Free Links to Promote your website?

[dal]

I've just built my website and trying to find where I can promote my website for free?
Surely there are places to link for free out there in the big UK. Anyone care to share any places on here?
My business is in the construction sector and would like to link to relevant construction sites as this would be more powerful SEO.:D

[DanHarrison]

You're already doing the right thing by looking for links from relevant websites. You can approach websites asking for links, but you'll do a lot of asking before you get many links.

I also suggest listing in local directories... e.g for your village/town. I live in Chandlers Ford in Hampshire, and they have a business directory like this: http://www.chandlersfordonline.com/business/bus_index.htm (although it costs a small fee to get in).

I've personally had a lot of success with guest blogging, which is where I write an article for free for someone else's blog. In return I get a couple of links back to my website. I've had so much success with this, that I set up a free matching service (http://www.blogsynergy.com) to make it easier for others to do. (Read more about the benefits of guest blogging (http://www.danharrison.co.uk/10-great-benefits-of-guest-blogging/))

I do know someone with a website about loft conversions who'd be keen to get articles in the building niche. Drop me a PM if you want their details.

Dan

[TheSlackers]

I've just built my website ** removed link drop** and trying to find where I can promote my website for free?

....You just did it ;)

[NICHOLASM1987]

well done on the site, it could do with some aesthetic alterations but it does what you need it to and you didnt waste a fortune on a web developer.

[iamlijo]

Well here are some methods

1. Directory submission

2. article submission to top article directories

3. Pauls and Angla's backlink package(not free but just around $12 per month for hundreds of baklinks . but takes time)

4. guest posting on famous blogs in your niche

The list goes on
etc...

[Mac Smith]

Apart from above promotion, you can promote your website in Twitter, Facebook. This will fetch huge number users, if done properly.

Just try it out

[fisicx]

Apart from above promotion, you can promote your website in Twitter, Facebook. This will fetch huge number users, if done properly.
It's not visitors that a site needs it's customers. In general visitors from social networking sites tend not to be converting customers.

[love2hire]

the site could do with an injection of colour, its looks a bit drab. Fair enough it does what its supposed to and tells you what you offer but its a tad boring!

[fisicx]

Basically you can't promote your site for free, there is always some cost in terms of time and effort if not financial.

Because you are a small fish in a very large construction pond you will struggle to get noticed. Your best option therefore is to pay for marketing. PPC is always profitable and you may find adverts on construction and buidling websites a good source of leads.

You can join forums and construction sites and offer free advice, you may well get some qualified traffic from your signature links. Writing articles about concrete might bring in some work but it all takes time - you would probably get more business cold calling in a day than you would spending 8 hours writing and submitting articles. This doesn't mean that online promotion doesn't work, it's just maybe not the best method for you.

If you were running an offline marketing campaign your would expect to pay so why do your think it is any different online?

[Mac Smith]

I guess you are 99.9% right but you have to leave the rest percentage for creating opportunity and getting users from those medias.

Btw its free resource, no price involved and you can create buzz of your website there.

How???

That will depend on you? So whats the harm in trying those resource and let people note it down your work and spread either word-of-mouth or any other ways.

You just need to spend a small piece of time in a day.

What do you say?

Thanks all
Mac

[fisicx]

The trouble is it's not just a small amount of time each day. Creating a good quality article that will generate interest can take hours and it's no good stopping at one, you have to produce hundreds to have any real impact.

And I really can't see a buzz building about a concrete company, their potential clients aren't going to be twitterers or facebook fans, it's going to be construction companies using business directorties, searches, business contacts and referrals.

[jane p]

Well im really excited about this. An achievement for us but i dont want to say too much until it goes live.

We have been told we have been shortlisted in a competition to win the best small business. We are one of 6 in the country that were chosen. Just waiting to hear final details.

Hopefully when its on a well known website we will get lots of views and it will be fab publicity for us as well. Seems like it may be on our local radio station etc anyway.

who knows people might want to even advertise on our site.:cool::eek:

Will post when there is more to tell.

[1weekSEO]

I handle all web promotions and social media communications as part of my daily role.

