

	Audio Streaming Information

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Setting Up a Link Directory

When adding a link directory to a web site there are important mistakes to avoid, or else you'll be storing up big problems for later on. I know, because I made some of these mistakes and didn't have anyone to offer any advice or tell me what I'm about to tell you.

Don't create a directory page with all your links on one page. You should have no more than 30 - 40 links to a page. The reason is that some sites will not link to you if a page you put their link on has too many links, because it dilutes the value of the link to them. To understand why, you need to know about Google Page Rank and how it's passed to another site from your link page. That's a subject too lengthy for this topic.

Plan your link directory on paper first and decide what names you are going to give each category in your link directory. Make the names fit with the theme of your site and try to avoid adding categories which are nothing to do with what your site is about.

For example if your site is about Making Candles and Candle Accessories, don't have link categories for Computers & Games, or Search Engine Optimization etc. The reason is that if you want your site to achieve a good ranking with the search engines your site should be built tightly around your theme, in this example Candles.

Only link to web sites that relate to your site theme and have something to offer your visitors. This refers to item 2. If you don't have categories for unrelated topics, you'll be less tempted to link to them because you don't have a category to put them in.

Choose names for link categories that you want to use now and in the future, because you can't easily change them later on. Once the pages are created by your link manager software, it will use the category names you give it. So if you have a category called "Candle Power" it will create an html page called Candle-Power.html or something similar, using your category name. Once this page is found and indexed by the search engines, in time it will gain Page Rank.

If later, you change the category name to "Candle Lights" the link manager software will create a new page called Candle-Lights.html and you will lose the page rank you had gained for the earlier page. If your link partners linked to you because the page you put them on had a good page rank, renaming the page will cause this page rank to fall to zero. As a result your link partners may drop the link they have back to you, which is not what you ever want to happen.

Avoid having sub-categories or sub sub-categories in your directory from your main category pages. The reason for this is again to do with how search engines will rank your directory pages. If your directory pages are more than two levels or two clicks away from your main index or home page they will either not be indexed by some search engines, or if they are indexed they will achieve a lower ranking. Some web sites will not link to you if the page you are to put the link on is more than 2 clicks away from your home page because these webmasters know what I've just told you.

Ensure each page of your link directory has a link back to your home page.
Once again the reason for this is to do with how search engines will rank your directory pages, so make sure these links are in place.

Don't be obsessed at linking only to web sites that have a good ranking with the search engines. Look first at whether the site has anything to offer your visitors. If it has poor or unrelated content don't link to it. If it has good related content that compliments your own content but has zero or low page rank, consider linking to it. Later on you may be glad you provided a link, when it's page rank improves.

Don't use link directory software that doesn't automatically check links to your web site are still present on the other sites. Doing link checking manually can be tedious and you have to remember to do it. Software that you can set a schedule to check links and automatically send out emails to webmasters when links are not found will save you a lot of time. Link management software that will automatically suspend links and delete them if they are repeatedly not found is an added bonus.

Don't use standard templates that come with any link manager, link directory management software. You need to modify these templates to match the look and design of your own web site. This requires you know something about editing a web page using an HTML editor. Also don't use the standard email templates, personalize them in some way, even if it's only to add your name.

Don't assume you're finished once you've set up your link directory and done all the things I've said. You must test and retest every aspect to ensure everything is working properly, before visitors arrive.

This means making an add a link request, as if you were a visitor to your own web site. Setting up test links and making sure these links are being checked by the software so it detects when links are removed or defective. Making sure it sends out email notices correctly and check the formatting is correct when they are received. You should also check you can make backups of your link directory database and be able to restore it in the event of a problem.

Tony Simpson, Has been doing Web Site Design, Promotion and Optimization for 5 years. He provides advice, product reviews and products at Web Page Add Ons to Make Automation of Your Web Site Work for You.

MORE RESOURCES:
»
»
»
»

RELATED ARTICLES

If You Dont Like The Weather...Just Wait For 10 Minutes
This old saying which addresses the variability of the weather in Montana is also applicable to the market dynamics for an online business. If there is one thing that is certain about the future of online marketing, it is that it will continue to change.

5 Tips For Increased Website Traffic
There are lots of ways to get traffic to your website however most people are interested in getting the most traffic for the least amount of money, preferably for free.While it's difficult to get anything for free nowadays there are still a few good ways to help build your web traffic and still pay nothing.

