The internet is a big place, and many of us make our way through this vast sea of information by clicking on relevant or interesting links. This way of ‘getting around’ the web is extremely useful when you don’t have specific site or category in mind that you could type into a search engine. A good link draws new visitors to a website and can be one of the most valuable SEO tools – but what makes it good?

 It’s all about relevance

With billions of web sites (and users) out there, your site needs to be linked to relevant sites and attract relevant visitors. The number of visitors browsing your site each month may not be as important as who those visitors are – targeting the right site visitor is crucial.
Keep them close to home

Often it’s useful to target visitors from your geographic location by using links from sites that are based in your country or region. Visitors from South Africa may be more interested in a local news or shopping site, and including this link will draw them to your site too.
Finding an audience

Sites that are included in online media directories often attract an audience well – even a small group of focused visitors may be better than a flood of random ones. Ensure that your site also has a good ‘about us’ section, which gives it credibility with new users.

Share information

Visitors to your site should also be given links to other websites that have something in common with yours. Blogs, news stories and how-to guides are always popular choices, provided they are not sites which are in competition with yours.
Keep the links clickable

Links that appear in small text at the bottom of your website won’t easily be clicked, and neither will links that sound boring or not useful. Make sure your links are visible and attract users by sounding useful and engaging. Special offers and informative sites are great choices.

Get your visitors to act

Voting in website surveys, commenting on blogs or entering their email addresses for e-newsletters or competitions are great ways for visitors to show their relevance. Encourage them to do so and you’ll be sure that your link has done its work in drawing relevant visitors.

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