Because there are so many websites online, it can be difficult to get a site ranked. There are many factors that play into how a website gets ranked by the search engines. One of these factors is called off page optimization. The most common off-page factor and one that weighs heavily on how sites are ranked are backlinks.

Why are backlinks important?

Backlinks are used by the search engines as a vote of popularity. Search engines factor into their formula that the more backlinks a site has, the more popular it must be, and therefore the higher it should be ranked. In the past, if you had a good site with quality and useful information, it was relatively easy to have other site owners link to other sites. However, with the explosive growth of the internet, unless the content is extremely viral, most sites will very rarely get backlinks from other site owners with consistent frequency and in great numbers. A site owner must now undertake the task of backlinking onto themselves. One place to obtain a backlink to help a site’s ranking is on an internet directory.

An internet directory will often have many categories to choose from to add a site into the directory. Other directories will often be very specific and accept only related sites that fit into a certain niche. It is best to submit to as many directories to get as many backlinks as possible.

What type of link is most beneficial?

The best type of backlink a site can have is called an anchor text link. An anchor text link makes use of a keyword that the site wishes to rank for in the search engines. The keyword should be related to the content on the site. Instead of just putting the link as: http://www.yourdomain.com it is better to use HTML and turn it into an anchor text link by using this code: <a href=”http://www.yourdomain.com”>Your Anchor Text Goes Here</a> It is best to find an internet directory that will allow an anchor text link.

Free or paid link submission?

When a site is submitted to an internet directory there may be an option for a paid or a free link. Paid links often ensure that the link will be accepted very quickly. Free submissions may take a few weeks to a few months to be processed and made live. The decision of whether to choose a paid link listing or a free listing will be up to the individual site owner and whether they have the budget for paid links to have an active link right away, or they have time to wait until the link goes live.