This article is a follow-up to an article I wrote about on-page optimization. On-page optimization enables each of your web pages to make the most out of the mojo that they have but you need inbound links to create that mojo in the first place. I use the term mojo as a generic descriptor for the importance given to a web page or a website based upon inbound links. Similar terms include page rank, site rank, trust rank, and authority. Those terms tend to carry too much linguistic baggage, so I use the term mojo for simplicity unless another term is specifically required.

Mojo is created by getting inbound links to your website and to your web pages. Getting inbound links is one of the most important and time-consuming tasks involved in SEO. Here are a few tips to generate inbound links. Each of these tips are appropriate for some websites but none are appropriate for all websites. Select the link-building strategies which are most appropriate for your specific website.

Submit to Web Directories

Start with big, slow directories like the Yahoo Directory and the DMOZ Open Directory Project but don't stop there. Search out the small directories which are dedicated to topics relevant to your website.

Reciprocal Linking

Write individual e-mails to specific webmasters whose web pages compliment your own and tell them that you would like to trade links with them. Make sure to personalize each e-mail or your e-mails will be quickly deleted as spam. To achieve the best results from your e-mail, include the following in your initial e-mail:

* Mention two positive items about their website so that they know your e-mail is not a generic spam

* Include directions to the specific web page where you have added the link to their website

* Mention the PageRank of the page where you have added a link to their website

Write Articles for Other Websites

One method for getting inbound links is to write quality articles and submit them to other websites for publication. Each article should include a link back to your website. These links are better than links from link pages because there tend to be very few outbound links on the article page.

Write a brief article on some topic related to the topic of your website. Do not write an article about your website but write an article that would be interesting to people who would also be interested in your website. Send this article to webmasters who maintain websites on topics similar to the topic of your article. Explain to them that they can post your article for free on their website in return for a link to your site.

Create and Submit Press Releases

Write press releases about your website and submit them to press release distribution services.

Join a Reciprocal Link Program

Reciprocal linking programs exist to help webmasters share links with similar websites.

If you have a blog, try BlogLinker, the automatic link swapper for blogs.

These link networks can generate a lot of e-mail. You will probably want to create a new e-mail account just for these networks.

Join a Reciprocal Linking Forum

Several web forums exist for the purpose of sharing and trading reciprocal links. These linking forums include:

* Link Requests
* Link Trade Forum

Start a Reciprocal Linking Program on Your Website

You can also setup a reciprocal linking program on your own website.

Start or Join a Web Ring

You can use an existing web ring service such as WebRing or you can create your own web ring using the PHP-Ring webring script.

Join or Create a Top Site List

Search for top site lists which are relevant to your website. Add yourself to the existing lists. If no relevant top site lists exist, create one.

Provide a Useful Service

Create dynamic content on your website which other webmasters can include on their websites by linking to it. Every webmaster who uses your content automatically adds a link to your site. Of course, you will also have to contact other webmasters to let them know about your service - perhaps even with a press release.

Buy Links

If all else fails, you can always buy links to your website.

About The Author

Will Spencer is the webmaster of The Internet Search Engines FAQ (www.internet-search-engines-faq.com/).

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