Author Archive
Link Building Strategies
Posted by Rachel Kuptz in Link Building on July 8th, 2009
Directories: Large directories like DMOZ and Yahoo! Directories may not drive major traffic to your site, but they can help in making sure that your site is found by the search engines faster. Niche directories related to your field, or directories that rank for keywords that you want to rank for, should also be considered. You can use a free tool like SoloSEO to find directories that are relevant to your niche or keyword.
Submit Press Releases: While there is the method of uploading press releases to premier distribution channels, then there’s the SEO process of distributing to paid distribution sites. When partnered with a pitching strategy, paid distribution sites are great for getting media attention, but it’s the free distribution sites that will help you earn some backlinks. If you usually submit your press releases to the paid distribution channels, take a few minutes each month to also distribute them to the free press release distribution sites.
Article Submission: Article marketing might consist of submitting articles to directories, social media sites, or even guest blogging or writing an exclusive feature article for another site. By submitting your articles to a variety of sites, you expand your traffic base and receive backlinks from relevant sites. Sites like Ezine Articles and Hub Pages are great when you have unique content to distribute, but also consider re-writing one of your popular blog posts and submitting to a site like Unique Article Wizard. Your article will be distributed to hundreds of sites depending on the topic, and a large percentage of those sites will give you a one-way link back.
Take Advantage of Social Networking Profile Creation: Creating social media profiles can be a quick way to earn backlinks. Some of the social media sites will give you a dofollow backlink to your site, while others aren’t so generous, although the traffic you get could still be worth it. Check out a site like KnowEm for an extensive list of social media sites that allow profile creation.
Comment On Blogs and Forums: Finding a blog that will follow your comment can be a task in its own, but blog commenting is still a great way to receive links, especially if you are commenting on relevant sites. While a software blogger commenting on a food site mightnot make sense, commenting on blogs in your industry does. Forums generally follow backlinks via the signature field and are a great way to earn additional links.
Exchange Links: While reciprocal links are often discouraged as a link building technique, they can still make up a small portion of your link building strategy - just don’t depend on it for your entire link building strategy. Get reciprocal links from vendors and partners that you do business with, friends and family with web sites, directories and sites that offer a reciprocal exchange, or by emailing sites you’d like to appear on, asking them for a reciprocal link. Try a tool like Link Assistant to locate reciprocal linking partners and to monitor your link popularity over time.
Contact Relevant Web Sites: If your web site might be relevant to another target market, email the webmaster of the site explaining who you are, what your request is, and how it would benefit them. Don’t send blanket emails though - make sure to thoroughly research the website, find out their needs, and then pitch accordingly.
Write For Link Bait: Like article marketing, link bait consists of writing an article or blog, but instead of submitting to a variety of sites, you’ll keep this on your own web site. With link bait, you’re looking to write an article that will spike the interest of your industry peers, social media sites, or verticals that you’re interested in entering. Link bait articles aren’t always planned - a blog post that took you 10 minutes to write may end up driving thousands of visitors to your web site, while a post that took you hours of research and time may not get a single view. Posts that tend to get the most links and views offer a different viewpoint to a common issue or problem, describe how to do something (a 101 posts of sorts), are top 10/number posts or roundups of a popular topic, consist of breaking news or trends, or even just supply a picture, humor, or thought on something that is unique to your industry.
Link Building Using Press Releases
Posted by Rachel Kuptz in SEO on May 1st, 2009
Include Keywords Within The Press Release Once you’ve identified a keyword, write out a rough draft of your press releases, making sure to include the keyword throughout your release. The keyword should be included, at minimum, in the header of your press releases, one to three times in the body of the release, and at least once in the “About” section of your press releases.
Hyperlink Keywords To Relevant Pages On Your Site For press releases services that allow you to include hyperlinks within the release, make sure to hyperlink from the keyword you identified instead of using non-optimized keywords like “click here.” While not all press releasess services allow html or hyperlinking, most will allow you to at least include a link back to your site in a resource or contact box, or once in the “about” section.
Consider Paying For The Upgrade Option If presented with the opportunity to upgrade, in most cases, do so. Upgrades generally offer you the opportunity to specify the anchor text of a hyperlink or in some cases, include a hyperlink that a free package doesn’t allow. Not all upgrades are created equally, though. Consider the page rank, traffic volume, trust factors, and cost when determining whether to upgrade or not.
