How to Get Hundreds of Links to Your Site

If you are website owner and you have begun exchanging links, you know how time consuming -- and time-wasting -- it can be. On the other hand, you don't want to give up on the process because you might actually unearth the occasional valuable link partner.

After all, you know that getting links to your site is important because it brings in traffic, helps you find strategic partners, and enhances your Search Engine rankings. Your objective is to get hundreds of links, and you cannot get the job done unless you have a strategy that works.

First you have to accept that not all links are created equal. And that means that link partners have to be prioritized. Some are worthless because your links end up on pages that nobody looks at and have no PR. But at the other end of the spectrum a few of your link partners will be very valuable because they will give you links on high value, high traffic pages.

Most of the rest of your inbound links will be marginally valuable. How you tell the difference between the valuable ones and the useless ones is the subject of many discussions and articles about search engine optimization and website promotion.

Different types of prospective link partners

One solution is to put prospective link partners into three categories of importance or "levels". This assumes that you have already rejected those that have negative value -- the sites you don't want to identify with for various reasons -- pornography, violence, racism, pharmaceuticals, and so on. Here is a suggestion for three levels of prospective link partners:

Level 1 - Basic Links

Basic links will often be from sites you have not taken a lot of time to study. There is nothing striking about them from your point of view, so they probably do not have significant positive value for your site.

On the other hand they will not have negative value either. Therefore, if exchanging links with these partners can be done efficiently, there is no downside to doing it. These will usually be "reciprocal" partners and can be given links on properly formed "link directory pages". The more time and effort you put into your directory, the more valuable it will become.

Level 2 - Self-Generated Multi-Links

The second category consists of "multi-links" that you generate yourself. You do this by seeding your articles, forum posts, blog entries and so on, around the web. Many of the strategies used to create these links are discussed in the "Power Linking" section of the Linknet Marketing Resource Library, and in the free linking strategy course, mentioned at the end of this article.

Level 3 - High Value Links

The third and most valuable category consists of "High Value Links" on sites that you specifically target. These include high traffic sites in your area of interest, highly rated directories, and sites where you can get a number of quality links all at once. In some cases these links will bring you lots of traffic. In other cases they will enhance your PR and Search Engine ranking. You need both kinds.

As I mention in other articles and in my free course, there are many strategies to get these "Level 3" links. For instance,

Write glowing testimonials - Target 10 or 20 high traffic sites in your area of interest, and send your testimonial to the webmaster. Usually they can't resist publishing it where everybody will see it.

Write positive reviews of sites or products - Target 10 or 20 high traffic sites. Post the reviews on your site or in your blog, and make sure to send a copy to the webmaster of the reviewed site. Again, most webmasters or online entrepreneurs are hungry for this kind of exposure.

You might even create a "review" section on your site to show you are serious. But be honest in your reviews. Do not endorse products you have not actually looked at or tried out. Unfortunately, many affiliate marketers are guilty of this.

Find "volume" link partners - This is the fastest, most direct, and least time-consuming strategy. Find link partners who will either sell or trade text ads on a number of high value pages. Just do a Google search for "buy links" or "exchange links" and you will find many companies and web owners prepared to offer multiple-link packages.

Create a three level strategy to find valuable link partners, and then work the strategy with diligence and persistence. This kind of program is guaranteed to generate quality link partners who will help build the success of your website.

Rick Hendershot publishes numerous websites and blogs, and is a specialist in linking strategies. He offers a free 10 part course called SuperCharge your Website with Powerful Linking Strategies. The Linknet Marketing Network offers a free package of 25 Free Links from 25 Websites.