Sometimes, it's who you know that gets you found

Building links from other relevant websites to yours is a great way to gain both site traffic and better search engine rankings. Some search engines use the number of sites that link to you as a value in determining your web page's popularity and relevance.

There are many different ways to get links. Of course, the best links are the ones that come naturally, where people link to your web pages because they have useful or valuable content.

Other ways to get links to your site include buying them outright or exchanging links with other site owners. Many web directories or websites sell outbound links that can help your link building efforts. Or you can approach another site owner and do a cross promotion with a link exchange.

Since you have no real control over who links to your site or page (except for links you might buy), search engines will never add a negative value to inbound links. Links from well respected sites, however, can pass along some of their value to your web page and increase its ranking.

It is best to solicit links from sites related to yours or from business partners you currently have. If you are an agent or broker, you probably already know or use: painting contractors, attorneys, landscapers, mortgage brokers, builders, etc. Because you already have a relationship with these people, obtaining an inbound or reciprocal link should be quite easy.

Do not overlook any professional organization you belong to: most Chambers of Commerce or Boards of Realtors have websites these days. Make sure your member listing includes a link back to your home page. If you have control over the anchor text, be sure to use a power keyword in your link.

You can find other good links by using search engines. Here are some words from an expert:

Here's the simple means to find those good links: Go to the major search engines. Search for your target keywords. Look at the pages that appear in the top results. Now visit those pages and ask the site owners if they will link to you. Not everyone will, especially sites that are extremely competitive with you. However, there will be non-competitive sites that will link to you - especially if you offer to link back. Why is this system good? By searching for your target keywords, you'll find the pages that the search engines themselves are telling you are good, as evidenced by the fact that they rank well. Hence, links from these pages are more important - and important for the terms you are interested in - than links from other pages. Danny Sullivan - Search Engine Watch.

Check the Open Directory for other websites in your city or county that may be a good fit for your site. You can start your search by clicking on the Regional link and drilling down into your county's or city's category.

When approaching other site owners for a link or link exchange, it is to your advantage to write a personal email. Do not rely on form letters or automated link exchange programs. A good method is to use any general contact form on the website; this will likely not be flagged as spam.

If you are proposing a link exchange, be sure to link to the other site before you send an email. Remember that search engines can penalize you for linking to worthless websites or sites that have a bad reputation, so you should visit the site and look around before proposing your exchange.

Be sure your links create value for your users. If you are selling condos in Miami, exchanging links with a potato farm in Idaho would not be to your advantage and would most likely not interest your potential clients.

If you are already a website owner, you probably already receive a lot of link exchange requests. Be aware that 98% of these are spam and that the sender has never actually visited your site. These are best discarded.

Real estate web directories also offer a quick way to get links. While many directories require a fee for an annual listing, there are other real estate directory sites that will list your site for free or with a link exchange. Use your judgement as to which ones will be useful to you.

A list of directories helpful for link building is located in the Search Engine and Directory Submission section.