Building Solid Traffic with Backlinks
Kenn Schroder
04/11/2006
Part 1: Why Backlinks Are Totally Awesome!
Part 2: Keys to a Solid Backlink
Part 3: How to Hunt for Big Game Backlinks
Many coaches put up web sites with the hope of getting clients from the Web. What usually happens is they get nothing.
Here’s the reason.
A web site isn’t an ad. No one “peruses” web sites in some “web site newspaper.” In fact, no one will go to your site unless you specifically invite them. A web site actually needs advertising.
You need to build traffic to your site.
There are a lot of great ways to do this and one terrific way is with backlinks.
What is a backlink?
A backlink is a link FROM another site TO your site.
For example, if you are a member of Coachville, and someone is looking for a coach, then it is possible that this person sees your listing in the “Find a Coach” section and clicks a link to your web site.
This is a backlink from Coachville to your site.
Backlinks are also referred to as “in-bound links” and sometimes can be called “reciprocal links.”
Many of the links that coaches have on their web site are designed to take visitors from the coach’s web site to other web sites. These are usually located in a link section or a resources section. These are also called “forward links” or “outbound links.”
The important thing to note is that a backlinks bring visitors TO your site. Once visitors come to your web site, you can turn them into clients, product sales, newsletter subscribers, commissions and more.
So why are backlinks totally awesome?
Firstly, the obvious, is direct traffic to your site. This traffic can be cashed in for clients or sales.
Secondly, when done right, “backlinking” can sky-rocket your search engine rankings and thus result in even more traffic.
How?
From the eyes of search engines, your “site’s worth” increases when the number of backlinks increases. Each backlink raises the popularity of your web site.
It’s like being the popular kid in school. The more kids who know you, the more popular you are.
What does this lead to?
When people put the phrase “life coach” into a search engine, for the most part, the sites with higher popularity will come up first.
Thirdly, backlinks can create consistent traffic.
Sending out newsletters and giving talks often bring you immediate “bursts” of traffic.
Bursts of traffic are great, but require you to make those additional efforts in order to continue to get that traffic.
Backlinking builds a steady, consistent, and predictable stream of traffic that keeps coming without additional work. You can confidently expect the same number of visitors each month.
Fourthly is the snowball-effect.
Creative backlinking strategies can create a situation where your web site is attracting backlinks without you doing any work at all. It’s like a snowball going down-hill that continues to grow.
Do you want to be the popular kid in school again? Then stay tuned for the next two installments:
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