Boost Your Content with Relevant Links
If you have noticed your otherwise swell website doesn’t seem to be attracting much traffic, then it’s very possible you are feeling the effects of low “linkability”. The Internet as we know it, and as we also take for granted, is made possible by a huge number of links. Unless you know the direct address of your favorite website, the only way to find it is through a search engine. So you could say that your Google or Yahoo experience comes directly to you thanks to many internal and external links. In fact, alongside excellent keyword content, links are the most important factors in on-page SEO.
What Does Relevant Linking Mean?
You can easily create links within your own site. However, establishing links outside of your site remains a challenge—especially considering that not everyone you come into contact online with will want to give you a free link. (In fact, most won’t!)
Gone are the days when webmasters could benefit from merely posting a dozen random links or being “blurb” linked on another site. Today, it’s all about relevant content. Your link must be associated with relevant content on another site, and when this happens, you receive “votes” for these keywords. Obviously, you’re not going to impress anyone by linking back and forth with another low rated site, or even a handful of them. Instead, you want to work with high-ranking sites who can give you the benefit of link popularity.
Ways to Create Relevant Links
So what are some ways to build external links that the all-important algorithm considers “relevant”? The term relevancy implies content is closely connected, so two different websites that link together should have similar content. Similarly, the external linking you create (such as posting your content on article directories) should also be appropriate to your subject matter. In essence, search engines (with advancing technology and human editors) can tell when links are just blindly cut and pasted, and when some actual thought goes into the link exchange.
Some methods of link building include posting on forums related to your topic as well as highly trafficked blogs and magazines. Another idea is to host your blog on another page, such as a sub-domain, and then link it to a category on your site. Another notion: exchange links with websites that aren’t your direct competitors but still have similar content, themes or subject matter. (Aim for a site that has equal or greater link popularity and traffic)
Article Directories—Another Helpful Channel
Lastly, you can start working with a professional SEO firm and actually submit articles to popular directories in the appropriate category. (This not only involves content producing but also linking to your homepage) It is merely a sign of respect for your audience! Never insult their intelligence by linking out to sites that have nothing to do with your site, or by creating a thoughtless page of “links” that has no setup or anchor text.
Fill your content pages with relevant links and receive a boost of traffic!
