Link building for popularity

Most link building these days is not to attract visitors, but to build 'link popularity' within the search engines.

With links for link popularity, it is accepted, even normal, to offer links through a dedicated links directory. The usual format is one site owner puts up a link to another and then sends a request. But what is it all about?

In short, search engines measure the 'importance' of a site and even pages within a site by the number of links pointing to that site or page. The more links there are, the more important that page is. And the more important the pages are that give those links, the more important again that page is.

So the idea is to find sites that will link to your own site in return for a link back. Then search engines will see these links and start to rate you more highly.

This requires a large number of link exchanges. You need to be requesting potentially tens per week to allow for that fact that many won't respond and to keep this up week in, week out. It's the gradual growth in inbound links that the search engines want to see.

The easiest way to manage the links of your behalf is usually through an off the shelf link exchange directory. Using one with plenty of the required tools can really help you and means that when people come to you to request an exchange the process can take place automatically.

You as the person in charge of links building then go out hunting for sites to exchange links with. You review the other person's site to find if they have requirements for how their link should appear and then add such a link to your directory. Once this is complete, you then email the other site's owner, telling them where their link can be found on your website and asking them to put a link to your website onto their website. Hopefully, they get back to you to confirm this has been done.

Give them a week and if they haven't replied then remind them. If they still haven't replied after another week, then it might be best to remove the link, possibly with a friendly reminder to them of the missed opportunity.

Link building for popularity is all about getting plenty of links in from other sites.