Mike Grehan, an SEO whom I greatly respect had once said that “Asking a site for a link is like asking someone to do business with you.”  This is so true.   

I have to disagree with those who view this task as “bottom barrel.”  In my opinion, this task carries a lot of weight as it is one of the means by which we can consistently increase our rankings, traffic and more importantly, our sales.  This is not just a link.  It is business. 

What makes this task difficult and a bit tricky is the fact that there is no easy way to have this done.  Previously, I have hired fifteen (15) different freelancers and SEO companies who I have tasked to get me links.  I got a fifteen page report of what has been done and imagine my frustration when I found out that twelve of those pages were nothing but secondary, free links or what we call “garbage” links.  I even received a report from a freelancer in India who submitted to a bunch of MFA sites (1,261 in total), most of which no longer exist, and then charged me $4.00 for each submission.  I will let you use your imagination regarding my reply to that one. 

Don’t get me wrong.  Hiring someone else to do your link building for you is fine.  Just make sure that they share your vision and what you want to accomplish.  Be very careful of whom you outsource your link building to and when you do, make sure they understand what you need them to do.  What you need are highly targeted, quality link placed on the right spot on the page and targeting the right anchor text. 

Remember that in getting links, the more important end result should be to increase traffic to your site.  It is not just about increasing your PageRank.  In fact, when looking for sites to get links from, PageRank is not the only criteria I look at.  I also look at Alexa ranking as sites in the top 100,000 in Alexa generally have good solid PageRank and are well indexed. 

To drive down my point, let me share with you something that happened to me previously.  I got a link from a site that had PR0 but the Alexa ranking was in the 60,000 range.  Today, they are a PR7 and their Alexa ranking is now in the 40,000 range.  If the site is of good quality, it will be to your advantage to get the link.   

Other thing you should keep in mind is that linking allows you to build a foundation for your business.  Thus, it would be to your advantage if 10-20% of your traffic comes from referral sites that have your link.  This means that in your link building efforts, you should not just focus on bringing traffic, but rather qualified traffic to your site. 

Below are some ways by which you can get the additional traffic: 

1. LINK EXCHANGE 
   This is the most widely practiced way of getting links and usually starts out with an email requesting for a link exchange.  There are three main reason why we would want to perform link exchanges:

• It provides quality traffic without relying on search engines.
• It is cost effective.  Although it is labor intensive, there are no money exchanges. 
• Inbound links with targeted anchor text can positively affect your position in the major search engines.

Here are some tips on how to be successful in link exchanges: 

• Choose a site with a large amount of quality content related to your subject matter.
• Find articles that would make a great pre-selling point to your product or service.
• Note that the link exchange can also work as a “knowledge gateway” for the user.  A “knowledge gateway” is a pathway to additional information on a topic or product.   The hyperlink that connects “blue widget” in an article to the “blue widget in the FAQ page is a “knowledge gateway” for blue widgets. You want to gain “reversals” of these so people are using your site and your articles as “knowledge gateways.”
• Link to sites which will benefit your visitor’s experience and obtain links from sites which will be advantageous to your visitors.
• Join forums that allow actual links to be posted.  Although some of them will designate a “no follow” tag, it is still a great method to get referral traffic.

2. LINK BAIT 
   Link baiting is a technique that is used to attract other sites to link to your site. Although this technique has been alive on the web for over a decade, the term “link baiting” was only coined in August 2005 by Aaron Wall.   
   
   It has been said that “the best part of creating content like [link bait] is building trust and value naturally.”  Unfortunately, many do not have the skills to report accurate information.  Others, on the other hand, resort to outright lying to get the links that they want.  So let me warn you now.  When it comes to these techniques, “trust, but verify.” 
   
   To give you an idea of the correct way of link baiting, I have written below some of the proper techniques:

• Providing a free useful tool
• Breaking news of consequence before anyone else
• Creating a new concept such as the “Million Dollar Homepage” or “Battle of the SEO”
• Report reliable testing results
• Expose a scammer
• Create a software package or plugin that meets a need
• Comment (intelligently) on a current topic
• Offer something valuable for free
• Create an original idea or methodology
  

3. LINK BUYING 
   Buy links for the right reasons and you will be fine.  Your main reason should be to get traffic.  With that said, the placement of your link is important and should be given some thought.  Choose a place on the page where visitors will actually see it.  I would prefer to make private deals with site owners or brokers instead of making deals with link brokers who advertise that your Google rankings will increase if you buy links from them.   
   
   Purchase links regardless of whether it is “no followed” or “do followed.”  Remember that you are purchasing links to buy traffic.  Do not also make the mistake of jumping from one link broker to another.  Links “age” and in order to get the full benefit from links, they must remain for a long period of time.  
   
