Link building is the art of getting links pointing back to your site in pursuit of higher search engine rankings. We certainly know how important link building is but the question are how do we build links? Why do we build links? Which link building strategy works best?
Everything else being equal, in theory, the more backlinks you have, the higher you rank in search results.
It remains true that you need to be mindful of what makes a good link and what you should focus on to have the maximum impact on your rankings.
You can build 1000 backlinks and if 999 links are not trustworthy in the eyes of search engines, you are just as good as that one “trusted” link.
One-Way vs Reciprocal Links
Is reciprocal linking dead? This is yet again a highly debated subject in the SEO community. Some swear that reciprocal links are a thing of the past while others think they are still not dead yet but that’s another story.
I’m in the opinion that one-way link holds more value in the eyes of the search engines vs reciprocal links. Beyond any doubt, one way links are deemed to be natural links and not an attempt to manipulate search engines.
If the situation warrants it and you are to swap links with another blogger, your best bet is to exchange contextual links – links that are part of the article – pointing back to your inner page.
That way, it appears to be more natural in the eyes of search engines. Suffice to say, Google in particular favors contextual links vs direct link exchanges.
7 Habits of Highly Effective One-Way Link Building
There are 101 link building strategies that can work for you but today I’m gonna share with you my 7 habits of highly effective one-way link building. Keep in mind that what works for me might not have the same success rate for you.
The key is to experiment with each of them and see how they work – a combination of several techniques might be your best option. Over time you’ll figure out which ones give you the best SEO results.
#1 Habit: Write Quality Article
No link building strategy is more effective than the old and time-tested formula of writing compelling contents that focus on “what’s in it for the readers”. A linkworthy content with viral appeal excites people to comment, talk about, recommend and link to. That’s the power of quality content for link building or what others call, the art of linkbaiting.
I know it’s easier said than done but it’s worth all the time and effort from the initial brainstorming to the actual copywriting. It all comes down to quality vs quantity and there is no exception to it. In fact, your content is essentially one of the most important branding assets at your disposal.
#2 Habit: Blog Commenting
If you are a commenting addict like me Dennis Edell, you should now be aware that I’m a big proponent of blog commenting too. Not only it helps me build connection with fellow bloggers, it has been and will remain as the primary source of direct traffic and incoming links for me.
If you aren’t getting enough comments, it’s time to get rid of “If I build it, they will come” mentality. If you have not done enough commenting, ignorance isn’t an excuse.
For the sake of simplicity, I’m not going to delve further on what’s should your commenting etiquette be, the key is to make sure your comments are relevant, worth saying and add value to the discussion. General comments such as, “Great post. I agree with you!” is frowned upon as an obvious attempts to get backlinks.
#3 Habit: Article Marketing
Article marketing remains the best strategy to draw traffic to your site which usually convert better than typical search traffic. Plus, it gives you contextual links back to your site. You can write one killer article, submit it to article directories such as Ezine Articles and watch your one-way incoming links explode almost like magic.
I’ve been using this method to build links to my niche sites successfully. I can vouch that link building doesn’t get much easier than that. Besides, article marketing and distribution is now painless.
#4 Habit: Forum Marketing
I admit forum marketing isn’t one of my strong points and I’m not too sure either if Google is giving much value to the forum signature links. It isn’t the best in term of quality. I’m guessing the value of any link is directly proportional to how easy it is to come by.
However, one thing is certain is that it doesn’t carry as much weight as the contextual links but as long as the links are dofollow, it’s still worth the effort to build links using the forum signature.
Did you know that forum signatures are being sold everywhere across the internet?
#5 Habit: Guest Posting
The benefit of guest posting should never be underestimated. It’s your one-time opportunity to showcase who you are in front of your host audience. Making guest appearance helps raise your profile as a blogger and allow for links back to your own site.
Though guest posting isn’t as effective and viral as article marketing, I’d not discount its effectiveness. Fact is I’ve done a couple of guest posting myself and oh boy, my subscribership increased by 30% as a result.
#6 Habit: Contest
Though the novelty of contest is wearing off nowadays, this sixth habit of link building via contest is still worthy of a mention. If done right, contest could go viral and help build incoming links to your site. Whether you are holding a contest yourself or sponsoring someone’s contest, it’s a win-win game for everyone involved.
#7 Habit: The Power of Linking Out
The last but not the least habit of link building is to link out to others to attract links. If you take the initiative to link out first, others might reciprocate the same. The rule of the thumb is to link out to the relevant sites that add valuable resources and information to your readers.
