Running a successful website isn’t an easy process. There’s so much back work just leading up to starting a website, much less running a successful one.
Where to start? First, you need to secure a domain name. Then you need to figure out how you’re going to host it. Then once you have the logistics figured out comes the fun part. The part of actually piecing the website itself together. This can be done with the help of programs, but if you’re serious it will likely take a web designer and computer programmer.
All this work before you’ve so much as stitched together a single drop of content. And this is for just a normal site. E-commerce sites are much more brutal, due to the cutthroat nature of business and the technical needs of the site as a whole. And we haven’t even mentioned how you’re going to drive traffic to your site—perhaps the most difficult part.
The internet is so flooded with websites, blogs, videos, e-commerce, and really, just stuff. It’s a hard place to navigate. Directing people to your site is even harder, especially with every Tom Dick and Jane already waving for attention to their site.
So, how do you go about this? Well, odds are you’re going to need to get savvy on a little thing we call SEO. And then you’ll have to figure out what even most SEO’s struggle with: backlinks. How on Earth do you convince other well-established sites that it’s a good idea to link to your site?
Well, most people would tell you content, strong, compelling, relevant content will drive traffic to your blog. But creating such content isn’t easy, especially consistently.
Feeling overwhelmed is why a lot of you are turning to outsourcing solutions. And of course that brings to mind India, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc. etc.
But I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to go so far out. In fact, there’s plenty of reliable SEO and link builders working right here in America. And more companies than you think outsource their SEO link building to these companies.
Companies of all types—big, small, technical, small niche, broad category, wide audience, etc. etc.
There’s good reason for this. The struggle to stay on top in the search engine world is everlasting. And if you were to devote the time it takes to stay competitive, you wouldn’t have the time it takes to run your business.
So, you have to find a business you can trust. One who won’t burn you when the Google algorithm changes. One who not only stays within their Webmaster Guidelines, but adheres to strict best practices. One who believes in quality and relevance, and isn’t sucked in by short term gains.
Outsourcing your SEO link building is one of the best ways to maintain your quality of life as a website—especially if your website deals with ecommerce.
Research is important when choosing who to trust with your company’s reputation. And make no mistake; in the eyes of Google every link back to your website directly portrays who you are as a company. If you start fishing around getting shady links, Google might decide you’re shady yourself.
This isn’t to say that if a subpar website links to a piece of stellar content on your site Google will eye you suspiciously. Rather, Google is getting better at tracking websites set up specifically for the purpose of linking to other sites. These are known as link farms, black blogs, etc. etc. And although they’re now being phased out, there are still plenty of other shady methods of building links.
So don’t be tempted by cut corners—invest in outsourcing. Hire a reputable, transparent link building company who reports every link they get to you, as they get them. Hire a company you can reach by phone during normal business hours. Outsource to someone you can trust. Because outsourcing is actually in, and it doesn’t have to be that far out.
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://pageonepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/photo-11.jpg[/author_image] [author_info] Cory Collins is a head writer, web content developer and team leader at Boise’s Page One Power. Collins is passionate about SEO, link building, and other white hat practices, and writes about it for Page One Power’s Link Building News and countless online publications. Connect with Collins on Twitter or Google+.[/author_info] [/author]
About Cory Collins
Cory is a writer and beer enthusiast living in Boise, Idaho. He currently works as a Content Specialist for Page One Power, and doesn't always talk in the third person – but when he does, it’s great.
