Losing significance of paid links

In the present day world of online marketing people want fast results and do not find it worth to go for natural optimisation techniques. To stand in the competition, and want quick result to stand their, people think for short method link paid optimization. Whether such a move helps can be debated.

From my point of you, if I am handling a business or website I would rather go for natural optimisation like to come with hundreds of keywords and on the first pages of the search engines. That would be an ideal situation, one we can only try to achieve. To reach to such a level or gain a very good search engine page rank, some website publishers often go crazy and about anything. No sooner did they realize that links were giving better results in terms of ranking, all of them started massive campaigns to get as many links as can be got. Sometimes buying, some times begging, the owners or promoters have just broken all limits.

We would start from a very basic question – Does paid link really help and if so to what extent? In the heydays of online promotions the masters of the web could see the impact of the number of back links on the page rank. Popular search engines including Google, provided more than simple analysis of the sites based on algorithms.

Links were and still are considered as important resources that any website is linked to. But when the habit of buying links became popular the search engines also redefined the priorities. All this has led to a verification of the kind of links a website is using. In case of links that are found as being bought rather than being shared or wishfully granted, the search engines are not much convinced. With the result the importance or significance of paid links has been observing a decline.

The best practice is not the buying of a website link but earning one. For that your own product must be outstanding in quality as well as the practices you are engaged must be genuine. Google knows it, in fact it knows everything.

For more visit Online Marketing information

Tips For Successful link baiting

When it is time to hook some good sites for links, caution is advised. Webmasters are aware of the value that a link has. You are not going to get it that easy and it is more difficult once the potential link-givers know that you want a link. Therefore, if something has to be taken; some bait has to be used.

If the web is the pool or lake where you go link baiting, then networking is your angling rod. It is because of networking that we are connected to a large number of people. One amusing story or a comment that is put across such a network will spread like anything. But does it happen always? The simple answer is: No. It is because the bait itself has to be tempting enough to woo the audience and the website owners. There is no hard and fast rule to what can be used as bait or how it is to be spread. But there are some common practices and patterns observed by professionals everywhere. Here are some steps to help you in your link baiting campaign:

• Make bait that can spread like a virus: Your bait can have such characteristics as being humorous, controversial, informative, novel, patronizing or anything that will grab the attention. The bait has to be made keeping into consideration the audience behavior.
• Find the appropriate channel or community where it can be inserted: Think of various social media and community sites wherein you can put the bait. There are many portals that some people have been utilizing.
• Your bait must be timely: Once you have prepared bait, its deployment must be timely. For instance an event is coming up and more people are supposed to be online or searching for something. Your bait in that case has to have some relevance with the event.
  

Six things to look for in a good web directory

Web directory is a platform where a number of resource websites are enlisted. These online directories are specific and contain any one kind of websites. Website directories are very useful and help in the search engine promotion of the websites. A website that is listed in a good web directory is given a preference by the search engines. Therefore you can use these directories in enhancing your page rank and traffic on the website.

Don’t just run off and start doing it. Good things come to those who wait and watch more closely. The seven best features to look for, before you go hunting for an appropriate web directory are:

Relevancy: Search for a directory that has relevant websites. If you have a news website then you must go for a news directory only. I am sure you won’t like your website to be a misfit.

Popular Directories: Do not experiment with the directories and try only the popular ones. There are directories that contain all but trash. At the same time you have some popular directories in which many authoritative and quality websites are listed.

Unique Design and Presentation: The directory must not be like some copied version of any other popular version. There are directories that have very innovative and unique design and presentation. Go for them.

Go for old ones: Yes, go for the old ones that have been serving for many years.

Search Engine Ranking: The web directory must have a good page rank. A good page rank for the directory is considered important by the search engines.

Pages must be crawled by search engine spiders: The directories whose pages are not crawled by the spiders are of no use. Such directories have NOFOLLOW tags provided.

These are the features of good web directories and try looking for them and then only submit.

Benefits of Deep Linking

Deep linking, as discussed in my previous post, is the process of linking to internal pages of a website and not the homepage. Although a few optimisers believe this activity should not be encouraged, the others think it can be quite advantageous for the prospects of a website.

First and foremost, deep links provide 'one click' navigation to web users. If a site directs users to the exact location of the item they searched for, they will take it to be a credible source. This is because they will have an effortless, hassle-free navigation through web pages. This navigational ease will, in all probability, increase the traffic inflow of your site – the ultimate aim of all marketing campaigns.

