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How do you solicit links?
To solicit sites you have to use a lot of elbow grease. Send out personalized emails to these sites. Don't send out mass emails or spam. Be friendly, and point out
benefits of linking to your site. If you are lucky, maybe 1 in 3 emails will get a response. It is frustrating and discouraging, but keep your spirits up. Many times a site is perfect but they don't ever update it, so your site won't get link in because nothing ever changes on solicited site. Don't waste too much time on sites that haven't been updated in years. It is also important to follow up. Until you get a flat out denial, keep saying "Hi", and keep it personal. Keep track of who you have contacted and what you have written or said because you have to make it seem like they are only person you are contacting. As soon as they get a sniff that you are sending out a mass email, or that you are using exact same approach with other sites, you will probably lose their respect - and their business!
Do not forget to submit to directories such as Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org), because getting listed here counts for a lot in all big search engines. Take your time and choose right category to submit to. Also, read about how they want their descriptions and titles written, and write them that way. These are keys to getting into directories.
Soliciting links is a very time-consuming (and frustrating) venture, but it is essential to getting good rankings in search engines. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of time. Getting your first link is like getting your first sale. It is just as hard - and just as satisfying.
Good luck, Shawn Campbell
Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field.
