SEO can be mainly split into two key areas, which both must be looked into if you want to get anywhere with the search engines. Firstly there is the onsite SEO, where the website is looked at from a technical perspective in terms of how ell built it is and how good the content is on it. A lot of technical people can get on these easily but struggle on the second SEO technique, which is offsite link building.
Other websites need to mention and cite yours in order for them to send you some authority. Think of it as reputation. If Google visits a site and sees they are referencing yours, they will send you some power for the keywords and themes around that link. This is the basic principle why you should link build. Posting links on Twitter and Facebook with a URL shortener might not work though, because these websites are ‘no follow’ meaning power is not passed onto the link destination. But where do good one-way links come from?
Directory submissions – There are few good articles directories nowadays, but some of them are still worth the effort. Make sure the directory you are submitting to is unique-content-rich!
Article marketing (don’t confuse with guest blogging!) – This is a broad way to get links, and includes writing of articles that you can publish on other people’s sites with your website as a link.
Blog commenting – Commenting on other people’s blog posts can be a good way to get links.Comment naturally though, by reading the post and having a good comment to say. You can drop a link in the post here or through your name when you submit the comment to be moderated.
Forum links – Similar to blog commenting, you can post your website on forums to get a little bit of power. Users on profiles will sometimes have your website as a link in their profile signature meaning your link can be seeded over a large number of pages on a website. Of course, a link should not be your priority: get involved and network! Add value to the community to avoid being called a spammer!
Homepage links – These are getting links directly on homepages of other websites on their blog roll, footer, or sponsored link section. Don’t overdo with these: homepage links make Google think you are a spammer
Social bookmarks – Join some social bookmarking websites and submit your articles, website and blog posts (don’t spam!). Submit other people’s articles as well to add value to the social network, don’t just link-drop.
Web 2.0 properties – These are like platforms you can create to put links wherever you want. Websites such as WordPress, Blogger and Squidoo are great places to make websites and pages where you can link to your site. Don’t forget a presence on Twitter and Facebook too as every little helps.
Remember a mix of anchor text when getting your links because it needs to look natural to Google. Don’ spam out your site with thousands of bad links with the same anchor text. I hope you have found some of these link sources useful, and good luck getting to page 1!
