The Importance of Links

Once you have a web site, you need to get it promoted so people can find you.  Having a web site and not promoting it is like writing a book and hiding it in the world's biggest library without putting it into the card catalog for people to find. 

Shortly after creating your web site, I submit the site to the search engines. However, it takes anywhere from one week to several months for them to list the site. I've had a couple sites get listed within a week, and some have taken a couple months.

One thing you can do to get traffic is to start asking other people to put a link to you on their Links page if they have links pages. Most of the search engines use these links as ways to find your site, but also as a way to find out if your site is popular. If you aren't linked to from anyone else's web site, then the search engines assume your site is boring.

Examples of Links Pages

http://pub31.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=2658842973&cpv=1

http://www.rnbquarterhorses.com/links.htm

Most will request that you put a link to them on your own site, also (it's like a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" thing). So to use links to improve your popularity, you'll need a links page of your own to put a link back to them with.  There are two ways most people do this:

1. I Maintain Your Links Page For You

I can add your links, which wouldn't cost a lot but wouldn't be totally free. The links would go on your Links page of your web site. Here is an example of a links page that I maintain for the owner:

http://www.rollingsranch.com/links.htm

2. You Maintain Your Links Page

This is cheaper, because after the initial setup (which is about $10), you would handle requests for new links as they come to you via e-mail. You can approve, deny, and even edit the links that people submit to you. One of the best things about this is that the people that want the link type in all their own info...you don't have to do a thing other than log in and approve or deny the link most of the time.

I could set up a links page for you through an online service like these examples:

http://pub31.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=2658842973&cpv=1

http://pub31.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=2662013566&cpv=1

It would use the same graphics as your web site so the links page looks very much like your web site.   With this service, you get an e-mail when someone asks for a link. You would log in and approve or deny their link. The person requesting the link does their own labor of writing their text, so it's easier. I could set up this links page for about $10, and then after that you would do your own approving of link requests, so you wouldn't have to pay me to add links.

In my opinion, links pages are very important if you want to be listed high with search engines. :-)

E-mail me if you have questions, further ideas, or if you want to make changes to your site.