Modern Methods Of White Hat Plans In Link Building

Building links to your website should be done responsibly. If it isn’t, you could easily harm your presence in top search engines such as Yahoo!, Google, and Bing. The “white hat” movement is one that dictates every link you build should be done in an approved, safe, and friendly manner.

Never under estimate the power of networking with others. It holds true for the Internet as well- search engines like to see networks of local businesses. It gives them extra weight in the search results. If you already have friends who have websites, you might ask for a friendly link from them. Offer to link back to them as a simple “thank you” and to also help them out in their own business search listings.

Not so long ago, a web directory was the only way to find relevant websites on the Internet. Things have changed since then, as we have Yahoo!, Google, and Bing to thank for easier searching. The fact is that directories are still valuable for finding local services, and search engines still give a lot of “weight” to those who are listed in relevant directories. Find such directories in your locale and get a listing.

If you have competitors in your niche, such as the kid down the road who just started a web development business, you might see how they are ranking. If the result is better than your own ranking, look at what links they have built through free online tools. Make an attempt to gain the same links if at all possible. Many times it may not be, but it’s worth researching.

Link exchanges are very popular. Those who use automatic programs to do so can get in trouble- this isn’t white hat SEO. Instead make custom emails and send them out to those who you think would link back to you. This might include any clients you have had, or even a competitor who might want to network with you just as much as you need to network with him.

If you do decide to network with those who you may not know, and thus not necessarily trust, use a tool to check that the links to your website are always live. It is sometimes the unfortunate case that a website owner will remove the link and still enjoy the benefits of the link you point to their website. There are free tools to do this.

Final Thoughts

Although effort should be put forth in building links, it should only be done in a way that is white hat. If you don’t, you can be exposed to penalties enacted by the major search engines. The result could greatly reduce visibility on the web.

Learn more on google pagerank and google page rank.