Make the Connection: Using Links in your Internet Marketing Campaign

Author: April Hall

Content Writer

Have you ever been browsing through a website and noticed a hyperlink on a subject that looked interesting enough to click on? Then, on that next page, there’s another potentially informative link to yet another page, which leads you to a completely different area of that organization’s site… And on and on it goes until you cannot even remember where you started (which, coincidentally, is why they invented the “back” button on browsers, I think!). You don’t even realize it, but you are increasing that site’s page views and contributing to its internet marketing success. Using hyperlinks to explore websites is becoming second nature to internet users; and this type of marketing technique is becoming increasingly important for SEO companies, as well.

Be Careful with Hyperlinks!

Before you start adding hyperlinks to your internet web content, heed a few words of caution.

1. Too many hyperlinks can become overwhelming to your readers. You want them to actually read the content on your page; which is hard to do when every other word is hyperlinked. Choose a few items that could provide more information, and send your readers to another part of YOUR site (more on the importance of holding you readers captive in a moment).
2. Hyperlink more than just a single word. This is done for a couple of reasons: First, it gives them more information about where they are headed when they choose to follow the link, and Second, it just looks more professional.
3. Before you add a link to another website, contact that site’s administrator and ask for permission. Of course, more than likely you will get the okay, but that is just one small reason for contacting the administrator. You also would like to subtly ask if that site would like to provide a link to your own. An act of quid-pro-quo if you will. It is a win-win situation for both sites, so go ahead and ask.
4. Link to your sales sites whenever possible! If your website is providing an Ecommerce service, you want to send your visitors there whenever possible. Drive you sales! If you have linked some content about a particular product, send your readers to the page where they can order that product. It only makes sense to drive people over to your online store.
5. Be careful with linking to pages outside of your own website. You have the users on your site currently, so why be eager to send them somewhere else? Link to interesting articles, facts about your organization or product information-just keep them captive on your site!
6. Make sure your links provide readers with information not provided on the current page. If you are simply linking for the fun of using the application (or perhaps the novelty of seeing your words change to that pretty blue color) resist the temptation. Hyperlinking serves a real purpose in internet marketing and should not be overused.

As long as you keep the previously mentioned suggestions in mind, hyperlinking is a great way to augment your internet marketing strategies. It increases your page views and can greatly help improve your Ecommerce returns, as long as it is used intelligently and with a real purpose in mind. If it becomes too tedious, your readers may grow weary of seeing the links and may even come to see them as blatant examples of over-marketing. It’s reminiscent of enjoying the comments to your favorite celebrity blog, only to get frustrated at seeing a poster mention a great site for meeting singles. Annoying, isn’t it. On the other hand, a quick mention of where to look for the star’s newest movie trailer might actually be tempting. Notice the difference? So will your own readers.