Search Engine Optimization Tips Blog

Start by using one of those cool little programs that lets you see who has been linking to you. They are readily available all over the net, and simple to install; or if you use Google Webmaster you will have easy access to them from that site as well, and a lot of other things.

If you find a relevant site linking to you, see what their keywords are and how they relate. Combine them with your own set of keywords to come up with new combinations to work into your site. Google’s Tool is is a great thing to use because it actually tells you what the most commonly used words are being used in the anchor text of these inbound links. You might find that you can target whole new demographics by looking at your related sites customer base and trying to target them directly.

Keeping an eye on your inbound links is a good idea all the time. You want to see who is linking to you in case you end up with some links that would be better no-followed – this does happen, and you don’t want them giving you a bad reputation. A backlink from someone who is in cahoots with a link farm is never a good plan – reputation by association kicks in even if it is the sixth degree of separation, it will always come back to bite you on the butt.

Checking out backlinks also lets you see if any reciprocal agreements are being honored. Unfortunately, some people are unscrupulous enough to trade link postings and then renege. They think they can keep your link to them, but delete or no-follow their link to you. Remember that how someone links to you is almost as important as the fact that they link to you at all!

Don’t be thrown off course, but do try to widen your possible customer base by examining your links and seeing if some relevant connections have eluded you. Happy Linking!

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