Backlinking

What Are Backlinks and Why Do I Want Them?

A few years ago Backlinks, also called InLinks or Reputation Links, were among the most important ways to achieve high website rankings.  Search Engines have recently reduced their importance, but still they should not be overlooked.  Backlinks are links from another web site that point to your web site.  Backlinks help your website rank better with search engines.   Links from your website pointing to someone else’s website help their website rank better.  Backlinks from high usage sites pertinent to your area of business will help your website rank much better.

How Many Backlinks Do You Need?

In general, the more backlinks you have, the better.   Our rule of thumb is, you need more backlinks than your competitors.  You can see how many backlinks you have and how many your competitors have at: http://alexa.com

How To Get More Backlinks 

The best way to get backlinks is to ask business people you know, in person or on the phone, to add your  link to their website.  The second best way is via email.

Key points to remember in your conversation:

> Backlinks help websites rank higher.

> You will add a link to your website, if they will do the same.  This way both websites will rank better.

> This is a win-win for both parties

> Follow up the conversation with an email containing the exact link you want.

Are Some Links Better Than Others

Initially your backlinks may simply be your company name linked to your home page.  For example: 

TenbyTechnologies  linked to   http://tenbytech.com

In some cases you may want to change the verbiage and destination.  For example; if you wanted to highlight the fact that you have an office in a specific town you might include the town in your verbiage and link to a page on your website that specifically talks about your office location.

Advanced Dental & Facial Aesthetics: Columbia, IL   linked to   http://advanced-smiles.com/columbia_illinois.html

 

If, for example, you were able to get a supplier to add a backlink you might request a link like this

Legacy Orthodontics Offers Invisalign  linked to   http://www.mylegacyortho.com/invisalign-info

This sends people who follow the link directly to the information they are interested in.

 

Who Are The Good Candidates To Get A Backlink From?

• Business Associates: Fellow chamber members, networking partners, fellow rotary members, etc.
• Business Partners: Suppliers, vendors, etc
•  Peers Who Are Not Competitors: For example people in the same line of business in other parts of the country
• Businesses to whom you refer customers
• Customers & Friends: Of course you ask them for testimonials (video testimonials are best), but if someone has a business be sure to ask them to link to your website also.

 

Other Issues

Paying for backlinks is a definite “no-no”.  There are companies, generally in India or China, who sell backlinks in bulk.  In the SEO trade this is called a “black hat” technique. Buying backlinks usually results in your website being banned from Google and other search engines which will negatively affect your business.

Getting Started on Linkedin: 5 Essential Tips

Getting started on a new social media site can be disorienting.  It helps if you have a guide to focus your initial efforts.  These five simple tips can help you get more out of Linkedin, more quickly.

Your Kid Can Become the Next Bill Gates

Altair 8800, January 1975

I recall reading an interview with Bill Gates a while back where he talked about how chance had played a big part in his success.  He was fortunate that the school he attended had a computer and that his parents were well off enough to buy him an early PC.  Granted he had a lot of talent and worked really hard, but he got an early start with computers in large part by being in the right place at the right time. 

I remember those early years of the PC, the late 70's and early 80's.  Those PCs were not what they are now. They were mostly kits or very clunky boxes of wire & solder.  They were also very limited.  You couldn't really do much with them, but the fascination was that they were programmable.  They were a little expensive, about $300 at the time.  Most people did not buy a PC until 10 years later.

Fast forward 40 years.  There is a new technology that reminds me a lot of those early PCs.  The technology is called 3D printing. 3D printers create three dimensional objects by using a “printing” process not too dissimilar from your desktop inkjet printer, but instead of extruding ink they extrude materials like plastics, metals, ceramic powders, or even edible material.  They are clunky and expensive and can't really do much, but they have an avid nerd following.   

To my mind this is the kernel of what will be a great new technology in about 10 years.  If you want your son or daughter to be the next Bill Gates buy them a 3D printer now.  Prices start around $300.

MakerBot 3D Printer

Who Uses Facebook in Your Area?

Many small businesses compete in a relatively small geographic area, perhaps within 20-30 miles of their business storefront.  Attorneys, restaurants, dentists, and banks are examples of these types of businesses.  Local businesses need cost effective ways to reach potential customers, especially those local people who are most likely to become new customers.

St Clair county is located in the southern portion of Illinois, in the eastern section of the St Louis metropolitan area.  Largely rural & suburban, the county hosts a large Air Force Base, several large businesses, and many small to medium sized businesses. The county is in many ways a typical Midwestern area.

The infographic below shows some of the demographic information that can be derived directly from Facebook about the people who use Facebook in a particular geographic area.  Based upon the demographics below, it is clear that these Facebook users in St Clair County would be a good fit for many types of consumer businesses.

Facebook business pages are by far the most common way to market on Facebook.  Business pages are simple to build and free.  Another, less common, method is to use Facebook ads.  Facebook ads can be an even more effective way for business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses to reach local customers since these ads can be focused on specific demographic segments.  For example a Wedding Planner might want to focus their ads on young women who are engaged.  Chiropractors might want to focus on people interested in health & well-being.

The demographic information above was gathered from Facebook by creating an ad campaign, selecting a geographic area (country, state, city, or zip codes) and then recording the audience size as you adjust the campaign targeting parameters.  You will notice that "County" is not one of the geographic options available.  For our infographic we gathered the zip codes in St Clair County and entered them individually into the ad campaign.

Perhaps you should consider using Facebook to identify consumers for your business.