Increase Your PageRank: Getting More (Qualified) Links
There are two major parts to SEO: on-page optimization (your copy, title, headers, descriptions, etc.) and incoming links. Google measures incoming links with PageRank – essentially an algorithm that assigns a value to a web page from 0-10 most importantly noting how many incoming links that page has (0 being very few links and 10 being very many links). PageRank is a contributing factor to Google’s overall ranking algorithm – however, the weight to which PageRank is held, no one knows.
What we do know is that incoming links are important. So for a site that is new or maybe just doesn’t have many incoming links, how do you get more?! Well, there are many things you can do…
First and foremost, identify which site(s) you want a link from. It should go without saying that it/they should be related to your site or article – that way, you have related viewers who are interested in the topic(s).
After identifying links you want to pursue, contact the blogger or webmaster somehow. Truth be told, it’s probably easier to engage a blogger rather than a webmaster; reason being you can comment on blogposts in a much more casual setting. Just a few things to keep in mind when commenting:
- Get to know the blogger.
- Bring something to the table. Don’t leave a quick “This was really intriguing” with a link to your site/blog. (By the way, you get no link juice that way – links in comments are almost always nofollow-ed).
- Start a conversation. Make the blogger think about what you have to say and possibly respond (that’s what your site’s link is for!)
- Don’t sell yourself…too much. Sure, include a link back to your site in case they want to visit. But leaving a comment that is 100% a marketing ploy reads as spam.
After leaving a few (intelligent) comments, contact the blogger directly and ask for a link. Then, the same rules apply as directly contacting a webmaster. When contacting a webmaster or blogger directly, then an email or a phone call (maybe both!) is in order. There are many examples of link building letters out there. Many of the rules of thumb are the same as leaving blogpost comments, with a few additions:
- If the person blogs or writes articles, and depending on the industry you’re in, you could suggest a review of your site/service/product.
- Spell check. This is perhaps the easiest rule to overlook. It’s easy to hit the wrong key, but be sure to read through your email before sending. What looks more spammy than misspellings?
- Add a little something special, if you can. If you’re a hotel and contacting a hotel critic, send along a coupon for a stay at your hotel. If you’re an author looking for a book review, send a copy of your book. Just like many things in life, you’re more apt to get what you want if you stand apart from the crowd.
Last but not least, return the favor. Again, always be willing to offer a link in return. As they say, sometimes it is better to give than to recieve. Simply by giving links, you’re more likely to recieve them!
Tags: Google, Link Building, PageRank, SEO
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
[...] Well, for one thing, Google has even been reporting the matter for over a year now in their Webmaster Tools. Plus, since Google holds their PageRank algorithm in such high esteem, we’ve learned that anchor text that is also important. When asking for links, it is always good to suggest which keywords and phrases to use. [...]
December 12th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
[...] as many quality, incoming links as you [...]
May 26th, 2009 at 6:42 am
nice article