This post is not going to give you a link building blueprint to make millions. The post is not going to share any earth shattering link building techniques. This post is not going to take you to the top of the search engines for the phrase “online poker”. The Post will help you learn the ins and outs of Link Building Timeline for Gaming sites.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way, what is this post going to do? This post will give you a timeline to assist you in doing some basic Link Building Timeline for Gaming sites. You will see webmasters around many forums that say some of these techniques do not have much value. While this may be true of each link source as a stand alone, I believe that when combined as a whole this link building plan will give you a basic foundation for your site.
Why Link Building Timeline for Gaming sites Take Eight Months Long?
You are not going to rank for anything worthwhile over night. As a matter of fact you probably aren’t going to rank very well after this eight month period. This timeline isn’t designed to dominate the SERPs. It is designed to give you a basic foundation. You will need to do additional work after the eight month period has finished. This is a slow process. I think that rapid link building does not work for long term success.
Month 1 – Submit to Directories
In month one I suggest submitting your site to some major directories. I believe that the top two web directories are the Yahoo Directory and Dmoz. Many poker webmasters complain about not getting listed in Yahoo or Dmoz. That is because your site likely isn’t good enough or unique enough to be listed.
I have also heard about webmasters having more success getting listed by submitting their sites prior to placing affiliate ads. We have not tried this myself, so I cannot personally say it works or it doesn’t. If you cannot get listed in Yahoo or Dmoz, try BOTW or GoGuides. While others may disagree, I believe those are cost efficient linking sources.
Months 2 and 3 – Social Media Branding
What, no conventional link building for two months? I think you are wasting your time by pounding links to a new site early on. Spend that time building a social media presence through Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. You can find some do’s and don’ts below.
- Don’t set up a Twitter feed to auto tweet all of your new articles. Seriously, if I want to read all of your articles I will read them on your website.
- Do actively engage in Twitter discussions. It is ok to drop your URL when it is relevant.
- Don’t just post all of your new articles to Facebook.
- Do be active on Facebook. Link to stories on other sites. Start a Facebook only contest.
- Don’t copy other videos and post them to your Youtube.
- Do create “how to guides” and post them on Youtube.
You can also participate in other forms of social media. Answer some questions on Yahoo answers. Don’t just post self promoting garbage, but rather insightful answers. It is ok to link to an article on your site in the source box. Don’t worry that is no followed. Try to get mentioned on Wikipedia, Ehow, or Wikihow.
Month 4 – Issue Two Press Releases
This one is pretty straightforward. Write two newsworthy press releases about your site. Be sure to use your domain name in the title of the press release, as I believe it helps for branding. Some press release sites are listed below. PrWeb used to be the best spot for this, but unfortunately they do not accept online poker or gambling press releases.
- 24-7pressrelease.com
- Prnewswire.com
- Marketwire.com
- Pr.com
- Onlineprnews.com
Month 5 – Post to Article Directories
Don’t article directories suck now? While it may be true that article directories have lost some of their luster, they can still be useful when used properly. Don’t spam article directories with spun gibberish. Do you really want your brand associated with an article that isn’t really readable? Do you really want to continue to contribute to polluting the web?
Post real content to the directories listed below. Good articles do get read, and good articles do bring in visitors to your site. You can use the resource box for your link. Try to use a mixture of anchor text links like US online poker, and links that are just your domain name.
- Ezine Articles
- GoArticles
- Associated Content
- Articlesbase
Month 6 – Forum Links, Guest Posts, Other Directories
When I mention forum links, I don’t mean to go and create new accounts at hundreds of forums. However you should take advantage of the forums that you actively contribute on. You can place a link in your profile, link to your site from a blog post on the forum, or link to it in a relevant thread.
You are providing the forum owner with value for posting, and more often than not they don’t mind that you link to yourself from time to time. Another good idea is to use forums for branding purposes. Create a user name like Brandon – AmericanPokerOnline.com or AmericanPokerOnline Brandon. Learn to become your brand. Some of the top forums for poker and gambling webmasters are PAL, GPWA, CAP, and Affiliate Guard Dog.
As far as guest posts go, stay on the lookout for opportunities in the forums. Webmasters will often post requests for guest blog posts. You can also reach out to affiliates who have not updated their blogs in a long time, and ask them if they are interested in publishing your content. A good place to look for this is Poker Affiliate Blogs.
Why did I mention directories again? Because the premium directories listed in Month 1 are not the only directories out there. Find some other general web directories and get listed, or better yet find some niche directories. If you have a football betting site, search for football directories. If you have a basketball betting site search for basketball directories.
Month 7 – Exchanges, News Posts, More Guest Blog Posts
It is healthy for your site to link out to other quality sites. Why not find other webmasters who are looking for places to link out to, and work something out? You can also link out freely without asking for anything in return. It might be amazed at what you ended up getting in return anyway.
There are quite a few poker and sports betting news related sites on the web, as well as casino news sites. Many of them link out to other sites on a frequent basis. Get to know these webmasters, and they will link out to you when you have a relevant article. Keep an eye on the forums for news post links as well.
Month 8 – Freelance Sites, Content for Links
So now your site has been online for at least eight months. You should probably be looking to make some upgrades to your site. This could be content, images, video, etc. Post to freelance sites requesting work for your site. Sometimes you can use your domain name in the work request which helps in building your brand. At times you can link to your site from within the request. Don’t post fictitious requests for the sake of link or brand building. But do take advantage when you need some work done.
There are a few different ways to go about exchanging content for links. You can write strategy content and start a thread on the forums offering to exchange it for a link. Also, you can write a betting preview of an upcoming event and offer it in exchange for a link. You can offer to have a page of content translated for a link.
You will also see threads on the forums where other webmasters are requesting content in an exchange for a link. It can work out to be a good deal for both parties. The other webmaster gets the content, and you get the link.
Conclusion
By following the eight month plan above you will have built a solid foundation for your website. You aren’t going to be dominating the rankings at this point, but you will have a more aged site with some aged links. Also, you can now explore other link building techniques to continue to rise in the rankings.
This is a guest post from Brandon at AmericanPokerOnline.com
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