A fundamentally important ingredient used by the search engines is the analysis of incoming links. While the science is quite sophisticated, the basic idea is this - if a web site is important and popular, it will have more links leading to it. The fewer outside links, the less important it is deemed to be - at least for this particular search variable.

The most basic links are those found on the search engines themselves. They will link to content and information on your site based on the keywords and updated information. Most search engines will allow you to submit your site directly to speed up the process and a few will even rank your site in exchange for a small fee. If you're in a rush to get things moving, consider these options, but otherwise stick to the free listings.

As well, there are a number of services available for generating links. A "link exchange" is a membership type program that puts your link on the web sites of other members and vise versa. This builds the number of external links and helps all the members equally. Some of these services will provide the links automatically (something like the Google system) and some will even regularly update and rotate links to enhance the effect. The better services will also allow you to choose links by category in order to keep your external links relevant. There's more details about linking strategies on my web site at http://themoneytreeguide.com You can also find a number of great resources there to help you optimize your link strategy.

Some link services are free and require you to put links on your site, too. Others offer a "one way link" service where you can pay to have others link to your site without having to put them on your own site. Although this is a highly recommended option, it can be a bit pricey, so start small and work your way up once you start generating income. The advantage is that by paying for one way links you get quality site placement, highly ranked sites and relevant links. The bigger search engines now recognize the link exchanges and will discount their impact on your ranking - one way links don't have this problem.

Brian Metcalfe

Once very simple (only Yahoo was worth submitting), the science of submitting sites to directories has become increasingly complex. There are numerous softwares, sites and services that take care of (or promise) submitting your site to the millions of directories existing today.

Unfortunately, the promise of "Be listed in 10,000 directories with one click" is blatantly false. If you want to be listed in PageRank Zero directories, an invitation to being banned, go ahead. And do not forget to give them a real email, for them to spam you forever.

Real, valuable directories do not accept automatic submissions for 2 good reasons:

- they need quality data that no software provides or guarantees.

- they need a human with a credit card, to whom sell something

Thus, they all have Humanity Tests, like the annoying captchas, or an email that must be read and acted upon.

The directories use different methods to admit new sites: Some require payment, some request a link exchange, that can equal better search engine (SE) ranking. Some require an easy-to-spam email address. A few accept your data for free without compensation: those who need quality links to improve themselves.

This is a classification of directories, according to their admission requirements:

-Really Free -Paid -Legitimate, but Request link exchange -Cheaters

Cheating Directories

So far, I list 8 types of Cheaters:

1-Says free and is not: After a long form-filling process, they deceitfully demand ransom for your time.

2-Requests link exchange and does not comply: they demand your publishing first, and they promise a reciprocal link that never comes.

In our experience, 70% of those who request a link do not reciprocate after 2 weeks.

3-Home page with high PageRank, indexing pages with zero PageRank: this is not necessary cheating, unless the PageRank is manipulated to flow somewhere else. Most directories start from zero, get PageRank 3 in the home after the first spidering, and do not pass PageRank to their inner directories until they climb to 5-6 in the home page. However, if links to other pages are regularly incorporated in the home page before and more prominently (H1, H2, Bold) than the client listings, the PageRank flows to the privileged pages.

4-Adds no-follow attribute to your links: this is a dirty trick. Check for the code in the source HTML

5. Adds exclusions to the listings in the robots.txt file

6. Gives no or low priority in the Google sitemap (usually, but not always, sitemap.xml). Please notice that Google Sitemap allows sitemaps with other names, and only the webmaster knows which is the good one. So, it .is easy to give low weight to the non-paying links.

7-Insert Javascript in the code that you need to publish: popups, redirects, Trojans

8-Delay 4-5 years publication for no reason: I am talking about Dmoz.org, of course.

The Ideal directories have:

-Fast navigation: fnding the right category is the most time-consuming part of submission to directories.

-No hindrances (some captchas are 10 characters long, have non-letter characters, and are almost illegible because of strange fonts, or low background contrast. What is wrong with only one character?

-Accept triangulation: Reciprocal links are no longer automatically accepted by Google as a sign of quality. Link triangulation or quadrangulation are better.

-Instant publication: ideally, a script checks your link, tests the reciprocal and publishes it.

-SEO-friendly: the directory shall publish your link in a spiderable location, with no restrictions.

-Thematic: there is no more room in the Web for generic directories. Who needs a better Yahoo or Google Directory? Instead, the web will always welcome a new thematic directory, complete and with specific tools for better quality results.

-Good PageRank

-Large number of indexed incoming links

-Listed sites receive some advantage: traffic or better ranking

Good Submission Tools:

The good submission tools, either desktop or web based, should have:

- good directory listing, attending the criteria defined above

- directory selection feature, allowing the site owner to submit only to those directories that fit his/her preferences and budget.

- semi-automated form-filling

- listing detection spider or checker

- tracking and reporting feature

Instructed Operator

An operator able to submit successfully to directories should be aware of the above items, plus have some knowledge of Web editing and FTP. He needs to be realiable, because you will give him access to your site user/password for the link exchange. In some cases, he will need a disposable email account with the same domain as is promoted.

Even with a good submission tool, expect to spend 2 full-time weeks submitting to 1000 selected directories (one every 4 minutes), with link exchanges. If you have cheap offshore labor that could amount to $300, plus $100 for one decent submitting tool.

Provided all these aspects are taken into account, submitting to directories is still the best way to obtain incoming links to any site. Combined with appropriate SEO, (almost) every time it results in better SE ranking.

by Juan Tello

Labels: Website Traffic