Search Engine Optimisation Consulting, Training & Advice for Australian Businesses

This is the final part in a four part series looking at how business owners can use creative methods for obtaining backlinks to their web sites. Be sure to read the previous articles in this series: Part 1 – Introduction; Part 2 – Common Methods; and Part 3 – More Creative Methods.

Anchor Text

Whilst obtaining a backlink from another web site is what we are after, there is one more thing you can do to make the link even more valuable. It is called Anchor Text. Anchor Text is the combination of words that you click on to follow the link. Both the search engines and the people following the link will use this Anchor Text (and the words surrounding the Anchor Text) as a way of determining whether following the link will be of any value to them.

If you have control over the Anchor Text for your backlinks be sure to use words that are descriptive and informative. Don’t use ‘Click Here’. Use words that are descriptive and relate to the page that the link will take your visitors to. For example a good link might look something like;

XYZ Inc produces these great red widgets!

Avoid;

XYZ Inc produces these great red widgets! Click here to learn all about them.

Note that in the first example I used the words ‘red widgets’ as my Anchor Text and not the company name ‘XYZ Inc’. It is more likely that your potential customers will be searching for a product / service / information that you (and your competitors) offer rather than your company name (if they already know you chances are they will go straight to your web site).

Therefore, in order to fully exploit the backlink we want to use the product / service / information descriptor as our Anchor Text, not your company name. The backlink should take your visitor to your web page that highlights the benefits of red widgets.

However, if your goal is to improve your brand awareness (over product sales) then you may well decide to use your company name as the Anchor Text. In this instance you should use a backlink that points to your Homepage.

Series Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this series of articles, and that it has spurred on your creative juices. Obtaining backlinks can be hard work and time consuming for anyone trying to promote their web site. However, with a little bit of creativity you can generate some high value backlinks from some very authoritative web sites.

Let me know what creative methods you use to obtain high value backlinks.

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