Search engines, such as Google, view links as an endorsement. They assign greater importance to websites that have lots of other websites linking to them. This in turn, leads to sites with more links appearing higher in search results.

Getting Started

1. Read these:
– External links overview
– Anchor text

2. Begin creating links: Links can go on just about any site (personal blogs, social media accounts, etc.), but some sites have higher “domain authority.” For example, Pinterest has one of the highest ratings possible, so any image posted on Pinterest that links to borgenproject.org is a great link. Google also loves to see sites ending in .edu or .gov linking to a site. If you know of any college or government sites, these could be good places to start.

Finding Places to Post Links

1. Check yourself. If you have a blog, website or social media account, posting links on those is a great place to start.

2. Ask around. Ask friends, family and co-workers if they’ve got websites, social media profiles, etc. and would be willing to create a link.

3. Create profiles on sites. There are hundreds of social media sites and thousands of more sites that allow you to add profile information about yourself. These sites typically give you a place to add your website and/or the ability to post links.

4. Comment on articles. Many major news sites and blogs allow people to comment. If the site allows you to include your website or a link in your comment, do so. If leaving a comment, make sure you’ve read the article and your comment has value and will be appreciated by the author/website. Aka don’t spam.

Many websites, have a “website” section that allows you to include a link when posting (example below). Others will allow you to include a link in your comment. If the site doesn’t allow either, than go on to the next site.