Boy was I excited when I finally got my first web site together and posted to the World Wide Web. I had 9 high ranking keywords placed in all the right places and the search engines were going to find my site like flies find cook-outs.
Was I ever in for an awakening. After 5 months of dismal visitation and zero sales it became obvious that I had more to do. I searched around the Internet and read a couple of ebooks (the best thing I ever did) and learned all I need to know.
My newfound knowledge provided some under- standing. I now understood that one of the best ways search engines find sites to list in their index is by following links on your site or from your site to another site.
Links from other sites to yours are called back links. They improve your visibility to search engines. However, you must make sure the link is not spam from a link farm. These are sites that exist only to set up links with other sites.
It is also undesirable to set up reciprocal linking arrangements (you link to me and I link to you type stuff) where unrelated sites are linking for the sake of linking i.e. Gardening sites linking to aviation sites. They have nothing in common and there is on logical reason for the link.
That kind of linking can keep you from getting indexed. Search engines are smart and they see that as an attempt to improve your sites' ranking by exaggerating its' importance.
However, there is a form of proper reciprocal linking discussed on page 33 of an ebook called Guide To Free Traffic that can increase your search engine ranking ten fold and potentially bring thousands of visitors to your site.
The concept behind good linking is really simple. Search engines use links to your site as a way of measuring the significance of your site. The more high ranking relevant links you have the higher your ranking.
Decently ranked links with sites that compliment your site are also beneficial.
You didn't hear this from me. But listen up. Publishing articles and press releases about new exciting products and promotions are excellent ways to establish links to you site also.
And don't forget directories. Submitting to multiple directories is a very good way to make links to your site.
Newbies, don't do as I did and establish a truck load of links to directories and other sites and then allow some smooth talking salesperson to talk you into purchasing their site promotion package for a large lump sum up front and monthly payments thereafter.
They only did for me what I had done for myself. I paid that price for you. You can do this yourself. Just get as many links as possible. Not only will your search engine ranking improve but your links can also bring you visitors directly.
A word of caution. I've got to be thorough. You may want to use a link exchange software. But as I said earlier, search engines are smart. Software that says exchange links on pages are sometimes excluded from search results.
Remember linked sites should be related and I suggest the pages be hand constructed. Most software leaves footprints (signs that it is software) and that can result in removal or being buried in the search listings.
Remember your best customers are targeted. Links for the sake of having links will bring a lot of none buying visitors who are just browsing.
Related relevant links bring customers who have an interest in your product category.
Best wishes
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