Having inbound links to your website is one of the best ways to increase your page rankings with Google and other (less important) search engines. They are also a great way to drive readers or potential customers to your site. But what are inbound links?
What are inbound links?
Inbound links can be best defined as links (also known as hyperlinks) on another website that link back to a page on your website. These links can be text links, image links or even links from the other website's main navigation bar. It's worth saying that links that are connected to text on the other website is ranked higher that links from an image.
How do I get other websites to link to my website?
There are good ways to acquire inbound links, and there are bad ways to acquire links. The bad ways include purchasing links from "link farms" or creating "parasite hosting". These are quick and easy ways to get links, but you will run the risk of being delisted from Google.
A good way to acquire inbound links is to post on directories like Google My Business, Yellow Pages, and all of the major review sites (Yelp, Travelocity, or other industry specific review sites). In these posts, make sure you create a link back to one of your relevant blogs or website page. Just make sure that the directories you post to are related to the subject matter you are posting about. The last thing people going through a medical directory want to see are posts about fluffy kittens.
One of the best ways to get quality inbound links is to post good, compelling content that others want to add as a link to their site. And the more people that link to your site, the more credible you become to Google and readers.
Written by Nikki Wardle
Nikki has a degree in Marketing from Boise State University and worked as an Inbound Marketing Specialist at Tribute Media from 2014 to 2019. She's a Google Whiz and dog lover, now serving as a marketing director for a local veterinary clinic.
