It doesn’t matter what industry you are working in, one thing is certain, you need a website. However, after everyone tells you to get a website to help your business, art or passion, most people are left not knowing how to actually get anyone to see their site. If the Field of Dreams was buy backlinks on the internet, they would not come. Once a site is built it takes hard work and dedication to make your site visible to search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. And even after all those blood, sweat and tears it might not be enough. That’s why intelligent link building is key to making your site and your business visible on search engines.
Just think of how you use a search engine to complete an everyday internet search. You type in what you are looking for, and then skim at the first three, maybe four search results on Google. If you don’t ever go to the second page on Google don’t think that anyone else in the world will just to find your site. True internet success is found in the top four results in Google. And yes I say Google, because they dominate the market. Google’s market share tends to float around a whopping 66%. So how do small businesses, internet marketers and bloggers compete with large conglomerates that have teams of SEO professionals and websites with strong page ranking due to reputation and website age? Smart link building. It’s going to be tedious, but if you are going to jump into the Wild West we call the internet, then you better bring your wits, because you aren’t going to have the biggest guns. Without further ado, here are the top 5 ways to get backlinks and therefore build webpage rank:
Write Quality Articles
After Google Panda and Penguin many sites have been “slapped” due to low quality backlinks that provide no valuable content to users. There are two ways to avoid this: Don’t pay to build links and write quality articles that people will actually want to read. Posting quality, unique articles is essential not only because it will prevent you from getting Google slapped, but because it should be about more than just getting one backlink. You should think about content that you would want to read and then do research in forums and Google Keywords to see what others want to read about. What questions do people have that need answering? Then, once you write a relevant, quality article, this will help build traffic through those sites and provide something more than just a link to move you up in the search rankings. These readers will respect you for your knowledge and may actually click on your backlink to read more of your content or buy your product. Quality articles should be posted in high page ranking general article directories such as EzineArticles or GoArticles. You can also get more targeted backlinks by posting on niche sites. So if you are running a personal finance blog, what better way to find people interested in personal finance than posting on an article directory dedicated solely to finance.
Post Quality Feedback to Recent Posts On Forums/Blogs
Posting on blogs and forums is only one portion of this point. Forums and blogs relating to your product or service can provide a strong amount of information on what people are talking about in the area. So if you are selling antique car parts, find a forum where people are discussing antique car parts. Then don’t just spam these readers with a link to your site, but reply to their questions and become a trusted source for information. Many forums allow you to put a backlink in your signature and once people trust you they are sure to click on your link. Also, read as much as you can about the topic. Blogs and forums in your niche area can provide material for your next article to post on a directory or blog post.
Build A People Friendly Website
Building a website based solely for search engines will never get you the results you desire. The biggest blogs, news sites and business websites are designed for the consumer. For example optimization is only a small reason The Huffington Post receives millions of views every single day. They write quality content that is trending. Once people start talking about something on your website, sharing a page or a post on their blog or share it on Twitter or Facebook, this is where the real power of the buy backlinks comes into play. If people want to read information on your site then they will spread that backlink for you naturally. Often this is where backlinks are built the most, when your site is not riddled with keywords and it provides value to the consumer.
Guest Posting
Commenting on blogs often comes with a no-follow backlink. This can still benefit your site, however the real money is in guest posting on a reputable blog with an already existent following. So if you are an internet marketer selling how to make money online with limited cash and your website has the content it needs to impress a blogger in the same area, why not contact them and see if you can guest post? Bloggers are always looking for fresh new content, and if they like what they see on your site or in a writing example you send them, you just might be able to get a high powered backlink, along with the current viewership of their blog.
Free Content Sites
Sites such as Hubpages or Squidoo hold very high page ranking and can be valuable when building links to your site. This is similar to posting on Article Directories but they have different regulations and allow you to post more things such as affiliate links, pictures and surveys. I personally think sites like these are more fun than article directories since you can actually do more, but it is important to diversify your links. Another great thing about free content sites is that you can implement affiliate buy backlinks and make money. For example, you can post a Squidoo lens and review different types of video editing software if you happen to sell this type of software on your own site. Then you can post links to Amazon or eBay and if people purchase these items you will receive a commission. Just remember to provide quality content and not just a bunch of links selling stuff. And focus on a niche! Become an expert and people will trust in you and continue reading your content or purchasing from your business.