It isn’t rocket science. Linking out requires minimum effort on your part, so to speak. Only in some rare occasions – well, I’m on the optimistic side, you don’t get the links back but at the very least, you get the attention of those you link out to.
Performancing has 9 reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid to link out. Still unconvinced? Here’s Why is linking to other blogs important?
Conclusion
Link building is time-consuming and not a one-time action. It requires a great deal of consistency, patience and most importantly, the right links.
As Jim from Jim Boykin’s Blog wrote “Getting a few of the right links, from the right places can be more valuable than getting 100 links from the wrong places”.
By forming these 7 habits of building links, you can develop a solid one-way link building strategy that will bring your closer to the top of search engine rankings and ultimately, be awarded with that coveted PageRank status.
In a nutshell, will you link to me?
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- What They Don’t Teach You About Link Building We all agree that commenting is one of the best of source of blog traffic. It is the cheapest form...
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Yet another great linkbaiting article Yan. Link building will always be an aspect that all bloggers are constantly doing and it is definitely worth mentioning. Blog carnival is yet another channel to add to your list. Great article buddy.
Wei Liang
Wei Liang | ABloggerBlog´s lastest post..Lesson 21: Blog Carnival
Yes, blog carnival is yet another method of link building. I’m just not in the habit of advocating something I’m yet to try myself so techniques like directory submission, blog carnival, designing a blog theme, etc are excluded from the list on purpose.
Anyway, thanks for sharing, Wei Liang.
Nice article. You really have to do a little bit of everything to build links to your site. And it is an ongoing piece of work as some links will disappear over time.
Health Insurance Guy´s lastest post..Easy Health Insurance Quotes
Thank you Yan for the link luv!
I know reciprocals still work, not as good as one-ways, but they still count. As you said best if they are within content, it’s too bad so many webmasters don’t get it and still want to use the lame links page. Also, home page (not footer) are viable for recips, and blogrolls as long as there aren’t a thousand of them.
The problem with recips is that you really need to trust the link partner or else you constantly have to check up on them to make sure they are still linking to you, many times people will remove the links soon after the exchange and then they get a one-way from you and you get ZIP!
Also, I would add that some select directories are still viable for one-way links, none that want or worse yet require a recip, but there are some good directories out there where the link still counts. And RSS Feed Submission sites for blogs are also good.
JR @ Internet Marketing Strategies´s lastest post..Website Traffic that Converts – Are You Missing Out?
many times people will remove the links soon after the exchange and then they get a one-way from you and you get ZIP!
LOL, that’s the reason why I frown upon blogroll exchange. Well, I do link out a lot on my article in the hope that I’ll get the same love from those I link out to. I’m in the belief that “giving is receiving” though in most cases, I give more than I receive. It’s sad but true.
With regard to directory submission, I’ve not utilized any of them yet. The only directory I’ve tried to jump on board was DMOZ but with no luck. So directory submission isn’t high on my priority list, so to speak. Others might have greater success with it but it’s just not me. You are right, though, only a select fews are worth the effort.
Yan
Hey Yan,
Thanks for linking to me. I appreciate that! I see that my link to you has brought some traffic for you too. Haha
Ben Pei´s lastest post..How To Make Money Blogging With ‘Featured Sites’
Hey Ben
I never fail to reciprocate any link to me and if everyone is doing the same thing, the world of blogging will keep revolving.
I see that my link to you has brought some traffic for you too.
Hope it does to you too.. ;)
Yan
Thanks for the post.
I tried giving John Chow a guest post once when I was in the MMO niche and it didn’t go through. Guess that just fueled me to keep going.
Now i’m slowly making good articles and sending them off to other blogs.
John Chow? You are lining up in a very long Q. Besides, no one cares about your opinions there if you ask me. His followers are following every thing he says so religiously. You know, “He jumps, everyone jumps” kinda thing. You might have a better chance of making guest appearance in Problogger.
Lol can’t agree with you more here. It is the John Chow effect..
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Social Media Turns Into A Weapon
I have tried article marketing before with a paid site and found it to be a great way to bring in the back links, but unfortunately the service wasn’t so great. So, I’m extremely pleased to try the site you linked out to. A note on the commenting on other blogs.. By commenting on other blogs, you may also find that the blog owners visit your site and give you helpful tips on your own. Thanks again :)
Glad you have found the link useful. It really takes a guess work out of article marketing. It’s worth a try.