Your Traffic Building Checklist: 15 Ways to Get More Visitors Who Are Ready to Buy (Part 2)
>When many of my clients first come to me for coaching, they share that one of their biggest challenges is getting enough visitors to their site. Attracting traffic isn't a cut and dry process - there isn't one perfect way to do it.

Web Traffic Wonder: Are You Using This Free List Building Tool?
Yes, if need more web traffic, this free list building tool could be a painless way to steadily build more prospects, more web traffic, and more income.If you are in business for the long haul and have the guts to persevere.

5 Illustrious Strategies To Explode Your Web Site Traffic
Are you spending hundreds of dollars on advertising campaigns, only to find out that you have earned a very small profit or none at all? Here are 5 illustrious strategies that will help you explode and create viral traffic to your web site.1.

Greetings! From the Island Outlaw:
I just had to get into the fray! I'm new to this cyberworld you see and I was surfing the web this morning in search of ways to drum up some traffic for my website. I came across a site called freeviral.

How to Keep Your Listings From Dropping Out of Sight
As a home business, one of the ways you probably drive traffic to your website is through search engine traffic. You probably also rely on Google ranking your website in the top of its search engine listings.

Generating More Traffic to Your Website
Are you looking for an effective way to generate more leads or traffic into your online business or affiliate programs? Now you can easily generate more leads and sales by using these techniques.The challenge of any online business is to generate leads which in turn will lead to sales.

What is One Thing a Home Business Entrepreneur Should be Constantly Working Towards?
We will begin this topic with one assumption, that our home business comprises selling through a website. Meaning we are website owners.

Web Coach Tip: 3 Proven Steps to Increase Traffic to Your Website
#1 Make sure your business card includes a persuasive "FREE Offer" inviting the recipient to visit your website. I used to think this idea was too "salesy.

Free Traffic Course - Day 4
This day 4 of "Free Traffic Course" is devoted to mailing lists, their power to increase targeted web site traffic, automate online advertising and give more sales from web site visitors.What is an email message in terms of communicating in Internet? Usually people say this is a specially coded message that can deliver information to the specified address(es).

Content for Coders
The one thing that any new Webmaster hears when searching for tips on how to improve their site is this: Content is King. And its true; good, high quality content is what gets other people interested in your site, and makes other webmasters link to you.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Website
Everyone wants to know the big secret to driving traffic to their website. Every day I see an article or an ad talking about driving people to your website.

Thinking of Buying Hits To Your Website? Think Again!
Online marketing is an area where you can find a LOT of hype. Make a quick search at Google for 'buy hits', 'ad blaster' or 'email blaster' and you'll have an idea how wide those big void promises of getting 'automatic' traffic to your website.

Turn Content Into Traffic
As the saying goes in the business world "The Customer is The King" I would like to say that in the internet world "Content is The King."While almost every website has an objective, to inform or to market products and services, there has got to be "Content" built into a website.

Unleash A Thundering, Non-Stop Traffic Stampede To Your Site -- Practically Overnight!
There is a new tool available that promise to do wonders for your traffic. It's called Traffic TurboCharger.

Link Exhanges - Gaining Link Popularity
Link Exchanges also known as "Reciprocal Links" are an arrangement made by two webmasters to agree to add each others link on their website. Most link exchanges are done through a text link, but they can also be done through banners.

Reciprocal Linking
Reciprocal linking is considered by many people the most effective way to increase traffic to your website. You often get hits from the web sites that you have exchanged your links with, and reciprocal linking also helps boost your search engine rankings.

Building A Business Without Advertising Your Product
Are you trying to sell your product online with little or no success? Are you spending lots of money advertising all over the web and getting very few sales? Well, maybe it's time you try something a little different. Try not selling your product! You read that right.

Understanding What Reciprocal Linking Means
If you have been marketing on the internet for any length of time you have surely heard that reciprocal linking is a great way to boost your google page rank as well as your search engine ranking. But what does reciprocal linking actually mean?Reciprocal linking is a joint venture of sorts between you and another website owner to exchange links on each others websites.

home | site map | Free Forum Host | Forums
This site is best viewed in firefox.Get firefox now from here.