Website links connect web pages from one to another, giving the world wide web its name one strand at a time. The simple HTML coding provides the ability to literally travel from one Internet location to another with the click of a computer mouse. Granted, a technical method exists involving typing in a specific website address and then having the computer go find it with browser software. However, most users prefer the simpler travel method of clicking. In this respect, the website linking design of an Internet site can be a very powerful Internet marketing tool.
The Basics
Before understanding the marketing potential, a website owner needs to understand the link options available. Typical website links include absolute ones, relative, mailto’s, and named or internal links. Absolute links go to another address entirely. Relative links, on the other hand, go to a new web page within the same website, such as a supporting page. Mailto’s are exactly what they sound like: a link to generate an email address-labeled message with the computer user’s email software. And finally there are named or internal links which move a viewer to a new location within the same webpage. These options provide the basic link tools that can be used. More advanced connections pull up specific files that can be downloaded if desired, such as PDF documents, presentations or office software documents.
Help the Navigation
Links in and of themselves don’t generate traffic and marketing attention for a website. The planning of a traffic going through a website, however, helps tremendously. This strategy devleopment involves understanding where a viewer will go long before it every happens on the webpage. Basic direction is simple; links are embedded into the website to connect to other Internet locations. Yet in simplicity, people forget the most basic traffic guideposts can move people to targeted information.
The first step is to make sure viewers know where they have been. This process occurs by making sure existing links in a web page change color once they have been utilized. People want to have point in time; they want to know where they have been. By coloring used links, the viewer has visual sign posts on a website what remains to be seen and visited. Some designers forget to make sure the webpage coding includes the required instructions to change link colors when they have been visited, defeating a fundamental benefit before it can be used. Viewers then get confused and don’t come back, getting frustrated at visiting the same pages they don’t want to see again.
Smart planning takes advantage of the simple coloring featuring, lining up links progressively within a page so that users move from one piece of information to the next. This creates a sequential experience that viewers appreciate and enjoy. It also drives traffic through various pieces of information that a site owner may want the viewer to see in order.
Backlinking
Another marketing tool involves obtaining links on other websites that bring viewers to a home web destination. This involves getting other website owners or managers to insert links on their web pages, driving traffic to the unrelated destination page.
By driving incoming traffic to a destination page via multiple sources, traffic increases. In many way the process works like a highway advertisement sign – come enjoy Sam’s Restaurant three miles ahead, Shakes, Burgers, Sodas and Gas! Woohoo!
Backlinking also gets the attention of search engines, which generates more traffic. Anybody who has a webpage and wants significant traffic also should want a high search rank position in the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo! To do this, the website has to score well in the search engine’s algorithmic process versus other sites offering the same information.
Having a high number of successful and working backlinks gains a good scoring with many search engines. So generating traffic from the right location matters. Granted, backlinking can occur by simply asking other website owners to carry a link, but the process would be long and tedious doing this for every possible source. Instead, a significant amount of backlinking can occur by becoming very active in social media instead.
Social media includes not just the popular social websites but older methods as well. Some of the best backlinking occurs by being active in blogs and forums. Both types of sites can generate a significant amount of repeat traffic, exposing links to a website that has a related topic. The trick is to find the crowd that matches the target website. Shared interests create a common Internet traffic bond that brings more and more viewers looking for the same material.
A word to the wise, however. Bad backlinking in too many shabby locations comes across as spam, turning viewers off. Instead of clicking in they avoid. To make the interest of a backlink viable, the post or connection should provide a tidbit of useful advice or information for the viewer. This creates the interest to follow the backlink to the source for more valuable information, and so on. Ergo the marketing success.
Sources:
SEO Book: 101 Tips & Strategies to Build Links Fast
Webcredible: Build Up Links to Your Website
Smart Passive Income: Backlinking Strategies that Work
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