How to Link Build

Methods for link building include: submitting to free directories, submitting to pay directories, searching for related sites, exchanging links, writing press releases, and posting comments in forums that include a signature. Text links are preferable. Links that are buried in JavaScript or are buttons that use a Post method are useless because spiders don’t understand them. Image links don’t have anchor text associated with them, only alt tags (possibly), which probably aren’t given as much weight since alt text is not always visible to the user. Generally, you only have to worry about who you link to, and not who links to you (it is debatable whether getting a huge number of links in a short period of time will cause your site to incur a penalty). When link building, you try to get high quality links related to your site.

Submitting to Free Directories

There are hundreds of free directories. Submitting your site to them will help you marginally in improving your rankings because they are usually too general, although they will help get your site indexed. When submitting to free directories, try to include keyphrases in the title of your link, and vary the description text in different submissions. Most directories won’t let you totally keyword stuff your titles (because everyone would put the same keyphrases in their titles and it would deteriorate the quality of the directory), but they will usually allow a short descriptive phrase. Major directories such as Dmoz will only allow for an official site title (i.e. your company name). To find free directories, search for “list of free directories” in Google.

Submitting to Pay Directories

Major pay directories such as Yahoo! and Business.com, are sometimes worth submitting to just for the traffic they bring directly, regardless of the improvement they may bring to your rankings. There is evidence that search engines give reputable directories special consideration (there’s a Google patent that sometimes mentions Yahoo’s directory). To judge if a pay directory will bring direct traffic, try to determine how visible your listing is in the directory and how much traffic the directory receives.
There are other pay directories that will not bring traffic to a site directly, but will help with your rankings. Try to choose industry-related sites when paying for a link. Look at the specific page your site would be listed on, and see if it has a high Page Rank.

Search for Related Sites

There are a few methods to search for related sites. Make general queries in a search engine to bring up directories or resources that are generally related to your site’s topic, and contact the webmaster to request a link. Search for terms related to your site’s industry in conjunction with terms like “add site,” “submit resource,” “add link,” etc. Search for terms related to your site’s industry in conjunction with “inurl:links”. This will bring up sites that have link pages. The highest quality links will require a written request. A written request should discuss what you like about their site, why you want to be listed, why they should list you, and how they might link to you.

Exchanging Links

When exchanging links, be careful who you link to; stay away from link farms and bad neighborhoods. Unfocused free-for-all sites are not good places to link to. Generally, it is not a good idea to link to sites that require a reciprocal link. Try to find sites that provide useful information. Make sure the site is relevant, and make sure your link won’t be buried. As a show of good faith always add a link to your site first, then write a request for a reciprocal link. Only try for reciprocal links from related, but non-competing, sites.

Posting in Forums

Some forums will allow a “signature” to be listed in each one of your posts. A signature is a link to your site. Some forums require a certain number of posts before a signature will be listed. Some forums will allow a signature, but it is made invisible to search engines. Find related forums, create a user in forums that appear to allow signatures, and make posts.

The Best Way

If your site truly has unique content or is considered authoritative, other sites will often link to it naturally. This is the best way to get links.