Anyway, glad to see you again and thanks for visiting and reciprocating my comments. Look forward to more of your participation.
See ya again.
Yan
You always provide us bloggers with such insiteful information on your blog.
I have yet to do #5 and #6 but they are on my list for next year thats for sure.
Bruno Auger´s lastest post..What Does Your Logo Tell Consumers?
Hey Bruno
Thanks for the compliment, buddy. Good to hear that you are already preparing for next year. Happy link building!
Yan
Hey Yan,
You’re at it again, writing a topic that is closed to everyone’s heart. I’ve got lots of backlinks from my dofollow Warrior Forum even for a my new blog.This proves that search engines love them but you need to optimize it too to get SE’s attention, like bold text, KW within the first paragraph. It works for me anyway. I do some contextual link exchange with other bloggers with similar niche. That’s good natural linking and Google loves this so it’s worth doing this. BTW I see that you’ve taken my feedback to change your text color here. Now I have another reason to come back.
Peter Lee
work at home ideas´s lastest post..100 Subscribers For Work From Home Business Blog
Hey Peter
You know what? I’m considered a forum noob so tips like bold text, keywords means a lot to me. Thanks! I’m keeping them in mind.
Yan
PS: I listen to feedback that makes sense to me and yours is definitely one of them. Thanks!
Yan-
Great article and nice links- I always like clicking on them because I usually find another blog to subscribe to.
Like Bruno, plan on putting #5 and #6 into effect in 2009.
I like that you only recommend things that you have tried- you don’t see that alot.
Jen Patton´s lastest post..Is Attraction Marketing For You?
Oh good to see you again, Jen. yes, I do practice what I preach so I’d not recommend anything that’s beyond me. As I’ve said in the articles, there are 101 ways of link building but so far, I have only used 7 doable techniques that anyone can easily replicate for success.
All the best in the year 2009 and see you at the top.
Yan,
Great 7 habits from a highly effective blogger :) In fact, I am pretty bad at the last four points at least – ie. No article marketing, no guest posting, no contests, No linking out (not because I am stingy :lol: )
Well, my subscription rates probably tells the story even more clearly. I guess I need to seriously start looking at link love and guest posting at least.
Ajith,
I’m relatively new to the blogosphere as well, however I have been guest posting quite a bit recently with much success. Not only is a great way to build links but very good for also networking with other bloggers as well as expanding your readership.
Now if I could just figure out how to get Yan to write a guest post for my blog?! ;-)
Gerald Weber´s lastest post..Are You Stumbling Yet?
Yan, great post! Thanks for reminding me of one more cardinal rule in blogging. I’m adding ‘Comment on the blogs I read’ on my daily to-do list!
Sarah Jo´s lastest post..Why I Separated My Twitter Account: Three Reasons to Consider
Hey Sarah
Welcome to the community! It’s good to have you around here. I hope I could make it into your list of “blogs I read”.
Oops, I shall say, I’m confident of making it into your list, right? You mention I should have more confident of myself, should I not?
Anyway, hope to see more of you here. See ya soon.
Yan
Great Link Building Article Yan. I hope you come and check out my site sometime. Your site is great, theme is top notch.
digga live´s lastest post..Using Twitter to Build Your Online Community
Great article Yan as usual! I am so far following all of these point’s expect for contest. I really need to organise one.
Salwa´s lastest post..Why Your Blog Design is so Important
I’m looking forward to your first contest. If you need any sponsor, don’t hesitate to knock on my door. Oh, thanks for the visit. It’s been a while, huh?
Thank you Yan for the offer, i will be sure to knock on your door when ready :-) and yeh it’s been a while. I was away but back now :-D
Salwa´s lastest post..Why Your Blog Design is so Important
Welcome back to the community! Keep blogging and keep commenting.
I’ve seen these lists a lot and it seems like people will never get it through their head. There isn’t a way that is easy. You just have to do this and overtime it will work. Great post.
Indeed link building is an art that takes time to learn as it may not be as straight forward as it is. Thanks for dropping by, Franklin.
Those were my thoughts exactly as well! I know of so many people starting up blogs and wondering why they don’t get traffic daily. It takes time, dedication and hard work. This is an excellent list, and while I’ve seen these seven listed on other sites, its nice to read a fresh perspective in regard to them.
Listen To Hip Hop Music´s lastest post..Redman and Method Man – A Yo
I’m not sure that reciprocal linking is dead, except perhaps to google. If you choose to use reciprocal linking techniques, with every link you create you increase your blog’s exposure thereby increasing the potential of incoming traffic.
