Nine Steps to Improve Your Link Popularity

1. Submit to Yahoo and Dmoz
You can start building quality links by getting listed in Yahoo and the Dmoz Open Directory Project. DMOZ and Yahoo are Extremely Important Listings!  Each uses human editors to review site submissions and each has a great influence over ranking. These are critical targets - if your site is listed in the right category and has a good description, links from these sites will dramatically increase your ranking.

2. Submit to niche directories
It is also valuable to get links from industry-specific or niche directories that have information directly related to your site's theme. One excellent place to find niche directories is in Google's Special Interest Listings. First find your industry category and then look for sites that are not direct competitors who will link to your site. Google prefers these directory listings, so links from these are valuable for building link popularity!

Use free and low cost search engine submission to key directories like GoGuides, JoeAnt, Gimpsy, and About.com, and submit your site to every directory in Google's Full Listing of Directories.

Make certain your titles and descriptions are packed with strategic keyword phrases.

3. Use the "Strongest Links Directory List"
This excellent list of directories gives you a detailed breakdown by PageRank, and fees charged. You can find directories with very high PR values, and very low fees! Some high PR directories are Free! Submit to as many as possible.  Remember, the higher the PageRank, the more valuable the link is to you.

4. Use our Web Directory Listing ADD URL Page to Submit your site to over 150 Directories!
Most of these directories listed are free, however some do have a small annual fee. It is highly advisable to pay the small charge as the increase in Link Popularity will be well worth the minimal investment.

WARNING: Avoid FFA "Free-for-All" sites, and Link Farms. These can actually hurt you - the search engine companies are actively looking to identify these in their algorithms. Install the Google Toolbar before you submit anywhere. Do not add your URL to any site that does not have good PageRank!

5. Ask your Friends, Business Partners, Clients, and Vendors
One of the most overlooked ways to build link popularity is links from your business partners and vendors. Because you already have a good relationship with them, you are more likely to get a link from their site.

The text contained in the links that are pointing to your website is an important consideration to the search engines.. What links "say" about your site is known as your "Link Reputation". This is a major factor in determining website ranking, so links containing your key phrases have a profound effect on search results. It’s important to show the webmaster linking to you EXACTLY how to construct your link.

The keywords in the hyperlink portion are extremely important, so when you send another webmaster your link, make sure you construct it wisely!  Always give them the HTML link code just like this:

<a href="http://www.YourDomain.com">Your Keyword Phrase</a>

Remember, your keywords in the hyperlink cause search engines to rank you higher for those words!

7. Ask your visitors to link to you
Make it as easy as possible for others to link to you. Create a page on your web site that includes the HTML code, with your keywords in the text link, as explained above. Include a menu item to this page that says "Link to Us".

Warning: Only accept direct links. Watch out for link scams.

8. Provide a valuable service
If you provide a valuable service free, your visitors will link to you, then their visitors will link to you, etc. If you can create enough interest from something free, it will spread quickly and you will rapidly improve your link popularity (ranking).

This is called "Viral Marketing". Give away a free service to attract attention, and your visitors will buy all the other products or services you are selling. HotMail.com is a perfect example of viral marketing. It's founder, Sabeer Bhatia made $400 million dollars by giving away free e-mail addresses!

9. Additional domain names
Use multiple domain names to increase your own link popularity and search engine placement. Group content that falls under a single "theme" or topic on it's own domain to gain ranking. This will build a strong foundation of relevant links that will in turn increase traffic. If you own only a single domain name, you will miss out on a great deal of potential traffic.  Read Internet Marketing Tips to learn how to trump your competitors with multiple domains!