Back Links - What Are They, Why Do I Need Them and How to Get Them?

Search engines use a number of criteria for ranking websites. No one can say exactly how the search engines weigh their criteria, since the search engines protect this information as a trade secret. But SEO experts are able to give us a reliable picture of what we need to do to get the highest visibility in Internet search engines.

The three keys to search engine ranking are content, keywords, and back links. Ultimately, a high ranking in search engines is the result of high traffic. How do you drive more traffic to your small business website? Content, keywords, and back links.

The content of your website must be chosen carefully and with plenty of research. A lot of websites look pretty with flash designs, detailed artwork and pictures. If you have a small business, then concentrate on that with your website. You are not trying to impress prospective clients with all of your fancy technology on your website. Use your website to find leads, entice customers, and make long lasting relationships.

Content, meaning the text and descriptions of your business and your services, should be chosen carefully. You can choose the right content by doing keyword research and using many keywords in your web pages filled with facts, portfolios of your work, and newsworthy information.

Don't try to trick them! A small business website with 50 pages of hot air won't fool the Internet community. Keyword-stuffing will only work temporarily. When visitors find nothing but fluff on a website, they won't go back and they won't create word of mouth in their own blogs and websites. When your traffic drops, the search engines find out in a hurry and the bottom falls out of your ranking.

What are backlinks? Back links are backward links. Basically they are links that point back to your website, blog, etc. They are somewhat like trail markers that you can leave, pointing passersby to take the path toward your homebase.

How are they created? Back links are created whenever someone has a link for your website on their website. The easiest way to make back links is by submitting your web content to article directories, websites, and blogs.

For instance, if you post an article on About.com, the smart thing to do is fill the article with links back to your website. Sometimes websites have restrictions on how many links you can have in your article, so a link to your website in your bio or signature is good as well. The search engines find this "back link" to your site on another web site, which tells them that your article is popular.

Successful backlinking is like a word of mouth popularity game. Whomever has the most links pointing to their site helps determine who gets the best ranking on the Search Engines. Also, a back link is better than a reciprocal link because if someone links to you, but you don't link back to them, it's like you're cooler than they are. Reciprocal linking is still a valuable tool to be utilized smartly, but back linking will bring you the most juice. The more back links you have, the more popular you are with search engines, and the higher you rank. Literally.

Article submission is widely recognized as one of the most effective strategies for optimizing search engine ranking. Creating plenty of back links with quality content is the single best strategy for driving traffic to your Small Business website and boosting your search engine ranking. In order to get more people to hit those links is to write articles and post newsworthy, keyword rich postings. Research which keywords people might search for to find your business, and use them in your articles. This will ensure that people who could be interested in your business' services will find you.

Always remember the first principle of search engine optimization: Rich content is the single most important determinant of search engine ranking. Write high-quality web content and blog posts, submit your content to article directories, and the search engine rankings will come.

Brett Miller, the founder of HoopJumper WebSystems, is the creator of Webepreneur, an easy-to-use website building program for small business owners and individual service professionals that makes it easy to get your website visible and popular engine-wide. If you're a Small Business Owner and you want to get back links, go to http://www.webepreneur.com/ or http://hoopjumper.com/ to see the other services offered.