Finding sites to exchange links with can be a very time consuming process; however, by following the method outlined below you can easily get dozens of sites linking to you for every hour of work that you put into it.

Why should you devote all this time to getting links? Because links are the single most reliable source of traffic that you can obtain. Links also result in high link popularity, which in turn leads to higher search engine rankings. Let's get started, shall we?

1. Go to http://www.2bpop.com and download the software.

2. Go to http://www.ferretsoft.com and download the software.

3. Install both programs. Done? Let the real work begin!

4. Launch WebFerret, and type in link - http://majorcompetitor.com, http://majorcompetitor.com being the URL of a very popular competitor. Make sure that "eliminate duplicates" is checked under the options menu. Run the search, and save the results by selecting File > Save Search Results. Be sure to save the results in HTML format.

5. Open the 2Bpop program that you downloaded and installed earlier. Drag the HTML file that you just saved into the right pane of the program, and select "Grab Links". You'll see a complete list of URLs appear in the left hand panel of the program.

6. Click on the first link in the left hand pane. This will load it into the browser window of 2Bpop. If 2Bpop finds an email address on the page, you will be able to quickly send an email to it by pressing the "SEND" button located in the 2Bpop interface. Be sure to read through the documentation that comes with the program to learn how to use the templates and merge features. This will allow you to send customized emails to each site. If 2Bpop doesn't find an email address on the page, look for a "Contact" or "Email us" link on the page which will, in most cases, link to a page with an email address.

7. BEFORE hitting the "SEND" button and firing off an email, look through the site to make sure that it is truly related to what your website is about, and the page that you are on right now (where your competitor has a link) is suitable for a link to your site.

8. Although not necessary, consider linking to sites before asking them for a reciprocal link. Although this can be time consuming, it may be worthwhile in many cases as ratio between the number of emails sent and the number of links received will be greater. Experiment to find out if it's worth your time.

9. Experiment with different templates to see which ones yield the best results. Also consider offering the sites that link to you a freebie, say something like, "If you link to yourURL.com, I will provide you with a free copy of my report about BLAH BLAH BLAH".

10. If you don't have a lot of time to devote to getting link partners, and you just want the cream of the crop, using 2Bpop go to http://www.dmoz.org and navigate your way down to categories related to your site and select "Grab Links". This will result in a smaller, more targeted list of potential link partners.

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Matt Mickiewicz
http://www.webmaster-resources.com