How to Build Backlinks Using Web 2.0 Sites
So far we’ve talked about the basic ways to build links to your site. We’ve talked about article marketing with Ezinearticles.com, we’ve talked about building links with mass article marketing, we’ve talked about building links with a blog, and these are the basics you need to do create the links that will help your lenses move up the search engine rankings.
As you may be starting to see, building your lens is really a small part of the process to make money with a lens. The larger, and more time consuming part is getting your lens to show up on the first page of Google so you can get free traffic.
Today we’re going to talk about building backlinks using web 2.0 sites. This is a step you will definitely need if you are targeting more competitive keywords, or if you find after a month or so your lens is not ranking where you want it, and you need more links, this is a good way to get them.
What is a web 2.0 site?
Web 2.o has come to mean many things, but in the most basic form it is a site where the users generate the content. Squidoo is a web 2.0 site ~ you generate content (your lens) for the overall site of Squidoo.
Basically a web 2.0 site is a site where you can interact with others, (comments/guestbooks), write your own content, and you have the ability to change the content.
Why would I use web 2.0 sites?
Just like Squidoo, web 2.0 sites are generally authority sites. This means when you put your content on a trusted web 2.0 property you get a little boost or a bit of extra trust from the search engines.
These sites are free to use.
These sites are generally pretty easy to understand and it doensn’t take long to get your content on them.
They are another great place to get more links to your lens/site from different places on the web.
What web 2.0 sites should I use?
There are literally thousands of these web 2.0 sites out there. You can use any/all of them 
However, as a beginner it is probably wise to pick a few and learn the ropes with them. Once you’ve got a few under your belt you can then branch out and learn a few more.
Why should I use so many sites?
You might be asking yourself, why can’t I just pick one and make all my links from that one. It’s a good question, and here’s the answer (from my perspective). Google is pretty good at picking up patterns, I mean really, that is a huge part of their job. You don’t want all your links, and all your content to come from the exact same place because it leaves a huge footprint for google to find. When it comes to links and search engine ranking Google really likes to see natural links ~ links other people have created because they really like your stuff. When they see the same site used to create links to all your lenses/sites they are going to take notice and at some point they will probably penalize you for it, meaning your links won’t count as much.
Now if you have 5 lenses out there, don’t worry about it! If you have a 20 or 30 I’d start to think about it, if you have 50 or a hundred, I’d be implementing this! Everything is relative and you have to judge where you are at in this process to know if it applies to you. When you start getting to the point where you have a lot of lenses, and websites to link to you will definitely want to create a wider linking network than just a blog.
Where do I start?
Here are a few good places to get started using web 2.0 properties. Now remember, no matter what site you are using the key to making this successful is to write good content and provide a benefit to your reader. The purpose of these sites is to link back to your money page ~ but you have to do it while providing some useful information to the reader.
These sites are NOT ads. These are content pages ~ so you will need more content, something informative like an article that will help the reader as well as move them toward your money page (be it a lens, a blog post, or a website) you are still trying to build links to push your “money site” up the search engine rankings with these sites.
*** Make sure you read the terms of service for each site before you begin. Each site will have it’s own rules and you need to follow them. I can’t write down all the rules for you here ~ just read them on the site, and make sure you comply***
Hubpages ~ This is a great site to use to begin. It’s easy to understand, very similar to Squidoo. There are rules about linking on Hubpages ~ so make sure you read the TOS before you get started. Hubpages does delete hubs and users who do not comply with the TOS.
Wetpaint ~ Another fun and easy to use site. You can use this in a variety of ways, but remember good content is key. Think about the benefits your products/service provides and write about that. Here’s a post I wrote about how to use wetpaint. ~ much like when writing articles for Ezinearticles.com.
Google Knol ~ There’s some contraversy about whether or not links are followed from here, but it is a great place to get a link up to get noticed and indexed ~ whether you get the link juice or not. Here’s a whole post I did on how to use google knol.
That’s all fine and good ~ but what do I write?
I know not everyone is a writer, but to succeed online you’re going to have to do some writing No worries, I’ve got some things that will probably help.
Tips for Creating Content This post will show you a few ways to create interesting content for your web 2.0 sites, as well as your lenses, blogs and articles.
Article writing software This is free software that will help you create articles quickly. Once you’ve created an article you can use it whole or break it up and use it for separate text modules or areas at hubpages or on any web 2.0 site.
Article templates When you are at a complete loss for ideas of what to write you can’t go wrong with an article template. Now don’t think just because you’re not writing an article per se you can’t use these. These are awesome to create content to use anywhere.
Tips to make the content you have written work harder This article shows you how you can make one article do many things to help you get traffic to your site. You may not want/need to employ all these options but it’s a great exercise to realize how many ways you can use one piece of content.
I hope these tips and resources will help you to easily come up with more content to build your network. If you choose to purchase any products through links on this page I will earn a little income, hopefully you will too if you use the tools you’ve bought. It’s this income that allows me to keep providing all the free content on this site.
