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An important component of your search engine ranking is determined by what sites link to you; when an important site gives you a link, it's like a vote of confidence in your site. In the early days, Google rankings were almost entirely based on your “link popularity”, and a link from Yahoo was the most coveted commodity in website promotion. Even today, the major value of that $300 a year listing in Yahoo is the credibility it buys you on Google.
Some people devote their lives to getting links. I assume you have better things to do, so my link building advice is very simple:
1) If you come across a website that you think would be useful to your visitors, add a link to them. I have a links of interest page where I do this. You are making the web more useful to your visitors, and the good karma can't hurt.
2) If you really, honestly think that the site you just linked to would similarly be improved if it had a link to your site, then email the site owner and suggest it. Tell him that you have linked to his site, and that regardless of what he decides, you will continue to do so, because you think his site is useful. The cute thing here is that by explicitly saying this, he'll give your request extra consideration. Isn't it great how being virtuous can be so evil?
3) If you happen to find a site that would be improved by a link to your site, even though a reciprocal link would not be appropriate, email and suggest it.
4) Make all your emails personal, and make sure they demonstrate that you've clearly spent time on their site.
5) The key to successful link building is always, above all, put other people's interests (your users, and the other site owners) above your own. That helps ensure you get good links (and bad links are worse than no links!)
Some people devote their lives to getting links. I assume you have better things to do, so my link building advice is very simple:
1) If you come across a website that you think would be useful to your visitors, add a link to them. I have a links of interest page where I do this. You are making the web more useful to your visitors, and the good karma can't hurt.
2) If you really, honestly think that the site you just linked to would similarly be improved if it had a link to your site, then email the site owner and suggest it. Tell him that you have linked to his site, and that regardless of what he decides, you will continue to do so, because you think his site is useful. The cute thing here is that by explicitly saying this, he'll give your request extra consideration. Isn't it great how being virtuous can be so evil?
3) If you happen to find a site that would be improved by a link to your site, even though a reciprocal link would not be appropriate, email and suggest it.
4) Make all your emails personal, and make sure they demonstrate that you've clearly spent time on their site.
5) The key to successful link building is always, above all, put other people's interests (your users, and the other site owners) above your own. That helps ensure you get good links (and bad links are worse than no links!)
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