What Are Link Backs?

Search engine optimization is constantly evolving. Some of the things that were of great importance to search engines just a few years ago, such as keyword tags, are now almost completely obsolete. But there's one component of search engine optimization that is unlikely to become irrelevant, and that is the incoming link.

The purpose of search engines is to provide Internet users with the most relevant information possible. There are a number of things that factor into their rankings, including keyword distribution within the page text, alt tags, page titles, and keywords within the URLs. But incoming links are also an important part of the equation. The search engines look at incoming links as votes of confidence for your site, and everything else being equal, the page with the most links to it will usually get the highest ranking.

Working out link back deals is a great way to get links to your site. All you have to do is find sites that are relevant to yours, contact the webmaster, and ask if he would like to exchange links. Not all will be willing, but many are happy to oblige. And if you're on a budget, you'll be happy to know that this method of link generation won't cost you a dime.

Who Should I Trade Links With?

It's not a good idea to approach the webmaster of every site you come across asking to trade links. Links from sites that are totally unrelated to yours could actually hurt your rankings. The search engines want to see links coming from sites that are in a similar niche to yours.

That doesn't mean that you can only link to your direct competitors, though. The best strategy is to find sites about similar subject matter that have different goals from yours. For example, if you run a recipe website, exchanging links with a site that sells cookware would make sense. If you sell gardening equipment, you could seek link exchanges with sites that offer gardening tips. Think related sites, not ones that have the same objective as you.

The most beneficial links come from sites that are doing well in the search engines themselves. While it might be difficult to get a site that ranks number one for numerous highly competitive keywords, it's often possible to talk webmasters of sites that rank highly for less competitive keywords into trading links. A quick indicator of link value that you can use is Google Pagerank, which rates sites' link popularity on a scale of 0 to 10. You can find it for any site by installing the Google Toolbar on your browser of choice.

Getting link backs is a free and easy way to enhance your positioning in the search engines. And if you can get a link from a relevant site with good traffic, they can also result in click-throughs to your site. So if you're looking for an inexpensive way to get more traffic, start looking for related sites to exchange links with.