When it comes to optimisation benefits, deep linking can be quite useful, because they are natural links. Search engines always prefer sites that have a good mix of homepage and internal page links. They use smart techniques to identify unnatural or paid links. Therefore, if other sites deep link to your site, it'll foster the optimisation of your pages.

Influential Link Building Factors

This one's straight from the horse's mouth! I recently came across an online report that listed down the most influential factors of a link building campaign, as stated by SEO professionals themselves. Thought of sharing it with my readers. Read through this list and weigh these factors on your own importance scale.

Positive Factors
Anchor text
Age of the link
Type of link (image or text)
Quantity of links
Reciprocal links
Location of link on the web page
Location of link in the source code

Negative Factors
Links in a Robots.txt excluded web pages
Links in penalised pages
Redirected links
JavaScript links
Paid links
Links on NoIndex page

Every webmaster or optimiser has a different take on all these factors. But, by and large, the negative points mentioned here impacts almost every site.

Search engines cannot penalise you if the 'wrong' kind of sites point a link to your web pages. However, you risk being blacklisted if it is the other way round. When you strategise the link building campaign for your business, be very careful of who you link to.

Link Building Dos and Don'ts

Search engine optimisation companies face numerous queries about what is right or wrong for the process of link building. Through this post, I'll try and dispel some common misconceptions about this service. Listed below are the dos and don'ts for webmasters indulging in link building:

Dos

• Vary the anchor text of all your external links. Incorporate your main keywords in accordance with the landing page of the link.
• All that you do for your link building campaign should be well documented for future use. Take time out from your schedule and make sure you have a written record of internal and external links of your site
• Use news agency sites or RSS feeds to get links back to your web pages. Not only do they bring targeted traffic, but also strengthen your optimisation campaign.
• If you can afford it, buy links from popular industry-related websites. This will add on to your popularity and also get you desired traffic.
• Exchange links with sites that are relevant to your business. Do not waste your time in building links with websites that are not related to your industry at large.
  

Don'ts

• Buy links for any other reason but advertising. Most search engines detest web pages that have 'paid for' links pointing at them. You will lose your credibility and rankings by doing so.
• Get into negative techniques like spamming blogs, forums or user groups. Violating cyber laws can get you and your website into trouble.
• Exchange links with link farms or websites offering special reciprocal link schemes. If caught, you can get penalised or blacklisted by search engines.
• Keep these points in mind when you set about establishing the link building programme for your website.

Article Submission and Website Optimisation

Does article submission help in the optimisation of your website? The answer to this question can be both yes and no, depending on where your articles are posted. When you write an article and post it in article directories, make sure that you do not post the same write-up in your website. Once you submit something in a directory and the page gets cached by a search engine, it is considered to be the original source of the content.

If your website is crawled after the directory, and the search engine finds exactly the same content on your pages, it will consider it as duplicate. Therefore, it is always advisable to post content in your site first. Wait for your pages to get cached, and then submit the write-ups in directories. By doing so, you can ensure that your site's articles will be considered original.

Also, when you write articles for submission, pay attention to their titles and summary. The former should be appealing and should incorporate your main keyword. Whereas, the latter should be a gist of your article and should be able to lure readers on to going through the whole content.

When it comes to providing links in your article, you have two options – body of the write-up and resource section. Here, you should remember that one keyword should link to only one URL of your site. If you happen to target two keywords through an article, make sure that they link to different URLs.

These basic tips will help you formulate a well-targeted link building campaign for your site. Article submission can be extremely effective; but only when dealt with in the right manner.

Popular Article Submission Directories

Before getting into article submission, judge a directory on the basis of points mentioned in my last post. For your convenience, I am listing down few of the popular online directories that'll help you market your articles and also get good quality traffic diverted to your site.


www.articledashboard.com
www.articles-hub.com
www.articlesfactory.com
www.goarticles.com
www.articletrader.com
www.articlealley.com
www.articlesphere.com
www.webpronews.com
www.searchguild.com
www.articlegarden.com
www.articledepot.co.uk
www.ideamarketers.com
www.articlesbase.com
www.easyarticles.com
www.allthewebsites.org
www.promotionworld.com
www.selfgrowth.com
www.free-articles-zone.com
sbinformation.about.com
www.articlepros.com
www.articlecube.com
www.linkgrinder.com
www.kokkada.com
www.articleteller.com
biz-whiz.com
www.businessknowhow.com
www.businessnation.com
neoarticle.com
www.amazines.com


Some of these websites offer this service for free, whereas, some charge a reasonable amount for the same. Experts advise that you should always opt or the free ones, but then, your decision depends on your business requirements and investment capabilities. Submit your articles and strengthen your site's link building campaign by getting quality links back to your web pages.

What is a Good Article Directory?

When we talk of article submission as a link building tool, it is very important to discuss web directories that allow submission of write-ups by optimisers. The online marketplace is strewn with directories – both paid and free – that offer this service. But, you need to choose the right ones in accordance with your requirements.

What is considered a good article directory?

• One that moderates the submitted content. Even if you have edited an article at your end, it is the directory's job to check your write-ups for possible errors.
• One that displays most recent articles on its homepage, categorised on the basis of topics.
• One that displays articles with submission dates. This will help readers gauge the value of the articles chosen by them.
• One that provides this service free of cost. There is no point in investing money in article submissions just for the sake of getting links back to your site.
• One that gives URLs that are search-engine friendly. It helps in faster indexing of your articles.
  

When you decide to get into article submissions, judge directories on the basis of the aforementioned points. In my next post, I'll enlist some of the most popular article directories that can help you in strengthening your link building campaign.

Article Submission – The Basics

A highly-effective off-page optimisation technique, article submission, unfortunately, still happens to be a highly under-utilised service too. Most online businesses believe there are much better ways of procuring links and therefore shy away from getting into this service.

However, article submission is not as simple as it sounds. To write an article, you do not need to be a subject matter expert, or a student of literature. But, you definitely need to be competent in presenting facts in a way that they intrigue readers. To be able to do this, you first need to understand a few basics about this service.

What is Article Submission?
It is an optimisation technique, wherein you can write impelling articles relevant to your business and submit them into article directories available online.

What do you write about?
You can write on any topic that interests you. However, it will help your business only when you write on subjects that are related to your product/service, business or industry at large.

What are links from supplemental pages?
These are links that come from pages that have been supplemented by a search engine.

Are links from supplemental pages worthless?
Not exactly. If you are looking for PR, they will be worthless for your campaign, because most of the supplemental pages have zero or very low PR. But otherwise, these pages do carry link value.

In my next post, I will discuss article directories as a source of link building. Questions like what is a good directory, which are the popular online article directories, etc. will be dealt with then.

How to Choose a Directory for Submission?

Having presented a list of popular directories, I would now like to talk about choosing the best directory for your site's submission services. Do not think too much about their PageRanks when taking your decision. Rally around these important selection factors instead:

1. Find out if the directory is indexed by the topmost search engines. If it has not been cached by search engines for a long period of time, there is definitely no point in submitting your links on it.
2. Established, popular directories can bring in traffic and also the kind of back links that'll actually foster your site's optimisation process.
3. When you submit your site into categories, make sure that the directory in question offers a unique category structure that helps in better organisation of info. This will help you in locating relevant information in quick time.
4. If a directory uses the 'rel=no follow' attribute for your link, search engines will actually never follow that link to your site. Therefore, such a directory will be of absolutely no help in your optimisation campaign. Even redirects are usually not considered for back links by search engines.
5. Always check the outbound links on the directory's pages. This will give you a good insight into how helpful such a submission would be for your site.
   

Tally these relevant points with the directories chosen by you, and you will have a clearer picture of what will or will not work for your web business.

Free Website Directory List Part - II

Find more directories to increase your backlink.

http://www.dir.ajnin.com/
http://www.directory143.com/
http://directory.rankorama.de/
http://www.directorybin.com/
http://www.directorystorm.com/
http://directoryzeal.com/
http://www.directoryws.com/
http://www.dirsubmission.net/
http://www.egold-directory.com/
http://www.elitesitesdirectory.com/
http://search.ezilon.com/
http://www.f7w.net/
http://www.fastdir.info/
http://www.findwhatwhere.info/
http://www.freewebsitedirectory.com/
http://www.freekicktemple.com/directory/
http://www.freshtv.com/
http://www.catalog.fubix.com/
http://www.global-markings.com/
http://directory.gtsee.com/
http://www.go2directory.info/
http://www.greatwebdirectory.com/
http://www.hao221.com/
http://www.blong.info/
http://www.indexwebdirectory.com/
http://www.indexu.net/
http://www.information4u.net/
http://directory.inmeres.com/
http://www.inwebdirectory.com/
http://www.iwebinfo.com/
http://www.klik-klik.com/directory/
http://www.knil-link.com/
http://letsgetwealthyonline.com/
http://www.linedirectory.com/
http://www.linkcube.info/
http://links.w529.com/
http://www.linksweb.info/
http://www.linkwebdir.info/
http://www.londovor.com/
http://www.propr.info/
http://www.activedir.info/
http://dir.mymaldives.com/
http://www.matrixsolutnz.net/
http://miko67.com/business-directory/
http://www.mmorpgcrypt.com/links.asp
http://onebestlink.com/directory/
http://www.piseries.com/
http://www.earth-directory.info/
http://www.pr3plus.com/
http://www.programmingresources.net
http://www.properdirectory.com/
http://www.quickdirectory.biz/
http://www.registerlink.info/
http://www.riotnews.com/
http://www.seodirectorys.com/v2/
http://www.searchwiz.org/
http://webdir.addsite-submitfree.com/
http://www.sitelinked.com/
http://www.siteseek.net/
http://www.skypemedia.com/
http://www.submission4u.com/
http://www.suggestlink.co.in/
http://www.swick-a-licken.com/
http://www.indexunlimited.com/
http://www.yoofindit.com/
http://www.directoryworm.com/
http://www.bookwallet.org/
http://www.pegasusdirectory.com/
http://www.webmasters-cavern.com/dir/
http://www.ukwebmasterworld.com/directory/
http://www.httpbase.com/
http://www.addnewlink.net/
http://www.freelinkdir.com/
http://www.sitesdirectory.info/
http://www.links-directory.org/
http://www.freewd.org/
http://www.clarib.com/
http://www.directoryslick.com/
http://www.iyidizin.com/
http://www.profitbaron.com/directory/
http://www.freeurllink.com/
http://www.gwde.com/
http://www.clixa.com/
http://almadirectory.com/
http://www.zepteo.com/
http://postdir.com/
http://www.freee-web.com/
http://www.pdadirectory.eu/
http://www.2mq.org/
http://www.gatordirectory.com/
http://www.assets.cc/
http://www.pdadirectory.eu/
http://www.prolistings.net/
http://www.directory.owntruth.com/
http://www.final-fantasy.us/
http://www.tcpls.net/
http://www.pukt.com/
http://www.mygreencorner.com/
http://www.lii.org/
http://searchsight.com/

Free Website Directory List Part - I

Free Website Directory List Part - I

If you have a new website or wish to promote your existing site to get one-way links, the following free directories which help you in building links and increase your link popularity -

Free Website Directory (100)

http://www.linknom.com/
http://www.textlinkdirectory.com/
http://www.r-fd.com/
http://directory.seo-poland.com/
http://www.slackalice.com/
http://www.gulqro.com/
http://www.savelook.com
http://www.zabalook.com
http://directory.lonelyway.com/
http://www.ourlifexp.com/directory/
http://www.1stw.com/
http://www.typodrome.com/
http://www.grafoff.com/
http://taterlinks.com
http://www.off-life.com/
http://www.stuffdaily.com/directory/
http://www.alistdirectory.com/
http://www.findtoplinks.com/
http://www.qos-team.com/
http://www.seocourt.com/
http://www.urlsubmitdirectory.com/
http://www.unlistedhomeopportunities.com/
http://www.pbsdirectory.01dir.com/
http://www.mm99.info/websitedirectory/
http://www.atinat.com/
http://www.resources.eu.com/
http://goodtimesdirectory.com/
http://www.weblinkindex.com/
http://www.spiderwebsdirectory.com/
http://www.tbwd.org/
http://www.getlistedrightnow.com/
http://www.link-directory.us/
http://www.ffdir.info/
http://www.mytopdirectory.info/
http://www.didugetthe.info/
http://directory.trybestsoft.com/
http://investingonweb.com/
http://www.directoryseofriendly.com/
http://www.nameproz.com/
http://www.humaneditedseofriendlywebdirectory.com/
http://dir.avissoftware.com/
http://www.businessmarketingagency.com/
http://www.vmoptions.com/
http://www.waikey.com/
http://www.nowseen.net/
http://www.madhavweb.com/
http://www.blfree.com
http://www.directorysuperb.com/
http://www.hellasdirectory.com/
http://www.abgwd.com/
http://www.link1directory.com/
http://www.seowebdirectory.com/
http://www.linkstreet.info/
http://www.another-directory.com/
http://www.belistednow.com/
http://www.jewana.com/
http://www.i-directories.org/
http://www.linkpedia.net/
http://www.vividwebindex.com/
http://www.rmsiu.com/
http://www.submitfree.org/
http://www.webglobaldirectory.com/
http://www.1abc.org/
http://directorweb.csarmy.com/
http://www.nwkk.com/
http://www.dir365.org/
http://www.directorylair.com/
http://www.submit-url.org/
http://www.ub51.com/
http://www.nudirectory.com/
http://www.articleszones.com/directory/
http://www.lowsterslinks.com/
http://www.webdezinz.com/
http://www.forumbase.org/Non-Forums_Related_Sites/
http://directory.seoexecutive.com/
http://www.upyg.com/
http://dequel.com/
http://www.go4websites.com/
http://www.12bmedia.com/directory/
http://www.a-free-directory.info/
http://www.a1dir.com/
http://www.addsitelink.com/
http://www.add2us.com/
http://www.agilelist.com/
http://www.allthelinks.net/
http://www.allthelist.com/
http://www.awedir.com/
http://www.the-web-directory.co.uk/
http://blogs.b2binternetmarketingagency.com/dir/
http://www.best-sites.co.uk/
http://www.bhdirectory.info/
http://www.blogsip.com/webdirectory/
http://www.brandsearch.org/
http://www.businesspowerusa.com/
http://www.bzzu.com/
http://www.cleverlinks.net/
http://www.commercedir.com/
http://www.crazylinks.org/
http://www.cyborginfo.com/
http://www.desilinkdirectory.com/

Find out about other popular directories in the next post.

Why Directory Submissions?

In my last blog, I had talked about the importance of directory submissions, and the way of going about it. Before delving further into this topic, I would first like to discuss the advantages of this optimisation service. Why should a website be submitted into directories in the first place?

When we talk of new sites, this service can be extremely beneficial in getting one-way links for web pages that have zero PageRank. You can easily promote your site on search engines by simply submitting your pages in relevant categories of online directories.

More than anything else, you do not have to spend a single penny on this kind of promotion. Stay away from paid directory submissions and you can save a lot of time and resources, and get free promotion as a bargain. Not just that, you can also add up to your back links counter, which is a major determinant of your success with search engines.

Apart from pleasing search engines, these submissions can get you high-value traffic as per relevant categorisation. At the end of the day, your job is to make way for conversions so that you get desired sales figures.

Make Way for Directory Submissions

Directory submission is, invariably, one of the most effective means of link building. Just place your URL in an online directory, and get a link back to your site. Not just a link, you also have the chance of driving targeted traffic to your website, thus bettering the prospects of your business. For new websites, this is actually the best way of establishing a link building campaign to generate traffic and also boost the optimisation process.

How to choose a directory for submission?
Conduct a search on directories for the keyword(s) that best describes your site. Enlist the first hundred or more directories on the basis of your requirements. It is imperative for you to find out if the directories chosen by you are banned or penalised on search engines. Because, submitting links on such directories will be nothing but a waste of time and resources at your end. One-way links from them will be of absolutely no use to your campaign.

Secondly, scrutinise the directory to find out if it is relevant to your business. Cater to as many free directories as possible, because search engines are becoming increasingly wary of link backs that are paid for. When you have listed down the directory names, try and find out few sites that also allow submission of internal web pages.

Then, decide on categories that best suit your site's requirements. Do not nest your pages too deep into a directory – they should not be more than two clicks away. Also, check the PageRank and outgoing links of such pages. Above all, if the page where you submit your URL is not cached, there is simply no point in getting a link back from it.

The subject of directory submission will be further touched upon in successive blogs.

Are Search Engines Scrutinising your Links?

As optimisers, we often tend to underestimate search engines. We believe we can get away with all sorts of smart techniques without getting noticed. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Search engines have, in due course, devised algorithms that can easily track back your links to their source of origination.

Most SEOs practice article and directory submissions so as to get links back from various free and paid directories available online. Articles are ideally meant for web users' interests and benefits. You write on subjects related to your business so as to inform readers about your industry at large.

In the eyes of search engines, such means of link building are unacceptable. They can follow your link's anchor text and easily figure out if they are artificial. For them, links are original only if other websites willingly point towards your pages.

What does an optimiser do then? First of all, make sure that anchor text of all your links are as different as possible. By doing so, you'll be able to create an illusion of these links being original. Secondly, do not go begging for link backs from directories. Make your site so appealing that webmasters are lured to link to it. Let them consider you as a resourceful website that deserves to be linked to.

Try these simple tactics, and you can save your link building campaign from the intense scrutiny that search engines might subject it to.

