4. If these top sites have discussion boards or forums then participate. Post questions, answer other peoples questions, and join in on conversations. Just make sure that you include your signature file and link at end of your messages.

5. Ask owner of web site about trading advertising. If you don't get as much traffic as they do, you could throw in some extra incentives or put their ad on more of your web pages.

6. Give web site a testimonial for their product or service. Include a text link for your web site within testimonial. They just might include it in their ad copy.

7. Post your text link on their free-for-all links page, if they have one. You may want to go back and post your link regularly so it stays towards top.

8. If they have a free classified ad section then post your ads there. Make sure that you have a killer headline so their visitors will click on your ad.

9. If they have a guest book, sign it. Leave a short but sincere compliment about their web site. Be sure to include your signature file and link at end of your message.

10. Propose a cross promotion deal with web site. You could promote each others products or services in a package deal. You get your site mentioned and links back to your web site.

I consistently hear from companies who are puzzled as to why their expensive, cutting-edge website is perpetually outranked by a site of perceived inferior quality – “our website is better than theirs” or “we are a much bigger company” are common remarks. Beauty is, as always, in eye of beholder. The sites that consistently rank highly are almost always using optimization methods that offer something of value to people who entered search query. Search engines care as much about size of a company or how much it spent on its website about as much as they care about what you had for breakfast this morning (I had blueberry muffins, but Google hasn’t called to ask).

The advantages to “partnership” search engine optimization strategy are numerous. Rather than chase ever-changing technical attributes that can get you short-term results, you instead use optimization methods that leverage your company’s knowledge of your industry to create something useful for searcher. You can improve your website and offer information and products that prospects are seeking, even if those prospects are in earliest stages of buying cycle. In general, you will not have to watch your rankings swing wildly based upon new spam filters and algorithm shifts, and thus will enjoy a higher level of predictability when it comes to your website (although with search engines, there are never any guarantees). Since you aren’t constantly forced to re-address your site’s search engine optimization methods, you’ll have more time to focus on other online marketing areas that need attention, such as website’s conversion rate, an e-newsletter, or online PR.

Conclusion

It’s a fact that websites rise and fall in rankings all time. The only real constant is that sites of TRUE value, ones that offer something relevant and important to searcher, are generally always near top – even after latest algorithm shift has sent “adversarial” crowd into a frenzy of activity as they attempt to reformulate their search engine optimization strategy.

While it may take a little extra effort, I like to think of relationship with search engines as a “partnership” in a real sense. We use optimization methods that apply attributes search engines have deemed to be valuable to a website, which improves both website and website’s search engine rankings. The search engines, in turn, send highly-targeted visitors who have shown an interest in your industry, products, or services. Sure, it may seem that we get more out of deal, but engines don’t complain. They haven’t even acknowledged our partnership.