Growing and Sculpting Your Link Portfolio

In the information economy, visibility is king. Few people find websites randomly; instead one of two routes leads them to a site.

The first is through search engine use, which accounts for a significant percentage of web traffic, but one of which tends to privilege existing, successful sites. The second is through links on other pages. Building an audience by exchanging links with another related website is a time-tested way to increase your page views while also forming valuable business relationships. When done correctly, link sharing is a win-win solution to the problem of web visibility.

When done improperly, however, link building can undercut your website's credibility and cause doubts about your content's integrity. Modern web consumers are far more savvy about how the internet operates, and they're constantly on the lookout for scams and bad faith actors. They are so wary, in fact, that they may mistake simple marketing techniques for attempts to cause them harm. This situation makes tasks such as gathering customer information to build a database of leads harder.

How can a website avoid creating a bad impression on visitors? Maintaining good link discipline is a first step. Your links are like your friends; the impressions they create will bleed over into how others see you. Keeping track of the reputations of your links and curating them when needed will help you immensely as you climb the SEO ranks and move up on Google. Delve into the following infographic and learn ways to use link building to turbocharge your online visibility endeavors.