Links that point to your website from outside sources (inbound links) and links to other websites from your site (outbound links) have long been considered an integral part of any search engine optimization strategy.
Just how integral a part is still being argued by the SEOers and there is much speculation on the webmaster forums at the moment as to how much weight Google puts on linking structures, particularly reciprocal links.
How important are links these days? Only the search engines know, and they aren't telling.
In Ken Evoy's infoproduct "Make Your Links Work", he dispels all the SEO hyperbole and theories and goes back to the basics:
Search engines are becoming more intelligent and looking for the "real" value in websites.
In other words, if you want to build a successful link structure, you should have incoming links from high quality sites that add value to YOUR website, and your outgoing links should be to relevant, quality sites that also add value to your visitors experience.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
Ken has a way of cutting through the geek-laden BS and bringing the subject back to basics: Links are good as long as they are QUALITY links and as long as they ADD VALUE to your website. In other words "keep it real".
Building site credibility with SiteSell
Ken makes no startling revelations in "Make Your Links Work", which comes free when you sign up for SiteSell's Value Exchange.
It's simply logical, sound information about how to raise the profile of your site in the SERPs by building credible and valuable links.
Ken tracks the search engine rankings of more than 10,000 sites created using Site Build It, so he's in an exceptionally rare position to see what works and what doesn't.
According to Ken, there are 3 major steps involved:
1. Once you've built at least 20 to 30 quality content pages, you start the process of building off-page criteria by submitting to the major directories.
2. The next step is to concentrate on the second-tier directories, like GoGuides.org, Gimpsy.com. Skaffe.com etc, which will give you quality inbound links, but usually at a price.
2. The third step in the process is to find "theme-relevant" hubs and directories. SiteSell's "Search-It" is a free, easy to use tool that will quickly and effortlessly locate relevant directories and hubs for your specified keywords.
3. Finally, after you've exhausted your list (and your budget!) for directories and hubs, you begin the search for excellent content sites relative to your own, where you can exchange quality links.
Creating a quality reciprocal linking campaign can be an arduous and time consuming task, but, of course, Ken Evoy's SiteSell has that in the bag with "Value Exchange" - a free service to SBIers and non-SBIers to easily and effectively exchange links with like-minded sites.
Ken has never been one to "think inside the square" and "Make Your Links Work" is another example of how he can take what many others have turned into a convoluted mass of algorithms and suppositions and simplify it down to its basics.
His writing style is compelling and convincing and you know he's done his homework.
If you haven't read "Make Your Links Work" yet, I urge you to do so - it may just change the way you think about all the reciprocal linking hoohaa.
Join Ken's free Value Exchange and download "Make Your Links WORK! The 80-20 Keep-It-Real Guide to Linking" here:
