How to use Backlink Strategies for Increased Web Site Traffic
Getting web traffic relies to a GREAT extent on quality backlinks to your site. These are hyperlinks from other websites to yours, and they're a 'must have' for 2 reasons.
The first is that these links, also known as incoming or inbound links, or inlinks, result in increased web site traffic when viewers at the originating sites click on them.
The second has to do with getting higher search engine rankings, and so is actually part of Search Engine Optimization. (If you came directly into this page, and want an explanation of search engine ranking and optimization, see Search Engine Optimization Strategies.)
Search engines like inlinks very much -- it's a major factor for favorable ranking in their algorithms, and resulting website traffic generation.
The reason is simple: search engines figure that if other sites, especially the high traffic web sites, link to yours, then yours must be worth looking at. Each backlink is a sort of vote of confidence.
Search engines look at the number, and especially quality, of such links (link popularity) when ranking your site. More links help you to rank higher. Links from popular, related sites, with high PageRank, are accorded greater weightage than those from non-related, low traffic web sites.
How to Get Backlinks
You can start on link building even for a fairly new site, as soon as you have some meat in your content. In fact, it's a good idea to do so, as it helps search engines find your site quickly, without your even needing to submit it.
Here're some tips on how to get inbound links:
Links from Other Sites: One-Way Links
You get a one-way link when you have something on your site that causes a viewer to spontaneously link to it from another website, whether his own, or in forums when he mentions your site.
Content that excites viewers enough to do that is called link bait. It can be informational like rare tips or tools or experiences that people can benefit from, or fresh information like breaking news, or humor that touches a chord, or something controversial.
Link bait is a powerful way to get inbound links, and increased web site traffic, as it is viral, which means it spreads on its own.
Reciprocal Links: Two-Way or Multi-Way Links
Some webmasters help things along by exchanging links with each other, i.e. A links to B, in exchange for a link back from B. This is known as reciprocal linking.
There is a right and wrong way to do it however. The worst is a backlink which comes from a link farm or page full of nothing but links, created for the purpose of linking to other websites, that no one even reads. Search engines tend to discount those.
The best way is for parties to link contextually to each other. That is, you offer a complementary website a contextual backlink, one that is from content related to his website, in one of your articles, and ask that he do the same for you. Search engines rank those as better quality links.
But check that your link partner plays fair with you. Unfortunately, there are cases of webmasters removing a reciprocal backlink after getting theirs in.
Since search engines discount 2-way links from link farms or pages, some enterprising marketeers have turned to selling 3-way linking instead. They offer automatic linking services among members, such that A links to B which links to C, which in turn links to A.
But avoid it, as it's another way of tricking the search engines, and Google has in the past shown itself to be quick to discount quickly obtained links - reciprocal, paid, etc.
For a detailed tutorial on how to get back links, and other free website traffic generation methods, get a good course such as John Reese's
Traffic Secrets 2.0
