The two primary ways you will get increased web traffic are through links pointing to your website and improved search engine rankings—which can be obtained in part through lots of high-quality links. While there are dozens of ways to bring new links to your site, not all of them will be equally fruitful, and some will require much more time and patience. The trick is to find the most efficient mix of link building methods rather than focusing entirely on one method.
What Are the Most Efficient Ways to Build Links?
Of the many ways to create beneficial links to your website, the top honors go to article submission, directory submission, blog commenting, guest blogging and social bookmarking. Further down the list are link exchanging, buying links and the less-than-ethical black hat techniques and link baiting. The core principles of a successful link building campaign include structure as well as planning and tracking.
What Link Building Techniques Will Get Your Site Penalized?
Always treat link building with caution and respect, and realize that it is a gradual process which can render dynamic results if you persevere. On the flip side, there are some types of link building which can undo all your good work, nearly in one fell swoop. First and foremost, avoid building your link base through purchasing links, primarily because Google forbids it and will probably slap you with a penalty. Competitors can now report you for purchasing links through Google’s reporting tool, getting your site penalized or even banned. Google’s latest algorithm is much smarter at detecting paid links and even if you don’t get caught, paid links are hardly a long-term solution to bumping your site up the ranks.
Directory Link Building and Link Exchanges
While some still advocate using web directories for posting links, others believe they are outdated, and, frankly, not that useful. While you may use web directories in the beginning, try not to rely on this as your sole means of link building. Link exchanges, while potentially very beneficial, are not as favored as they once were. Just remember that exchanging links with sites which are as far down the ladder as you are is unlikely to offer any benefit to your site.
Strive for Multiple and Diverse Sources of Links
The more sources you have for your website’s links, the “safer” you are should some of them stop working in the future. You also don’t want Google to see that every one of your links come from the same few domains. A steady flow of fresh links is what you are aiming for to grow your visitor base and prove that your content is in high demand. Though it sounds tedious and time consuming—and likely will be—track your link results closely to avoid wasting your time and money on techniques which are not successful. Keep the best, cut the rest loose.
Focus on Anchor Text
The value of anchor text was originally largely ignored, but has gained popularity due to its success in increasing site ranking. Although Google’s latest algorithm has made anchor text somewhat less effective, it is still considered a time-honored way to create a successful link-building campaign. When you create links to your anchor text, you are effectively building backlinks for your most desired keywords as well as increasing the credibility of your site. The page which is pointed to by the anchor text is believed to be significantly relevant to most search engines as they not only consider the linked page, but also the page containing the anchor text.
Rather than jump in to link building for your website without any forethought, a well-planned out link building campaign with continuous tracking can ensure your website becomes one of quality and success.
