Get High-Quality Web Links

Some tips to help make sure your website is being used to its potential!

 With more and more consumers and businesses using online search engines to discover or research new products or services, getting your company website to show up well across all search engine rankings has become a key business priority. Companies are increasingly turning to search engine optimisation (SEO) tools and strategies to ensure their site ranks highly on search results pages.
The number and quality of links - both outgoing on your own website and incoming from other sites - is an important part of any SEO project. Each of the major search engines provide plenty of information on how to best use links to attract their attention. Search engines are also wise to unscrupulous SEO practices, and webmasters must take care to avoid supposed quick-fixes that can end up hurting their site's ranking.

External links
Most business websites have a section or page featuring outgoing links to other businesses, organisations, media outlets and other sites which have relationships with, connections to or relevancy for the company and its customers. Search engines are impressed by good quality, relevant links, but really dislike random links to sites unconnected with your business. Generally, the more relevant the site linked to - for example, in the same sector or geographic location - the more advantageous for your search ranking.

Inbound links
The number of incoming links to your website is even more important than your own outgoing links. Search engines love sites which are linked to from all over the web, especially those with links coming from other popular websites. There are now plenty of online directories, listing companies in different categories depending on sector, location, size, ethos, and so on. Irish-based examples include Goldpenpages.ie and Eircomphonebook.ie, alongside newcomers such as Whatswhat.ie and Bizzone.ie.

Search engines themselves - including Yahoo and Google - also have their own directories. Getting
listed in these usually involves sending an email or filling in an online form and is definitely recommended. It's also worth trying to get reciprocal links with sites that you value and are rated highly by search engines. This can be approached by emailing the owner or webmaster of these sites and suggesting they link to yours. Links from popular and respected sites - such as industry experts or media websites - are particularly valued by search engines. The best way to ensure your approach works is to have original, interesting content on your site that people want to link to. Your own site should also offer visitors the opportunity to bookmark or share your content via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Be cautious
The SEO world includes some murky corners, with many agencies and services offering to boost your search ranking - for a fee. Emails offering to create hundreds of links to your website or inclusion in a directory you've never heard of are increasingly common, as publicised in the media recently. Such emails are generally sent indiscriminately to thousands of companies and the directories (also known as link farms) have been established solely with the aim of tricking search engines.
These so-called 'black hat' techniques can yield short-term results, but Google et al dislike being tricked and companies caught are punished severely by drops right down the rankings. It is also prudent never to share information such as company credit card details with anyone offering SEO quick-fixes.
Some caution is also advisable when actively looking for new sites to link with. Sites like Linkswapforum.net and Linkpartners.com facilitate link swapping by companies with something in common; however, it is advisable to only swap links with someone you are sure is bona fide and relevant, and again, never to share sensitive company details.

Link management
Link management requires some time and effort. Site URLs can change or disappear without warning, so all links must be checked regularly. Search engine SEO guidelines are also regularly updated, and worth keeping an eye on. All staff members can be included in link-building activities. Individuals might suggest relevant companies or organisations to swap links with, while if a team member appears anywhere online - e.g. a supplier site, industry blog or social media page - company policy should dictate a link back to your company site.
Link management is only one part of any SEO project, with an informative and well-structured site with visible and repeated keywords also hugely important. However, link building can help to get your site moving up the search engine rankings, thus attracting more visitors and ultimately gaining access to a wider net of potential customers.

Source: Enterprise Ireland

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