Effective Link Building
In the air conditioning and heating industry, earning the trust of potential customers is one of the most important steps to building a thriving business. As you know, having referrals from previous satisfied customers is one of the best ways to demonstrate that a business is trusted by the people who patronize it. If lots of people recommend a heating and air conditioning firm to their family or friends, potential customers will assume it is a trustworthy, professional place of business. On the other hand, if no one sends additional business to a company, it sends the message that the firm probably doesn’t offer much to its customers.
Links: Digital “Buzz”
The links between websites are a lot like the “word of mouth” that spreads about a business among the local community. Having a lot of links pointing to your site from a variety of different sites is like having lots of different people recommending your business to their neighbors. It shows that you consistently provide the best quality of service and that you have a wide experience that includes many satisfied customers. By contrast, having only a few links to your website – or having many links all from only a couple of sites – sends a completely different message. Much like a contractor whose only positive reviews come from family and close friends, a website with few backlinks or links to only a small number of other websites suggests that few people trust or patronize your business.
Keep it Natural
While you want to maximize the number of links to your site, links must build naturally over time to ensure their ability to raise the ranking of your site in the query results of search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Search engines will penalize websites whose inbound links are not varied or which are all created in a very short period of time, so how you build your portfolio is as important as the links themselves. A couple of simple steps can help keep your link portfolio “natural” and prevent your site from being penalized for the way you optimize it.
Looking Inside and Out
The links that will be most helpful will be ones from sites in your industry, since they are the places potential customers will be most likely to search for information related to your business. However, no industry stands alone; most interact in some way with a host of related industries. For example, your business might find potential customers among individuals looking for information about insulation or energy-efficient appliances. Seeking out opportunities to link to related businesses or industries can strengthen your online search profile.
You Don’t Have to Go Home
Although your homepage is the place you want most of your customers to see first, it is a good idea to point some of your backlinks to other pages on your site. However, if your site has several specialized pages, it often is quicker and more efficient for a link to point directly to the page that contains the most relevant content. For instance, if your business sells heat pumps and you post an article discussing heat pumps, link the article to the page on your site that features information about your heat pumps. If you aren’t sure whether a link should point to your home page or another page, a simple rule of thumb is to point to the page that is the most relevant. When in doubt, point the link to your homepage.
Axiom Internet Marketing can work with you to build a strong and diverse link portfolio that will develop naturally and promote your website in search engine rankings. Our team not only includes the best IT professionals, but also specialists who know the air conditioning and heating industry. Let us show you how we can build you a link portfolio that reflects the excellence and trustworthiness that your customers expect.