I used to swap blog reviews with bloggers of my choice but because of time constraints I haven’t done many of late, but as you have stated contextual links are best.
Sire´s lastest post..Wassup Blog’s Mean Woman Blues
Hey Sire
I agree with you that increased links equal to increased exposure and incoming traffic. I’m not against reciprocal links. A link is still a link. The difference is, since we are always at the mercy of Google, we are better off building what Google thinks linkworthy.
I did swapping blog reviews once or twice but not for the sake of link building though. It was more of win-win cross-promotion
Anyway, thanks for your input, Sire. Good to see you sharing.
Yan
I reckon you know my reply to that Yan. Plying to Google’s wants and needs to the extent that it controls my blogging pleasure doesn’t really interest me.
You may notice that I still participate actively in commenting on your blog even after you made it nofollow. If I was interested in the Google Juice I would be much better off commenting on dofollow blogs. In regards to my blog for SEO reasons perhaps I should follow suit, but like I said I am not interested in building my PR.
Where once I blogged solely for the dollar factor I have become addicted to blogging purely for the pleasure of it. My fix is achieved every time my post encourages someone to leave a comment. If I make some money on the side then that is a bonus.
What Google forgets is that it is what it is because of people like us. Where once Google wanted to join the Internet through it’s search engine I believe it is now motivated by the mighty dollar. That is fine, but I refuse to sucked in by its PR sucking tentacles.
Sire´s lastest post..Wassup Blog’s Mean Woman Blues
Great Tips again Yan. You hit all the major ones. I’ve been writing a series of posts on link-building strategies and you helped elaborate on the key ones. These would all fall under organic strategies in my mind. You don’t need to focus on links to get links, they will come organically if you write good content, consistently. Thanks for the great information, how’s the contest coming along?
How to Blog´s lastest post..19-36 Ways to Get Links
Mas Yan,
It is a great write up from you again. I am little knowledge about link building…and consider a newbies about link building…
Well what advice would you give to nice blog like my blog – Cupid Blogger Dot Com which blogs about love and relationship.
I am surprise that people start linking to me and i link back to them but how it will really affect Cupid Blogger Dot Com ranking by search engines.
Please advice.
Cupid Blogger´s lastest post..How To Look Smart On Your First Date For Men?
Mas? Oh where are you from, cupid? I wish I had your name….
Anyway, if I were you, there are 2 things I’d focus on
Of course, if you are aiming for solely for link building, I’d recommend looking for dofollow blogs within your niche using Fast Blog Finder. Focus on leaving at least 10 comments a day and increase periodically.
Using these 2 methods alone consistently for the next 6 months should be a pretty solid strategy to push your site higher in SERP.
Bonus tip: Don’t procrastinate! Build as many backlinks as possible before the next upcoming PR update.
Hope that helps and see you at the top.
Yan
Yan,
This is a really great list you have here. I’ll address a few of these points briefly. Regarding reciprocal links it’s true they hold less value than one way links. It’s easy to see you just traded links so it’s not the same vote of confidence as a one way relevant link.
I think habit one writing quality articles is probably one of the best points. I put much effort into the quality of my articles and the short time I have been active in the blogosphere I have been truly amazed at how many bloggers have taken the initiative to link out to me. I hope it’s because of the quaity of my articles. :-)
Regarding habit #3 article marketing. I think article marketing is a great idea. If you submit one article to 100 different directories that is a great way to spread your name, brand, message etc. However it should be noted that this falls into the area of duplicate content we were discussing previously. If all 100 directories are using the same article you will get link credit for only one of the directories and not for 100. you would need a unique articles for each 100 directories in order to get link credit for all 100.
Regarding #5 guest posting: I have been doing this recently with great success. The great thing about guest posting besides increasing your readership and authority (assuming your are guest posting for a quality blog or site) you are guaranteed a quality link with keyword rich anchor text.
Number 7 is also very powerful. It really gets a bloggers attention when you link out to them in an article.
Gerald Weber´s lastest post..It May Almost Be 2009, But Duplicate Content Still Isn’t a Good Thing
Hey Gerard
I’ll address a few of these points briefly.
I’m beginning to doubt the meaning of brief…. ;) Thanks for sharing with us your insight on the subject.
Let me just briefly explain my reasoning on the use of article marketing, something which I’ve been using in my link building strategy for most of niche sites.
