Link Optimization (On Page)
Link optimization has two basic
applications:On site, and
off site. You have total control of on site
optimization in most cases, so take advantage of the
opportunity to give your links full impact for SEO.
The rules are basically the same
for each, with just a little different emphasis on
how it is done, and what you can control.
Some optimization strategies
include:
Use keywords in the links. Don't
load them, just put in the most important ones. For
a short ad, use the same rules you use for writing a
page title (1-2 keywords). For a longer one, use the
same rules you do for a Description MetaTag (2-3
keywords).
Put the link into some descriptive
words, as that can help your site get more traffic
from search engines for those words. The words that
you embed the hyperlink into are called “anchor
text”, and the search engines reputedly pay more
attention to the words that are linked than the
words that are not. To a search engine, the link is
about the words that the hyperlink is embedded in,
so if you write your compelling text, and then put
“click here” for the link, then the search engine
thinks that the link is about “click here”, not
about all the wonderful things you just said!
They do also pay attention to the
words on either side, but not as strongly as they
pay attention to the anchor text.
On your website, choose logical
names for your links over whimsical ones, unless you
have a compelling reason for doing so. Choose your
category links thoughtfully, and do the same for
your topic pages.
If you use Image Links, use an Alt
Tag in the image. This is not only important for
search engine optimization, but it is important for
PEOPLE too, because it lets them see what the link
is if the image fails to load (a more common
occurrence than most people realize).
Optimizing your inbound links may
be possible in some situations, not in others, but
it is a strategy that can help when you have the
ability to do it. Basically, this means that while
you should do something about it when you have the
opportunity, you should not fuss about it when you
can't control it – links are still powerful even
when they are not optimized.
With many link exchanges or ad
placements, you follow the site owner's rules. Since
ANY link is better than none, go ahead and get any
good quality links if they will help you, but when
you have the chance, there are a few ways you can
make the most of your inbound links.
Create a couple of different kinds
of links – text, image, whatever. Optimize them, and
then copy the HTML code for them and put the code,
visibly, onto a “Link to Us” or “Exchange Links”
page on your site. This encourages people to use
your code for the links. If you put the full http
reference for an image into the code, then people
who paste your code into their page will have the
image pulled from YOUR server each time. This can be
a negative thing if it overloads your server, but it
can provide a nice benefit too, because it can allow
you to track where your ads are doing the most good,
and which ads are the most effective.
If you have banner ads for others
to use, then you should ask them to put in a short
Alt Tag with a keyword or two in that to give your
banner ads more power, or add a good Alt Tag to your
copyable code. You can also give them linking code
which has an Alt Tag in it.
Text ads are generally more
powerful than banner ads in all ways.
First, more people actually click
on them more!
Second, they have more power with
search engines because you can generally use
keywords more effectively. You may not have as much
control over this as you'd like when advertising on
other people's sites, but anything helps.
The use of several different
descriptions for inbound links can help some also,
according to some sources. Search engines view
identical links as your marketing message. When
links vary, they reputedly give them more
credibility, because they are less obviously an
attempt to sway search engines for particular key
phrases. If you provide HTML linking code, then
offer two or three choices.
You should also have several
lengths of text ad code available, for use in
different places. I usually recommend that you have
two each, of the following:
A 1-3 word description – This is
used in sidebars where you get just a single line,
or for when people want to mention your site in
context. This site would be described as “Simple SEO
Tactics”, or something like that.
A single sentence description –
This one is used when space is still tight, but you
have an option for a little more elaboration.
“Simple Effective Search Engine Optimization – Who
knew it was this easy?”.
A one paragraph description – This
one gives you the opportunity to describe it more
fully, and to elaborate a bit. Usually you are
limited to about 300 characters, so keep it
pertinent.
You can also make up standard
banner sizes (125X125, 480X60, and 768X80 are
standards) for image ads.
Don't sweat it if you cannot
optimize your links on every site. Use this strategy
when you link to your own sites, and encourage it
when you can tactfully do so.
Use this strategy when you are
able on blogs, forums, and in your signature line as
well. You usually DO control the content there, so
you should make your sig line count for every bit it
can.
Let the people who advertise on
your site know that you do this for them. If they
understand the power of it, it will get you more
advertisers as well as help offer them the most
powerful benefit.
