Search engine Optimisation Part 2 – Why Linking Does Matter!

Links, or more importantly links that come to your website (inbound links), play a significant part in the overall visibility of your website and they are a factor that you must consider when planning your search engine optimisation strategy.

Linking is important because the World Wide Web is essentially made up of hyperlinks that allow people to move quickly from one source of information to another. When considered from a business perspective, this offers a fantastic opportunity to help deliver your business objectives by linking to the appropriate websites within your market sector.

Main benefits of linking:

• Web browsers are naturally curious and they will follow links. If a website that they visit often suggests a link to consider then they are more likely to follow it, as it is possibly a link that will benefit them and it has come from a trusted source. This backs up the claim that the more quality inbound links your company has, the more potential customers will value and trust the products or services you sell on your website.

• Search engines like inbound links to websites and will potentially give your website a higher ranking and placement because of these links.

• If you are able to attract top websites in a linking exchange initiative, visitors are more likely to pay attention to your website, buy your product or digest what you have to say as they will trust the content more because of the links.

Website Linking Strategy

Link popularity refers to the number and ‘quality’ of links to your website. The top search engines - Google, Yahoo and MSN - consider quality inbound links very important as they assume that if other websites link to yours, you offer valuable content to web browsers and users.

In essence, these inbound links work similarly to client testimonials, as the more links to your website the more support you have from other companies and clients for your business. It should be noted here that search engines such as Google are striving for quality content on websites. Links that appear to add no value to a customers visit will not actively improve your search engine ranking, which is why it is so important to evaluate and think about your linking exchanges.

Like every other aspect of business development or project management, clear focus and planning must be considered when determining your linking strategy. Consider your own website, which should be content rich so that it will appeal to the person that you want to obtain a link from. What information on your website will make up part of your outbound links and how that appeal to other websites and encourage them to want to participate in a linking exchange?

In the first article, we discussed the importance of webpage optimisation and more importantly keyword research. Keyword research is important here as it will highlight a range of potentially content relevant websites that might lend themselves to your marketplace and target audience. Additionally, consider which of these websites are highly ranked by search engines such as Google.

Google does offer a tool bar (http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/toolbar/index.html) for Internet Explorer or Firefox that tells you the popularity or score of the webpage you are on. For example, the homepage score of our website, www.com-motionuk.com, is 4/10 (getting there) and looks like this.

Potentially, websites with a higher rank are valued more highly so it makes sense for you to target higher and better-ranked websites for your linking campaign. However, page rank is purely a guide and should not be the determining factor in your choice of links. If you feel that a website would add value to your visitors or customers experience on line then go for it!

Requesting Links

After you have researched and made a list of companies to approach for links it is important to consider how you will approach them. Will you email or phone?

One of the most efficient ways to request a link is first to find out who the most appropriate person in the company is to contact: i.e. the managing director or the individual who looks after the website. Thereafter, a personal email introducing you, your company and the benefits of linking to each other is key to initiate a response. People receive lots of junk email on a daily basis so doing the research first and sending a relevant personal email will more likely be looked at and responded to.

Sometimes it helps if you have already linked to their website and you can highlight this in your email to the company you are targeting.

Anchor Text

How your inbound links are made up is also important. Creating the correct ‘anchor text’ (the text that the webpage uses to link to your site) is important as this will allow search engines to pick up on popular keyword searches from someone else’s website. If we use one of our clients, Foundationz as an example, we can include anchor text that uses keywords that their customers might type in to find them.

For example, they might use keywords within their anchor text that reflect the products and services they offer as a business i.e. Afro and Black Hair Care Specialists:

Foundationz – Afro & Curly Haircare Specialists

Foundationz – Articles & Advice on Dreadlock, Afro, Curly Haircare Styles

Landing Pages

Your website’s landing pages are also important. As shown in the Foundationz example above, both of these links go to different pages on the Foundationz website (different landing pages). Each one of your web pages is potentially discussing something different and as a result, each should have different inbound and outbound links. Don’t send all your inbound links to your homepage, as your homepage will have its own theme.

Appropriate landing pages are something to consider as all of this linking activity can be measured through analytical tracking or statistics.

Summary

Having a website linking strategy can be a large undertaking and this article briefly highlights the main areas for you to consider. Most SEO firms or experts agree that link building will over time enhance your website listing in the search engines and to achieve dramatic results you need actively monitor and increase your links on an ongoing basis.

Keeping your website content up to date and changing it will add to any users visit and they will value the experience. This organic approach and linking to relevant websites can only enhance your website and attract the correct type of customer over time. As your website ages, you will build up relevant quality links from other websites that add value and keep your customers coming back for more.

Consider

• Who links to your competitors
• Who links to you
• The benefits of link building
• Why someone should link to you
• Is your website content appealing and interesting
• How will you request links
• What landing pages will have inbound links
• What anchor text will the links use

There are some great online websites with lots of free reports listed below for your consideration:

www.linkpopularity.com

www.linkingmatters.com

www.checkyourlinkpopularity.com

To find out in Google who links to you, put this in the search box – link:www.yourwebsite.co.uk

Should you wish to discuss any aspects of this article or if you would like to discuss developing a link strategy in more detail then please contact Com.Motion directly.