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Online linking and link building is an essential search engine optimization strategy.  If it’s done correctly, link building can give your site higher rankings in search engines and bring in more qualified traffic.  Incorrect link building can make your business disappear as search engines may reduce your rankings or eliminate your site from their indexes completely.

So where do you start? Here are five tips that will help you create a great link building strategy.

Your Competition

One of the easiest ways to build a linking strategy is to check out the strategy of your competition. What is their strategy? Are they even doing a link building campaign? Are they in directories? Are their links full of keyword-rich anchor text? Where are their links coming from? Are they buying links?

Your Keywords

Another thing you should consider is what keywords you want to target first. The main focus of your link building strategy should be to improve your rankings for specific keywords. Again, you’ll want to take a look at the competition.  Do an online search and assess the following: Who is ranking for your top keyword? Who is linking to them? Who are they linking to?

Your Niche

Every business has a niche.  Make a list of every niche area you can think of that relates to your business.  How many niche markets do you serve? Do you have content on your site that tells your potential customers about it? Do you have content on your site that answers common questions in each niche area of your business? You should!

Your Location

Does your business operate on a global level, national level or state level?  No matter the size of your reach, you should list yourself in regional categories in online directories. If you have a physical address, you should have a Google Local Listing and you should be listed on other local-based sites that users are likely to access. You may already have a listing – check it out and make sure that the information is listed correctly and contains a link back to your site.

Your Expertise

You know your business better than anyone else.  You should be telling people about it. Invest some time creating content that is directly relevant to your primary audience and publish it on your own site or a blog. Find other blog writers in your industry and start a dialogue in their blog comments.  You can also use the opportunity to “guest post” on a related blog, including links in your content and in your bio as well.

For more information about online link building and how it can help your business, contact KEO Marketing at 888.702.0679.

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In a Webcast with investors last Wednesday, Google executives walked through a variety of ideas designed to make search ads more effective for advertisers.  The new format will include map integration, video content and product information within sponsored ads.

This latest announcement is just the latest in a string of improvements following the launch of Google’s universal search technology.  By adding YouTube video clips, Google Maps and other Google media to commercial ad listings, Google hopes to change up the look of their search ads and in turn, increase user response.

E-commerce sites can include individual product images and descriptions within ads; local advertisers may find maps particularly valuable.

The formats are all revealed upon clicking within a standard sponsored text link. Advertisers will pay on a cost-per-click, or a cost-per-view basis.

Yahoo unveiled similar features in February, allowing advertisers to include images, video and search functions within search ads.

For more information about search engine marketing and how you can incorporate the new format in your Google AdWords ads, contact KEO Marketing at 888.702.0679.

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A few weeks ago, we told you about the SEOmoz 2009 Biennial Search Engine Ranking Factors report.  If you haven’t downloaded it yet, do it now.  Here’s just a small taste of the kind of information you’ll see:

Of the five top ranking factors, four were link related. The fourth top ranking factor was “Keyword Use Anywhere in the Title Tag.” All others were related to getting links and formatting links.

Back in 2007, the report listed “Using the keyword in the title tag” as the most important factor. This year, that factor was beaten by:

• Keyword Focused Anchor Text from External Links
• External Link Popularity (quantity/quality of external links)
• Diversity of Link Sources (links from many unique root domains)

Links may not always be the most important factor when it comes to ranking well in the search engines, but these days, especially in Google, links are the dominating force.

For more information about online link building strategies, contact KEO Marketing at 888.702.0679.

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