Inbound links are one of the critical success factors for any web site.But how do you convince people to link to you?

Here are a few ideas for generating inbound links:

Reciprocal Linking

Write individual e-mails to specific webmasters whose web pages compliment your own and tell them that you would like to trade links with them.

It is usually best to add a link to the other web site before sending the e-mail. If the link is not reciprocated within 30 days, remove the outbound link.

To achieve the best results from your e-mail, include the following in your initial e-mail:

  • Mention two positive items about their web site, so that they know that your e-mail is not a generic spam.
  • Include directions to the specific web page where you have added the link to their web site.
  • Mention the Page Rank of the page where you have added a link to their web site.

Search for Reciprocal Link Partners

These sites exist to help you search for reciprocal link partners in the same market niche’ as your web site:

Write Articles for Other Web Sites

One method for getting high-quality links is to write quality articles and submit them to other web sites for publication.

Each article should include a link back to your web site.

These links are better than links from link pages, because there tend to be very few outbound links on the article page.

Write a brief article on some topic related to the topic of your web site. Do not write an article about your web site, but write an article that would be interesting to people who would also be interested in your web site.

Send this article to webmasters who maintain web sites on topics similar to the topic of your article. Explain to them that they can post your article for free on their web sites, in return for a link to your web site.

To find places to submit articles for publication, read the FAQ Q/A Where can I submit an article for publication?.

Provide a Useful Service

Create dynamic content on your web site which other web masters can include on their web sites by linking to it.

Every webmaster who uses your content automatically adds a link to your site.

Post in Relevant Web Forums

Most web forum software allows you to create an HTML signature that includes a link to your web site.

The keyword here is relevant. If your web site is about football, post in web forums that have something to do with sports. If your web site is about supermodels, you will only annoy people and get yourself banned if you post to a web forum about fishing.

To locate appropriate web forums, search these directories of forums:

Directory
Big Boards
Forumzilla
Board Reader
Find Your Forum
Board Tracker

Submit to Web Directories

Start with big slow directories like the Yahoo Directory and the DMOZ Open Directory Project, but don’t stop there.

Search out the small directories which are dedicated to topics relevant to your web site.

For example, if your web page is related to guns, be sure to submit it to GunIndex.

You can use Google or another Internet search engine to find directories relevant to your web site.

Enter your keywords in the dialog box below to execute a pre-built Google search for sites where you can add you own inbound links.

Submitting to web directories is one of the best ways to get inbound links to your web site, which will increase your Page Rank and raise your position in the SERPS.

Search for Directories

The best directories to submit to are directories which are specific to the topic of your web site.

Enter your keywords in the dialog box below to execute a pre-built Google search to locate sites where you can add you own inbound links.


Directories of Directories

These web sites maintain directories of directories:

Warnings
If you do submit to these directories, you may want to create a second e-mail address just to catch all of the spam email you will receive.

Join or Create a Top Site List

Search for top site lists which are relevant to your web site.

Add yourself to the existing lists. If no relevant top site lists exist, create one.

Enter your keywords in the dialog box below to execute a pre-built Google search for top site lists related to your keywords.

Join a Reciprocal Link Program

Reciprocal linking programs exist to help webmasters share links with similar web sites.

Some of the better reciprocal link programs include:

If you have a blog, try blogLinker, the automatic link swapper for blogs.

Join a Link Network

Link networks enable webmasters to automatically share links with a large number of other web sites.

Join a Reciprocal Linking Forum

There are some web forums which allow swapping or trading links. Here are a few popular ones.

Warrior Buy – Sell – Swap Forum
DigitalPoint Link Exchange Forum
NetBuilders Links Forum

Start a Reciprocal Linking Program on Your Web Site

You can also setup a reciprocal linking program on your own web site.

For more information on setting up a reciprocal linking program on your site, read How can I add a reciprocal link manager to my web site?

Start or Join a Web Ring

You can use an existing web ring service such as WebRing, or you can create your own web ring using the PHP-Ring webring script.

Create and Submit Press Releases

Write press releases about your web site and submit them to press release distribution services.

To find places to submit press releases for publication, read the FAQ Q/A Where can I submit my press release?.

Build Content People Want to Link To

If you build a great web page which is useful, informative, or entertaining — people will link to you.

This is the best way to build links, because it follows the natural way that the web is supposed to work.

If All Else Fails

If all else fails, you can buy links to your web site.