Article marketing is used primarily to drive traffic while the link building aspect of it is secondary which is pretty much a hidden benefit.
In order for you to reap the hidden benefit of article marketing, your choice of article directories is a difference between success and failure. EzineArticles has pretty good PR so overtime your article pages can build PR and these will count as very strong backlinks.
If your niche article is being used by another publisher, provided that the link is still intact, that will result in further backlink. No doubt it’s often of lower quality than the original backlink from the article directory but will it still be counted as a backlink? Yes, it does….
I’m never worried about whether it’s a strong link or otherwise. For a niche site, my focus is on the searchable non-competitive keywords. A few backlinks are enough to put it on the Google page one for the said search term.
Submitting to 100 directories has never been on my agenda and I’ve never put any thought of doing so either. I second your idea of rewrite the articles but if one is to rely on manual rewriting without the use of any article rewriter tool, the whole process of rewriting can be time-consuming and daunting for any beginners to follow.
Well, since my audience is made up mostly of beginners, complexity of any kind is purposely omitted and since day one, I’ve never advocated anything that is not workable or doable to my readers.
Not too brief, huh? Anyway, the other points you’ve made are relevant too.
Yan
We have a difference of opinion on the article thing. We can agree to disagree. :-)
Where have you been lately anyways? Haven’t seen you around.
Gerald Weber´s lastest post..Are You Stumbling Yet?
Where have you been lately anyways?
I’ve been away for a retreat. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in full-force soon. You’re missing me already, buddy? LOL
I think Blog Commenting is the best one! It’s just my opinion :)
Shafar´s lastest post..Contact Me !
Shafar
Your opinion is well taken and valid. Agreed! Thanks for the visit.
Yan
Agree with OP here.
Blog commenting has worked pretty well just like Yan said it would.
Gerald Weber´s lastest post..Are You Stumbling Yet?
I was never very fond of reciprocal linking. Never seen the advantages of it. And now the trend seems to confirm the suspicions of several bloggs. One way linking is the right path :)
Hugo Santos´s lastest post..Make Money with Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Forum marketing was the first technique I mastered (as much as I could master ’till now I suppose), and was doing it for a few years.
I pretty much gave it up a couple months ago after leaving a regular forum in disgust. That’s pretty much when you started seeing me in everyones face – err – comments. ;)
I will be getting back into the forums come the new year. Same goes for outgoing guest posts (I started accepting them this year) and article marketing.
Small tip: Forums work a lot better for direct targeted traffic, with linkbuilding as a bonus, not a primary.
Thanks for the link my friend, it’s much appreciated. Anytime you wish to guest post on DSWM, shoot me an email. :)
Dennis Edell´s lastest post..$100 First Prize! The *Best Blog Review Contest* Is In Full Effect!
I’m with you, Dennis. I might probably embark on yet another aggressive forum marketing in 2009. Something which I’ve been wanting to do but to dominate one forum isn’t an easy task if you ask me.
I was active in one of the top forum for a while but my stats was looking too good for the effort and I moved on. Well, I’m still strategizing the best strategy to use. In the mean time, I’m going back to the proven basic strategy of blog commenting and article marketing for my niche sites.
Oh ya, thanks for the guest posting offer. I’ll keep it in mind.
Yan
Yan, you have come up with again a great post.
Guest posting and commenting on blogs is a good way which i don’t do :(
Nihar´s lastest post..How to implement Threaded Comments in Wordpress Themes
Great article you have here Yan. Tips list like this are always favourited by readers. Easy for reading and its like a secret guide to success.
Ben Pei´s lastest post..Social Media Turns Into A Weapon
Yes, i love linkbuilding but for now i just can to habit 2 and 1. but this good info Yan, I did not know that people sell forum signiture. Hmmm..
newbiesblogger´s lastest post..How I Want to Fill In This Blank?
Yan – yet another great article! I’ve just started article marketing efforts at ezinearticles and ehow, but I’ve only submitted a couple. Seems like the submission process takes a while, especially for ezinearticles. What other sites do you submit your articles to? I hope this will be as effective as I’ve read it should be.
Forum marketing is something I’m considering, but frankly, I think it might be too time consuming. The promotion aspect of blogging is hard, especially when you have a full time job.
I have one guest post “gig” lined up (yay), but need to find time to write for it on top of writing for my own blog. If only there were 30 hours in a day instead of just 24…
Diana Freedman´s lastest post..Wordpress Plugins that Encourage Blog Comments
Hey Diana
It’s true that article marketing is time-consuming but its viral effect is undeniable. I use EzineArticle and Article Marketing Automation mostly for my niche sites. Though NONE for this blog.