Optimized linking is something
that will help you long term, but which is not going
to make or break your business. Just something to be
aware of and do right, simply because it takes very
little more time and effort to do it right than to
not bother.
On site, and off site. You have total control of on site optimization in most cases, so take advantage of the opportunity to give your links full impact for SEO.
The rules are basically the same for each, with just a little different emphasis on how it is done, and what you can control.
Some optimization strategies include:
Use keywords in the links. Don't load them, just put in the most important ones. For a short ad, use the same rules you use for writing a page title (1-2 keywords). For a longer one, use the same rules you do for a Description MetaTag (2-3 keywords).
Put the link into some descriptive words, as that can help your site get more traffic from search engines for those words. The words that you embed the hyperlink into are called “anchor text”, and the search engines reputedly pay more attention to the words that are linked than the words that are not. To a search engine, the link is about the words that the hyperlink is embedded in, so if you write your compelling text, and then put “click here” for the link, then the search engine thinks that the link is about “click here”, not about all the wonderful things you just said!
They do also pay attention to the words on either side, but not as strongly as they pay attention to the anchor text.
On your website, choose logical names for your links over whimsical ones, unless you have a compelling reason for doing so. Choose your category links thoughtfully, and do the same for your topic pages.
If you use Image Links, use an Alt Tag in the image. This is not only important for search engine optimization, but it is important for PEOPLE too, because it lets them see what the link is if the image fails to load (a more common occurrence than most people realize).
Optimizing your inbound links may be possible in some situations, not in others, but it is a strategy that can help when you have the ability to do it. Basically, this means that while you should do something about it when you have the opportunity, you should not fuss about it when you can't control it – links are still powerful even when they are not optimized.
With many link exchanges or ad placements, you follow the site owner's rules. Since ANY link is better than none, go ahead and get any good quality links if they will help you, but when you have the chance, there are a few ways you can make the most of your inbound links.
Create a couple of different kinds of links – text, image, whatever. Optimize them, and then copy the HTML code for them and put the code, visibly, onto a “Link to Us” or “Exchange Links” page on your site. This encourages people to use your code for the links. If you put the full http reference for an image into the code, then people who paste your code into their page will have the image pulled from YOUR server each time. This can be a negative thing if it overloads your server, but it can provide a nice benefit too, because it can allow you to track where your ads are doing the most good, and which ads are the most effective.
If you have banner ads for others to use, then you should ask them to put in a short Alt Tag with a keyword or two in that to give your banner ads more power, or add a good Alt Tag to your copyable code. You can also give them linking code which has an Alt Tag in it.
Text ads are generally more powerful than banner ads in all ways.
First, more people actually click on them more!
Second, they have more power with search engines because you can generally use keywords more effectively. You may not have as much control over this as you'd like when advertising on other people's sites, but anything helps.
The use of several different descriptions for inbound links can help some also, according to some sources. Search engines view identical links as your marketing message. When links vary, they reputedly give them more credibility, because they are less obviously an attempt to sway search engines for particular key phrases. If you provide HTML linking code, then offer two or three choices.
You should also have several lengths of text ad code available, for use in different places. I usually recommend that you have two each, of the following:
A 1-3 word description – This is used in sidebars where you get just a single line, or for when people want to mention your site in context. This site would be described as “Simple SEO Tactics”, or something like that.
A single sentence description – This one is used when space is still tight, but you have an option for a little more elaboration. “Simple Effective Search Engine Optimization – Who knew it was this easy?”.
A one paragraph description – This one gives you the opportunity to describe it more fully, and to elaborate a bit. Usually you are limited to about 300 characters, so keep it pertinent.
You can also make up standard banner sizes (125X125, 480X60, and 768X80 are standards) for image ads.
Don't sweat it if you cannot optimize your links on every site. Use this strategy when you link to your own sites, and encourage it when you can tactfully do so.
Use this strategy when you are able on blogs, forums, and in your signature line as well. You usually DO control the content there, so you should make your sig line count for every bit it can.
Let the people who advertise on your site know that you do this for them. If they understand the power of it, it will get you more advertisers as well as help offer them the most powerful benefit.
Optimized linking is something that will help you long term, but which is not going to make or break your business. Just something to be aware of and do right, simply because it takes very little more time and effort to do it right than to not bother.
