| One of the best SEO tips for boosting traffic to your | | | | an expert. |
| website is to increase the number of links from other | | | | - Yahoo! Groups - There are groups for every interest |
| websites. This grows your traffic in two ways. | | | | - find out where your market hangs out, and join them. |
| First, the Search Engines place a lot of emphasis on | | | | You can set the groups you have joined up to email |
| how many inbound links a site has, and where they | | | | you once a day with all the latest posts, which is a |
| come from. The higher the Page Rank of the site | | | | great way to keep your finger on the pulse of what's |
| linking to yours, the stronger the link, and the more | | | | going on. |
| weight it has with the Search Engines. It's almost as | | | | - Social Networking - Most Social Networking sites |
| though they think, "Wow! Look at all these impressive | | | | have special interest groups you can join. If you can't |
| sites linking to this one... It must be important!" | | | | find what you want, start one. |
| The second way these links benefit you is that they | | | | Step 2 - Lurk - Spend some time getting the feel of |
| provide opportunities for people to click and visit your | | | | how these things operate. See what kind of feedback |
| site. And that is, after all, what you want - people who | | | | others are giving. Read the guidelines - this is critical |
| are interested enough in what you may offer to click | | | | because you don't want to be banned! |
| and find out. | | | | While you are lurking, notice the signature files others |
| But how do you get these links? The fastest way, of | | | | are using. Check the guidelines to see what you can |
| course, is to pay for them. There are services that | | | | put in your signature - a teaser question and a link are |
| you can contract with for some of your hard earned | | | | great if they are allowed. Your most desired response |
| cash, and they will make sure your site gets listed in | | | | is to get a click back to your site. And if you can't use |
| numerous directories and other places. The problem | | | | a link, you might want to find a place where you can. |
| with that is that you have absolutely no control over | | | | Step 3 - Solve Problems - Now you are ready to |
| who is linking to you, and you may get links that you | | | | begin implementing your plan. Give helpful answers. |
| would prefer not to have. | | | | Don't preach and don't sell. Be conversational, but |
| Another strategy is one that costs nothing but your | | | | helpful. You are trying to develop relationships, and get |
| time, gives you greater control, and allows you to | | | | your name recognized as someone who is genuinely |
| target your audience more closely. It's a do-it-yourself | | | | helpful and has valuable information. |
| link building strategy, and I call it "Solving Problems for | | | | Step 4 - Make a Plan - This strategy takes time, but it |
| Fun and Profit." | | | | can be easily managed. You want your plan to include |
| Step 1 - Find the Problems -The Internet is overrun with | | | | quantity, implementation, and growth. Here are some |
| people searching for solutions to their problems. Your | | | | ideas to help you start: |
| business solves problems. You just need to find the | | | | - Set a goal, perhaps three solid posts a week. Over |
| intersection of their problems and your solutions. | | | | the course of a year, that will give you over 150 links |
| Where are the people you can help asking their | | | | back to your site. |
| questions? | | | | - Decide when you are going to post - I use this as a |
| - Blogs - Find blogs that serve your industry and post | | | | break from my other work, and it usually gives me a |
| quality responses. Avoid the temptation to make ten | | | | fresh idea or two. |
| short "Great post!" responses, and instead make one | | | | - Build this activity into your schedule |
| or two thoughtful, value added responses. Choose | | | | - Set a goal to find one or two new places to post |
| blogs that offer a clickable link back to your site. | | | | each month. Drop the ones that aren't working for you. |
| - Forums - If you are not already a member of a | | | | Over the course of time, you will build your reputation, |
| forum, find one or more serving your target market | | | | you will develop relationships, and you will drive traffic |
| and subscribe. To find them, search for keyword | | | | to your site. The beauty of this strategy is that the |
| forum. For example, you could look for location, | | | | time you invest will pay off far into the future. When |
| Orlando forum, or an industry, wellness coaching forum, | | | | people search for solutions to particular problems, |
| or a specific problem, autism forum. | | | | many times the results include posts that were written |
| - Yahoo! Answers - People ask the strangest things! | | | | months, or even years, ago. This is definitely a strategy |
| But you can find some great questions to give your | | | | worth pursuing. |
| input on, and with very little effort, you can be seen as | | | | |