Use Your Relationships with Other Marketers for Free Backlinks
Paid backlinks on high Page Rank sites are getting some marketers into trouble with the search engines. That’s because some websites have established a pattern of behavior that makes them look like they are selling their “authority” to the highest bidder. Google and other search engines are penalizing these backlinks by downgrading them in their search results. Do yourself a favor get free backlinks from well-ranked colleagues with whom you have a good working relationship.
Social networking is not just for folks who have a desire to be social butterflies. Hard working Internet Marketing professionals also need to connect with each other. Despite this being a relatively solitary occupation, those who make their money online need to connect with each other. No one becomes a success online who is so totally alone that no one else knows of him or her.
Your connections to other marketers can provide you with a chance to get solid backlinks to your target website or supporting site that needs some additional authority for its backlinks to your target. All you have to do is build relationships with others who are online and understand your business. Many times, you’ll get backlinks without even asking, because you’ve been there to help others before.
Of course, the unsolicited backlinks you get may not always be where you want them (or point to the one place you really need them), but that natural type of backlink has good value in the search engines. You can also develop working relationships with your fellow marketers that permit you to be specific in asking them for targeted backlinks from specific blogs, Web pages or forum posts.
This brings up one of the best ways to make contact with your colleagues: discussion forums and groups. If permitted, your “signature line” can contain a link to your favorite website to promote. Other marketers will notice the link, click on it and explore your content. From there, some may post backlinks pointing to that site on other threads or posts in the discussion forum (or their own blogs, websites, etc.)
No matter how you do it, contacting and connecting with your colleagues is good for your business in more ways than just the occasional unsolicited backlink. Multimillion dollar businesses have grown from the collaboration of two or more like-minded individuals who each brought unique talents and abilities to a specific campaign, product launch or service business. You won’t get the chance to do that if you aren’t in touch with others in your business.
If you haven’t done so (or even considered the idea before), invest some time and effort into forging strong relationships with those who are in your business. It isn’t necessary to try to focus on only the most successful or prominent members of your chosen field. This is a long-term strategy. Connect with your peers and watch each other grow over time into tomorrow’s leaders and “gurus”.