Building links to your website should be done responsibly. If it isn’t, you could easily harm your presence in top search engines such as Yahoo!, Google, and Bing. The “white hat” movement is one that dictates every link you build should be done in an approved, safe, and friendly manner.

A business that networks itself has a greater chance of surviving- both locally and on the Internet. Odds are that you already know several businesses or friends in business who can give you a link to your website. Offer to do a link exchange and watch as search engines will give you a small boost in rankings. If you do this on a large enough scale, no search term is too hard to rank for with enough time given.

Not so long ago, a web directory was the only way to find relevant websites on the Internet. Things have changed since then, as we have Yahoo!, Google, and Bing to thank for easier searching. The fact is that directories are still valuable for finding local services, and search engines still give a lot of “weight” to those who are listed in relevant directories. Find such directories in your locale and get a listing.

If you have competitors in your niche, such as the kid down the road who just started a web development business, you might see how they are ranking. If the result is better than your own ranking, look at what links they have built through free online tools. Make an attempt to gain the same links if at all possible. Many times it may not be, but it’s worth researching.

A white hat SEO program will allow a website owner to ask for links from other website owners. Just make sure that you are willing to offer a link back to the website before sending the email. Also make the email personable so that the website owner knows it isn’t a spam bot trying to harvest links or trick them. Give them a phone call when applicable to show that you mean business.

If you do decide to network with those who you may not know, and thus not necessarily trust, use a tool to check that the links to your website are always live. It is sometimes the unfortunate case that a website owner will remove the link and still enjoy the benefits of the link you point to their website. There are free tools to do this.

Final Thoughts

Building links is the key to making your presence on the Internet. Just remember to do it the right, respectable, way. Otherwise you could bring the progress of your company and its rankings to complete halt entirely.

Learn more on back links and website marketing.