How to Use Backlinks to Generate Web Traffic
You may be asking yourself exactly what a backlink actually is. A backlink, simply put, is a link to your website that has been placed on another website. This, in turns, allows visitors to someone else’s site to access your own. Having backlinks to your website throughout the Internet is a proven and valuable way to generate web traffic.
The number of backlinks to your website has a direct influence on your Google Page Rank. Google developed a page rank system to determine how important individual websites are as compared to others. The higher your Google Page Rank, the higher you’ll appear in search engines. The higher your search engine ranking, the more traffic you’ll generate.
Increasing the number of backlinks to your site is not difficult. Some of the more successful ways of increasing backlinks include asking, generating reciprocal links, and submitting your website to URL or article directories.
Asking. That’s it – just ask. A great number of the people visiting your website will have a website or blog of their own. Ask them to place a link on their site to yours. You can do this by emailing a specific request to those who have left comments on your page or by having a place on your page where users can capture HTML code specifically designed for them to cut and paste onto their website. Providing the HTML code will make it easier for them to create the link from their site to yours.
Reciprocal Links. Not everyone who visits your site it going to give you a backlink just because you ask for one. Visitors with their own sites are most likely concerned about their own Google Page Rank as well. Offer to “trade” backlinks, also known as reciprocal linking. You’ll each place a link to the other’s website on your own. This technique works better if your sites are somewhat related in topic.
URL Directories. Before search engines like Google and Yahoo! existed, website owners would submit their URLs to directories. URL directories are broken into categories which make it easier for users to find what they need. Even though directories aren’t as popular as they were in the past, placing your link in a directory counts as a backlink. Websites like StrongestLinks.com provide lists of directories you may want to submit your website to, including details as to the cost and the Page Rank of the directory itself!
Submit to Article Directories. Submit quality content related to your website to article directories and watch your traffic grow. The end of each article will include a short author biography, where you should include your credentials and backlink to your site. Directory visitors reading your article will begin to see you as an authority in your field and will want to visit your website for more detailed information.
As with any marketing method, developing a substantial network of backlinks takes both time and dedicated effort. A strong and well run website filled with quality content will ensure you a list of backlinks designed to generate web traffic for years to come!
