Link Exchange Q and A

Here are some of the most common questions webmasters have when the topic refers to incoming links and link exchanges: Q: How many links do I need to rank high in the search engines? A: This is a tricky question that cannot get a definite answer. If your website is dedicated to some deep ocean bacteria with a very long and strange name, chances are that you can rank first on Google with only a couple of links. On the other hand, if your website is dedicated to losing weight, chances are you will need thousands upon thousands of high quality links to even get a chance to rank high on such a competitive topic. Q: Which is better – manual or automated link exchange? A: Before automated link exchange directories started offering complete control over link exchange parameters and partners, manual exchanges were better. Today, however, there are websites offering unprecedented control and flexibility over how to conduct your link exchange campaign. Automated link exchanges are the top choice. A great resource to start linking to other websites is: o http://www.MyLinkMachine.com Q: How can I get even more links to my website? A: Design a visually appealing website and fill it with interesting and unique content – this will trigger a good response from fellow webmasters and they will be more open to link exchanges. Q: What’s all the hype about when it comes to getting high PageRank website links? A: PageRank (or PR) is the algorithm used by Google to rank websites. If your website receives a link from a high PR page, your website will also become more popular. Since Google is the leading search engine at the moment and all the other Search Engines are using relatively similar algorithms, PR is a good indication on how well a website is doing on all the major search engines. Q: What’s the difference between one-way links and reciprocal links? A: One way links are considered to be more valuable than reciprocal links, but they are also much harder to get. Search engines use both one way and reciprocal links to determine where your website will appear in a search, so it’s important to run link campaigns that aim for receiving both kinds of links. Q: I hear that link anchor text is important. Why? A: The anchor text is basically the series of words that will become hyperlinked when you insert an HTML link code into a webpage. Anchor text is important because it allows you to insert keywords and key phrases in the link anchor, thus increasing the popularity of the web page the link is pointing to. Q: Apart from link exchanges, what other things should I do to get more traffic? A: Link exchanges are just part of the online promotion strategy. You will also need unique content and you will have to keep your website updated. The site navigation should also be intuitive and the graphics should be visually pleasant but not too demanding and slow-loading. Press releases, article submissions, contributions to other websites – these are all things that will gradually help you increase traffic numbers. A great resource for article submissions is: o http://www.MyContentBuilder.com Article submission can be tedious, which is why you may want to consider an automatic article submitter. It will submit one article to over 30 directories in half an hour. To watch a video on how to accomplish this, go to: o http://1trac.com/dt/t/Article_Submitter_Video.php

The Importance of Anchor Text Keywords

While any webmaster knows that doing some link exchanges will bring more visitors on their site, few people know how to use the full potential of a link exchange campaign to boost their website popularity. One of the key elements that determines web page rankings is the number of high quality links pointing towards that page. Combined with the keyword density of that particular page, these factors will determine where your web page appears when a search is initiated. Let’s say you have a website on wood carving. Now, one of your pages is dedicated to wood carving tools, which is also the key phrase you optimized the page for. A good keyword density is not enough, however, and if you want to tank high you need to get as many incoming links pointing towards that specific page as possible. While links pointing towards your domain name are valuable, you actually need to get links pointing towards that particular page in order to get the best results. Anchor keywords The anchor text is the one that you can insert in an HTML code so that your link is actually a series of keywords or a keyword-rich phrase. The importance of anchor text keywords is high because it tells the search engines that the page the link is pointing at is focused on the topic described by the keywords. Here is how the HTML code for a link looks like: Keyword Rich Description In the case of the wood carving site example, the link for the specific tools page should look something like this: Wood Carving Tools The web browsers will only display the link anchor text, so the phrase “Wood Carving Tools” will become underlined and hyperlinked. Where to use anchor text? Everywhere! When you are doing link exchanges, when you are posting on blogs, forums or groups. When you are creating your website description, when you are sending articles to ezines and directories. For example, if you plan to send a few articles for submission to a directory, you should try to include keyword rich anchor text links in the resource box. By doing so, you ensure a much better chance for ranking high on particular keywords. Always remember to use a keyword rich phrase in links that allow HTML, instead of the classic http://www.yoursite.com. It also helps if you use variation in the keyword text links. When posting on blogs, for example, try to have your links point to different pages on your site, and for each page use the main page keyword in the anchor text. This is also true for article submissions. You should submit one article to as many directories as possible, but change the link and keyword anchor text once in a while. A great source for submitting articles is: o http://www.MyContentBuilder.com Article submission can be tedious, which is why you may want to consider an automatic article submitter. It will submit one article to over 30 directories in half an hour. To watch a video on how to accomplish this, go to: o http://1trac.com/dt/t/Article_Submitter_Video.php