Simple, Smart & Effective SEO: Part II
Blogged into search engine optimization & internet_marketing on 08/24/2005 | comment
The first article in this series reviewed some simple, smart and effective on-site strategies for SEO. This article considers one simple off-site strategy for improving your search engine rankings and levels of site traffic.
A few weeks ago I posted a link to an excellent article called Give Your Website Away, written by Andy Rutledge, a well-respected blogger/web designer in the recommended reads area on my web design company site.
Shortly after, I received the following kind regards via email from Andy…
Thanks much for your link to my article, “Give Your Website Away.”
To say the least, I was blown away by Andy’s quick email. Perhaps this happens all the time, but for me it was the first time I have been thanked for linking to someone. What blows me away is how effective this kind of approach can be, how easy it is to do, yet how seldomly it occurs.
Of course, it’s just as easy to post a reciprocal link as a way of saying thanks. But to go one step further and actually make email contact is a vital strategy website owners can take toward extending and reinforcing their network of contacts on the Internet.
I was quick to reply to Andy’s email, thanking him for what he had done, and pointing out what a wonderful gesture it was. Soon after, I was pleased to find a reciprocal link to this blog from Andy’s site. Thanks again Andy.
Perhaps this happens all the time, but for me it was the first time I have been thanked for linking to someone. What blows me away is how effective this kind of approach can be, how easy it is to do, yet how seldomly it occurs.
On the Internet, from a user’s point of view, if something is simple and easy it is generally successful. The opposite is true for those things that are not.
Apart from saying thanks being a polite thing to do, this strategy makes sense because it’s such a simple way to show respect and form relationships.
Unless you have a well established website, the challenge of improving search engine rankings and site traffic are, among other things like content and choosing keywords, tied directly to both the quality and number of incoming links you have.
The number and PageRank of websites that link to yours affects how well (if at all) your website ranks in the search engines, particularly Google. Therefore, a few links from some well ranked sites can go a long way in terms of sending traffic to your site, and moving you up in the rankings.
By sending a thank-you email, you widen the doors of communication between you and the person that has linked to you, connectiing human-being to human-being. By doing this you show respect and, as a result, may be awarded with additional incoming links to your site.
I do a great deal of consulting work in the area of search engine optimization, and I for one will be adding Andy’s strategy of saying thank-you to my list of tips I give clients.
How about you?
And I’ve never received a ‘ThankYou’ email from anyone I’m linking to – but that ain’t the problem for me though it would be really pleasing.
— Martin 10/10/2005 #