Did you know that the hyperlinks you create can boost your search engine ranking and improve your web presence? It’s true! Using relevant link text when you link back to your website, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc. will boost and broaden the search ranking of the page you are linking to. These keyword-studded “backlinks” will make it easier for your fans to find your web pages in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing because these pages will rank better in search results. And it only takes a few seconds to turn a boring “click here” link into a search engine optimized one. Now most musicians are at least somewhat experienced in authoring text links (also known as anchor links, hot links or hyperlinks). Often these links read something like:
Click Here!
Follow me on Twitter
CLICK TO BUY MY ALBUM
And even more commonly, we’re all guilty of posting long unruly URLs. Links that look something like this:
http://mywebsite.com/bigfolder/music/littlefolder/4345/cool_stuff.html/?utm_source=babybaby&utm_campaign=rockharder&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=ouch&utm_content=hamsandwhich
While these kinds of links get the job done, with a little forethought and descriptive link text, you can increase your visibility in search engines every time you create a new link. Doing this will help you gain more fans, sell more music, and advance your efforts towards total world domination. The trick is to make links that use relevant keywords. Use words that describe your music. Forget “Click Here!” (That’s so 1990’s). Try “Visit my swank dub-fusion website for lovers” instead. Just be sure your word choice really describes your music.
Let’s say you put the following link on your blog: “Discover Party Pants’ dramatic power-ballad on MySpace.” And lets assume this link goes directly to the Party Pants MySpace page. In effect, you’re telling Google and other search engines that the terms “power-ballad,” “dramatic,” and “Party Pants” are all relevant search terms for the Party Pants MySpace page. You’re also telling Google that somebody cares enough about this page to link to it. Believe it or not, there are a lot of lonely web pages out there that have never been linked to. Now if you were to sprinkle thousands of links like this all over the web on popular sites, it would technically be possible for someone to type “power-ballad” into Google and get the Party Pants’ MySpace page as the number one result. Woo-who! You’ve suddenly become the most popular power-balladeers on Google.
Links that use targeted keywords can make your Facebook page, artist website, or album page on CD Baby, more visible in search results. Of course, a backlink on the New York Times front page will give you a considerably bigger boost then a link on a relatively unknown blog. But every bit helps! If you haven’t much practice creating html hyperlinks, learning the basics really shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes of reading and a little practice. We recommend the W3 Schools html link tutorial here. Also, many blogs and website editors make linking easy with handy link creator functions.
Blogs, web pages, and forums are common places to create text links like this. Make sure that your friends and fans link to you from their sites as well. In some cases, they may allow you to create the link for them. But don’t expect your average blogger to always create the perfect keyword optimised link. Sometimes you have to live with, “click here.”
(Note: Facebook and Twitter do not allow you to post html text links, but there are many places that you can)
Further Reading:
Anchor Text Optimization on Web Pro News
The Importance of Anchor Text in SEO
That’s it. Now go out there and make some Hot Links!
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