Link to Web Sites

You can increase your search engine ranking by linking to other web sites that are on the same topic (or a similar one) as your web site.  The two best ways to find sites to link with are:

1. Find web sites similar to yours and see what web sites are linking to them.  Try to get the sites linking to those sites to link to you.

To find out what sites link to other sites you will need the Google Toolbar.  You can find it here. 

Once you install it, you can see all the sites that link to a particular web site. 

For example, let's say you have a web site that sells books on tape.  Here are the steps you would take:

• Go to Google

• Type in Books on Tape.  This will bring up a list of web sites that pertain to Books on Tape.

• Click on a site you see listed.

• On the Google toolbar, click on Page Info, then Backward links.  This will bring up all the web sites that link to that particular web site. 

• Go through those listings and click on each one. 

• If any look like they accept submissions from outside web sites then either follow their submission process or send a very nice polite e-mail to the webmaster of the site asking if he would like to exchange links.  This means you will put his link on your site and he will put your link on his site. (It's a good idea to have a related links page on your site so that you can put these links on.

This doesn't work all the time, but when it does it can really help you.

Tip:  Do NOT link to any site that doesn't have a Page Ranking (this is visible in the Page Rank bar next to Page Info on the Google toolbar.)  The more green on the page rank bar, the better.  Don't swap with anyone who doesn't have any green.  They may have been banned by Google and if you swap links with them you could get banned too. 

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2.  Directories.  A good way to build up your links is to find directories on your topic and try to get listed there.  For example, if you sell books on tape you can try to get listed in almost every directory there is since there is an unlimited number of books.  For example, you could create a web page that specifically lists romance novels.  You could look for Romance Directories and try to list the web page there. You could do the same for mysteries, travel, etc. 

The more links you can get the better. 

Warning:  not all links are the same.  Don't waste your time or energy listing your site with places that offer to list your web site on thousands of web pages.  As far as most search engines go those links are completely worthless.  Besides that, you will most likely get inundated with spam from these places.  Your best bet is to try to get links with sites on topics related to yours.