Anyway, you can take advantage of this traffic provided you do things properly.  If you don’t you risk getting your membership banned, since blatant advertising usually isn’t allowed on these types of sites.  Of course, there are ways of getting around that.  I’ll talk more about this your next series of lessons.

Until then, go on Google and look for message boards that match your niche.  If you find something interesting, sign up and become a member.  After that start participating in the discussions so you can be seen as a reputable member.  This will be important once you do start using the message board for advertising purposes.

Anyway, to add your site to a directory, all you have to do is send them your URL. If the webmasters think your site is relevant, they will add it to their directory. It may take a while before the process is complete, but once you see the amount of traffic you’ll be getting, it will be well worth the wait.

So, what’s the ultimate secret behind getting the most out of online classified ads?  The answer is simple: offering an incentive to visitors.  This incentive can be anything, though for right now let’s focus on something that you can easily get: online classified ads of your own. 

That’s right.  Thanks to Adsomatic, you can operate your own set of online classified ads.  Best of all, you don’t have to do a thing to run your site, as Adsomatic takes care of that for you.  The only thing you need to do is advertise that you have classified ads available.  People WILL take notice, because you are giving away something they are obviously interested in.  How can you assume this?  Simple… they are already visiting an online classified ad.  Some are even paying money to post an ad.  So, of course they would be interested in your offer. 

However, don’t think that online classified ads will take care of all of your work.  You will still need to make sure you do appropriate keyword research.  If you don’t, you won’t be able to rank as high, since online classified ads can’t completely eliminate your competition. 

In your next lesson, you will learn specific strategies for making the most out of online classified ads. 

But article marketing doesn’t end there. Once you have created your content, you must post it in article marketing directories. Some of the best article marketing directories include Ezine Articles, Go Articles and Article City.

However, be aware that with most article marketing directories, you can’t advertise your URL in your content. Instead, you must post it in a resource box. This is an area located at the end of your article that gives background information about yourself and your website.

If you write your content well, you will get marketed by both search engines and webmasters. Why webmasters? The answer to this question lies in the general setup of an article marketing directory. Basically, they give away content to help drive interest to their site. Webmasters take advantage of this opportunity because it fuels their sites with content. The only stipulation is that they have to advertise the authors’ resource boxes.

So, basically, if your article is interesting, webmasters will put it on their websites giving you an additional source of traffic.

Of course, don’t think that reciprocal linking is going to be easy.  Chances are if a webmaster doesn’t advertise your links on their own, you will probably have to pay for advertising space.  And even then webmasters may not be open to the idea.  And the ones that are will charge you an arm and a leg… at least if they have a decent traffic flow.

But don’t fret.  In your next set of lessons I will teach you how you can initiate reciprocal linking without spending any money.  So, stay tuned!

With banner exchanges, instead of displaying other people’s URLS, you would be advertising their banners. Additionally, you would probably be advertising more than one person’s banner. But don’t worry… with banner exchanges, advertising is done through one banner space. Advanced scripting is used to rotate ads within that space.

Now, when it comes to search engine optimization, some believe that a ‘true’ free link exchange is better. But don’t discount the power of banner exchanges, especially if you are swapping space with highly-trafficked websites. True, you may not get as much of a SEO boost, but you are still getting something that is invaluable… free website traffic.

That’s why you may want to consider another option… utilizing a free link exchange network. These are websites that designed to connect link exchangers directly with each other. This means that everyone who joins is already interested in participating in a free link exchange. They don’t need further convincing.

To contact members in a free link exchange network, you will need to send a message through the website. From there, the other member will get a chance to decide if they want to initiate the exchange. If they do, they will let you know. From that point forward, both parties must post each other links. If they don’t they breach the agreement.

If you need guidance as to which network you should use, consider looking into Link Market. They are the most established as they have thousands of webmasters readily interested in initiating a free link exchange.

Anyway, once you have found a worthwhile site, check to see if they are interested in link exchanging.  Usually webmasters will post their interests right on their site.  If you see anything pointing to a desire for a free link exchange, email the webmaster.  Let them know you would like to take them up on their offer.  And to further show you are serious, make sure you start the process by advertising their link first.

Of course, be aware that if you use this method for initiating a free link exchange, you could be accused of spam.  True, it’s not that likely, but the risk is prominent enough that it can’t be ignored.  So, if this worries you, look for your next lesson where I’ll explain how you can initiate free link exchanges without having to email anyone. 

Otherwise, you may want to take the ‘risk’ especially if the site gets a lot of traffic.  Besides, if the webmaster has already advertised their interest in a free link exchange, and they post their email address, how can they complain if someone sends them an inquiry?

Two options are available for link development: link exchanging and reciprocal linkage.  In a link exchange a webmaster advertises your link in exchange for you advertising theirs.  With reciprocal linkage, advertising is done one-way.  This means another webmaster will advertise your links without requiring you to do anything.  

So, if things are that simple, why are so many people still entering in “what is link development” on their search engines?  Well, some online marketers think link development must be something elaborate.  In fact, many SEO companies exploit this misconception by charging thousands for link-building services.  But really, you can do everything they’re doing without paying much money.  You’ll learn more in your next serious of lessons, so stay tuned!