So now that we have gone over the basic function of inbound links, you may be wondering just how to get them. After all, if they are kind of like a gift, how can you get lots of the right people to give you these gifts. Do you demand them? Do you make friends and send out invites to your birthday party, hoping they will give the gift that you really, really want? What do you do?

There was a time when anyone asked everyone to link to their site. But now that we as an internet-crazed society have become a little more sophisticated, it is less acceptable to make these requests without some consideration.

 It doesn’t hurt to ask (the right people)

Ask someone to link to your site after you have done your homework and know that they have a quality website. You may not want to link to a direct competitor, but rather someone whose site is related to yours, although maybe not directly. If you already are friendly, ask. If you do not know the people behind the website, then maybe it is time to pick up the phone. Yes, we are all very tech-savvy, but as one internet marketing guru advises, you probably need to state your case first. After all, the other company’s reputation is on the line. And inbound link is in many ways, an endorsement. People are not likely to endorse you if you and your company are unknown to them.

A little flattery never hurt either

Another strategy for getting inbound links is to use flattery. When you have researched certain sites and know that you might benefit from being linked to them, link to those site yourself. Mention them in a blog post you are doing or highlight an article about them in a Twitter update. To give is to receive and they will often be so flattered (and grateful) for the publicity that they will link right back to you. Now this is not guaranteed to work. Even if the company does not return the favor, you still look generous because you are willing to share the spotlight.

These tactics work for garnering a few inbound links here and there, but if you are looking for volume, you will likely need to get some backup. Let Increase Visibility do some of this heavy lifting for you. We are a happy to research websites that are complementary to yours. Our experienced team may find companies in fields or areas that you never even considered.

When we talk about doing all you can to reach as many customers as possible, we are talking about marketing and the efforts that you make to reach out to people. You have to have good, quality content on your website and blog and make sure that your Twitter updates are giving out a good mix of information as well. However, there is another way that you can increase your visibility online that involves not giving, but receiving–and that is through inbound links.

Here is how they work: An inbound link describes one kind of hyperlink that can be inbound or outbound, depending on whether you are the giver or recipient. If you are the recipient of a link (in other words, someone links to your site), then it is an inbound link. On the other hand, if you are the person linking to someone else’s website, then you are the giver and the link is outbound. When someone else links to your site, then are possible sending people away from their own site, so in a way an inbound link is a gift.

There was a time when links were one of the few ways that people could find their way around the internet. When there were no search engines to accept even the most specific queries, it was very necessary that other websites point internet users your way.

You definitely want inbound links from reputable sites coming into your website. Some will say that these links are not as important as they used to be, but this is really not the case. True, we do not rely on inbound links the way we did before there were search engines, but they are still vital to a successful internet marketing campaign. Now inbound links work two ways: they (of course) bring more web users to your site and at the same time they that this is happening, your search engine rankings improve. So as you can see, quality inbound links are a win-win.

It takes A LOT of inbound links to really get your website noticed, but this is only one tactic that you can use. Still, you probably do not have the time to forge relationships that ensure that your site has a steady flow of inbound links. That is okay because that is why Increase Visibility is here. Let us do that work for you. Call us today at 877 SEO ADVICE (877-736-2384).

And come back on Thursday to read more about inbound links and how to get them.

Adding a blog to your internet marketing arsenal is an excellent way to improve search engine placement. Blogging provides you with another opportunity to attract search engine spiders that will direct traffic to your blog. By adding keyword-dense links to your blog that point directly to your website, you channel more traffic to your website via direct linking while at the same time creating the kind of focused links that search engines gobble up, further improving the search engine ranking of your website. It’s a power play that provides dual benefits.

Links come in all flavors. Some will “taste” better to search engines than others. Outbound links are links you provide in your blog that point to other sites. Often they link to a source site for a news item or quote. Their purpose is to provide helpful additional information to your readers. Inbound links (also called back links) originate from other sites and point to your blog. Google search spiders appear to have an appetite for Inbound links, and many people believe that the more inbound links you have, the better your Google ranking. 

Creating outbound links isn’t hard because you’re doing the linking. Getting other sites to link back to your site is harder because you have to rely on the generosity of others. Probably the fastest way to attract inbound links is by submitting your blog to web directories. Directories are like an internet phone book that lists websites and blogs. By listing your site on a directory, an inbound link from the directory to your site is created. But the real value lies in alerting other bloggers and web writers to your existence. Bloggers use directories as a source when looking for information on a topic they are writing about.

You can use directories to find likely sites for reciprocal linking which can be used to create a wealth of inbound links to your blog. In reciprocal linking, you agree to link to another party’s blog and they link back to yours. While this sounds like a win-win scenario, it can be a dud if you choose reciprocal linking sites unwisely.

Before implementing a reciprocal link, check out the quality of the blog. It should offer plenty of fresh content that supports or augments the content in your own blog. The more relevant a reciprocal link, the more good it does you in search engine placement. One way to judge a potential reciprocal site is by its page rank. A good ranking indicates the link will provide positive value to your site.

 Why are links important? Most search engines including Google regard important and relevant links as a primary factor for determining the value of your site and therefore the organic or no paid placement ranking of your website for specific keywords.  

The search engines look at the number of important, authoritative websites which link to your site. If websites with high search engine rankings, for your topic, link to your web pages your search engine rankings will soar. Google has concluded that if important websites are linking to another website that particular website must be offering valuable content and should be rewarded.  

Fill your website with plenty of information dense content that offers unique and insightful information. Keep adding fresh, quality content to the site to increase the chances of acquiring new inbound links. 

Instead of waiting and hoping that high ranked, relevant websites link to your web pages become active in link building. Placing articles, which include links back to your site, at popular information sites such as Ezine syndication service sites, is an easy procedure. Placing links in press releases is another effective strategy to get attention and traffic. Link building with social bookmarks, relevant directories and popular social media sites can also work to your benefit. 

One of the most important factors when creating links is placing the same keyword phrase in the anchor text that is used on the web page that is being linked to.  

If you have an established site, be careful and don’t add too many new links each month as search engines may determine your website has an unnatural increased link popularity and that’s a red flag which could causes your organic ranking to plummet. 

Relevant links can help keep your search engine ranking steady and bring traffic from other sites. Link building is a continual process that you should invest your time in doing.

Acquiring reciprocal links with websites with the same theme as your site will increase your site’s link popularity and is a very effective strategy to improving your search engine ranking.  Another bonus of reciprocal linking is an increase in direct traffic from other websites that link to you.  

Effective reciprocal links building takes time, expertise, and research. Also effective reciprocal link building requires contacting the appropriate webmasters and website owners. With the use of reciprocal link building, Increase Visibility has been significantly improving website rankings for clients. A top-notch and effective reciprocal link building program leads to first page search engine rankings.