Inbound links are some of the most valuable assets your SEO strategy can include. Clare Zurawski, Internet Marketing Consultant at WESST, has spent over 3 years helping small businesses increase their sales through SEO.

“Inbound links are most valuable when they come from well-respected entities within your industry,” says Zurawski. “Five or ten quality links are worth far more than dozens of links that have no relevance to your business.”

What are those “quality links?” Some, according to Zurawski, are URLs with the following extensions: .edu, .gov, .org. According to the “Google Webmaster Blog“, quality links are one factor in a proprietary stew that contributes to page rank. But many agree that if you have a well-structured and regularly maintained site with original, high-quality content, users and search engines alike will enjoy you.

Here are some ideas to get you started on your quality link building:
• (From Clare) Write a review of a book in your industry on www.amazon.com. Include your website at the end of the review.
• Join your local Chamber of Commerce. In Santa Fe, go here: and have your business listed in their online directory.
• Join your alumni organization’s website, it may have a .edu.
• Volunteer to write articles or reviews for a non-profit and have them include a link back to you. It’s a good way to help out and get help in return.

It’s all part of the SEO game plan, which starts with making your website your hub. Inbound quality links are like spokes coming in to the wheel. Clare adds, “If you offer free content that is valued by your web audience, you will attract links and establish yourself as an expert in your field.”

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After Link Building, you’ll need to get in-depth info on social marketing. Attend WESST’s “SEO 101, Session 2: An overview of why social media matters and how it complements SEO”, Tuesday October 27th, 5:30-7:30 pm at the WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque. You can register and pay online at www.wesst.org.

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“Target and Control your Website’s Destiny.” WESST (Women’s Economic Self Sufficiency Team) will be offering in-depth SEO Training with Clare Zurawski on Monday, November 2, 2009 at the Santa Fe Business Incubator starting at 5:30 pm. The class is reasonably priced, but register early! Call 505-474-6556, or visit www.wesst.org.

1. Social Networking. Are you on Facebook? MySpace? Twitter? LinkedIn? These are “sideways” advertising avenues. They don’t take the place of traditional advertising (yet!), but they help increase your brand awareness. In these venues, you’re not selling your product; you’re selling your story.

If you’ve been reading up on branding, you’ll know that your brand isn’t your logo, your color scheme, your PR or even your product. Your brand is the feeling people have when they think of you. Social networking is just another way to get that feeling across. As Don Draper of Mad Men says, “You are the product, you feeling something. That’s what sells.”

Example: A very early moment of social networking happened for a group I was president of when someone–not us!–posted a classified in the “Missed Connections” of our weekly alternative newspaper—this was prior to Facebook’s launch in 2006. It ran for several weeks and gave our group the aura of being a professional and personal networking group. Membership increased, and two people who met at one of our events were married.

2. Pro Bono. There’s also volunteer work, philanthropy, and community involvement. Again, you aren’t selling your product, and you’re not selling how magnanimous you are; you’re selling your brand, and every brand should have a civic responsibility to give back to their community. These can include “Thank You” ads, support opportunities, and sponsorships. Look for groups that need you and merge with your business’ vision.

Example: A local Santa Fe bank once asked me to design an ad that showcased all their incredible community involvement. I designed an ad that was basically a list of the groups they donated to. This “list” filled the ad space from top to bottom and side to side with just a bit of room left for their logo in the corner. The feeling it gave off was, “Our community involvement is more important than we are.”

The bank’s marketing director was happy to tell me that a few weeks after the ad ran, the bank received a very large customer who had only a small account at the time. But when they saw the ad and realized how much wonderful work was being done—when they recognized so many of the groups the bank had donated to—they moved their major account to the local bank. And this was a simple “Thank You” ad!

3. Brand Ambassadors. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there are your employees, partners, clients or investors that carry your brand every minute. Make sure they understand how important they are in the life of your brand. Review why you make the purchases you do, who you buy from and why. Then look at who you have “carrying” your brand.

Example: Last winter, I was in-between writing and design gigs and I got a call from an old friend. Her phone message went something like, “We think we need one website to coordinate all the different pieces of information we have on the web, but we’re not sure how to go about it. We thought you will either know how to do it, or you’ll know someone who does.” As a sole proprietor, these clients are the best. Their idea of what you do is specific and on-target, and the work is usually a good fit and a joy. I ended up designing their website.

In today’s economy we’re all looking closer to home to share what wealth we have, and your business name on someone else’s lips is word-of-mouth advertising gold.