Linking up?

There are several different ways in which you can optimise your website and drive it up the rankings. You can optimise the text and images, including the correct density and frequency of keywords, or you can focus on building your online reputation through other people’s recommendations. On the Internet, that means achieving as many links to your site from other pages as possible.

External links are one of the key factors Google looks at when ranking a site. These links are, rightly or wrongly, seen as an indicator of quality and value – the more that people wish to share your work in this way, the better it must be. Therefore, to optimise a website fully, you need to make link building a priority.

Quick and easy ways to create links include via free listings pages and distribution sites, these provide links, but in reality they are of relatively low value and lost amongst thousands of other, similarly valued links. Ways to create stronger links can include hosting a blog off-site, or from within sections of your website itself, such as news.

However, the strongest links come from apparently unaffiliated sites. For example, if you are a member of an industry body, see if they will host a link on their site for you. Alternatively, explore the opportunities offered by guest article writing for key industry sites. This not only helps develop your reputation as an industry thought leader, but can also be an excellent source of links, providing you remember to include your website in your byline.