backlinks

How to get listed in Google

It is quite amazing how often this question comes up.. So, to address a very very common question here is the simple answer…

Get some backlinks! Even one link is enough for Google to find your site and begin indexing, don’t hold your breath though, Google will take weeks to index and list your site.

You can get some very easy backlinks for free by doing some Directory Submissions, allow 5 minutes of your time for each submission. Remember, you only need to do this once so grab a coffee and get started.

Here’s a handy tip, want to give Google a nudge?

Submit your site directly to Google here:

For Google UK: http://www.google.co.uk/addurl

For Google.com: http://www.google.com/addurl

Check to see if your site is indexed by Google by doing a search as such:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=site:mydomain.co.uk

Obviously replace “mydomain.co.uk” with your domain name! If the result says “Your search did not match any documents” then your site is not yet indexed. When your site is indexed, you will see which pages – and how they look in Google search results.

All backlinks are not equal…

Ok, so  your on-page optimisation is complete, you’ve done your best. But, you are not on page #1 of Google. Why? Backlinks, that’s why. Are you ready to begin your off-page optimisation campaign?

The prime component of off-page optimisation is backlinks, these are links to your site from another website. Almost all of your efforts will be spent on building and managing your backlink catalogue. Why are backlinks important? Well, try reviewing the quantity of backlinks associated with the top ranking sites – you will find they are numerous. But, that’s not all…

Backlinks have different values, which equates to – some backlinks being better than others. And now to the point of this article, which backlinks should you be concentrating on – and which to avoid.

Link types to seek

  1. One way links – no link swapping!
  2. Links with relevant “Keywords” in the Anchor Text
  3. Links from industry-relevant pages
  4. Links from industry specific article pages
  5. Link to your site should not be through a “redirect” script

Link types to avoid

  1. JavaScript links
  2. Links from “framed” pages
  3. “flash” embedded links
  4. Paid or time-bound links
  5. Email spam used to solicit links.
  6. Links from Link Farms
  7. Links from FFA (Free-For-All) link networks
  8. Links from sites containing offensive content
  9. “no follow” links
  10. Links from pages with more than 80 outgoing links

To summarise…

The preceding link types to include – and avoid – will ensure your backlink campaign will be effective to the maximum, and wasteful to the minimum.

Future articles will concentrate on each link type, why you should include (or exclude) this in your link strategy and how to effectively campaign for the right types of links to maximise you site ranking.