   Below are some tips when buying links: 
   

• Opt for year-long contracts not monthly contracts.
• Choose a link broker that does not sell based on PageRank as they will less likely be in Google’s watch list.
• Ensure that the PageRank is real.  There are many sites which show a Fake PageRank.  Always verify.
• Be your own link broker and search for sites to buy from.  Search “advertise with us” keyword –cpm.  This will give you the exact phrase on the page and will remove the CPM generally associated with banner advertising or displaying dynamic links that do not pass link popularity.
• Search “rate card” keyword –cpm advertising to find additional sites to buy links from.
• Once you find a site to purchase links from, find the text on the page where you want your link to be.  Make sure that it is somewhere visible.  If you want a click through rate that is solid, choose a text that is within the body text.  You can get links for as little as $5 per month and in my testing, I have found that getting links in this manner is equivalent to 6 traditional link exchanges.
• If you want to buy links from a newsletter, search: newsletter “keyword” advertise to find the appropriate newsletters.  You can also use search: newsletter “keyword” sponsor or newsletter “keyword” advertising rates.
• Before purchasing links in newsletters, I would recommend that you first check to see if the newsletters are archived on the site and if the links are “clickable” and pass link popularity.
  

4. ARTICLE MARKETING 
   Article campaigns are focused on content, increased visitor traffic and authority while gaining search engine rankings and PageRank. 
   
   Article directories and distribution outlets are good sources for acquiring backlinks and traffic as there are dozens of webmasters looking for quality content for their visitors.  If you have a useful, marketable content that is informative and contains unique content, I suggest that you submit this to an article directory and include a signature at the resource box of the article with a link back to your site.  When these webmasters see your article and put it on their site, you would benefit from it because of the link in the resource box which points the reader to your site.  An added bonus would be an increase in link popularity and link reputation. 
   
   As a result of this, you become an authority on your topic and because of the quality of your content, more and more webmasters will visit your site and refer to your articles for content on their site. 
   
   What you need to remember though is that when writing an article for submission, you should write it with the readers in mind.  Do not write for the search engines and stuff your article with keywords.  Keep in mind that it is the webmaster and not the search engines, who will decide whether to post your article or not.  No webmaster wants an article stuffed with keywords as it will not benefit their readers. 
   
   Below are some basic rules for article directory submissions: 
   

• Most article directories require you to open an account with them.  There are paid article directories and there are also some good quality free directories.
• Always look for directories that have categories related to your topic.  Post in directories where people in your market are most likely to go.  Choose a directory that has a PR4 and an Alexa rating in the top 100,000.  Do not bother yourself with anything less than that.
• Keep your body text link free to avoid being rejected as most directories do not allow links in the body content of the article.
• Use the resource box for links back to your own site.  Although most directories allow a maximum of three links, a link to your home page and one deep link is all that you need.
• The main purpose of this effort is to be recognized as an authority in the field.  It will be to your benefit to use your real name, branded name or pen name for the author box.  Avatar-type names are okay for forum but not here.
• Choose the category and subcategory that best fits your article and make your title and description compelling.
• Do not post articles that already exist on your site and never post someone else’s work.
• Create three to five versions of the same article to avoid having the same article syndicated multiple times. Doing this will also provide you a better understanding of which article draws a bigger traffic.
  

5. GOOGLE KNOL 
   Google Knol was launched in July 2008.  It allows experts to create a unit of knowledge (a Knol) on any topic.  At the time it was launched, a lot of people thought that it would squash Wikipedia.  Unfortunalely, it hasn’t taken off as well as Google hoped it would.  Despite that, I would say that the benefits of using Google Knol to promote your sites are pretty good. 
   
   The difference between Knol and Wikipedia is that while Wikipedia is “community moderated” and can be edited by anyone, Knol adopts a “moderated collaboration.”  This means that while others can suggest edits or new content, the changes can only be made upon the approval of the original author(s).  This approach is a welcome change as Wikipedia articles are often hijacked by others. 
   
   Another advantage to using this is the fact that Google does not have any issue with plugging your businesses and products in your Knol.   
   
   Due to the fact that links in Google Knol are “no followed,” many SEOs do not see the value of using this.  But let me ask you this.  Would you let a simple “no follow” prevent you from marketing your business?  I wouldn’t.   
   
   Remember that even when your links are “no followed,” Google will still follow the link to index the content on the other side.  And we all know the benefits of our page getting indexed often. 
   
   I should also let you know that due to the fact that some people experience “do follow” links from Knol, I am not completely sure that the “no follow” is working they way they said it would.  Apparently, Google rewards good quality Knols that are complete with detailed content with “do follow” links. 
   
   Aside from this, high quality knolls also receive more traffic.  In addition, Knols that generate the most views become eligible for badges and awards.   These awards are prominently displayed on the right-hand side of your Knol and help boost your reputation as an expert.  
   
   Here are some tips to help you create a good, quality Knol:
   

• Hook Them – Use headings and sub-headings to get your reader’s attention.  Remember that you only have about 4 seconds to grab someone’s attention online.  Controversies are good but keep in mind that these should be something that your targeted market wants to read. 
  
