Using Links to Our Advantage

As writers, we want the world to read our work. The wonderful creation of the internet has made that possible. Any writer with access to the internet can publish their articles. Getting the world to read our online articles is the issue. We need to ranked high on search engines. Getting on the first page of search engines, such as Google and Bing, isn't easy. However, it is possible to use links to help you get the first page ranking.

To clarify, a link is when you add the URL of another website to you work. This can be done in the body of your online article. By using "hyperlinks" that many online writing sites and blogs, you can copy/paste the URL of another website. An example of this would be the following: You will additional tips about using links here. Other times, you may have to type out the URL for the site you are linking.

These are just a few tips to help get your online articles to the world by using links to your advantage:

• Relevant Links - Make sure all of your links are relevant to the online article you are linking it to. If you wrote an online article about weight loss, you wouldn't link it to website about pets. You would link that online article to other websites and online articles about diets, healthy foods, exercise and such.

• Similar Links - Remember to link your articles to similar links. I am currently working on a humorous series for List My Five about rednecks. I am linking all of those "redneck lists" together, even though each list is on a different topic. This gives the reader to opportunity to read more about rednecks. And, to sweeten the process, the reader will be reading MY redneck online articles.

• Highly Ranked Websites Links - Do your best to link your online articles to highly ranked websites. You want to link to places that are on the first page of the major search engines. By doing this, you will help increase your own page ranking with those search engines.

• Traffic Boosting Links - Link your online articles to your own work as often as possible. This is extremely helpful. Not only are you boosting your page ranking to all of your online articles that are linked together, it can also help you create a fan base. Readers will see your style of writing in each of the linked online articles and, hopefully, fall in love with your work. They may start searching for other online articles you have written and read those as well.

One word of caution about using links: Be careful when linking your online work to other sites that have ads on them. You want to get as many ad clicks as possible without sending your readers somewhere else to click on the ads there. I do everything I can to avoid doing this. With only a few exceptions - writers I know personally and whose online work I really enjoy and writers who promote my online work. As a writer, I am just as competitive, if not more so, than other writers. Despite this, I know why I am now able to support my family with only ad/traffic revenue - help from others writers along the way. I return that favor as often as possible!

Using links correctly in your online writing will result in an increase in your page ranking. This is what all online writers want. As I've said before and will continue to say, "You can have the best online articles ever, but it means nothing if they are not read." You must do everything possible to increase your readership. Adding links will do this for you. It is quick, easy and painless. All you have to do is add the links and reap the rewards.