Link Juice, It's all About the Juice!

Inbound links to your website or blog have a very significant influence on how it is ranked. The higher quality the link, the more authority that link passes on. Think of it like being a vote for your site. The more votes you have, the better you are doing. Outbound links have to be of an even higher quality to make any real difference. So, what are the top link sources out there?

Government and educational sites carry a whopping load of link juice. If you can get a link back to your site from a .gov or .edu site, DO IT. Also, if you can link out to these sites it won’t hurt a bit. It shows, to a certain degree, that you are dealing from a position of authority.

Local organizations carry relevance. Take the time to register with the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. Links from these sites can be highly relevant for geographically specific terms and topics. Geo-targeted searches are all the rage right now, and will be for some time which gives these an added bonus in some cases. Find other local businesses in your field as well as organizations that maintain lists of businesses and request links back to your site – offer a free article if you have to. It is a free or inexpensive way to build your online reputation ahd get good link juice flowing.

Press releases can be distributed through Press Release distribution services to increase your brand visibility, and get you inbound links. Should your press release get picked up by other sources, it is customary that they will usually mention and link back to you. While these carry short term value. They are still solid links. If you keep an ongoing campaign, you can keep the juice flowing which is key. It can get expensive but be very valuable.

Directory submissions are great and sometimes easy to get. Some are extremely difficult while others take little more than a request. A service can hook you up by providing manual submissions to the best ones out there. Automated submissions may be cheaper and take less time, but they have a lower success rate. If your business services a specific geographic area, find some good local directories to submit to as a starting point. Optimizing your site and making sure it is included in local data sources and directories can help boost local search visibility. It is also a good practice to try to get indexed in each new search engine as they appear.

Charity and Non-Profit Links are almost as valuable as .gov and .edu links. They can really give you some power. This is particularly true if your company’s business model includes philanthropy. When you make charitable contributions to organizations and non-profits, look for a “Donors” list on their website and ask for a link. It may cost you to get there, but in the end it is usually worth it.

Blog. Blog, blog, blog. Guest blog, write articles and comment. You can be an authority, and you can end up with lots of links coming back to you. Remember to always be respectful, and give as much as you take. Don’t be a spammer! Don’t be a nuisance, and don’t waste space. Get in the habit of networking online with complimentary blogs by sharing industry news, original ideas and useful tips. The odds are that if you are willing to scratch their back, they will return the favor.

These link tips will help you build short and long term link juice, and if carried through with over time will keep increasing your link power. Follow good practices and be consistent. Nothing good comes easy, it takes work. Put in the time and you will see the rewards.