Search Engine Optimization Book

SEO BOOK

Using Links to Capture the Tail End of Search:

Many people optimize their sites for stuff like “purple widgets" and forget to optimize for more specific or related terms. You can’t always optimize your page for all the terms you like, but you can add some modifier or descriptive words in some of the inbound link text to try to rank well in a slightly broader keyword basket. Some example link text might be

•

Buy Purple Widgets

•

Purple Widget Store

•

Purple Widget Sale

•

etc.

Doing this will mean that it may take longer to rank well for purple widgets, but it means you will likely rank for many more specific queries around that keyword termspace in a quicker time period.

Giving away Tools or Knowledge for Linkage Data:

Many sites build a ton of free linkage data by creating industry standard tools. I paid a friend only $400 to create the Hub Finder tool and in its first month of existence it probably got at least $1,000 worth of free links. Digital Point has a ton of free links from the tools they give away.

Paul Graham is a classic example of a writer who gains a ton of free linkage data by giving away knowledge. His

How to Start a Startup

article is a classic example of an article that built a ton of linkage data.

In a large social network as long as you think about scalablility it is hard to give too much away. The more you give away the more you get back.

Exchanging Links

Be Personal:

The best way to go about exchanging links is to be as personal about it as you can.

Look around their website and try to find personal information. The more you find the better you are.

When asking people to link to your site, the most important factors are to be personal about the link request and appeal to their motivators.

When submitting your site, try to submit it to the person, not a general info submission. If you can state where your link should go on their site and how it would improve their users experience then you stand a good chance of getting a link. Off topic somewhat personal statements showing you share similar interests as some of their past experiences on their site may make you seem more human like and more connected with their interests. It thus becomes easier to get links.

Proper Link Request Buyline:

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