In building a backlink strategy for your site, remember that there are different ways to get links. One of the easiest ways is to do a link exchange
A link exchange is done with a similar site, and both sites place a link to the other. Link exchanges have been penalized by search engines because of heavy spam but there still benefits to doing a link exchange, so don't be afraid to try.
Inbound one way links are, by far, the best links to get. These links are sometimes difficult to get because there is no exchange. It requires the other web site to link to you without you linking to them. Gaining one way links should rank near the top of your off-page optimization strategy.
You must get noticed to gain one way links. Gaining attention online is not much different from getting attention off-line.
To gain links, you need to provide content that is unique and original to entice other sites to link to you. Adding a blog, or forum is an excellent way to continually add new content to your static site. If you have a static web site it will be much more difficult to gain links.
Applying SEO techniques such as the above can bring great benefits. As an example if you are trying to optimize a site that sells vitamins. The first step would be researching highly ranked competitors. Use the blog or forum of the site you are analyzing to find out what the hot topics are. Typically in these community sites hot topics will draw quite a bit of traffic and comments from readers.
One method of gaining their attention is to look at the topics on their site that are creating the most commotion. After you determine the hot topic, go to your own blog and do a review of that site. In your review concentrate on the hot topic, but don't just talk about their services. Point out what they have missed, or don't have, keep in mind you want to draw their attention. The key is you're not trying to advertise for them rather you want to establish yourself as an expert.
Often, the other site will notice your review. You may need to draw their attention to it, it wont always happen automatically. One way to visualize this is to imagine that you're in a crowd of people and everyone is talking to each other. If you enter the conversation you must make sure to say something relevant. If you speak up and say something unrelated or meaningless people in the crowd will quickly dismiss you.
Here's the trick to this technique, when you comment about a site or bring up a controversial point they have to link to you to reply to your review. Remember to position yourself as an expert when you do this. Don't be rude or obnoxious, but make meaningful comments and reviews and you're bound to get noticed.
Generally, blogs track links back to the blog, so most likely if they feel something needs to be answered, they will.
After you complete your review, leave a comment on the other site, don't just leave it to fate for them to find it. Excerpt just enough of your review to get attention and peak their interest. This serves two purposes, primarily it will establish you as an expert, second their readers will follow the link from the comment to your site. The key is to do this on popular active sites. You wont benefit if the site is not active with members reading and commenting.
In time you will build links and increase traffic to your site. If you do it right you'll see the numbers jump in your traffic from other readers visiting your site to get the rest of the story.
Rob Emmerson has helped hundreds of internet marketers through his articles and eBooks, he now offers a free online Step-By-Step SEO mini-course. Mr Emmerson also writes a daily SEO Blog where he shares the latest SEO information.
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