Making friends and influencing search rankings
Link building is an SEO fundamental. As a general rule, the more sites that link to yours, the better. Getting those links is probably the most frustrating and time consuming part of SEO but it does need to be done.
Why? Because, in search rankings as in life, you’re judged on the number and quality of your friends. A site that attracts a lot of inbound links from trusted sources is like a person that a lot of others speak highly of- reputation is all.
It’s worth noting at this point that being judged on the quality of your associates cuts both ways. If you buy links from a dodgy source it’s the equivalent of being seen shaking hands with a shady character. Links from poor quality sites are not good for your rankings at all.
So, the trick is getting respected and reputable sites to link to you. Naturally there’s a lot more too it than that- anchor text, landing page, and link placement are all important, but simply getting a link in place is a good start.
The first strategy is to give people a compelling reason to link. A piece of outstanding content or a useful tool can attract links very nicely, but producing something people really want can be tricky. The internet is full of useful things and it can be hard to make yours stand out. Getting some articles syndicated can also work very well, but again, it can be a little difficult for those who are just starting out. We’ll say more on that another time.
If you’re new to the link building arena start with directories. Good, reputable directories are easy sources of inbound links and submitting your site is usually pretty easy. The most valuable directories in SEO terms are the picky ones (a listing at DMOZ.org is SEO gold) but even Google Places (very quick, very simple, and your listing will pop up almost immediately) is worth it.
Your local chamber of commerce is also worth a shot. Sometimes they’ll help new businesses out and they’re often on the lookout for innovative companies to showcase. Even if you sell UK-wide, don’t neglect local resources. They’ll often go further than most to help you.
Link building is all about making friends but you can start with the friends and business partners you already have. The best strategy is usually to lay your cards on the table and just ask nicely for a link. Talk to anyone your company does business with and talk to your friends.
Sometimes it’ll work and sometimes it won’t. Don’t get discouraged. Everyone gets turned down sooner or later. It doesn’t mean your site isn’t a good one. Link building is a slow process but keep at it and you’ll get there eventually.