Long before sophisticated Internet marketing tools like banner ads, interstitials, affiliate programs, sponsorships, and the like there was the HYPERLINK. Unlike its complex counterparts, however, links are here to stay, and what we’re going to help you learn this week is how to successfully get your site linked to another.

Begin by defining your target audience. Ask yourself, “What pages would my audience be seeking in a search, or what pages might they frequently visit?” If your web site deals with scuba diving, then do a search for “‘scuba diving’+ links” in your major search engines (AltaVista, Yahoo, Infoseek, Excite). Then go to these sites to determine if they have a links page. If they do, either submit your link (some sites allow for on-site submittals) or email the webmaster. Point of note: follow the rest of the links on the page too-that way you can cover more ground than just the search engine results.

Emailing the webmaster, requires both finesse and patience. While some webmasters might be overwhelmed with joy that someone has visited their page and likes it enough to request a link, others might need a little more persuasion. Compose your email to be brief and cordial — a little flattery never hurts. Be direct in your subject (“Link Request on your Scuba Site”), and if the name of the webmaster is on their site, address them by that name.

Give the webmaster a few good reasons why s/he should link to your site (“a perfect resource tool for your visitors”) and perhaps even a “what’s in it for me.” That may mean giving them a reciprocal link on your site, a referral fee for new customers generated by their leads (affiliate programs are formal versions of this), or providing them with some free content for their site. If having a reciprocal link to their site is not worth it, simply do not mention it, and just end your e-mail with “Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if the link is posted.” We’ve had up to 50% success rate with requesting links of webmasters, but those numbers may vary depending on your skill and effort - in general, expect a 10-20% positive response rate.

Some webmasters may provide the link but not write back. Therefore, it is good practice to revisit the page after a week or to and try to resubmit if they have not linked to you. Once you’ve submitted your requests, the next step is to find out how many people do link to your page. This can be done on two major search engines: Alta Vista and Infoseek (Go.com). In the search box, type in “link:http://(insert your URL here)”. You can also use this technique to find out where other sites like yours are linked! These engines keep track of and index the links between sites, but wait a month or so after completing all of your link submittals because it may take a while for these search engines to index them. And remember, the more valuable of a resource your site, the more likely a webmaster may choose to link to it without you even needing to request it.

Site linking doesn’t build a flood of traffic for you overnight, but doing it regularly will develop a steady flow of traffic over time. Be patient and persistent. Linking will pay off!

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