That said, I’m not too sure what works best for your (our) niche as I’m yet to experiment to the use of AM to promote thoushallblog.com. Keep in mind too that time isn’t an issue here as you can easily outsource your contents if you know how.
Since you are ‘blogging’ part-time, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Otherwise it takes away the fun out of blogging. Remember that there is more to blogging that those 7 habits alone. Keep blogging and more importantly, have fun.
Yan
Yan, all of these are great ways to get one way links. I have found I get more weight from my blog comments and article marketing efforts than anything else. So i continue to work on those areas of building, since they work the best for mel
Tara @ Affiliate Marketing Prodigy´s lastest post..Market Leverage Affiliate Network Review
All great tips Dennis.
I am focusing a lot more on blog commenting and it has increased my links immensely. Not only that but it’s good to get away from my blog and be able to check others out as well as building a friendship connection amongst fellow bloggers.
Thanks for the tips!
Matt Helphrey´s lastest post..The Three Most Important Things You Need to Increase Traffic to Your Blog
I am focusing a lot more on blog commenting…
I can see that. Suddenly this “Matt” popping out everywhere not only on my blog but a couple of other blogs I visit too. Good job, Matt.
You’ve managed to book yourself a place on my top commentator list which not an easy task considering the no. of comments I get here. Keep blogging and keep commenting.
Yan
#7 is great. I know that I am likely to reciprocate when I am linked to.
Great list. Lots of valuable info here. Thanks.
ethan´s lastest post..Make Money Online Encyclopedia Project
Yan the man!
Great list bro, once again, you’ve elegantly laid out the essentials on a very misunderstood topic. I’ve gained front page status in Google using the exact steps you mentioned for a moderately competitive niche in under 5 days – for more than 1 of my key phrases.
It’s actually becoming much easier to get one way links these days – I could write 5 articles a day for 30 days, submitting them to ezine articles, and all pointing to one site. That’s 150 high ranked one way links that Google will see pointing to my website of choice in the first month!
These are good times indeed!
Elijah´s lastest post..I’ve Lost My Way
Blog commenting is as you say a method to get a decent amount of traffic, considering you post comments on dofollow blogs.
My opinion is that if you accept comment and are dofollow, then you must accept to have silly comments from users who are simply searching for a backlink. In a certain way having your blog as dofollow increases your traffic.
What you should do, is as i do. I moderate comments on my various blogs, in order to make sure that comments are constructive and useful!
My solution for this is to simply delete the comments that are kind of generic and spammy. If someone wants to leave a thoughtless or generic comments I have no problem deleting it personally.
Gerald Weber SEM Group´s lastest post..10 Examples of Creative Twitter Uses
James
I’m never against dofollow but when you have more than 50 spammy comments a day, you’ll start to ask yourself if dofollow is the right comment-bait formula. Yes, Akismet does a wonderful job but it isn’t perfect. You’ll surprised that nowadays commenting is never about commenting anymore if you know what I mean.
Thanks for your input, James. It’s been a while I see you around here. How are you?
@Gerard:
Thanks, buddy for answering some of the comments while I’m away. Your effort will not go unnoticed.
Yan
I seem to be bad at all of them..ahh I am not a great blogger yet. Amazing post Yan
ZK@Internet Marketing Blog´s lastest post..Thinkdigit.com : A good resouce to build backlinks
Are you a believer in the value of social bookmarking links?
you are so right, especially about the commenting. there just aren’t enough hours in the day! do i spend my time focusing on the writing, so that my content is the highest possible quality? or do i write a quickie post and use the hour leftover to comment on the blogs that i subscribe to?
and then, of course, it’s time to go off to work…
sigh!
jackie sheeler´s lastest post..more on moron rick warren
Ha ha I have the same question. Blog commenting takes a lot of time. Especially if you do it the correct way and actually read the post and leave a meaningful comment. Then I’m running a company on top of that. sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything.
Gerald Weber SEM Group´s lastest post..Round Out Your Social Networking Portfolio…With Your OWN Social Network
Jackie
There should be a balance between writing quality contents and blog promotion (commenting). You can’t ignore or have too much of it either way.
Now, if I were to choose between the two, I’m guessing quality article should take priority over blog commenting. I’ll be discussing this in my next article so stay tuned.
Yan
ive found that article submissions does nothing for my serps, can you advice anything on this?
