Just a bit about search engine optimization.

When you’re first starting out, figuring out how to get backlinks, while not the biggest challenge for new webmasters, can nonetheless be a little confusing. Fortunately, it doesn’t take too long to learn the basics. Now, you’ll figure out some of your own tricks and come up with some great ideas on your own as you go, but the following tips should at least be enough to get the ball rolling.

Be Careful with Your Linkswaps

Trading links with a high profile site can always help your web visibility. Trading links with a site that hosts questionable content, a site that hasn’t been updated in years, or a site that’s already got dozens of links on their main page probably won’t do you much good. Bear in mind you’ve got limited space for links, and you don’t want to waste precious web space on lousy links.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is what we call the simple trick of using a few keywords in your web content. When you have anchored text, meaning linked text, you want to make sure that that anchored text is a hot keyword to improve your Google visibility. You can look up hot keywords on search engines to see what people are looking for, but the top one or two will always be pretty easy to take a guess at. For example, someone looking to buy a lawn chair will always type in “Lawn Chair”, and not, say “Chair to sit on in the backyard”.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for a Linkswap

We mentioned that you want to save your linkswaps for reputable, high profile sites, right? Well when you’re just starting out, how do you get the dot com celebrities to share some of their visitors with you? That’s up to you. You can provide great content, you can offer a unique product or service, or maybe you can even get lucky and happen to email that webmaster when they’re in a particularly great mood. It never hurts to ask, though, so never hesitate to ask. The worst that can happen is that they might say no.

Spy on the Competition

Check out your competitor’s websites, see who they’re sharing links with, and see if the sites they’re linking with will link with you. This does put you on a website right alongside your competitors, but let’s face it: Competition is the name of the game. The point is to get yourself in the running rather than sitting by wishing you could get some hits.

And Last but not Least: Link to the Best

You don’t always get a link back in return for your backlink, but let’s say you run a catering business. Now, Coca Cola, Oscar Meyer and Sara Lee might not be willing to trade links with you, but there’s no rule on the books saying you can’t link to them. When you link to industry leaders, it puts forth an image of professionalism, and improves your online “trust”. This means: Better web visibility. Remember, you’re just starting out, so it can really help to get a little digital karma flowing.

Mike Gates is an online marketer and recommends HostGator for hosting. HostGator is the cheapest web host. You can use hostgator coupon to get discount at the time of sign up.