Generating incoming links to your site is becoming a more and more important part of search engine optimization. The reason is pretty simple: with more sites to scan than ever before, and more marketers adding content to every one of them, search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing have to rely on lots of ways to determine how “important” your website is. One of the easiest ways for them to judge is by looking at how many other people think your site is important – hence the importance of incoming links.
Understanding that rationale gives us an easy, commonsense way to get the links we need as online marketers: by creating unique and interesting content.
There is simply no way to match the effect good writing will have – over time – on your SEO efforts. A strong article that gives the answer to a common question, or sheds some light on an interesting situation, is likely to be linked to dozens or even hundreds of times. Since each one makes your website seem more popular to the search engines, it doesn’t take too long before you’ll crawl your way up to the top of the listings.
But if writing and posting quality articles is the good way to build links, then it’s just as important to point out what doesn’t work.
All over the web, there are hundreds of “online marketing firms” that will promise you thousands of incoming links for pennies apiece. If this sounds a little too good to be true, then you’re on the right path. What these companies are doing is building websites that exist for the sole purpose of linking to one another – in other words, no one will ever actually see any of them, much less click the links.
More importantly, the search engines aren’t fooled, either. What matters to your positioning isn’t just the number of links you have, but also the quality. In other words, you don’t gain anything from having thousands of incoming “junk” links.
Search engine optimization is really all about helping people find what they’re looking for. Remember that, and build your incoming links through quality content. It might take a little bit longer or cost a bit more, but it’s actually the easiest way to bring buyers to your site.
