Links From Other Websites

Last Updated: 27 October 2006

There are a few different types of links you can create to your website. They all have a different role to play in bringing more visitors to your site.

  • Reciprocal links. These are targetted links with other websites where both parties hope to gain from linking to the other site. To get the most out of reciprocal links, it is important to link with sites that compliment your product or service. For example, if you sell outdoor patios you may want to link to home improvement sites or other sites with an outdoor theme in the hope that many of their visitors will also be interested in patios too and may click on your logo while they are there.





The usual way to establish a reciprocal link is to contact the site you are interested in linking to and establish an agreement to link to each other (usually to be reviewed at regular intervals). You can also set up programs to record the number of visitors you get from each link so you can work out which links are working the best.

  • Irrelevant links. A number of websites around the world are beginning to join link programs that create hundreds of "irrelevant" links to their site. The main reason they do this is because the number of links pointing to your site dramatically increases your search engine ranking. Although the links programs can sometimes work well for short periods, there are a couple of risks.

    Firstly, most of the major search engines are beginning to become wise to such link programs and will look for signs of your website being involved. If suspected, you run the risk of being banned by the search engine, which is no good at all. Other search engines are becoming quite clever and are only using links from "important" (popular) sites to increase your ranking. It is clear that search engines do not appreciate false popularity programs and are making changes to overcome them. The days of the irrelevant links programs are certainly numbered.

    Secondly, you can't control who you are linking to. This means that customers on your page can click on the irrelevant links and end up visiting a site that is inappropriate. It could be a site with dubious content or it could even be a competitor.

  • Directory links. It is very important to register your site with regulatory bodies and directories that are related to your product. There are a number of government and non-government sites (often called "portals") where people visit to look for businesses within a certain category. Having a link to your webpage within such directories can be extremely beneficial.


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Disclaimer: This page is designed to provide information only and is not a substitute for advice that is specific to your business. Before acting on any of the information above it is important you seek further advice from a professional who has taken into consideration the nature and circumstances of your business.

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