Get links from websites with common subject matter

One key factor in search engine placement is the source of links to your site. The search engines give more credibility to websites that have other websites linked to them. Often, webmasters will go to their sources and just “swap links” with other websites. “Will you link to my website if I link to yours?” But, search engines give more credibility to links from websites that contain similar subject matter. It shows a willingness to focus on the matter at hand, not a single website. Remember, the primary goal of the search engines is to help the searchers find what they are looking for.

So, how do you get links from these websites?

This is the first question asked by some of the "in house" site builders of small businesses. Over time the possibilities will present themselves.

Trade organizations and vendors

Subject matter on the websites of your trade organizations and vendors probably coincide with your website's subject matter. And that subject is promoting and selling common products and services. You should be able to get them to link to your website without the consideration of a link back. The advantage of this that keeping the links that take the customer away from your website increases the possibility that they will do business with you.

Competitors

Some of the best possibilities may be hard for the site builder to get by the boss. And one of those is links to your competitor’s website. There are ways to do this that will be of benefit to you and your competitor when you become link partners.

Take time to analyze which competitors you want to become link partners with. Some competitors may pursue a different market niche than you do. Say you are a used car dealer in a small town. The cars you sell are priced between $7,000 and $10,000. You may want to consider becoming a link partner with another used car dealer in town that sells used cars in the $1000 to $3000 range. You don’t risk the loss of business to your link partner. In fact, you will likely generate sales from the link. Both sites will get visitors that are not in the market range of the site they visited, but are in the market range of the linked site. And that is where they could find the car they are looking for.

If your business is restricted by distance, then you want to consider swapping links with “competitors” that are outside of your market area. While these are not truly your competitors, the link can help the web user find the best source for the goods they are looking for.

Remember, the mission of the search engines is to help the user find what they want. Links give web users another option to consider. And the search engines will see it as an effort to help the searchers find what they are looking for.