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Hi Jackie–
I think you are doing an awesome job on keeping us informed with all of this extra information you include in this blog! I have started several “Christmas Cash” lenses but keep getting derailed by things from my businesses/life. Today I saw info that made me pause and wonder if the new FTC guidelines about using endorsements/testimonials in advertising may affect what we are doing with the reviews from other people who have bought our chosen products, and indeed affect what we do as affiliates who are receiving commission for marketing someone else’s products! Do you know anything about this, or what we need to do to be compliant?
Thanks so much for all that you do–I think you are amazing!
Juls
P.S. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get my picture to show up instead of my hubby’s? I have no idea where this is coming from! (Especially since I am using my e-mail address!) I don’t even know where this picture is from, it isn’t the picture from our websites! Thanks, J.
Hi Juls,
Yes, the FTC regs concern me. I have a lawyer looking at it specifically in regards to these lenses and what I’ll have to do to be in compliance. I’ll let you know when I hear back from him, but I don’t think the reviews we are using are going to be affected, since they aren’t talking about “results” they’ve seen ~ they just talk about the product. Although ~ hmm… some of them may. I don’t know ~ we’ll have to wait and see what the lawyer says. I sent him the ironman lens as an example of the type of lenses we’re building. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.
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Hey Juls,
You might try this site: http://en.gravatar.com/ I think that’s how I set mine up.
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Thanks Jackie–you’re the best! Juls
OK, hope you don’t mind if I test it here to see if my picture shows up now! ;<) Thanks, Juls
Since Amazon.com will not allow affiliate sign ups from North Carolina or Rhode Island, is there another place that you could suggest for the Christmas Cash? Our states have tax laws that Amazon does not like.
Thank you,
GW
Hi Glenda ~
You can still use the amazon modules through squidoo and just split the profits ~ the other option is to sign up for the ebay affiliate program ~ you can do the same thing there. You can always look for your products at amazon and then go and check if you can find them on ebay ~ another option is overstock.com ~ Their affiliate program is through commission junction. You can do this with any concrete product affiliate program ~ Amazon is just one of the easiest and well known.
Jackie
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This FTC thing is very scary and I’m so afraid it’s another point of government greed that will be affecting all of us that make our livings online. It makes me wonder if they will get as nit picky as the ad banners that are placed on our sites too. It will be awful if we have to add “I make money from this ad” on every single thing we put on our websites, including all of the adsense ads.
It seems as though the government should have better things to do with their time than to start monitoring the millions of websites online for advertisements. I have heard rumors that we may also be held liable by what our affiliates are saying and doing too.
That will be a really great thing for you to keep us all informed as you get the info from your attorney. I see that marketers are already starting a feeding frenzy off of peoples fears by selling “law” packages. It will be interesting to see how this all pans out.
@ Glenda – Why is North Carolina and Rhode Island banned by Amazon?
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@Juls I see your shining face now!! woo hoo!!
@June I don’t know how far they are planning to take it. I understand there are a lot of con artists out there trying to take people for all they have and that should be regulated, but it will remain to be seen. I have heard you will have to watch what your affiliates do as well ~ I think the main thing is to make sure you are transparent with your readers and let them know that you make money when they click a link but I will let you know what the attorney says.
I also was a little irritated last night at the flood of “get your legal disclaimer” emails I got. It’s probably the exact thing the ftc is trying to stop lol. But they all had awesome disclaimers about their affiliate links ~ and what they’re gonna spend their commissions on. lol.
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Hi Jackie,
Thanks for the helpful info (again). I can’t open the Article Writing Software. Is it because I use a Mac? Does anyone have a suggestion?
Thanks.
That may be the problem. I haven’t tested it on a mac.
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This may help you that have a MAC. If you search your MAC you will find a program called Boot camp. This will allow you to run Windows and Mac on the same computer. It actually partitions your hard drive to run Mac on one and Windows on the other.
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Jackie, the thing that worries me about Hubpages is that if your author score goes too low the links become no-follow. I’m not sure at what stage. Do you perhaps know more about it. As hubpages have such a lot of rules, it is quite a drag making the pages, they catch you out very quickly if you try and cheat by not rewriting your material very well. Your Hub gets flagged for duplicate content very easily, it’s happened to me once because of a recipe I included!
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While do follow links are great no follow links will still count toward your site. I don’t know all the specifics about hubpages, but you should always be using unique content on web 2.0 sites. Here’s an interesting article about the power of no follow links. http://www.michellemacphearson.com/do-nofollow-links-count-redux/
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Jackie, really good list of resources. i tend to spend a week at a time concentrating on creating linking content for one type of site. Week one could be article directories, week 2 squidoo, week 3 forums and so on. This way you get a good spread of links.
That’s a good idea Joe. It’s really a matter of setting up something that works for you ~ whatever that system looks like. Good for you for finding something that works!
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I am learning more things daily from your blog posts and this only i going read and put to action. You have put more than anyone here and i sure not only me but also the rest will benefit a lot from your blog
Thank you Jackie, Thank You
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