| Promote Your Website - Link Popularity | | | | the page. |
| | | | To check out your site's Page rank, download the |
| What is link popularity? | | | | Google Toolbar from and install. After that, go to |
| The quantity of links in different websites pointing to | | | | your website. On the tool bar, you will see the rank |
| your sites is called link popularity of your website. | | | | of your index page in a scale of 0 to 10. The rating is |
| The more popular is your site the more links you get | | | | considered good if it is five or more. |
| from other websites and vice versa. | | | | Make sure, while exchanging links you select the |
| Why is it so important? | | | | websites that have page rank no less than yours. |
| Links from high traffic websites furnish you with | | | | How to find the websites that you should swap links |
| constant stream of visitors. Other website marketing | | | | with? |
| efforts i.e. email marketing, might give good influx of | | | | The easiest way is to check out the backward links |
| visitors while the campaign lasts but the quantity | | | | to the website of your most prominent Internet |
| diminishes once the campaign is over. Links are a | | | | based competitor or industry leader of your field. |
| different story! Once a link is installed, it might start | | | | Other option is to run a search based on the most |
| bringing a steady flow of visitors all the time, | | | | relevant keywords to your website and check out |
| depending on the website where the link was placed. | | | | backward links to the first ten websites. |
| Link popularity is also crucial to search engine ranking | | | | In the search box of Google, Altavista and |
| of your website. Search engines, especially Google, | | | | AllTheWeb type link: and then the URL of the site to |
| claim that link popularity is one of the key factors | | | | view all the sites that have backward links to this |
| that they consider in their search algorithm while | | | | site. Visit these sites to find the best one to |
| indexing a website. What would be the rank of a | | | | exchange links and then contact them with a nice |
| website in a search result depend on its link popularity | | | | email. |
| in a very big way. | | | | I will also suggest you to check out the number of |
| So, how can you conduct an effective link popularity | | | | visitors the site receives before offering a link swap. |
| development campaign and build traffic for your | | | | The tool that will help you figuring out the quantity of |
| website? | | | | traffic a site gets, you can download from by clicking |
| Content is the king | | | | on the button "Free Tool Bar". This is also a very |
| Prior to start a link popularity campaign, you should | | | | good tool to analyze web traffic. The tool also |
| seriously question yourself, what would be the | | | | shows which other similar sites people tend to visit |
| reason for the other sites to post a link pointing to | | | | alongside with the site that you are viewing now. |
| your website? Most high traffic sites are quite picky | | | | If a site gets significantly less visitors than yours, |
| about putting links, and won't do it without any | | | | what is the point of having a link form that site? |
| apparent reason. | | | | While looking for websites to swap links, don't forget |
| If your site boasts quality content that the visitors of | | | | about your partners, suppliers and buyers. These |
| other sites might find valuable, chances are there | | | | sites are capable of bringing major traffic and are |
| that those sites would be interested in posting a link | | | | indeed relevant to your site's subject matter! |
| of your site on their relevant web pages. High quality | | | | Your link popularity campaign should also include the |
| content that gets updated regularly will definitely help | | | | following methods. However, mind it, these |
| you getting more links and subsequently more | | | | techniques require tedious work from your side. |
| visitors. If even you are just a web store, you can | | | | Issue Press Releases |
| still add much sought-after content to your site, such | | | | Press releases are a good way of exposing your |
| as, detail product information, articles related to the | | | | website to mass and increase your link popularity. |
| specific products, comparison tables, etc. | | | | Whenever you are coming up with a new product or |
| If it is really difficult to get relevant content for your | | | | service, overhauling your website, adding new |
| website, try getting a valuable tool that might be | | | | elements to your site or conducting a seminar, etc. |
| interesting for visitors and incorporate it to your | | | | you should issue a press release. It is also a very |
| website. You must have noticed that free search | | | | cost effective method of getting publicity for your |
| engine submission forms are common on Search | | | | site. To broadcast your press release you can use |
| Engine Optimization sites. Giveaways like e-books, | | | | one of the free media release sites: |
| white papers, articles and other freebies are also | | | | Write Articles |
| good for creating interest to a website. | | | | If you are dedicated to popularize your website, you |
| Submit website to various directories | | | | must have substantial knowledge of the subject |
| When your new website is up and running, first thing | | | | related to your website. Why not, write articles on |
| you should do is to submit your site to many search | | | | your subjects of expertise and circulate them on the |
| directories such as, Yahoo!, DMOZ etc. available on | | | | Internet and post on your website? Apart from this |
| the Internet. Not only, this will help you get quality | | | | will add good content to your website, if other |
| backward links to your site, this is also the fastest | | | | websites and newsletters publish your articles, you |
| method for your site to get crawled by search | | | | will get free publicity and increase your link popularity. |
| engines spiders and get indexed by them. | | | | Build an Affiliate Program |
| Don't underestimate the value of the many regional | | | | If you sell a product or service through your website, |
| and industry specific directories. Try submitting your | | | | you should seriously consider developing an affiliate |
| site as many as possible relevant local directories. | | | | program for your site. An affiliate program is when a |
| Examples of these directories are municipal business | | | | visitor from your affiliate's site comes to your site |
| directory, local chamber of commerce directory etc. | | | | using the link that you provided to the affiliate and |
| If you are a seller of, for example, metal related | | | | buy something; the affiliate will get a commission |
| products; get your site enlisted in as many metal | | | | from you. The affiliate program can expand your |
| industry associated directories as you can manage. | | | | business substantially. Since your affiliates require |
| Get reciprocal links | | | | posting your links on their sites, this increases your |
| Since backward links are so important, building link | | | | link popularity as well. |
| popularity by exchanging links with other websites | | | | Participate in Discussion Groups and Forums |
| should be a priority in your online marketing effort. | | | | This is also a great way of increasing your link |
| Which are the websites that you should consider to | | | | popularity. There are literally thousands of discussion |
| get backward links to your website? Your objective | | | | groups and forums on every conceivable subject on |
| should be - not just having any backward link from | | | | the Internet. You should actively participate in some |
| any site, the sites that you are getting reciprocal link | | | | of them, those which are most relevant to your area |
| has to be relevant to the content of your website | | | | of expertise. The signature along with your website |
| as well. First of all, if you get a link from a website | | | | address that you post there while asking a question |
| which has nothing in common with your site, you, | | | | or answering to a question also boosts your link |
| most probably, will not receive any traffic from that | | | | popularity. |
| site. The second and most important issue is - the | | | | Link Exchange Programs |
| search engines, while calculating your website's rank in | | | | You can also participate one of the link swap |
| a specific keyword search result, consider, mainly, the | | | | programs available on the Internet. Unfortunately, |
| backward links which are relevant to your site. | | | | most of the automated link exchange offers that |
| Search engine Google uses a unique Page rank | | | | you receive through them are random and irrelevant |
| system to determine how relevant your website is. | | | | to your site. But, however, I would suggest you to |
| Your site's Page Rank depends on backward links to | | | | give them a try, as chances are there that you still |
| your site. However, if the page from where your | | | | might receive some good offers. You can also |
| website gets the backward link has more outbound | | | | actively search for sites to swap links in their |
| links then incoming ones, the value of this link gets | | | | directories. |
| reduced. A link to your site will have the biggest | | | | Development of link popularity is an on going process. |
| impact on your Page rank: | | | | You have to work on this constantly. But, the |
| • If the page itself has a good page rank. | | | | outcome that you might achieve from your endeavor |
| • There are very few outbound links from | | | | also could be significant. |