• “Click” Optimize your Title – Test different titles and see which titles ranks the best and encourages the most clicks.  More than having top ranking, you should aim to have more clicks from your title. 
  
• Optimize your Content – Just like your webpage, your Knol also needs to be optimized.  Be sure to put your most important keywords and links at the top or at the beginning of your Knol.  Link to your own site using keyword-rich anchor text but do not overdo it.  You may also use targeted keywords throughout your Knol. 
  
• Educate the Reader – Choose a topic that you are an expert in.  Provide your readers with detailed information, multiple viewpoints and listen to your community’s editing suggestions.  If you want your Knol to be successful, do not be afraid to include content that has been offered by your readers. 
  
• Add New Yorker Cartoons – Google Knol has a special feature which allows you to add one cartoon of your choice from The New Yorker Magazine free of charge.  This is a special arrangement they have made with The New Yorker magazine and I suggest that you take advantage of this feature to add comic relief to your Knol.   
  
• Don’t Use Slang – Knol aims to be an authoritative online repository of specialized knowledge.  If you want to benefit from Google’s “do follow,” I suggest that you use a formal and educated writing tone.  Be professional and avoid using sarcastic, caustic, shocking and expletive language. 
  
• Proofread your Knol – Going through Google Knol makes me realize that this is something that not many people practice.  You will be surprised at how many Knols are poorly written.  Have someone proofread your work and run a spell check on it prior to posting it. 
  
• Update your Knol – Constantly update your Knol to reflect the latest information and relevant developments.  If you want to engage your community, prove to them that you are listening by updating your Knol with reader’s suggestions when appropriate.  This will be appreciated by your readers and will definitely grow your audience. 
  
• Do Not Spam – One thing you should remember is that the Knol is not a blog.  Keep it professional and provide real-world content.  Do not include sales pitches and teasers. 
  
• Use Visual Aids – Google Knol also encourages you to embed visual aids in your Knols aside from The New Yorker cartoons.  Some of the things you can add are:  videos, calendars, images, spreadsheets, charts, and graphs.  Adding these visual aids when relevant will definitely make your Knol more appealing to your community of readers. 
  

6. BLOGGING 
   Through my testing, I have found that blogging is one of the biggest help in increasing rankings, traffic and conversions.  In fact, nothing else has come close to the benefits of blogging. 
   
   It doesn’t matter if the blog you use is part of the site or another domain.  What matters is that the blog has some authority and gets spidered consistently.  If you post quality articles on your blog consistently, you can be guaranteed of getting spidered often. 
   
   Let me share with you the six steps you need to do in order to increase your ranking as well as your traffic. 
   

1. Verify that the keyword phrase you are optimizing for converts.  Do not waste your time and effort optimizing for keywords especially if you are not sure that it will convert.  Test them first to know whether they are the right keywords to optimize. 
   
2. Visit various communities and forums and find out what people are talking about.  Find out what they need to know and write about them.  An example of a source to use is Yahoo! Answers. 
   
3. Know what your competitors are blogging about.  Visit their blogs and read what they have been writing about.  Read their feedbacks, comments as well as “offers” they may be writing about.  Figure out a way to trump their posts. 
   
4. Schedule your blog posts to publish on your “off days” when you are not publishing current content.  For example, if I post on an M-W-F schedule, I would have “filler posts” which link back to my articles on a T-TH. 
   
5. Advertise on other blogs or sponsor other top blogs.  This will allow your blog to get noticed and promoted.
   

7. OTHER SOURCES OF LINKS 
   Aside from those mentioned above, the following are likewise good sources of links: 
   

• Local Chamber of Commerce
• Industry Associations
• Charity Groups.  You can offer free services in exchange for a link on their homepage and a write-up about you and your company.
• “Dot Orgs.”  Search for them using search: keyword sponsors site:.org
• Research competitor backlinks in Yahoo! Site Explorer.  Contact their link partners and give them a good reason to link to you instead. 
• Local Job Fairs
• Volunteer to speak at a local college or business school.  Doing this will get you a link on their .edu site.  The chances of the webmaster taking your link down is very minimal so this results to a permanent link on an .edu site for just an hour of your time.  That is definitely well worth your time. 
  

WHAT TO AVOID 

Avoid services that “guarantee” links.  Choose sites that exercise editorial discretion in accepting links.  Services that guarantee links often have a network of sites they own and are nothing more than a sophisticated link farm.  It goes without saying that you should likewise not consider putting a form on your site to allow anyone to automatically add their link to your site.  Always manually approve links. 

Make sure that the number of links you have matches the amount of traffic you are receiving.  Until your site receives about 1,000 uniques per day, it would be best to stick to a maximum of five acquired links per day.  

Do not deny a link based on a low or zero PageRank.  Your main concern should be whether the site is indexed by Google.  If the site is regularly indexed, PageRank will grow over time.  You should also be aware that some sites have fake PageRank so it is to your advantage to always verify first. 

Lastly, do not allow an outside company to handle your link campaign if they do not fully understand what you want to accomplish and how you want it accomplished.