Linking Up

5. Include Strategic and Relevant Links

Identifying Your Links

• Link your web site to other relevant web sites.
• Include a variety of both internal and external links on your site.
• Use descriptive link text including keywords.
• Don’t use “click here” for link text. If the item is a mortgage calculator, make sure that the words “mortgage” and “calculator” are keywords used in the link text.

Getting Others to Link to Your Website

• Link to each page of your site from your home page.
• Grow your web site organically by creating a “Link to Us” code containing your keywords.
• Use standard <a href> link commands to format links rather than Java script.
• Develop strategic reciprocal link partnerships with:
• other relevant sites directories,
• specialized portals,
• and industry association sites.
• The higher the site ranking of the page that includes your link, the better the search engine result.

Beyond the Template

• Rather than using a template, create a “Related Links” page.
• Use descriptive supporting text to add more value to the links.

Keep It Current

• Make sure to keep your links updated.
• Remove or fix broken links to pages within your site or other web sites.
• Regularly run a link checker on your web site to identify broken links on your Web site.