Linking 101 – Getting Linked Getting Ranked and Getting Noticed

Hey, let’s face it – you can have the best content in the world and you can still be buried so deep in the search results that you might as well not even exist. SEO companies know that the most important factor in getting a site up in rankings is having good inbound links to the content you have on the website. Amazingly getting good links (emphasis on the good) is one of the trickiest parts of SEO and one which it seems we all are constantly trying to master.

Before we start talking about the how, let’s talk a little bit about what constitutes a good inbound link. A good inbound link comes from:

• A site that in itself is highly ranked by the search engines (i.e., Google).
• A site that does not use non-followed links (after all, it won’t do you much good if the search engines are ignoring the link).
• Sites that feature quality content that is related to your articles or pages.

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately something as simple as a link can take up a lot of your time.

First, make sure your content is getting out to the social media sites. You know the ones we are talking about: Digg, Reddit, StumbledUpon, etc. However don’t just stop with the big boys. Look for social media sites that fit in with your niche.

Some of these smaller guys may not send a flood of traffic, but the quality of the traffic they do send is much better than your stand Digg and StumbledUpon traffic. The people who visit from these smaller sites are more likely to stick around longer and link back to your content on their own sites or blogs.

Second, don’t be afraid to ask for a link. If you find a quality site with good material that you reference a lot in your content don’t be afraid of contacting them and asking for a link back to your content. The fact of the matter is that sometimes all it takes is to ask. The worse they can say is no. If they do decide to link back to you then you’ve managed to give yourself a bump (which will be reflected in rankings over time) and all it took was a few emails. Just remember if you decide to ask to make sure that the site you are asking for the link from is ranked fairly well in the search engines. Quality builds quality.

Finally, chain e-mails may be annoying at times, but it works – especially for video and other “LOL” content. Sometimes you have to toot your own horn. If you create a humorous video or have some pages that will sure to make people chuckle consider starting an email “chain” to a few friends. You’ll be surprised how fast it will travel. People have this funny habit of forwarding emails on forever. The good thing is that as it gets forwarded and clicked, some of those people will inevitably link back to you on their blogs and on other sites.