Twitter is easy with Tweetdeck, Facebook only requires updates once / twice a month otherwise people stop your newsfeed. Blogs I update weekly, perhaps bi weekly if there is breaking news. StumbleUpon, Digg, Delicious all have toolbars to download which adds recommendations instantly. Press releases and article submission take up one afternoon a week, again, more if there is something relevant to shout about.

The other responsiblities I have are daily GA reporting, HTML code checking, Adwords, plus web content and eshot composition, directory submission, finding new ways to backlink, and also keep on top of Google news and SEO forums.

Apart from Adwords, all of the above are at no cost.

The website I am currently working on hit page 1 of Google SERPs after 2 weeks of being launched via these free promotion services.

[dan_1985]

www(dot)dmoz(dot)org is the best directory site.

www(dot)bigguide(dot)co(dot)uk is another good directory site as well.

[catka]

Press Releases are generally a great way to get backlinks to your site. Just Google "Free Press Release Submission Sites".

Cheers

[dal]

Thanks Dan, I may take you up on your buddy's link on loft conversions. I'm just waiting to see how long my friends website is going to take (He does lofts too).
I'm making changes to my site everyday, there will be a lovely fancy graphic ruler marking going on the side and I'm constantly changing the design so please don't judge it's aesthetics too much yet.
I'm not interested in paying for marketing as I know too many people that have hired marketing 'experts' only to be a sheer waste of time. Those on here that say you cannot market for free (clearly work in marketing lol) as already by posting a few links around my google analytics is showing a huge increase in traffic to my site.
In regards to those that have criticised others for suggesting facebook etc. The title to this thread is "Free links to promote" not attracting customers (though this is obviously wanted) but the the subject here is to increase visitors thus my online presence and SEO.
Thanks for all the advice so far; very pleased and some great recommendations much appreciated :).

[F1SEO]

Plenty of free directories around if you have the spare time. They are not worth much, but something at least - better than nothing.

Write some articles and publish them at ezine, articlebase etc - don't forget to include 1 backlink.

Buy UKBF full membership so you can put links in your sig

Press Releases, like someone else said.

If you have a blog then you can link your RSS to a number of RSS listing directories for free.

Find some forums, put your profile on with a link back to your homepage. Add links in your sig and then put 10 useful posts on the forum. Find more forums. It's important to put your URL in your profile page because that's static.

These are just a few ideas to do for free:- directories are not worth that much tbh, forums a bit, articles are still quite good though.

[Neil_LI]

And make sure you add your site to your LinkedIn profile. If you ensure your profile is fully optimised it should be beneficial for both yourself and your company.

The specialties field on your profile can be your personal search engine optimiser, a way to refine the ways people find and remember you. This searchable section is where that list of industry buzzwords from your CV belongs.

Neil, from LinkedIn

[eventdomain]

The free directories many speak about are mostly owned by kids looking to get rich, and they don't get any noticable traffic worth boasting about.

They won't be targeted to any niche and the only traffic they get will be from pagerank chasers and freebie hunters... So completely pointless being listed, unless you want untargeted traffic???

I've always said it and will continue to do so - there's nothing decent in life for free! The ones offering such a thing, are few and great, but chances are to get on such sites, you must pay.

There's a saying If you're not on the web, you're dead

and it's true..... You must not only have links, but the right links - and it will shock you how many you'll need to bring in those visitors. Nobody can get away with 50 weblinks anymore, it's not enough to even get started with. I'd say at least 2000 are needed per year, and even then that's not enough, as many sites go bust, people will remove you etc.

[dal]

Thanks everyone; some great input here and great links. Much appreciated :).
unless you want untargeted traffic???

I agree with you must pay for certain things;
but if you read through the whole of this post, I'm not really going to get major work from my website. The work comes through contacts, previous jobs, and recommendations. The website is to keep confidence up and install the image of my professional firm (seperate from those you see on rogue traders with a stone as a hammer and a 'stella' in the other).
The main subject here is getting as much traffic through my site as possible to optimize SEO; ranking higher will make my company look more professional. Not contradicting myself on obtaining work through website here, as this would be nice but chances are slim in this specialist constructing field.:)
Thanks people

(http://www.preciseformwork.co.uk/)

[ruby.mein]

Promote your site by creating quality of inbound links. Engaging on the techniques such as blog commenting, forum posting, classified ads, press release, online groups, link exchange, social bookmarking and networking, article submissions and RSS feed helps.