Hi Yan: I strongly support the article marketing tip that you have pesented. Article marketing is a lot of work, but it works very well at least in my case. As they say, no pain no gain and so simply putting the same article on multiple directories is not the way to go. Each article must be unique and I am not so much of a fan of article spinning software. As a sidenote, the comments by Sire above were very impressive and seemed very sincere. Thank you, Yan.
Raj Krishnaswamy´s lastest post..Thermal spray rework costs
Hey Raj
Yeah, Sire is one no-nonsense blogger I know of. He’s not afraid of speaking his heart out and that certainly earns my respect. His take on Google (PageRank) might not be the popular choice amongst bloggers but it does make sense. In fact, I’m a big proponent of blogging for passion myself which is pretty rare nowadays if you ask me.
By the way, good to see you too, Raj. How are you, buddy?
Yan
Hey Raj, thanks for the recognition of my comment, :) and yes I was very sincere about what I said.
Sire´s lastest post..Does Google Control Your Blog?
Very interesting Blog with very interesting tips…
Merry Christmas from Italy
Bye
MyUSICA´s lastest post..FRAMMENTI: Norwegian wood by Beatles
This is a pretty good damn blog article, I’ve only really done blog commenting as of late, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing up some articles, but I don’t know if the articles have to be relevant to what your site is about?
I’ve entered my email to my comment, so if anyone could fill me in on this, I’d really appreciate it a lot! :)
Thanks.
I’ve been toying with the idea of writing up some articles, but I don’t know if the articles have to be relevant to what your site is about?
Oliver
May I just assume that you are referring to submission to article directory? I’m not too sure if irrelevant articles will work but I’m leaning toward writing articles that you could appear as an authority on the subject. You can’t possibly be writing about cooking while maintaining an SEO blog, can you?
Yan
This was a great summary of the different methods. thank you! Yes, it is hard to decide which efforts to devote time to, and hard to measure which ones have the most effect.
Green Investments´s lastest post..Biodiesel Stock: Investing in Renewable Fuel Stocks
That was a very helpful summary of the main methods, thank you. Yes, it’s hard to decide where to spend your time, and hard to measure which efforts are most successful.
Green Investments´s lastest post..Biodiesel Stock: Investing in Renewable Fuel Stocks
Hey
I understand your concern but here’s the truth. I’ve been solely using blog commenting to propel my blog to where it is today. I’ve seen its effect on my blog and the same kind of success on a couple of blogs that I know of.
It’s no doubt the most effective strategy to grow your blog and push it off the ground. If you have done enough in the past, it’s time you put blog commenting into your new year resolution. All the best and welcome to the community.
Yan
And don’t forget the best thing of all about blog commenting as far as blog promotion goes. It’s FREE!
Sire´s lastest post..Does Google Control Your Blog?
Nice list. I’m not an expert on SEO, but I’m learning fast. Too bad I don’t have more than an hour per day to work on these things.
Ed Harris
Good tips.Yes, building links from relevant sites is extremely important.Personally, I do a lot of blog commenting and help out on forums but I have noticed that by having a Squidoo lens and Hubpages you can deep link back to your main blog.This way search engines can crawl much deeper and perhaps more of your site will show up on Google at some point.
Tom @ The Home Business Archive´s lastest post..Writing An Excellent Resource Box
I’m with you, Tom on the use of Squidoo, Hubpages as well as Knol. The use of them along with article marketing is highly recommended. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Yan
Thanks for the great post Yan.
I have been doing article marketing for a time, and it works. Ezine Articles, like you mentioned, are the best. But other article directories such as – Search Warp, Go Articles are also great.
One more method that I use:
Make squidoo lenses, blogger blogs, hub pages, wordpress.com blogs that are linking back to your blog. Write some unique content, and link back to your main blog. I have been using this for my small niche websites to climb higher in the search engines, and it does really work.
Cheers,
The Moneyac
TheMoneyac´s lastest post..Finding New Niches – Part 4 – Milking the Niche
Hi. The part about writing great content I understand, and the commenting bit on other blogs. The thing about links – backlinks, reciprocal links – I have yet to fully grasp these concepts. May be this calls for more scheduled visits to this blog. While I’m not into meta blogging, I need to work on my quiet blog, and you have plenty of resources here I can implement behind the scenes. Oh, and happy holidays. Merry Christmas.
Jan´s lastest post..Let It Slide
Hey Jan
Thanks for dropping by. If you search my archive, you’ll get a better understanding of those terms. If you are still clueless, ask your question here and I’ll do my best to help.
