Search Engine Optimization:
Link Strategies
What are links, how do you get them and why do you need them?
In really basic terms, links are the words people click on to surf the Web. Technically, they are called "hyperlinks." Links are what make the Web work, and are how we find sites. When someone says their site is "listed" in Google, for instance, it means that Google has a link to their site. When you recommend another site, you put a link to it on your site so that others can visit it. When you submit your site to a directory such as Yahoo or DMOZ, you are essentially requesting a link from them.
In order for the search engines to determine which sites should show up for which search terms, part of their ranking formula is determined by how popular any given site is on the Web as a whole. One way to determine popularity is by looking at how many other sites link to a site. This is what is known as "link popularity." Google has its own name for their version of link popularity, called PageRank. Basically, a link is assumed to be a vote in favor of a site. The more votes for your site, the higher probability it will be able to rank highly when a relevant keyword search is made at the search engine.
Tip — You can find out who is linking to your site by typing this in Google search box — link:http://www.yourdomainname.com
That explains what links are, and why you need them. So how do you go about getting some for your site?
The number one way to entice people to link to your site is by having a super-terrific site that is informative, helpful and/or unique. You want people to say, "Wow, that site is awesome, I have to tell all my friends and associates about it on my site!"
Along with simply having a content rich site, you also need to get the word out about it, so that people know it exists in the first place. To do this you should submit the site's URL (domain name) to any and all of the Internet directories that exist. Directories are different from search engines, as they are human-edited, categorized online catalogs of Web sites. If your site is non-commercial, you can submit it for free to the most popular directory, Yahoo. If it's a business site, it will cost you $299 per year for a review. However, there are many other free or low-cost directories you can submit to. The Open Directory is one, and JoeAnt, GoGuides and Gimpsy are others. (Some of these directories require you to become an editor or to pay a small listing fee if yor're not an editor.)
On a final note, it can take many weeks or months to be accepted in some of these directories when you submit for free, so be patient!
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