The Problem
No matter how good your product or service is, if
you are not receiving targeted visitors to your site
or if your web site is not well ranked by the Search
engines you will not sell much.
A solid, reciprocal linking strategy, properly executed
will deliver both targeted visitors and improve your
web site rank for your chosen keywords and all for
"no money down."
Step #1 - Specific Keyword Search
It is important that your chosen keyword phrases are
as specific as possible.
Scott Buresh of http://www.mediumblue.com/ says this
about keywords and using "geographic", "adjective"
and "noun" modifiers to make them specific.
"Modifiers are used for two main reasons: to
increase the percentage of ideal prospects in the
traffic the phrase attracts, and to find terms that
are easier to target on search engines. Adding the
right type of modifiers to your search engine key
phrases will increase your chances of success."
This step involves effort and a capacity to brainstorm
because you need a minimum of 100 keyword phrases
for good results. Good search engine optimisers build
lists of 300 specific or more keyword phrases.
The following resources will be of use as you build
your keyword phrase list
* Overture Suggestion Tool - http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
* Good Keywords by Softnik Technologies - http://www.goodkeywords.com
* Use a search engine to research "Keyword Phrases"
and learn more practical details on this critical
task.
Step #2 - Suitable Link Partners
Your ideal link partners are web sites based on
* High quality content - Ideally the material (articles,
reviews, reports, e-books etc) should be original,
fresh and informative to visitors.
* Tight web site themes - The content addresses a
specific business, product or service type.
* Tight directory themes - A link to the link directory
should be prominently shown on main pages and the
directory must be tightly themed and not just a "link
farm" of general, non-related web sites.
* Complimentary themes - While you may not want direct
competitors to feature in your directory, complimentary
sites that fulfil the above features will provide
great value to your visitors.
Step # 3 - Find and Review Link Partners
Now, find web sites who may be "good" link
partners.
Using a search engine or directory, go through each
keyword phrase in your list and visit as many of the
web sites that are returned as you can.
Evaluate each site on the basis of the criteria set
in step #2.
Decide on the categories you want in your directory.
For an Internet marketing business these would typically
be "Affiliate Programs", "Business
Promotion", "Income Opportunities"
an so on.
Qualifying web sites, may of course fall into more
than one category depending on their business, product
or service offerings.
With this information you can now make another list
of :
* Qualifying web sites for inclusion. * Relevant e-mail
address to which link requests must be addressed.
* Web site URL and a short description of the web
site and what it offers.
* Make a note of "special" features on the
web site which you can usefully put in your e-mail
to *prove* you have actually visited the site. This
goes a long way to countering SPAM problems.
Step # 4 - Build Your Partner Link Directory.
Build your Partner Link's directory using a separate
HTML page for each distinct category.
Add the URL link and comment for each qualified site
into the relevant category page(s).
Make your directory pleasurable to visit, where visitors
find information quickly and easily.
Ensure ithe directory is easily found and reached
from your main web pages.
Step 5 - e-Mail The Webmaster
Using the e-mail addresses, write to each Webmaster
you have linked to.
Tell them :
* The URL address of the page where their link can
be found
* Your own web site link information (URL and descriptive
comments)
Finish by asking for a reciprocal link in their directory.
Make the e-mail personal and you might like to use
the *special* feature note you made to help your request
achieve success.
Step #6 - Maintain Your Directory
A partner directory is a work in constant progress.
It must change quickly to reflect obsolete, dead,
new, and modified links and web sites.
This maintains it's usefulness to your visitors.
Depending on size, verifying the links may be more
than you can achieve easily by your own efforts. Offer
prizes to visitors who find and inform you of links
that are no longer useful.
Maintenance also means giving added prominence to
entries for other webmasters who respond to your mail
and tell you that they have added your link and web
site information to their own directories.
You can add a small graphic next to each Partner link
making it stand out from the other web sites that
have not provided a reciprocal links.
Remember your directory exists to provide useful content
to your visitors. Do not immediately remove a non
reciprocating web site, if it adds value to your visitors.
Step #7 - Repeat
Go through the six steps above regularly and over
a period of 3 to 6 months you should notice a significant
and sustained rise in targeted traffic from complimentary
sites as well as a rise in search engine rankings
for your specific keyword phrases.
Conclusion
Building a useful, tightly themed, Partner Link directory
is a "No cost" traffic and ranking builder.
Will you devote 15 minutes to this today, and into
the future ?
(c) 2004 Charles Kangethe
About The Author
Charles Kangethe of http://www.simplyeasier.com is
a leading new wave Netpreneur and a published author
from England. The "Simply Easier" brand
name is your guarantee of high value, quality Marketing
Products, Services and Resources.
charles@simplyeasier.com
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