Don’t forget to subscribe if you aren’t yet.
Yan
Okay, I don’t want to be a stick in the mud in any way, but I feel the need to say this. These aren’t as much link building strategies as they are good blogging habits across the board. If one gets one way links out of it then that’s not such a bad thing, but if one is looking to help their blog grow then these are ways to go about doing it, as well as becoming part of a community of bloggers.
I will say this, though. The one I hate the most is the article writing, because I like keeping all of my articles close to me, if you know what I mean. I like the guest posting a lot, and I also like having people write guest posts for my blogs whenever possible because it has a way of helping two parties at once.
And you had to mention Dennis again, didn’t you? That guy’s going to get a big head! lol
Mitch´s lastest post..Linking 101
Very good tips. I am a big fan of the ‘Linking Out’. Originally, I never linked to other websites in an attempt to minimize bounce rates and keep readers on my site, but ‘Linking Out’ is very effective. First, it gives readers more information and helps them to discover other good sites. And second, it helps make connections with other bloggers.
As for the forum marketing, I’m with you on that. I don’t really do it, and I find that signature links are often ignored.
Shirley´s lastest post..5 Ways to Make Your Website More Trustworthy
Hey Yan,
Could you point out a couple of articles that got viral and worked for you as efficient article marketing?
To me, this whole article marketing thing always seemed to be a waste of effort and time, but it might have been my fault…
cheers,
Zsolt
Zsolt Balla´s lastest post..Six things to do before 2008 is over
I reckon reciprical linking with related websites still has far more benefits myself than not.. Blog review swaps are good too, and generate tons of traffic…
Timon Weller´s lastest post..Cheap Affordable Web Hosting
Interesting piece here, Yan. I found it very educative, especially the point about article marketing. That inspired me to share my thoughts with you about article spinning as an integral part of article marketing.
It’s almost impossible these days to get good results from article marketing without article spinning. Yes, I say this because of the problem of duplicate content filter (not penalty). The major problem with article spinning is that most people still think that it’s all about junk content. Yes, most of the article spinning tools out there can produce junk but that’s only if a good amount of time isn’t put into the content creation part.
But of course, I am talking about the RIGHT way of spinning your articles. There’s the wrong way and the right way. The wrong way is when you just automatically use the synonym replacement aspect of article spinning software to spit out completely unreadable gibberish, in the name of articles. That’s just junk and no one can read even one sentence from such junk articles.
But if you really want to get the best from article spinning, then a great deal of effort is required to put into the original work. By a lot of effort I am talking about investing several hours or even days to get one SEED article or a group of SEED articles rewritten with different phrases, sentences and paragraphs. If done right, just one SEED article can be uniquely spun into hundreds or even thousands of copies that can escape the duplicate content filter!
One of MOST POWERFUL article spinning tools out there that is completely free is PlugAndSpin Article Spinning Software .
Nice concise list, Yan. I’m glad I’m doing most of these already….must be on the right track!
Just curious – what are your thoughts re: directory submissions and blog carnivals?
I’ve just begun implementing both, so I don’t have any raw data yet…
Scott @ Internet Marketing Tips´s lastest post..Bum Marketing – What Is Bum Marketing?
Hey Scott
Apologize for the late response. I was away for a while.
Now back to your questions:
I’m not fond of directory submission and I’ve never once submitted any of mine into any directory. Simply because you aren’t getting any PR from the page your site is listed. If PR is what you are after, blog commenting is more effective in my opinion. Beside, manual submission is too time consuming. Don’t you think so?
On the other hand, blog carnival is fine as it does drive traffic to your site but the kind of article you submit makes a whole world of difference. Choose one with the most catchy title and you’re good to go. A generic title should be avoided.
Lastly, those opinions on the two are merely my own. It could be difference from one site to another. The key is to experiment and see which one works best in your favor. Your case might be unique.
Yan
Nice concise list, Yan. Just curious – what are your thoughts re: directory submission and blog carnivals?
I’ve just begun implementing both, so I don’t have any raw data as of yet…
Scott @ Internet Marketing Tips´s lastest post..Bum Marketing – What Is Bum Marketing?
Habit #7 can also keep other bloggers coming back too. I love the way you randomly link to relevant posts and articles in your posts. I have three sites that are new to me waiting in FireFox tabs.
Brian D. Hawkins´s lastest post..Just Ask – Ken Needs Targeted Traffic
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