Stay a Front-Runner in the Online Popularity Contest

As search engines and internet users get smarter, online popularity is harder to achieve. Higher quality links and content are required to gain respect, and sites must change frequently to keep up their status. Search engines rate your website’s Link Popularity, which measures the quality and quantity of sites linked to yours. Discover your popularity rating by visiting www.linkpopularity.com.

There are a number of ways to boost your popularity on the web. A new pair of shades won't do it, but following these steps will. Just like in high school, it's all about keeping up.

1. Get listed in an open directory like DMOZ and Yahoo. You will find your profile increase immediately. Submitting to DMOZ is free, and Yahoo is $299 a year. Look through their directories and find your appropriate category and contact information for the corresponding editor. DMOZ continues to be slow to add new sites, so woo them with presents and be patient.
2. Be the Word on the Street. Use keywords in your inbound link text. Linking Anchor Text is a phrase used as inbound link to your site from other sites. You should use your site name if possible, and include highly relevant keywords when appropriate.
3. Work the Press. Submit press releases and original articles for publication in online forums. Both original articles and press releases help keep you current and on the search engine radar, increasing your popularity. Articles will inform people about topics related to your industry or business, and help readers understand why they need you. They also help establish you as an authority in your field. Press releases are a great way of keeping the public informed about your business, from personnel changes to upgrades of products or services. Blogs are another great way to stay current and connected with the public, if your blogs are relevant and high quality. Tip: Include links to you site in your blog when appropriate, and lead more people to you website!
4. Study the links. Spend some time learning who links to your competitors' sites. Visit www.yourcompetitor.com for Google links, and www.your_competitor.com for Yahoo links. Then you can seek out those sites that link to your competitor and persuade them to link to your website instead.
5. Develop a Network. Create an Affiliate Program. If you are careful to set up an established, commission-paying program, quality inbound links to your site will be generated quickly. Your online popularity will also rise. Visit: www.CommissionJunction.com or www.LinkShare.com to get started.
6. Be Easy to Find. Deep Link your site. Links to your website should link to all pages of the site, not just your homepage. More people will visit you site, and it will be easier for them to find what they need. Deep links will also expand your overall online link profile, as well as generate Google Page Rank values for each page on your site.
7. Sign Autographs. Begin visiting forums on your site topic and sign in the first time. Post relevant, quality messages on these forums or participate in forum threads when possible. Be sure to include your site in your signature when appropriate. Because signature files get indexed by search engines, your popularity rating will increase with your participation.
8. Use your Charm. Remember the P's & Q's your mother taught you. Contact reciprocal links by phone not email. Follow-up your request calls with a polite email re-introducing yourself. Include additional information that shows how linking with your site will benefit them. Offer to link to their site, then request a link back to your website.
9. Be Selective. Only link up with the highest quality associates. Stay off Link Farms and Link Exchanges. Any company offering lots of inbound links to you site quickly should be avoided. The links they can offer are low quality, irrelevant links that will bring your popularity rating down. In some cases you could even be banned from search engines for using such links.
10. Use Accessories. Make use of the Google Toolbar, which is easy to download. With the toolbar you can view all potential link partners by their Page Rank score, and keep tabs on your own score. Using this information, you can seek out the high quality partners that compliment your business and court them to boost your popularity rating. Remember, be choosy-- don't consider linking with anyone who has less than an overall score of 6!

It’s not as easy as it used to be, but you are more on top of things than you’ve ever been. With these simple steps, you can build your popularity online and watch your business grow. Being popular was never so important. Now you’re more ready than ever to lead.

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