As a newcomer to the world and business of search engine marketing, I had no idea where to start. I was familiar with basic concepts like PPC, SEO, and CPM, but my knowlege was mostly in fragments and the process of search engine optmization was still a mystery. So SpiderSplat set me off on the first and most basic of tasks: link building.
What makes the web a web is the plethora of interconnecting links between content scattered across cyberspace. They’re one of the oldest and most basic pillars of the Internet and they’re just as important today as they were before. In fact, it can even be argued that in a world run by search engines and PageRanks, they’re even more crucial than ever before.
So the more links the better, right?
On my first day at SpiderSplat I was given a list of web directories, in which to submit information for a client to. Basically, the idea is that, once the directories listed the client’s website, presto! A link is born! In comes traffic, up goes the search rank, in comes revenue, and everyone is happy. I spent about six hours that day submitting content to whatever websites that would take my link in for free. I went home that Monday spent, but knowing that I made a difference in the (virtual) world.
The next morning, I was told that I was wrong. I had done practically nothing.
Link building is not that simple and search algorithms like Google have wisened up to such callous strategies. Sure, directories matter, but just like everything except French fries, it’s quality over quantity. The ability is to bring in traffic a tough proposition. One measure of high quality linkage (and, therefore, hopefully conversions) is Page Strength .
Here’s a someone’s list of some of the strongest directories on the Internet. Most of the free directories (and a lot of what I spent Monday submitting to) are in the zero to four range. (One notable exception is Dmoz.org, but the editorial factor weeds out irrelevant sites and makes it extremely difficult and valuable to get into.) Basically, as a rule of thumb, the harder (or pricier) it is to get listed, the better the directory.
Other lessons that Monday morning: context is key. Cramming keywords seperated by commas is not going to fly well with search engines. Links and keywords must be natural and organic-looking. Similarly, copying and pasting is also a no-no. Search algorithms will pick up on this quickly and easily. These issues have encouraged a relatively recent technique of embedding links in articles and blogs. Viral link-building on sites like Digg.com have also gained traction.
Basically, the point is that good-quality writing on a good-quality site will always equal good-quality links, and that is what search engines are after.