Distribute the Press Release to a Variety of Services When submitting press releases for link building purposes, don’t submit to just one service - instead submit to a variety. Some press releases sites will check to make sure that your release is unique, however, so make sure to distribute to those sites first. Start with the quality sites that have a number of links and tend to be picked up by the press; also re-write some of the verbiage in your release so as to avoid duplicate content. Simple things like re-writing the header or a few sentences within the release can make sure that your release will be picked up by a number of services.
Place Your Release On Your Own Site And Link Internally Once you’ve submitted your press release to a few press release distribution services, you should also make sure that it has a home on your own web site. In a news or press release section of your site, upload your press release, then add in hyperlinks from the keywords in the release, linking to relevant pages on your site. While you shouldn’t overdo it on internal hyperlinking, three to four hyperlinks to relevant pages - from keywords - is fine.
Using Press Releases As A Link Building Tool
Posted by Rachel Kuptz in SEO on May 1st, 2009
Include Keywords Within The Press Release Once you’ve identified a keyword, write out a rough draft of your press releases, making sure to include the keyword throughout your release. The keyword should be included, at minimum, in the header of your press releases, one to three times in the body of the release, and at least once in the “About” section of your press releases.
Hyperlink Keywords To Relevant Pages On Your Site For press releases services that allow you to include hyperlinks within the release, make sure to hyperlink from the keyword you identified instead of using non-optimized keywords like “click here.” While not all press releasess services allow html or hyperlinking, most will allow you to at least include a link back to your site in a resource or contact box, or once in the “about” section.
Consider the Upgrade Option If presented with the opportunity to upgrade, in most cases, do so. Upgrades generally offer you the opportunity to specify the anchor text of a hyperlink or in some cases, include a hyperlink that a free package doesn’t allow. Not all upgrades are created equally, though. Consider the page rank, traffic volume, trust factors, and cost when determining whether to upgrade or not.
Distribute Your Release to a Variety of Services When submitting press releases for link building purposes, don’t submit to just one service - instead submit to a variety. Some press release sites will check to make sure that your release is unique, however, so make sure to distribute to those sites first. Start with the quality sites that have a number of links and tend to be picked up by the press; also re-write some of the verbiage in your release so as to avoid duplicate content. Simple things like re-writing the header or a few sentences within the release can make sure that your release will be picked up by a number of services.
Place Your Press Release On Your Own Site And Link Internally Once you’ve submitted your press release to a few press release distribution services, you should also make sure that it has a home on your own web site. In a news or press release section of your site, upload your press release, then add in hyperlinks from the keywords in the release, linking to relevant pages on your site. While you shouldn’t overdo it on internal hyperlinking, three to four hyperlinks to relevant pages - from keywords - is fine.
Press Release Writing: Using Press Releases As Part of Your Link Building Strategy
Posted by Rachel Kuptz in SEO on April 29th, 2009
Include Keywords Within The Press Release Once you’ve identified a keyword, write out a rough draft of your press releases, making sure to include the keyword throughout your release. The keyword should be included, at minimum, in the header of your press releases, one to three times in the body of the release, and at least once in the “About” section of your press releases.
Remember To Hyperlink Thoughtfully For press release services that allow you to include hyperlinks within the release, make sure to hyperlink from the keyword you identified instead of using non-optimized keywords like “click here.” While not all press release services allow html or hyperlinking, most will allow you to at least include a link back to your site in a resource or contact box, or once in the “about” section.
Consider Purchasing The Upgrade Option If presented with the opportunity to upgrade, in most cases, do so. Upgrades generally offer you the opportunity to specify the anchor text of a hyperlink or in some cases, include a hyperlink that a free package doesn’t allow. Not all upgrades are created equally, though. Consider the page rank, traffic volume, trust factors, and cost when determining whether to upgrade or not.
Distribute to a Variety of Services When submitting press releases for link building purposes, don’t submit to just one service - instead submit to a variety. Some press release sites will check to make sure that your release is unique, however, so make sure to distribute to those sites first. Start with the quality sites that have a number of links and tend to be picked up by the press; also re-write some of the verbiage in your release so as to avoid duplicate content. Simple things like re-writing the header or a few sentences within the release can make sure that your release will be picked up by a number of services.
Include Press Release On Your Own Site and Link Internally Once you’ve submitted your press releases to a few press release distribution services, you should also make sure that it has a home on your own web site. In a news or press release section of your site, upload your press release, then add in hyperlinks from the keywords in the release, linking to relevant pages on your site. While you shouldn’t overdo it on internal hyperlinking, three to four hyperlinks to relevant pages - from keywords - is fine.