SEO TIPS: Getting The Link Juice

Inbound links have significant influence on how your site is ranked. The higher quality the link, the more authority that link passes on. They are like a thumbs up or 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 it’s often hard to get real juice from them. So, what are the top link sources out there for you to kick things up a notch?

Government and educational sites carry loads of link juice they can spread around. If you can get a link back to your site from a .gov or .edu site, DO IT. It’s almost like the holy grail of inbound links for most webmasters. If you can link out to these sites it won’t hurt a bit, but it’s not as good as inbound links are. It shows, to a certain degree, that you are dealing from a position of authority and that never hurts.

Local organizations carry relevance which is important in the Penguin era.  Register with the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. Links from these sites can be  geographically relevant as well as relevant for specific terms and topics. Search out and connect with local businesses in your field as well as organizations that maintain lists of businesses and request links back to your site. Sweeten the pot a little and offer a free article if you have to.

Press releases can be used 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. These are not a long term solution, but they have value in the short term. They are solid links and if you keep an ongoing campaign, the juice will keep flowing – but it can get to

be very expensive.

Directory submissions are  easy to get, but few are really relevant anymore.  A service can set you up with manual submissions to the best ones. Automated submissions may be cheaper and take less time, but often fail. If your business services a specific geographic area, find some good local directories to submit to as a starting point. The key is you have to be relevant – simply submitting to any old directory that will take you is not going to help and may even wind up hurting you when Googlebot swings by and sees links it doesn’t like.

Charity and Non-Profit Links are almost as valuable as .gov and .edu links. This is particularly true if your company’s business model includes philanthropy and has the ability to capitalize on their 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. When you consider having a fairly long term, high juice, relevant link for the cost of a donation, it is well worth it in many ways.

Blog like there is no tomorrow! Guest blog, write articles and comment. Make yourself an authority, and you can end up with lots of links coming back to you because people will value what you have to say. Remember to  give as much as you take. Don’t be a spammer! Keep in mind that providing something of quality and reciprocating, or even making the first move and sharing to establish a relationship goes a long way. it is an investment in time but it can pay great dividends.
If you follow 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. The key to building link juice is like anything else – do quality work, associate with quality sites, and reciprocate.