This can involve a few technical terms and the meaning of these can sometimes be unclear and maybe cause confusion and misinformation.
Lets look at the terms you need to have some understanding of:
1. Reciprocal Linking - This is the simple exchange of links between websites. A site agrees to place a link on one of its pages in exchange for a link from your site. It can be text or a banner/graphic.
2. Themed linking- . This is sites similar in subject linking to each other. Also this can cover the internal linking of the pages in your site between each focused subject page - the use of plain html text linking between pages, is recommended. Make it simple for Google and major engines to find all your pages, without having to work too hard.
3. Page Rank-(PR) -This is Googles view of your site in a scale of 0-10. New domains take time to get PR and starts of at zero. The PR of a site that wants to exchange links with you needs to be considered.
4. One way linking -This is the formation of one way links (no suprize here!) using different methods that will be discussed in future articles.
5. 3 way linking -The art of appearing not to reciprocate links while exchanging links indirectly. Webmaster "A" -owns 2 sites (No.1 and No.2). He links to your site from No.1, and in turn asks you to link to site No. 2
6. A Link Farm - This is where your link is placed on many other sites, almost instantly. Normally a paid service, it is not in any theme and rarely results in any traffic. This is a misguided atempt to beat Google and the other major search engines. Not recommended!
7. Anchor Text- This is the html text displayed and used in the link to your site eg: "Click Here" -Normally a blue underlined link.
8. Site wide linking- This is where a webmaster agrees to place a link to your site on every page of his site - Sometimes can be a reciprocal arrangement.
9. Deep Linking - This is the linking to internal pages of a site, normally aimed at a specific keyword and the page is normally in the same theme: eg domain.com/Extra-Large-Cat-Clothes.htm
10. In Content Linking- This is using articles with specific subjects and linking from in those articles in the content, to your site or, in the form of a resource box at the end of the article. Can be a good form of one way linking.
11. Paid Text links -This is purchasing links on other sites for the sole purpose of influencing search engine ranking. Google has come out to disapprove of this and is encouraging webmasters to report any sites doing this.
12. Link exchange directory- A directory of web sites set up that all want to exchange links
13. Social Network Linking -This is links from media like myspace or social bookmaking sites like reddit or stumbleupon.com.com. A large network of themed bookmarking sites have evolved in 2007
There are many effective linking strategies, for effective marketing online at the same time the development of goals with an overall plan to be discussed in future articles.
