It’s true that making sure  you have incoming links to your home page is very important.  However, what about linking to those other pages on your site (also known as deep links)?  Many times ignored (never the popular sister, for sure) deep links can really help get your site ranked in the search engines.

So, what’s the best way to get deep links?  It’s all in the details.  Here’s a short checklist to go through when you’re thinking about building deep links to your site.

1. Figure out the best pages on your website.  What are the pages that are really specific to your business?  Maybe they are geo-targeted pages (pages that contain content about a certain area), or maybe it is the page with your most popular product.  Don’t be shy — pick a big group of pages if you wish.

2. Once you have picked the pages, spread the word!  There are many ways to create deep links yourself.  (Some of these methods don’t carry “link juice,” but they will direct visitors to the site, which is great!) Get on your Facebook and Twitter and link to some of these pages.  Look for related blogs and use one of the pages as your “website” in your profile when you comment on the blog.

3. Work on getting text-based deep links from related sites.  Now, the hard part.  You need to get some text links to these internal pages.  How do you do that?  The simple answer is you look around the internet for a related, well-ranked site or blog.  Contact the editor, webmaster/owner and ask if you can write a blog post or provide content.  If he/she says yes, you’re in!  Be sure to place a deep link to your site within the post.

Of course, link building isn’t always so easy.  Sometimes, it just takes some patience and a lot of time.  Got questions?  Ask us!  We’re always ready for a deep, deep link conversation.

On September 23 from 6-8 pm, Angie will be teaching Website 101 at PACE LA Business Development Center.   This class will cover the basics of websites for small businesses.  You’ll learn why you need a website, how to pick a domain, how to plan your site, creating the design of the site, managing the site and more.   

On September 30 from 6-8 pm, Angie will be teaching Website 102 at PACE.   If your business already has a website and you’re ready to move to the next level of Internet presence, this is the class for you.  In this class you’ll learn the basics of SEO, how to find key terms, how to implement some SEO strategies yourself, the importance of inbound links, landing page basics and tracking your marketing efforts.    

On October 14 from 6-8, Angie will teach the third class in the series, Website 103, at PACE.  This class will cover the basics of social media strategies, including deciding which social media sites are best for you, how to start a successful social media campaign, and knowing when to turn your campaign over to a professional. 

All classes will be held at 1055 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 900B, Los Angeles, CA 90017.  They will be held from 6-8 pm each night.  Please click on the links above to enroll.  Most importantly, the price is right — all classes are free!   We’d be so lucky to meet you.  Please, come join us!

So, how much should you invest in your website?  I’m afraid the answer is that dreaded response:  it depends.  If you have a retail business, you will need to invest more money in building your site.  You have to make sure that your shopping cart is effective and safe.  Also, you’ll  undoubtedly be changing inventory on the site constantly.  If you have a service site (such as this one), you can get away with a smaller financial investment. 

Once you have a site built to your liking, you’ll need to invest some capital to make sure that it’s visible to folks who need to see what you have to say.  It may be time to hire an Internet marketer, an SEO specialist or a PPC manager.  These individuals are professionals who can help get creative with your site, help your site make it to the top of search engines, and help advertise your site to those who are searching for your products/services.

If you already have a website, it’s time to spend some time figuring out how effective your site is and how you can make it work even more efficiently.  Hire an expert to review your site and make suggestions.  I won’t promise that it will be cheap, but it may be even more expensive to overlook a detail on your website.  Even one error could decrease sales on your site dramatically. 

When it comes to your website, spend the time and money to built the site correctly.  Hire professionals to help guide you in this process.   Your efforts (and the professional’s efforts) will pay off in the long run.   Take a look at your website and contact us with questions.  We’d be lucky to help!