Have you surfed web and located sites that you would like to provide a link to you? Spend some time contacting them: worst they can do is say "No" to your request.

As more sites give you links you will find that more visitors get to you this way, especially if what your site deals with is specialized . Creating links is a way of finding your "target" audience. And of course, Google will rank you higher, and hopefully not as a demon.

At artsiteguide, which is off to a good start without Yahoo!, a single free link from a major art site sends me one-third of my traffic. How do I track this? I would recommend that you get Stattrack (http://www.stattrack.com). This device will tell you which of your links is bringing in traffic. You will be suprised as you build up links to find that they may out-do search engines by quite a margin.

Finally, one more idea. Create an award that you can give to one or more of websites that you would like to link to your page. I have an award called "editor's choice" with a small but handsome banner. When I have given this to other sites (with real selectivity) they will often fly banner with a link back to artsiteguide. That amounts to a free banner ad, possibly from a site that may not have linked to you before.

In future of crowded internet, link relationships are of increasing importance and apearance of search engines like Google and Clever may underscore this development.

7. Wear an unrelated hat. You could wear a cowboy hat, a bowl on your head, straw hat, a sports helmet, a rain hat, etc.

8. Paint your face. You could paint your own ideal character or paint a typical character like a clown, animal, plant, etc.

9. Wear a mask. You could buy one or make one out of a paper bag. Just cut nose, mouth and eyes out. You could also add other facial features.

10. Use an uncommon background. You could use an outside background, a funny wallpaper, a prop to look like you have a cartoon body, etc.