You're trying to decide between two big summer blockbusters. Everyone you talk to recommends one over the other, and the reviews seem to back them up.
You're looking for a new pediatrician and the same doctor's name keeps coming up as you pick the brains of your friends and neighbors.
You're trying to find the perfect romantic restaurant for your anniversary so you start to chat up some other couples....
You get the idea.
We turn to others for recommendations, and when one name keeps coming up we rank that movie, or pediatrician, or restaurant at the top of our list.
Search engines work the same way. Let's say two Web sites offer information on organic lawn care. The first site has 10 incoming links--a link from another Web site--and the second has 100. The second Web site will rank higher for an "organic lawn care" search, all other things being equal.
Like recommendations, not all links are created equal. The popularity of the linking Web page, the number of links on that page, the words in the link and the context of the other Web page all affect how much "weight" the link has. (This is similar to asking two friends their opinion of Chicago restaurants; if one grew up in Chicago, you'll probably give her opinion more weight.)
It's essential to get quality incoming links if the search engines are an important part of your Internet marketing plans. Unfortunately, some businesses have difficulty getting incoming links. Here are some hints on how you can increase the number of quality incoming links to your own site.
Create content that's link-worthy. No one will want to link to a site that doesn't offer good content, so start there. Don't expect links to your Web site if it's just an online brochure.
Create a free tool that your customers will want to use. Whether it's a productivity tool like an ROI calculator or an application that turns your name into an acronym for a killer cyborg, the idea is to create something that will get other site owners and bloggers to link to you. A link from a popular blog like Boing Boing may cause your idea to go "viral" and be spread throughout the Web.
Get links from professional organizations. Do you belong to a chamber of commerce? The AMA? The APA? Some other TLA? (Three Letter Acronym.) Many associations post links to their members' sites. If yours does, make sure they link to your site.
Get links from directories. There are hundreds of directories out there. Besides big names like Yahoo and DMOZ, there are plenty of specialized directories as well. Two good places to start are the Internet Search Engine Database for Web Directories and this thread from the High Rankings forum .
Post articles to an article distribution service. Web sites like iSnare, The Phantom Writers and eZine Articles will distribute your article for a small fee, getting you loads of exposure. Each Web site or eZine where your article appears will include a "resource box" for your sales pitch and a link back to your Web site.
Start a blog. With a blog you have complete control over the text, so you can include keyword-rich links that give your search engine ranking an extra boost. You may see better results if your blog has a different domain than your Web site.
Leave comments on other blogs. Whether you have your own blog or not, you can leave comments on other people's blogs. In doing so, you can link your name (or signature) to your Web site, creating more incoming links. However, if you're not adding to the "conversation" of the blog, the blog owner may delete your comments. In other words, intelligent comments only, please.
Post to discussion forums that target your customer base. There are discussion forums, a.k.a. Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), that target every demographic you can imagine. Find ones that target your audience and post (intelligent) replies to others' posts. Your signature file can include links back to your Web site.
I recommend first reading several posts in the forum to get a better idea of what people are talking about, asking about, and how they respond to "helpful" replies from vendors. You can also learn a lot about your prospective clients this way, and what problems they face.
By replying to their posts in a helpful manner you can establish yourself as an expert and a good resource for when they're looking for a solution.
A few words on trading links: There's no harm in trading links with another Web site. If the two sites have a lot in common it makes sense to link to each other. However, there is currently little value from a search engine standpoint. The idea of reciprocal links has been so abused by Web site owners and "black hat" SEO experts that the search engines give little or no weight to reciprocal links.
In short, link to other sites if you think your visitors will benefit from the link and if it doesn't cause you undue harm, but don't expect a big spike in your rank.
A few words about link farms: There are a few "bad neighborhoods" on the Internet that can actually harm you by providing a link. Although some legitimate directories charge for links, generally it's a good idea to stay away from sites that sell links to anyone with money in their pocket.
In conclusion, incoming links can improve your search engine visibility and drive new traffic to your Web site. Be sure to set aside time or money in your Internet marketing budget for link building activities.