Link building is an approach done by SEO specialists to create inbound links to their websites. This helps websites get higher rankings in search engine results. It plays an important part in on-line marketing campaign. This could make or break your search engine position so there should be extra caution in the off-page optimization process.

There are many ways to build links. But most require a lot of patience because of the continuous and sometimes repetitious manner of doing it. Some of them are the following:

Directory Submission

When search engines were still in their infancy, directories are very much used by people to find what the are looking for. It is categorized and well organized. It is humanly edited so make sure that you are not submitting a mirror or duplicate site. Doing such will result to site being deleted. Also, avoid link farms. Even if it is a back link, it still won't help you in your rankings. Link farm is a site where links of different categories are listed altogether. Submit to as many directories as possible.

Article Submission

Write articles and make sure that it is somehow related to your site. The reason for doing this is because at the bottom of your article, you can put a resource box which the author can make a recommendation to your site. Once article is approved, it will be an automatic link going to your site. Also, this is one way of proving that you know your business well enough to write about topics around and in it. Submit your articles to as much article sites as possible.

Press Release Submission

Press release is mainly for the promotion of your website. You will write about what's new with your company as well as your products and services. Submitting it to numerous press release sites would also create back links because like in article submission, there is also a resource box. But the difference is that it won't mention about the author. It will contain all about the company or the website.

Purchasing Links

This is usually being done by brand new or struggling web sites to attain high listings and increase traffic. This will be create one-way links going to your site without waiting long for it to be reviewed.

Through Email

Visit sites that you think compliment yours and find a way to contact them. The usual procedure is to email them and propose a link exchange. Wait for their response which may take weeks and when they do, start the transaction. Some do reciprocal link exchange, where two sites agree to swap links. And some offer a three-way link exchange, where one has to have 2 websites to this. You will have his link on your site and he will link bank from another site.

Blog

Creating a blog for your website is also helpful because it can be published for public consumption immediately. Another advantage is that you can leave your link partner a choice if he wants to do a three-way link exchange instead of having reciprocal link exchange.

Message Boards

Joining forums is considerably a great way to build links. Participate in forums that have active members. Most message boards offer signature if you reach a certain number of posts. And some will give you the privilege to do so as soon as you sign up. There, you can put a hyperlink going to your site. Another usage of message boards is to trade links with other members. Just make sure that you are in the right thread when doing so. This is the fastest way to exchange links because the response time is quicker than of the strategies.

Link building helps you improve your search engine rankings. The higher link popularity, the higher possibility of rank improvement. But keep in mind that number is not the only factor. For search engines, quality is better than quantity. You link partners should be in relevance to your site. And, always keep your anchor texts keyword-rich.