OFFSITE OPTIMIZATION

Now that you have optimized your website with keywords and meta tags, the next step that will make a difference to the search engines is getting other people to link to your site.  This is sometimes referred to as "offsite optimization", meaning things you can do to improve your placement that are not directly related to methods you use directly on your own site (such as keywords and meta tags.)

Search engines place value on incoming links to your site.  If you find a site that you feel has good information, what do you do?  You link to it.  That is like giving your vote for the information of that site.  When others link to your site, it is saying that you have good information.  The search engines look favorably on that and it boosts your placement.

So how do you encourage other sites to link to yours?  You can request a link exchange.  However, the effectiveness of this is declining.  A much better way is to offer something that others will naturally want to link to.

• Create a quality site with informative content.  Try to find some information you can provide that you don't see everywhere else.

• Start an affiliate program.  If people have the opportunity to earn money from linking to you, they are much more likely to do it.  This is especially helpful to those sites that are mainly a storefront, and don't have a lot of content.  It still gives people a reason to link to you.

• Write a press release about a newsworthy event going on with your business.  This will cause links to your site from the press release distributors, and you might also have a chance to get your story picked up by newspapers or radio shows.

• Write a column for another website.  Contact websites in your niche and offer to write a column for them - or maybe just a weekly tip or idea.  You will pick up links plus build relationships with people interested in your niche.

• Write articles and submit them to article directories.  Make sure you include an author resources box at the end that includes your url link.  Other website owners will pick up your articles from the directories and publish them on their own site, providing a link back to your website.

These are some offsite optimization methods you can use to build good quality links from other websites within your niche naturally.  These are the type of links the search engines will give the most weight.

When you take the time to create an informative website that will truly be a benefit to others, you will see your incoming links increase naturally.