Backlinks are just one way search engines know how important a page is when determining page rank. Links from quality sites increase your search engine rank, which means increased organic traffic. Backlinks do not have to come from external sites to affect your rank; links within your site or blog to other pages can also increase your rank.
You do not have to create new content to add backlinks within your site. Expand upon old content with follow-ups to create a new post and include a backlink to older posts or pages.
Here are five ideas to get you started backlinking within your site:
1. Read your blog comments and look for controversial topics, especially those with a strong opposing opinion. When subject matter is controversial, some viewers will be especially heated in their arguments. Create a new post to address these comments, and be sure to let the original posters know you added a new post about the same topic. They may help bring traffic to your blog, and cross-linking the two posts will create valuable backlinks. This tactic isn’t recommended for those with thin skin or who have trouble with criticism, but it just may work to help you reach a new audience and gain a lot of traffic.
2. If you have some heated discussions on your blog, let other bloggers know about the discussion. Give them permission to republish part of your content with links to your site. It’s also a good idea for the third party to contact people from both sides of the debate for a full story. If another blogger does add such a post, create a post linking to the original post to increase backlinks.
3. During an interview or press conference, the journalist will ask a question, hear the answer and ask for a follow-up question. Each answer the interviewee gives will create more questions, and these follow-up questions and answers can be included on a new page. Cross-link both interviews to increase traffic and page rank.
4. For long interviews, break up content between several posts. This keeps relevant content together, and it gives you more pages for your site. Link each part of the interview to other parts to increase backlinks and increase traffic for all parts of the interview.
5. If you can, tie the interview questions and answers to current events. Then create a press release to announce that the interview is on your blog or site.
Mike S. is a blogger and SEO manager for a virtual private servers company in Los Angeles.
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