see if I want to further explore the possibility of getting a link from that source.  If I come across an opportunity with a PR of 0, you can bet that I’m not going to put much effort into deciding if I want a link from them.  If a quick glance at the toolbar, however, shows a PR 8, I’ll certainly look further into the possibility of receiving a link.

So in your link building efforts, take PageRank for what it is.  A general (and historic) view of the overall authority of a website.  All things equal, a link from a PR 4 is better than a PR2.  But when are you ever going to find “all things equal?”  Use PR as a filtering tool and not as the basis for most of your link building decisions.

While the true effectiveness of reciprocal links (or exchanged links) is certainly debatable, they still count for something.  And while I wouldn’t focus very much of your link building efforts on exchanging links, a few here and there won’t hurt.  So for those times when you are tempted to request a link exchange (even if it’s a three-way exchange), here’s one rule that you simply must adhere to: Don’t spam people.

A Brief Example

We’ve all received them, a generic email from someone you don’t know from Adam that wants to exchange links.  They may have even taken the initiative and already placed your link on one of their pages.  And while a more personal email would have been nice, at this point, it’s not a big deal.  You might ignore them or briefly consider doing the exchange.  But where it begins to get out of hand is when you receive the exact same email the next day.   And the next day.  And the next and the next!  So you reply and ask to be taken off their list.  And what happens then?  You get almost the exact same email the next day from “someone else” requesting a link for a different site.

2 Reasons Why This Doesn’t Work

First and foremost, spam emails like this just aren’t very effective.  They don’t grab your attention, and aside from the “highly valuable” link (I hope you sense my sarcasm), they don’t offer you anything of value.  Imagine how much more effective your request may be if, for example, you informed them of a number of broken links on their site.  Or maybe you informed them of a valuable tool related to a recent post that they could inform their readers about.  Build a relationship first, request a link second.

The second reason why spam emails don’t work is because they’re just plain unprofessional.  I find it ironic that their purpose in emailing multiple times in a row is to entice or remind you to actually give them a link.  In reality, by getting that second (or third, or fourth) email, it does the exact opposite.  Any consideration that I was giving them before has now gone out the window because they were actually unprofessional enough to spam me.  No one likes spam – so why start off on the wrong foot from the get go?

Requesting link exchanges can certainly be a (small) part of your link building campaign.  But make sure that you adhere to polite and professional standards when requesting them.  If you think of your website as your own personal business (rather than some anonymous entity), you’ll likely be able to see your link building efforts more in terms of business development, which is really what link building is all about.