Link Building
This is the first part of common SEO tactics and it can be broken down into several techniques or methods. But the basic principle here is that you spread links to your website throughout the Internet. This is done because one of the factors that affect search engine rankings for your site is the number of links leading to your site. Basically, each link is can be compared to a "vote". The idea behind this from a search engine standpoint is that if a lot of websites link to your website, then you must have good content and your site is deserving of a higher spot in the rankings.Directory Submission
This is the first and probably the most common link building method there is. Almost any website today uses this method and all SEO specialists are at least familiar with this method. It is the fastest and easiest way to gain links from all over the Internet. So how does this go?First off, there are websites on the Internet designed to provide people a service similar to that of the Yellow Pages. The main difference is that instead of providing the address and phone number of a particular business, it provides the URL of a particular website. These sites are called Directories and they are huge compilations of various sites all over the Internet.
What’s great about Directories is that they also categorize the sites listed in them. Although categorization can differ from one Directory to another, it’s still very helpful that they are categorized. And, another great thing here is that you can use them to gain links for your site.
Basically all you have to do is to look for a Directory (which isn’t very hard). Next, look for the button to submit a site to their directory. You are then instructed to fill up a form containing information such as website name, the URL address, a quick description, e-mail of the submitter for verification, etc. After you do this, click on submit and it will be posted after the owners of the directory approve it.
Accomplish this process a couple of times every day and you’re sure to gain good back links for your website.
Now there are good directories and bad directories to submit to. You can identify a good directory if it has a high page rank and if it does not use a "no follow" tag on the links. Bad directories on the other hand are the exact opposite. They have zero page rank, which could also indicate that they are blacklisted by Google, and they implement "no follow" tags.
Forum Posting
Another "old school" method of building up your back links is to make use of Forum Posting. It is a quick, easy and sometimes even fun way to get your links out and maybe even have someone directly click on them which is always a good thing. When it comes to Forum Posting however, the trick is moderation and substance.To start things off, you need to find a forum in which you will post your links. Now there are several strategies that you can take here and it all depends on what you feel most comfortable with. But the basic idea is to find a forum that is at least remotely related to your website. Again, for example’s sake, the target website deals with selling motorcycle parts, then it would be a good idea to sign up with a forum of motorcycle riders.
Once you have filled up the form and are an official member, the tricky part starts. Each forum has their own rules and regulations especially with regards to posting links. One of the most common rules you will find is that they do not allow you to post links in your messages until you reach a certain number of posts or weeks as a member.
Also, when you get approved to post links, do not go on and overdo it. Do not post your link in every thread of the forum. This is a sure way to get your account banned and your posts deleted thus all that effort going to waste. Do it moderately and in an acceptable manner.
For example, post a link in your message only when you are referencing to something. Again let’s go back to the motorcycle parts scenario. It would be ideal to reply to a message asking where to buy a particular part and suggest your website by posting the link.
Next, in forums, each member is allowed to create his or her own signature. This would become part of every message you post to a thread. Once you can place a link in your signature, do it then participate in several discussions. This is a great way to get a lot of links fast since all replies you make would automatically contain your link.
Article Submission
It is worth noting that when it comes to link building, it is very difficult to find a site owner willing to give you a link freely. Usually you give something back in return. In Directory Submissions, you provide content for them. In Forum Posting, they also get more content for their site. Another example of this is Article Submission.The basic concept of Article Submission is that you give the Article Site content and they allow you to place a link in your article in return. Once it is approved and posted in their site, you get the link. It’s as simple as that. Of course, there are rules here too. And each Article Site has their own set of rules and regulations.
The first thing that you have to consider is the quality of the article. You can’t simply go around and submit a poorly written article to these Article Sites. If you do that, chances are you will get a low success rate and get one approved article for every twenty submissions that you do. Another thing you have to remember is NOT to copy another article word for word and submit it as your own. They have ways of checking for plagiarism. If you do this, it is a quick way to get your account deactivated. Worse, some of these Article Sites will block your actual IP address.
You should also refrain from articles that are too sensitive or controversial such as adult oriented articles and vulgarity. Keep it simple, keep it direct and informative. That is the best type of article to deliver.
In submitting an article, write one that is related to your product or service of course. Again back to the motorcycle parts scenario. If that is your website, then write an article about motorcycle parts. Look for an Article Directory which has a category that fits your article and submit it.
Now when it comes to the links, one Article Site can differ from another in their rules. Some sites allow you to place a link or two anywhere in the article. But most commonly, these sites will only allow you to place two links in your author biography box.
Link Exchange
Since the dawn of link building, this method has been done in order to get back links. As a matter of fact, this is the simplest way to get link building done. So how does it go?Well, the name says it all. It is an exchange of links. You do this by messaging another website asking if he or she is willing to post a link in his or her site to yours and you will do the same. Of course, looking for a willing webmaster can be a pain. You have to surf through the Internet for hours looking for websites and messaging them. Ideally, the sites you do Link Exchange with should be relevant to your website. For the motorcycle parts scenario, do Link Exchange with sites selling motorcycles or organization sites for motorcycle riders.
If you go on and ask several SEO specialists about Link Exchange, you will find that some of them, especially the new ones, have never tried this method. This is because exchanging links does not really produce that much success anymore. For one, there are a lot of factors that can hinder the other site from agreeing. One such factor is the page rank. A high page rank website will certainly not agree to Link Exchange if your site is new, they will gain nothing from it.
Another problem with this SEO tactic is that since it is one of the earliest methods in increasing back links, Google and other search engines have found a way to counter its effects. They do not give a lot of credit to a link if it goes to a site that simply links back to the first website. Each link counted by search engines is "graded" for quality. And if they see it as a Link Exchange between one site and another, they give the link a poor grade thus not giving much effect to the ranking of your site.