'Give and Take' Links to Boost your Website's Ranking

Extremely effective when it comes to boosting a website's link popularity, reciprocal linking works on the simple concept of 'give and take'. This not only helps in bettering traffic inflow, but also establishes your site as a one that everyone wants to be linked to.

The biggest challenge is to find a site that will be willing to reciprocate your link. Webmasters can scan the web for sites that are best related to their business and pick the ones that can be beneficial in their link building campaign. This relevance can be in terms of either content or links.

More than anything else, the site should have a target audience that is almost same as yours. If it fails to arouse your interest, in all likelihood, it'll be a flop with your visitors too. Be judicious enough to pick 'similar' sites that will not end up competing with you. Find out about web pages that have reciprocal links with your competitors' sites and then try and get them into an arrangement with you too.

When you decide to write an email for reciprocal linking, make sure that the site or web page in question does not have too many outbound links. This will affect your page's credibility as well the PageRank (if you use Google). These simple tips can be quite rewarding for search engine optimisers seeking high rankings through link exchange.

Bust Link Building Myths

Optimisation experts have confusing viewpoints about the process of link building. There are a number of myths that actually influence their style of working. It is therefore important to have clarity in this regard.

Listed below are a few of the most common myths that often hinder the process of search engine optimisation:

• Not all free directories are worthy of one-way linking. Apart from DMOZ (Open Directory Project), the others are actually not valuable enough. Search engines like Google use this directory because of its credentials and popularity amongst websites. You can also submit your site to certain free directories, but don't waste too much time on the 'incompetent' ones.
• As far as paid directories are concerned, Yahoo is one of the most effectual ones. For a reasonable amount, it can bring in substantial linking value for your website. Instead of spending too much money on them, you should rather undertake research and go for the orthodox link request process.
  
• A number of businesses consider link building as a simple process that can be carried on by in-house marketers. However, this is not the case. It is a complicated process that demands professionalism and an all-inclusive knowledge of the field of SEO. Therefore, it is best left t experts or service providers.
  

It is also wise to remember that link building is not the only or guaranteed means of high search engine rankings. It is just one of the many optimisation techniques that can bolster your prospects on SERPs. Therefore, you also need to put in a good amount of effort on the other on-page and off-page services

Link Exchange and its Types

The process of link building heavily depends on external websites and their interest in linking to you. Your campaign can be successful only if you cater to sites that are relevant to your business or industry at large.

When we talk of link exchange, we essentially discuss the following three types of it:

a) One-way link exchange - Web pages are submitted in article directories that, in turn, provide backlinks to your pages. Links can be picked up from free directories that are game for one-way linking.

b) Two-way link exchange – Two websites mutually agree to give a link to each other's web pages so as to divert traffic. These sites are usually related to the same product, business or industry. In fact, link exchange will be successful only if you link up with sites that get visitors that also comprise your potential customer base.

c) Three-way link exchange – Suppose you own two websites, wherein one is an established one, and the other is relatively new. You can get into link exchange with a third prominent website – in the process, your established site will link to this third-party site, and it will, in turn, link to your new site. Fairly newer web pages can gain links on prominent websites using this programme.

Most webmasters prefer getting into one-way link exchange, because it does not demand too much time or money. You can simply submit your pages online and get link back to your site. However, each website has its own optimisation requirements and you should choose the technique that best suits your business.

Link Building – The Process

An effectively linked website can do your online business a world of good, both in terms of revenues and traffic. Adopt the following approach to go about the process of link building for your optimisation campaign:

1. Run a search query for your most important keywords, and have a look at the top 20 sites that feature on SERPs. Most of these sites will be your competitors'. You can also pick and choose website submitted on online directories like DMOZ or Yahoo.
   
2. Scan the websites these top-ranked sites have linked to, and if you find them worthwhile, use them in your campaign as well. To do this, you can either use freely available web tools, or the backlink command provided for in directories.
3. Also check the sites that link to your competitors' sites. It'll be easy to get into link exchange with them, as you are part of the same industry as your rivals.
4. Have a look at every website that you have shortlisted. Identify the pros and cons of their web pages, and only then take the next step.
5. Send a link proposal through email, clearly stating the facts about your site and business. Write the email in an impelling manner so that the site's webmaster sees reason in linking to your site.
   

Once you have adhered to this step-by-step process, keep a track of which sites are actually replying back, and which of them are interested in getting into link exchange with you. Also monitor the incoming links of your site, so that you can do away with the ones that can be harmful for your site's prospects on search engines.