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Ever since Google began placing importance on its Page Rank system, website
owners have been scrambling to get incoming links to their websites, usually
through the means of trading links. Incoming links are important in the Page
Rank system, because they are seen as "votes" for your site, and the
more "votes" you get, the more important your site is considered,
and the higher it is placed in Google's search results. However, if you study
the details of the Page Rank system you will find that not all incoming links
have the same weight, and that the non-reciprocal links to your site, the one's
you didn't have to trade for, are given more importance. So, website owners
should also spend some time building up these non-reciprocal links. Here are
five methods you can use in this effort.
1. Get your site listed in the major directories: The two most important directories
at the present moment are Yahoo and the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org).
Yahoo is the old stalwart of the Internet and despite the rise of Google, the
addition of a hefty $299 fee, and changes in the way they display their listings,
a link to your site from Yahoo's main directory (and it's regional variants)
can boost the standing of your website much more than a few links from an obscure
website.
The other major directory, the Open Directory Project is free of charge and
is edited by volunteers. It is sometimes difficult to get a listing because
they scrutinize listings and do not list sites that don't offer original content.
If your site consists only of affiliate links, then the editors will reject
your application. In addition the volunteer editors have been unable to keep
pace with the amount of sites to be reviewed and they can take months to process
your entry. Compounding the problem are technical glitches which sometimes make
it difficult to even submit the form. Despite the problems inclusion here is
well worth your effort, and you should persist. Inclusion in both Yahoo and
the Open Directory Project can mean the difference between a "page one"
or a "page five" showing for your site in search results, especially
in competitive categories.
2. Get your site listed in directories relevant to your particular product
or service: There are many resource directories that serve particular areas
of interest. If you offer software that would be helpful to webmasters, for
example, then do a search for webmaster resource directories and you will find
sites where you can add your URL. Do you have a hotel? Then, find travel directories,
and apply to be listed. You will have to spend time, but once again persistence
will pay off, not only in improvement of your page rank but listing in specific
industry or product oriented directories will bring you targeted traffic-people
particularly interested in what you have to offer.
3. Write articles for Publication on Other Web Sites: There are millions of
websites on the web, and many are hungry for quality content. As you have published
your own website and have something to offer, that makes you an "expert"
in your particular field. Use this expertise to write simple, but useful articles
in your field and send these to other webmasters. If they publish your article,
they will include your "resource box" with a link back to your site.
The link will once again boost your Page Rank, but just as importantly, it will
establish you as an authority in your field and will help "brand"
your product or service. You don't have to write to hundreds of webmasters individually
to get your article published, go to www.yahoogroups.com and do a search for
"Internet Articles Publishing" and you will find many groups that
will enable you to reach webmasters looking for articles.
4. Get Your Product or Service Reviewed by other Websites: Have you published
an e-book or written software? Then offer a free copy to websites whose themes
are similar to yours. If they write and publish a review, then you will get
a link back to your site. In addition, you can publish their reviews on your
own site, which will add a lot of weight to your own claims about the validity
of your product or service. Look around for sites in your field and make your
offer. In the process you will also build potentially important alliances.
5. Beef up the Content on Your Own Site: the original concept behind the Page
Rank system was to try to highlight the websites that are really valuable, and
offer something unique to the Internet. If you publish an Internet version of
your company brochure, no one is going to link to you unilaterally. However,
if your site is filled with interesting articles, reports, data and reference
material then you will get links without even asking for them. You can add content
to your site, by writing and publishing your own articles, the same ones that
you will offer to other sites, as well as by publishing the articles of others.
Once again, the article publishing groups at www.yahoo.com or sites such as
www.articlecity.com will provide you with a wealth of material.
If you apply some of these methods you will not only get some high-quality
non-reciprocal links but you will also boost the quality of your website in
the process.
Donald Nelson is a web developer, editor and social worker. He has been working
on the Internet since 1995, and is currently the director of A1-Optimization
(www.a1-optimization.com), a firm providing low-cost search engine optimization,
submission and Internet marketing services. You can subscribe to his monthly
newsletter, A1-Web Promotion Tips, by sending an e-mail to subscribe@a1-optimization.com |
