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Well, it isn’t new… Sort of… Good websites with smart marketers have been capitalizing on the network effect for years, but only recently have developers begun to realize the true influence that external linking has on the enigma of major search engine algorithms.

What separates one low-ranking website of static content, from another with the same content yet a swarming mass of Google driven traffic to boot? The answer is most probably the number of other websites linking to it. “Reputation”. This we all know already… Show us something new…

You’ve probably landed in a few circle networks while browsing the Net before. There are some sites which seem so devoid of unique content that you wonder how they could ever receive the hits that they do, but as long as other websites - of the same topic - are linking to it, they will continue to prosper. A unique circle of website or blogs that are linking to each other are usually called “blog farms”… (this is true for blogs).

Remember that search bots are on the loose everywhere. They plough through millions of websites and follow every link (Oh man, a lot of work to say the least ). You can have some of the most creative and inspiring content going, but if the search crawler isn’t referred to your website by other sources, it’s going to assume that you’re not as deserving of a top ten listing as some other bland website which every Average Joe and his dog is linking to. (I mean, people do it… I’d actually love you if you linked to me! I could link back if you have good content and can keep up with the news…)

That doesn’t mean that you have to affiliate relentlessly. Many websites will join link exchange networks, or trade banners, but the opportunity to channel traffic is everywhere. (I just gave you one…)

To truly optimize your website for higher search rankings, you have to be prepared to do what it takes to direct traffic from other sources. The more incoming links that you can generate, the more times a search crawler will return to your page. Inevitably, this means that you’ll be ranked higher.

Whether it is through commenting on related blogs, forum posting, or simply submitting a website to one of the many directories on the Net - exposure is important, so is relevancy! Google absolutely loves relevancy!

Affiliation can be a good thing too, especially if you’re lucky enough to affiliate above your own level. But be aware. Links that follow to your site from irrelevant content will do more harm than good. There is no good in having a Sports website advertised on a Politics forum, even if the search bot returns to your website over and over again. It will actually confuse the search bot, and subsequently, you could end up being spidered for content that has nothing to do with your actual website theme. (become an internet marketing affiliate and have related content! http://www.online-marketing-expert.com)

On the other hand, if you’re a web design agency, and you manage to channel the search crawler back to your page from other related URLs, you’ll soon find that SEO can reward generously.

As a mark of this, it’s worth noting that websites which include a relevant keyword in the actual domain have an easier job from the get-go. When somebody posts a link to the site, not only is it recognized by the search spider, but the domain keyword is logged too - and given precedence due to the simple fact that its in the URL (only a fool chooses a misrepresentative URL to con the search engines).

To take things further, if you’re going to affiliate, make sure that your partner posts an SEO friendly link. “My Friend’s Site” simply isn’t going to cut it. Return the favor by using a link that sums up their website nicely. Interestingly enough, the best affiliation links tend to be the ones which explain what a website is, rather than the name of the company. It goes back to the issue of relevance and keywords.

The Affiliate Link You Get From Me Looks Like This:

http://www.online-marketing-expert.com/pageID=YourID Which makes CTR amazing! People think it’s a regular page and they click it! I sure would

The final step towards understanding SEO rests in knowing that a static website is living on borrowed time. Search bots will return to your website, perhaps more often than you think. If they note that the content is the same, they’ll put you to the back of the book and search out new alternatives. This isn’t always the case, providing you can continue to channel traffic from external sources. In that scenario, the search crawler will treat a new link as a new referral and a new acknowledgment of popularity.

It’s always a good move to ensure that your website has content added to it on a regular basis. You don’t have to go crazy, but keeping things fresh will keep the search spider active. Definitely a good thing for your search engine rankings.

Search Engine Optimization is a revolving field and it will remain so for as long as search engines continue to tweak and fine-tune their algorithms. It can be a daunting task to strip a website to its bare bones, and rebuild it for SEO. So is it worth it?

When you look at the alternatives of paid advertising or a website that nobody knows about, the answer should be obvious.

Above all else though, if you’re going to use SEO, make sure that you use the right kind. Black Hat methods may appeal with tempting offers of traffic explosions and sky high page ranks, but they rarely survive the long term. And if it goes wrong, you’ll do well to convince Google Bot that you’ve cleaned up your ways. I’ve done this “fault myself” and I can tell you I was pretty darn upset… 2,000 visits a day down the drain because of crappy thinking. DON’T DO IT! Hurry slowly as my mother would say!

Search Engine Marketing is a complicated business, but giving a second thought to the search bots is the first step towards building a website that performs better now and tomorrow. Don’t lose patience and give your creation time to catch on, carefully planned SEO will take care of the rest.

Until next time,

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