Getting relevant links to your website—and strategically managing these links—is formally known as Off-Site Search Engine Optimization.
Each link to your website strengthens your reputation as a trusted source of information. We promote your website by building links from a diverse array of websites trusted by search engines, thereby making your site look more valuable.
Search engines rate links on their relevance, importance, and prominence. Each factor earns you “points” based on the quality of the link. Still, it’s often difficult to grasp that these external factors out of your immediate control hold more weight than on-site factors that you do control.
Outlined below are a few fundamentals and tips about off-site optimization:
- The importance of linking emerged from Google’s PageRank system. This program decides and rates which websites are important. Google measures a link on a scale from one to ten; the number assigned to your site is called your PageRank. The higher a site’s PageRank, the greater a value a link from the site provides.
- The bases for PageRank is finding out how many websites are linking to the site. A website that has 1,000 links that point to it is likely to be considered as more important, than a website with just 50 links pointing to it.
- Great content is not enough. You have to market your content so that other sites want to direct people to your site.
- Although inbound links add value and increase your ranking, there are a few exceptions. Links from irrelevant web pages are of no service, and may even compromise your ranking.
- Off-site optimization is a long-term process—results do not sprout overnight. It is a long term engagement. Avoid going after services that promise you nearly immediate results.
Some common tactics are link exchanges, directory submissions, forum signatures, online profiles and social media. Not all of these tactics are created equal; a company has to be very careful in selecting its “linking” tactics. Let’s look at these popular tactics more closely.
Link exchange
Since you are not the only website that looks to increase its ranking, why not contact other websites and offer them a two-way link exchange? One-way links pointing to your site are more valuable than two-way links, but still can be a great start.
Use Google or other business directories to find sites that complement yours. When you find some, send them a professional email and request a link exchange. Target smaller niche sites with content relevant to yours, but that are not yet well-established. Large portals might be reluctant to work with you.
Directory submission
Submit your website to each relevant directory. Start with such directories as Google, Yahoo, and MSN, and then pursue small, industry-specific directories.
Forum signatures
A good marketing strategy is to read other peoples’ blogs, participate in forums, and answer questions on discussion boards. Leave comments prudently. If you just post a link to your site, forums might automatically delete the post.
Online Profiles
First of all, create a profile for your company and for each member of your team on major social networks and platforms. Here are a few to join: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Meet-Up, Bebo, Plaxo, Ning, Blogger, Twitter, WordPress, and Google Profiles. Find communities with the same subject as your own. When you participate in discussions on those networks, include your web address in your signature and list your website on your profile.
Social Media
As social media consultants, we strongly believe in Social Media Optimization, a newer advancement in online marketing. The concept of SMO is congruent with SEO: promote your site across blogs and social media networks, hence building links from social media sites to your site.
Next Steps:
Our goal is to generate maximum organic traffic to your site and help convert your visitors to your customers. Are you ready to have us start optimizing your site? Give us a call at 513-373-4216 or complete this form to contact us.
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